Chapter 17: The approaching moment
When pirates arrive at a new island, they generally do one of two thingsâ"adventure" or "plunder."
Well, in reality, they might also restock supplies, conduct trade, or simply stay on the island for a while. But for the most part, it always comes down to those two.
After all, pirates canât earn their keep without them. Pirates are outlawsâpeople who despise honest work or simply canât do it. They plunder enemy ships and civilians or scour the islands they visit in search of treasure. They exchange what theyâve stolen for money, then use that to buy necessities like food.
Of course, not every pirate lives solely by plunderâbut money is meant to be spent. Raiding causes too much commotion and invites trouble. So most pirates just use the townâs shops and merchants normally. If they destroy too many merchants and towns, trade routes collapse, and thatâs no good for anyone. Even pirates engage in tradeâand they usually honor their deals.
Still, at the end of the day, pirates are scoundrels.
Even the more "peace-minded" pirates, the ones who focus more on adventure than slaughter and pillaging, are still criminals who break the law. They fight other pirates, battle the Navy, and flee when necessary. If they dislike someone, they might not kill them, but theyâll beat them up. That alone is a crime. Ordinary folks donât go around throwing punches.
So no, pirates arenât good people. They donât usually help others, either. Pirates do what they want. Everyone else comes second. Theyâre pirates precisely because they refuse to follow the rules others set.
Thatâs why⌠for pirates to do something like this⌠Itâs not normal.
"Hah⌠hah⌠damn itâŚ!! Why the hell are fellow pirates⌠getting in our way!? Whatâs in it for you bastards!?"
"âŚAhhh⌠yeah. Youâre right. Thatâs⌠yeah. Totally fair."
Standing in the middle of the street, I listened to the angry shouts of the pirate in front of me and responded with halting words. A little embarrassed, I averted my gaze. This was awkward. Because honestly? I agreed with him. I hadnât meant to interfere. In fact, I wouldâve been fine leaving things alone. This wasnât even my idea.
To put it bluntly⌠this was just how things turned out.
Still, once youâve started something, youâve gotta see it through. It wasnât my call to begin with, so part of me didnât careâbut backing out now would feel gross and unsatisfying.
"Mmm⌠well⌠sooorry about this~âĄ"
"GhâŚ! StopâGAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
So, as an apology to the pirate Iâd cornered, I gave him a cute winkâthen smashed him down with my trident. Normally, Iâd stab him. Or just kill him outright. Weak enemies who arenât even fun to fight? Whether they live or die makes no difference to me. But if I killed him now, Iâd get scolded for it. When in Rome, and all that.
As the pirate collapsed, the voices of the surrounding crowd rose up. The reactions of civilians witnessing a pirate battleâs conclusion. Usually, itâd be screamsâbut not this time. Not screams⌠but cheers.
"Whoooa!! That girl just took down a pirate!!""Weâre saved!! Thank you!!""Thank you, big sis!!""âŚAhaha⌠yeah, yeah⌠no problemâŚ"
I accepted the flood of gratitude from men, women, and children with an awkward smile. Truth be told, I wasnât used to this kind of appreciationâit made me itchy with discomfort.
Not that being praised felt bad. In fact, I liked it well enough. But being treated like some kind of hero by the townsfolk just⌠didnât sit right with me. If anything, Iâd rather be feared. As a pirate, I wanted a notorious reputationâone where fear and admiration intertwined.
Just as I was thinking that, trying to slip away from the crowdâs attention by leaping into the airâ
"âSeems like you didnât need any help after all?"
"! Rayleigh!"
âI was called out the moment I landed on a rooftop.
The voice belonged to a dignified, bespectacled swordsman with golden hairâSilvers Rayleigh, the vice-captain of the pirate crew I was currently traveling with. I had no idea why he was here, but the faintly amused smile on his face annoyed me just enough to make me shoot back a reply.
"âŚâŚAs if~? Like Iâd ever lose to some rookie pirate who just stumbled into the New World."
"Hah, someoneâs in a foul mood. Does helping people really bother you that much?"
"âŚPirates donât just help people for no reason. This isnât some charity."
"True enough. Iâd agree⌠butâRogerâs never been the type to care about that."
