The battle between the Black Lion-Tiger and Violent Bear didn't last long.
Although Violent Bear was filled with rage, his attacks could only leave shallow scratches on the Black Lion-Tiger's steel shell, failing to break its defense.
The final result was the victory of the Black Lion-Tiger.
"Boss, how was it? Did I disappoint you?!"
As soon as the battle ended, Rupert's excited voice came from the other side of the Den Den Mushi.
Originally, Reynolds' requirement was that the Black Lion-Tiger's strength should be no less than a Marine Lieutenant Commander.
Judging from this battle, that goal had been achieved.
Of course, to get more accurate data, multiple verifications were needed.
After ten years of honing this sword, Reynolds understood Rupert's feelings perfectly, and the Black Lion-Tiger's performance was indeed impressive.
And this was just the combat power of ten Black Lion-Tigers. What if there were a hundred, or even a thousand?!
With a round of suppressive fire, ordinary pirates wouldn't stand a chance. Even those with a bit of strength who could block bullets wouldn't be able to block cannon fire.
"It's decent for now, but this is only the first test. It doesn't prove everything yet."
"In the coming period, find a few stronger pirate crews to test against. Get more accurate data and observe the stability of the Black Lion-Tigers."
"Don't worry, Boss. I already have a plan. Once I finish testing all 100 Black Lion-Tigers, I'll hand over the detailed data to you," Rupert promised firmly.
"Good. That's it for now. Keep in touch."
"Goodbye, Boss!"
Click.
With that, Reynolds hung up the Den Den Mushi.
The first round of testing for the Black Lion-Tiger could be considered a huge success. As long as there were no major accidents, in a few months, they could build the production line and begin mass production of the Black Lion-Tiger Legion.
Once the hardest step was taken, the rest would be much easier.
"Brother, they all have missions. What are we going to do next?!" Linlin asked softly while massaging Reynolds.
Although she enjoyed her time alone with Reynolds, doing the same thing every day was getting a bit boring.
"What to do?!" Reynolds rubbed his chin, a mischievous grin appearing on his face.
"How about we make a baby just for fun?!"
"Huh?!"
"Huh what? Let's go!"
...
...
Spring went and autumn came; time flew like a shuttle.
Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1498!
Over the past fourteen years, the old generation aged, and new faces constantly emerged. Coupled with the Navy's deliberate concealment, the God Valley Incident gradually faded from memory, no longer mentioned by anyone.
Reynolds, who had shone brilliantly at God Valley, vanished without a trace after the event, fading from the public eye like a fleeting flower.
Of course, the sea never lacked news.
Fourteen years passed, bringing rapid changes, and the structure of the sea shifted constantly.
The Division Commanders who had left the Rocks Pirates found their bases in the New World and launched their own operations.
They established pirate crews, expanded their territories, and dominated their respective regions.
By now, Whitebeard had established the Whitebeard Pirates. Adhering to the Rocks Pirates' model, his crew was divided into divisions led by commanders, creating a massive force.
Under his banner were dozens of affiliated pirate crews.
He became one of the few great pirate crews renowned across the current seas.
Next was Shiki the Golden Lion, who also established his own Golden Lion Pirates (Flying Pirates).
Unlike Whitebeard, whose ideal was to build a family at sea, as Shiki's strength grew, so did his ambition.
Now, just like the ambitious Rocks back then, he wanted to dominate the entire world.
To achieve this goal, Shiki invited Roger, intending to join forces to overthrow the World Government.
In the year 1495 of the Sea Circle Calendar, Shiki, enraged by Roger's repeated rejections, clashed with him, leading to the fierce Battle of Edd War.
The Roger Pirates were in crisis at one point.
Just when Shiki thought victory was in his grasp, heaven intervened. A sudden storm sent half of the Golden Lion Pirates' fleet to the bottom of the sea.
Shiki was even unluckier; a steering wheel from who-knows-where flew straight into his head. Pulling it out would be fatal.
To this day, that steering wheel remained lodged in Shiki's skull.
Since then, the Golden Lion Pirates' strength plummeted, and their criminal activities in the New World decreased significantly.
Besides them, there were Captain John, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe.
Originally, the three thought of banding together for warmth, but later, due to conflicts of interest, they parted on bad terms.
John established his own pirate crew, but his attempt to hoard treasure for himself was discovered, leading to his murder by his own crew members.
As for Wang Zhi and Silver Axe, they vanished completely from the sea, with no news of them whatsoever.
However, in these fourteen years, the one who developed the fastest and gained the most fame wasn't Whitebeard or Shiki, but Roger.
In the year 1497 of the Sea Circle Calendar, the Roger Pirates reached the legendary island, Laugh Tale, causing a worldwide sensation.
Roger became known to the world as the Pirate King!
