Byrnndi World, twenty-five this year, the same age as Iron Fist Garp, the Spearhead Chinjao, and the Dark King Rayleigh—one year older than Roger.
While Roger and Rayleigh were still scrapping around the East Blue, World and Chinjao were already making waves in the New World.
Chinjao, heir to the three-color Haki passed down his bloodline and candidate to become the twelfth commander of the Happo Navy.
His bounty even topped that of the world destroyer, reaching 242 million Berries.
Captain John the Jewellery Collector, a Paramecia Type user of the Magnet-Magnet Fruit, had entered the New World two years earlier than the world destroyer and carried a bounty of 210 million Berries.
Aboard the gibecks sword.
Fang Huo scanned the sheaf of reports in his hands. Besides his main target, Byrnndi World, he kept constant tabs on the pirate crews sprouting in the East Blue.
Next year the Rumbar Pirates would sail into the Grand Line.
After entrusting the whale Laboon to Crocus at Twin Capes, Brook and Yorki spent three months reaching the waters near the Florian Triangle—where the crew was annihilated.
Just before Brook died, the Roger Pirates had only just stepped onto the Grand Line and were barely known.
At the time, Brook carried a bounty of 33 million Berries.
Judging by Brook's own tone, Roger's first Grand Line bounty might not even have matched his.
Amid the endless list of small-time East Blue pirates, Fang Huo finally spotted the "ordinary" Roger Pirates—fewer than ten men.
The Roger Pirates also followed an elite route: at their peak they numbered only twenty-eight.
Gold·Roger: bounty 14.8 million Berries!
A thoroughly unremarkable figure, almost not worth noticing.
None of the other crew members even had wanted posters issued.
Yet Fang Huo knew this was a rookie crew brimming with limitless potential!
"So they've finally appeared!"
Fang Huo stared at a plain wanted poster: inside, a Straw Hat kid grinned from ear to ear.
Once Rayleigh and Gabba were both aboard, Fang Huo would move to ambush the future Pirate King.
Let them learn what it feels like to stroll out of the starter village and run straight into the world boss!
He weighed whether to rob the Roger Pirates the moment they entered the Grand Line, or wait until they first set foot in the New World.
If he held off until the New World, he could recruit more former Roger Pirates Executives in one swoop.
But if he struck earlier, right as they entered the Grand Line, he could subdue them far more thoroughly.
He only wondered when the Gold-Silver-Copper trio would awaken Conqueror's Haki—and whether it might affect their potential.
"Fang Huo, spotted another talent—or are you eyeing some Devil Fruit user again?"
Seeing Fang Huo lost in the wanted posters, Rocks stepped up and snatched the one that had him so absorbed.
A rather goofy Straw Hat youth: Gold·Roger—Gold Roger.
"Some small-fry from the East Blue?"
Rocks glanced at the paltry 14.8-million-Berry bounty and instantly lost interest.
Even if the kid had massive potential, he'd have to survive long enough to break into the New World before he warranted Rocks's attention.
"His name should be Gol·D·Roger; he's of the D Clan—probably a clerical error on the poster."
Fang Huo spoke calmly. Whether the World Government had done it deliberately or an agent had slipped up, the bounty read Gold·Roger, not Gol·D·Roger.
Later an irate Roger simply painted "Gol·D·Roger" across his mainsail.
"D Clan?"
At Fang Huo's words Rocks finally grew serious.
He knew every bearer of the D was extraordinary, their veins coursing with indomitable strength.
Given certain trials, most would awaken Conqueror's Haki.
Of course, the majority who kept their D hidden eventually faded into mediocrity.
Even the Davy D bloodline—descendants of Davy D. Jones—had produced no Conqueror's users in generations, despite their forebears' talent.
Environment shapes character; character shapes ambition; ambition shapes daring; daring shapes power!
"He'll be fearsome in the future, huh—enough to hold your attention like this!"
Rocks's eyes gleamed, his drive to poach flaring. If the kid's potential was sky-high, even a guppy was worth a bit of his time.
"He possesses the Observation Haki that hears the voice of all things, and his ship will carry at least three Conqueror's users…"
Fang Huo dropped information that made Rocks's heart skip a beat.
"worororo! Decided—I'm snatching him for sure!"
Rocks's pupils shrank, then he burst into excited laughter.
"But let him recruit his future right-hand men and strong officers first—then we'll scoop up the whole nest!"
Fang Huo flashed a wicked grin: early, crush them when Roger first enters the Grand Line; late, hit them the instant they reach the New World.
In short, they had to act before Roger fully bloomed.
"Fine—I'll track their intel myself. A Voice-of-All-Things Observation Haki is worth more than mind-reading!"
Rocks's eyes sparkled; he too possessed a rare brand of Observation Haki.
But his variant could only communicate mentally with the D Clan—somewhat like the void telepathy Imu used with the Gorosei and the Gods Knights.
Its range was small and it worked solely on D bearers—making it nearly useless.
These days it barely saw action.
Back at God Valley it had served as a handy psychic loud-hailer among his kin.
Yet those clansmen had little ambition, content to live quiet lives—no help to him at all.
Rocks began gathering every scrap of information on the Roger Pirates.
With the promise of at least three Conqueror's users, he pursued the crew with real fervor.
If Fang Huo kept scouting more prospects with Conqueror's potential, he wouldn't even care about the loss of the Momo Fruit and Magnet-Magnet Fruit users.
Fang Huo set down Roger's wanted poster and picked up Byrnndi World's.
The Momo Fruit's power—he would have it!
His sixth ability!
Besides the Dragon-Dragon Fruit he already coveted, he still had two Soul Fire slots left.
'Which way to choose?'
Honestly, even the Magnet-Magnet Fruit now gave him pause.
Lightning plus magnetism—an electro-magnetic combo, or would one power simply overwrite the other?
Those two slots tempted him with countless dreams: time, space, barriers, luck, teleportation, transport—he wanted them all.
Damn this decision paralysis!
En route to Byrnndi World, Fang Huo combed through reports on every ability user, hunting for the Devil Fruit that suited him best.
Magnet-Magnet, Teleport-Teleport, Castle-Castle, Barrier-Barrier—all had surfaced in the intel.
Yet he still could not choose.
Only when data on a bounty hunter called the Doom Hunter appeared did Fang Huo's eyes blaze.
Could it be—'that' power?
Until their luck runs out, no one can kill the user of the Lucky-Lucky Fruit!