Rayleigh let out a wry chuckle as he responded. As the oldest member of the Roger Pirates and the captainâs right-hand man, he clearly understood Roger better than most. Even while agreeing with me, his actions perfectly aligned with Rogerâs way of thinking. âŚAnd judging by the unconscious, fairly tough-looking guy slumped in the alleywayâprobably the enemy piratesâ top officerâthat was definitely Rayleighâs handiwork. Heâd finished his job, then came to check on me. That little display of competence was annoying, so I raised my spearâ
"âOpenings!!"
"Whoa now. That attack was sloppy. Letting your emotions cloud your Observation Haki? And when you coat your weapon with Armament, you shouldâ"
"Stop dodging AND giving advice at the same time!!! Itâs helpful but pisses me off!!"
My best-effort strike was effortlessly deflected, and I got a lecture on top of it. I couldnât help but yell. Iâd tried ambushing Rayleigh (and Roger) plenty of times, but it never worked. They always dodged. In a way, it was good training, but being treated like a kid every time was beyond frustrating. Ugh⌠sure, age-wise, I am still a rookie, but Iâm stronger than most pirates out thereâŚ
"Heh⌠More importantly, looks like itâs over."
"Huh? âOh."
While Iâd been lost in thought, the battle in the town square had ended. One pirate lay flat on his back, while the other stood victoriousânone other than Rayleighâs partner himself.
"âWeâreâŚâŚâŚâŚ the winners!!!"
"WOOOOOOH!!!"
"They did it!!"
"They actually took down those brutal piratesâŚ!!"
The townspeople erupted into cheers even louder than before. And at the center of it all stoodâGol D. Roger, captain of the Roger Pirates and the one whoâd picked this fight with the islandâs oppressors in the first place.
âŚLong story short? The Roger Pirates arrived, learned how the locals were suffering under these pirates, saw the kind guide whoâd shown them around get hurt right in front of themâand snapped. They picked a fight, won, and⌠well, that was that.
No territorial ambitions. No looting. No ulterior motives. Just pure, unfiltered outrage. To save their friends and the islanders, Roger and his crew had challenged a pirate crew over a thousand strongâand actually pulled it off.
âŚAnd yet, in stark contrast to their heroic actions, the moment it was overâ
"âAlright, boys!! Time to scram!!! No hero worship for us!!"
"Again!? Canât we stick around for once!?"
"Hahaha, right! Our captainâs always in such a damn hurry, even after a fight!"
With Rogerâs declaration, the crew bolted for the harbor, grumbling all the way. The townspeople could only stare in disbelief.
"W-Wait!! Hold on!!"
"At least let us thank youâŚ!!"
"You saved us, and now youâre just leavingâŚ!?"
They called after the retreating pirates, desperate to stop them. Hmm⌠I still donât get this habit of theirs. Running away even after being genuinely thanked, setting sail without taking anything in return⌠Wouldnât it be better to at least accept some token of gratitude? The best move wouldâve been to demand payment upfront, but if they couldnât do that, then at leastâ
"âHey, newbie!! Heard you took out some of âem too!?"
"âŚTechnically! Technically!! I only did it âcause sitting around felt wrong!! I didnât want to, got it!?"
As Rayleigh and I caught up to the fleeing crew, Roger called out to me. I turned my face away, firing back. That wasnât my intention at all. I only helped because I owe them for letting me stay on their ship, and wrapping things up faster means I can finish my own business sooner. Not because I wanted to help anyone. Thatâs not who I am.
But of course, this man justâ
âStill, thanks a ton!! Wahaha!!â
âTch!! ~~~âŚ!! This guyâŚ!! And quit patting my head!! I ainât happy getting praised by an enemy over something like this!!â
âDonât say that!! Weâre friends, ainât we!?â
ââWeâre NOT!! Iâm just your guide!! Temporarily hitching a ride on this ship!!â
âYouâve been sayinâ that to me ân Roger for months now!! Never change, do ya, Nue!? Hahaha!!â
âShut up, Gabban!! Idiot! Idiot!!â
Teased by Roger and Gabban, I snap back, frustrated. Ugh⌠pisses me off⌠But theyâre so much stronger than me that even if I fought back, theyâd just toy with meâŚ!!