After becoming the Pirate King, Roger secretly disbanded his crew and married Portgas D. Rouge. The two spent nearly a year on Baterilla.
Just when Rouge thought the terminally ill Roger could hold on until their child was born, Roger actually left Baterilla and went to surrender to the Navy.
And today was the day of Roger's public execution.
East Blue, Loguetown!
Under the gaze of thousands.
Shackled from head to toe, with messy hair, Roger walked heavily toward the execution platform under the escort of executioners.
Suffering from a long-term illness and the torture of recent times, Roger looked in poor spirits.
Only his eyes remained resolute.
"Is... is this the legendary Pirate King?!" "Is that Roger?!" "Oh my god, so he's the most powerful pirate in the world!!" "I heard he has a lot of treasure. I wonder if it's true or not." "The Navy is amazing, catching even such a powerful pirate!" "Bullshit! The Navy didn't catch him; I heard he surrendered." "Really? If even the Navy couldn't do anything to him, why surrender?" "How should I know? I'm not him!"
"..."
The surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion while casting curious glances at Roger.
Roger, with his head lowered, felt no ripples in his heart at these noisy sounds.
Only when he heard "Roger is the most powerful pirate in the world" did his calm eyes change for the first time.
Seeming to think of something, the corners of his mouth lifted in a self-deprecating smile.
In the eyes of the world, he was the most powerful pirate on the sea.But compared to that man, what did he truly amount to?
It was a pity that since the Battle of God Valley, that man had vanished without a trace, his whereabouts unknown.
However, Roger believed that man had ambition. He must be somewhere in this vast ocean, constantly observing the world like a crouching tiger, waiting for the right moment to strike.
And when that moment arrived, the sea would once again undergo earth-shattering changes because of him.
Step, step, step.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Roger finally reached the end of his path, standing atop the execution platform.
He slowly raised his head, scanning the surroundings expressionlessly, spotting many familiar faces.
Meeting Roger's gaze, these people wore varied expressions.
A few seconds later, he lowered his head again.
Clang.
At the same time, the death knell tolled its final ring.
The execution was about to begin!
Dead silence filled the square!
"Do you want my treasure?!!"
Suddenly, Roger, who had been silent until now, spoke abruptly.
His single sentence caused the quiet square to explode with noise.
It was common knowledge that the Pirate King, Roger, possessed wealth that could rival nations.
But the specific location of this wealth remained unknown.
If they could get their hands on it, they could instantly become the richest people in the world.
Thinking of this, the eyes of everyone present burned with greed.
Immediately, someone couldn't help but shout:
"Roger! Where exactly did you hide the treasure?!" "Is it in the East Blue, or the place where you lived last?!"
"Hahahaha... Are you referring to the One Piece?!!"
Hearing this, the corners of Roger's mouth lifted slightly, and he laughed loudly.
Hearing the words "One Piece," many big shots hidden in the crowd instantly clenched their fists.
Does that thing really exist?!
Most civilians only knew that Roger had reached Laugh Tale and obtained a massive treasure.
But beyond that, the powerful knew that there lay a secret capable of overturning the entire world.
Seeing Roger sweep away his previous dejection, the big shots began to believe that the One Piece was real.
Roger looked around, taking in everyone's greed.
He wasn't surprised.
After all, who could refuse the temptation of treasure? Moreover, there lay a secret concerning the Clan of D.
But as for the truth, let these guys go and find it themselves.
"Roger! Stop keeping us in suspense! Speak!!" "Where on earth did you hide the treasure?!" "You're going to die soon anyway, just tell us the location!!"
"..."
The execution time had arrived. Seeing Roger still hesitating to speak, the people around him grew anxious.
"You all want my treasure, don't you? I can tell you!"
"Shut up!!"
Two executioners shouted sternly, raising the two long blades crossed in front of Roger high into the air.
Before the execution, they had received strict orders: absolutely do not let Roger reveal any information about that matter.
Ignoring them completely, Roger shouted to the crowd:
"Bwahahaha... Go find it! I left everything I gathered together in one place! At Laugh Tale!!"
"Bastard!!"
The faces of the two executioners changed drastically. Exchanging a glance, they swung their blades simultaneously, slashing ruthlessly at Roger's neck.
"Reynolds! You want to dominate this world too, don't you?!!"
In the final moments of his life, Roger spoke his last sentence.
Shing!
The blades fell, and the man died!
In the year 1498 of the Sea Circle Calendar, the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, aged 53, was executed by the Navy in Loguetown, East Blue, ending his magnificent life.
But every word he spoke before his death caused a massive sensation across the seas.
The treasure hidden at Laugh Tale went without saying, but... Reynolds.
This name, gradually forgotten by countless people and unmentioned for fourteen years, re-entered the public eye because of Roger's final words.
Newcomers had only heard legends of him, but only the old timers who had contact with Reynolds knew how terrifying he truly was.