In the end, all I can do is complainâand itâs infuriating. Sure, I throw a punch sometimes, but they dodge it effortlessly. And the really annoying part? My Hakiâs gotten slightly better because of this. When I calm down, it leaves me with this weird, complicated feeling. My Hakiâs success rate and power have quietly improved. Probably because Iâve been dragged along on the Roger Piratesâ pointless grand adventures. Seriously, this crewâs cursedâthey have to stir up trouble on every single island they visit. And thanks to that, Iâve suffered plenty⌠Tch⌠Why am I even helping when Iâm not part of the crewâŚ!? Just thinking about it gives me a headache. Their recklessness, and the fact that Iâve started getting used to itâŚ
âSo? Another feast on the ship?â
âYeah!! Damn right!! Boys, weâre drinkinâ till we drop once we set sail!!â
âHell yeah!! Thatâs our Roger for ya!! Hey, Nue! How âbout a drinkinâ contest?â
âHeh. How many times do you need to lose? Donât even dream of beating me!â
Rightâafter battles, thereâs usually a feast, and eating and drinking to my heartâs content is fun⌠Well, okay, it is fun, but when I think about it later, it feels kinda⌠How long is this gonna go on? Thatâs the question that pops up. So every time, I ask Roger:
ââŚFeasts are fine and all, but⌠So? When are you finally gonna take me?â
âHm? Well⌠After we leave the Grand Line and sail through the four seas⌠Then weâll head back to the Grand Line again!!â
ââAnother grand adventure!? Cut it out already!! Itâs been way too long! Weâre leaving this island now, so come on!!â
âEhhh~~!! But weâve already picked the next islandââ
âIf you donât get serious, Iâll tell Captain Rocks!! That youâre a coward whoâs too scared to fight him!!â
âWha!? No, no, noâŚ! Thatâs bad⌠But⌠Hmm~~~âŚâ
Roger flares up for a second, then immediately starts stroking his chin, deep in thought. Whatâs he agonizing overâŚ? Well, I kinda get it. Heâs searching for that thing, so heâs probably torn about prioritizing that. Maybe. Or maybe he just really wants to go to some island. If thatâs the case, absolutely not.
But just as Rogerâs stewing, the crew unexpectedly backs me upânot him. Maybe theyâre thinking of me for once:
âBut Roger. If we drag this out too long, those rumors will spread.â
âPlus, we oughta return Nue soon. Been too long since sheâs seen her siblingsâmight start cryinâ from loneliness!â
âI WONâT CRY!!â
ââŚAlright!! Youâre right!! Time toâgo pick a fight with Rocks!!â
âYeah!! Finally!!â
âMy fists are itchân for it!â
âWait!? The deciding factor was me crying!? I am NOT okay with this!!â
âWahaha, donât sweat the small stuff!! Just guide us there already!!â
âGrrâŚ! This is your fault to begin withâ!!â
Furious, I lunge at Rogerâbut he dodges, as usual. The crew laughs at the sight. Ugh, these guysâŚ! Just wait till Captain Rocks or my crew wipes the floor with you!! Youâll see!!
âAnd so, after what felt like an eternity (seriously, those few months dragged on forever), I finally saw a glimmer of hope that my mission might actually be completed. I let out a relieved sigh.
âŚOr so it shouldâve been.
ââRoger!! Todayâs the day I throw your ass in jail!! Give it up!!â
âWahaha!! Sorry, Garp!! Weâre in a hurry!! Gotta drop Nue off and kick Rocksâ ass on the way!!â
ââWhat!? Rocks!? Youâ Wait, that girl with youâŚ!!â
âHey! Whyâd you say that~~!!? Now they know!!â
âHm? Was that bad?â
âOF COURSE IT WAS!! Donât just hand intel to the Marines!! Now theyâllââ
âWahaha, relax! Weâll just outrun âem!! âAnyway, Garp!! Our duelâs gotta wait!!â
âHold it!! Whatâre you scheming, Roger!? I ainât lettinâ you go!!â
âŚAnd just like that, we ran into the MarinesâGarp, no lessâand now they know Roger and Rocks are about to clash. I swear⌠This Roger guyâs impossible to control!! Not that itâs not fun, but the hassle outweighs the fun by a mile!!