He was an existence even more terrifying than Rocks at his peak, or Roger at his peak.
Roger's last sentence left everyone present bewildered.
Who is Reynolds? To be mentioned by the Pirate King right before his death?
In an instant, news of the One Piece and the name Reynolds spread like wildfire across the seas.
Countless pirates began recruiting crews and setting sail, starting the search for the great secret treasure Roger left behind.
The Great Pirate Era had officially begun!
...
...
The next day!
Inside a room in Loguetown.
A phonograph in the room was playing a beautiful symphony.
Reynolds, who had vanished for fourteen years and never shown his face to the public, was listening to the music while flipping through ancient books in his hand.
Phew.
After finishing the last page, Reynolds closed the book and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.
His thoughts drifted.
He had gone to Roger's execution site yesterday and watched the entire process.
What surprised him was that Roger actually mentioned his name before dying.
Wasn't this just purely looking for trouble for him?!
His name had just been forgotten, and now, because of Roger's one sentence, things were probably going to be lively for a while.
Of course, he didn't care too much.
Besides, it was time to execute his plan.
Although he had been dormant in the shadows for fourteen years, he knew everything happening in the outside world like the back of his hand.
Fourteen long years passed in the blink of an eye.
His various plans had made breakthrough progress.
First were Roger (the merchant, not the Pirate King) and Jace. Because of their reputation and offering prices far higher than other guilds, their business snowballed, getting bigger and bigger.
By now, their business had spread throughout the underground forces of the Four Blues, even reaching the level of monopoly.
Over the years, the gold and diamonds they handed over to Reynolds were countless.
After being multiplied a hundredfold by Hajrudin's More-More Fruit, even Reynolds didn't know exactly how much wealth he possessed now.
If the treasure Roger spoke of was just gold and silver, it might not even be as much as what Reynolds had in his storage warehouse.
Of course, as strangers in new lands, Roger and Jace naturally encountered trouble while expanding their business.
This brings up Black Shadow's Assassin Guild and Flame Flower's Intelligence Organization.
With Reynolds' financial support in the early stages and Redfield's powerful strength as a guarantee, they quickly gained a firm foothold in the North Blue, which was teeming with assassins.
In fourteen years, Black Shadow used violent means to directly control the underground assassin guilds of the Four Blues.
When Jace and Roger encountered trouble but it was inconvenient for them to act, Black Shadow would directly send assassins to solve it for them.
Flame Flower naturally wasn't idle either; she and Kaido laid out a massive intelligence network.
Whatever news she wanted to know, with just one order, the entire underground intelligence organization of the Four Blues would operate like a giant machine immediately.
Within the shortest possible time, the intelligence she wanted would be delivered to her hands.
Now, their influence was radiating toward the Grand Line and the New World.
However, encroaching on these two places was much more difficult than the Four Blues.
Currently, the Intelligence Organization, Assassin Guild, and Merchant Guild of the Four Blues complemented and achieved each other.
Meanwhile, Rupert and Hajrudin, who existed independently of them, had achieved even more remarkable results.
To ensure the stability of the Black Lion-Tiger, Rupert spent a full six months testing it.
After confirming everything was correct, Rupert and Hajrudin returned to Wano Country.
They established assembly lines, prepared various materials, and went into production in Wano.
Now, the number of Black Lion-Tigers had reached tens of thousands.
Not only that, but there were also nearly ten thousand Black Armor Beasts.
The Black Lion-Tiger's advantage lay in its speed and its arsenal of light and heavy artillery, suitable for long-range suppressive fire.
The Black Armor Beast had stronger defense, equipped with sharper long blades and sturdy shields, suitable for close combat.
One for range, one for melee!
Comparing the two, the Black Armor Beast was harder to build, consuming more manpower, resources, and money.
From conception to actual production, Rupert spent nearly two years on the Black Armor Beast.
And this was with the experience of building the Black Lion-Tiger already under his belt. The difficulty was evident.
Moreover, to prevent enemies from taking them back for research, Rupert installed self-destruct devices in the core areas, set with passwords to ensure absolute security.
Everything was proceeding step by step!
Pulling his thoughts back to reality, Reynolds sank his consciousness into his mind.
"Check System!"[System Panel Opening!]
[Host: Reynolds]
[System: The Great Voyage System]
[Swordsmanship: Level 60 —— 61/1,000,000]
[Observation Haki: Level 35 —— 36/600,000 (Future Sight)]
[Armament Haki: Level 35 —— 36/600,000 (Internal Destruction)]
[Conqueror's Haki: Level 43 —— 44/1,200,000 (Conqueror's Infusion, Future Sight Killer)]
[Voyage Points: 500,000 Points]
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Spring Sale Special – 20% OFF!
ONEPIECE My Crewmates Are All God-Tier! (222 Chapter– Full)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────