âUghhhâ!! Fine!! ââGreen UFOâ!!â
With no choice, I summon my newly mastered UFO to shake off the Marines while using a Den Den Mushi to report to Captain RocksâHelp me, Captain!!!
Marine HQ â A Certain Office
In a room at the heart of the Marinesâ stronghold, an unprecedented tension hung thick in the air.
The reason? A shocking report just delivered by one of their comrades. The news was so staggering that the men present couldnât help but voice it aloud.
âRoger and Rocks⌠are making contact!?â
âIs this intel reliable!?â
The office belonged to a Marine Vice Admiralâa muscular man with spiky hair named Kong, the most senior officer present.
Next, the Den Den Mushiâs receiver crackled with the voice of another Vice Admiral: âBuddhaâ Sengoku. His face paled as he listened to the battle noises and a familiar voice on the other end.
âIâm tellinâ ya, thatâs what he said!! Donât know why, but Roger ainât the type to lie⌠Andâthereâs a face from the Rocks Pirates on his ship!! Probably an envoy or somethinâ!â
ââŚ!! ImpossibleâŚ!â
The man on the other endâtheir fellow Vice Admiral, âFistâ Garpâwas their peer and one of the Marinesâ strongest fighters. But even for him, this report was too heavy to process.
Kong clenched his teeth and forced out words.
âDammit⌠Garp!! At least try to find out where theyâreââ
âGuh!? Gotta go!! But donât worryâIâll catch both of âem myself!!â
Click. The line went dead mid-sentence.
âGarp!! GARP!! âŚDamn it!!â
Kong shouted into the receiver, then tried redialingâbut no luck. Garp had his hands full. And his opponent was Roger. The fact that heâd even reported this much was impressive for Garp⌠but the reality of the situation still made fists tighten in frustration.
â...Kong-san⌠If what Garp just said is trueâŚâ
ââŚYeah. Most likely, it is. In that case, their goal is either subjugation, alliance⌠or war.â
Sengoku took a moment to steady himself before addressing Kong in a calm voice. Kong, who had just stood up, returned to his seat and spoke plainly about the potential realities they might soon face.
The infamous Rocks Piratesâknown as the most powerful pirate crew in the worldâand the Roger Pirates, led by Roger himself, a man whose strength earned him the nickname âDemonâ among pirates not affiliated with Rocksâthose two forces making contact. If the higher-ups caught wind of this, theyâd likely faint on the spot.
But it wasnât the higher-ups who would have to deal with it. It was themâthe ones on the ground. They had to come up with countermeasures. Thatâs why theyâd gathered here. They were already being pressuredânot just by government officials, but more troublingly⌠by the Celestial Dragons themselves.
âRoger⌠isnât the kind of man who would ever serve someone. And the same goes for Rocks. Even if they tried to form a subordinate relationship or alliance, the negotiations would break down. In the end⌠itâll come to war.â
ââŚYou think so too, Zephyr?â
The one who broke the heavy silence was the man seated beside SengokuâVice Admiral âBlack Armâ Zephyr, who had been quietly listening to the report.
Alongside Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuruâwho wasnât presentâZephyr was one of the Navyâs most distinguished officers from their generation. He, too, was a key force meant to stand against the might of Rocks.
Known as a model marine, a man who always acted with both calm and conviction, Zephyr now found himself sweating from the sheer weight of the situation. Thatâs how terrifying a monster Rocks wasâand the idea of him joining forces with Roger was an incident capable of shaking the entire world. He voiced that concern, nodded at Kongâs response, and continued with his thoughts.
âThe intel Garp brought back is invaluable. And if weâre lucky⌠more information might follow.â
ââŚWe might even learn their location⌠huh. That would be idealâbut even then, it would bring its own set of problems.â
Kong rubbed his forehead, clearly burdened by the direction things were heading. His thoughts were picked up by another manâone known as a brilliant tactician.
ââŚEven though weâve been authorized to initiate a Buster Call, without knowing where Rocks is, we canât act. And even if we do launch one, thereâs a high chance it wouldnât be enough to bring down the Rocks Pirates. And if Roger joins the fray, even five Vice Admirals might not be enough to handle itâŚ!â
Sengoku clenched his fists, frustration bleeding into his voice as a deep frown formed between his brows. Yesâthe three men gathered here were the core fighting force designated for the Buster Call.
Five Vice Admirals and ten warshipsâthis kind of concentrated military force had the power to wipe an entire island off the map. That was the destructive might of the Buster Call, a privilege that could only be invoked by the Fleet Admiral and the three Admirals of the Navy.
The decision to use a Buster Call against the threat of the Rocks Pirates had already been approved in an earlier meeting. But even so, there was a lingering questionâcould even a Buster Call take down Rocks?
The five designated to lead this mission were hereâor not all of them. Kong, Sengoku, and Zephyr were present. The othersâTsuru and Garpâwere not. Together, these five would command the ten warships. But even then, it still might not be enough against Rocks.
And on top of all that⌠the Navy had to deal with another, more delicate burden: orders influenced by the whims of the World Nobles.
âEven with information control in place, the threat of the Rocks Pirates still reaches the ears of the public⌠Thatâs how recklessly those lunatics are rampaging across the seasâŚ! What the hell are they thinkingââ
âThatâs enough, Sengoku!! âŚYou never know who might be listening. Donât say more than you have to.â
â! But Kong-san!! I canât accept this!! Even now, in a time like this, weâre expected to follow these reckless orders and scatter our forcesâŚ!!â
Sengoku slammed his hand on Kongâs desk, frustration spilling out as he voiced his protest. Normally the one who plays the role of Garpâs stopper, even Sengoku couldnât stomach these vague directives from above.
And he wasnât the only oneâZephyr felt the same. And truth be told⌠so did Kong.
But Kong, listening to Sengokuâs words with a pained look on his face, still gave the only response he could.
â...The government has designated several islands. We are to station marines⌠to protect those places. That is the order weâve been given⌠And we marines⌠have no choice but to follow itâŚ!!â
â! Tch⌠So the civilians⌠donât matter?â
ââŚTheyâre⌠not the top priorityâŚâ
Kongâs weak, half-voiced admissionâcarefully avoiding a direct answerâleft Sengoku in silence. There was nothing more to say.
Powerless. Thatâs all it was.
They couldnât defeat Rocks, nor could they protect or save the innocent people who would suffer because of him. The only ones they were allowed to protect were the descendants of the creators of this worldâthe Celestial Dragons, and the things they owned. Only when those were threatened were they allowed to step in and fight.
Until then, they couldnât even chase after Rocks.
They couldnât disobey orders. Even if they had their doubtsâeven if they knew betterâthey had no choice.
And then, with a bitter, self-deprecating smile, Zephyr spoke. He too had no option but to follow orders⌠and at the same time, he couldnât help but envy the nature of one particular peer.
ââŚAt times like this⌠I get jealous of Garpâs freedom. That guy wouldnât follow orders, no matter what. I bet heâs already off chasing after Roger and Rocks, planning to take them down himselfâŚâ
âZephyrâŚâ
â...Yeah. Right now⌠all we can do is leave it to Garp. And do what we canâŚ!!â
Ashamed of how little they could do, of how everything now hinged on the reckless bravery of a single manâthey returned to their duties. In this age of growing chaos and confusion, even justice itself was becoming hard to define.
ââThe New World.â Somewhere on a remote island.
ââYo, Nue⌠you finally heading back soon? âThatâs good to hearâŚ! Gihaha⌠Kaidoâs getting pretty damn irritated too⌠And me? Well, Iâve got a little something I wanna say to that Roger bastard myselfââ
The man who aimed to become king of the world picked up the Den Den Mushi and answered the call with a wicked grin. The cruel curve of his lips hinted at the malice behind his next words. And before himâ
ââTell Roger this. That stone he wants so bad? Itâs sitting right here⌠right in front of meâŚ!!! GIHAHAHAHA!!!â
And there it wasâ
A massive stone monument, carved with ancient letters lost to time.
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