The seas were thrown into massive upheaval.
But Roldy knew nothing of it.
While escaping God Valley, he had been forcefully snatched away from Big Mom by Shiki the Golden Lion. Big Mom did not care—she had already obtained what she wanted.
And so Roldy lay in the captain's quarters of Shiki's ship. When he awoke from a deep sleep, the vessel had already docked.
Hachinosu.
Once hailed as the great criminal stronghold of the New World, tens of thousands of pirates had once reveled there through the night. For those lawless souls, a place overflowing with violence and bloodshed was nothing short of paradise.
But after the battle of God Valley—
More than two-thirds of the Rocks Pirates had been left behind.
Aside from Captain Rocks D. Xebec, several Division Commanders had lost their right-hand men. Had they not fled quickly enough, they too might have remained on that island.
Now, the once world's most vicious pirate crew existed in name only.
Each of the remaining Division Commanders possessed terrifying strength—but none had the authority or charisma that Rocks had wielded to unite them. More importantly, most of them had no desire to rule beneath another.
That night.
Roldy rarely indulged, but he lit himself a cigar and sat atop a rooftop. Heavy clouds blanketed the sky. A storm was coming.
Much like his mood.
"Haah…"
Smoke drifted before his eyes.
Most of his wounds had healed during the voyage, but a few still throbbed faintly.
Roger's slash.
And the sword strike from Saint Figarland that had cut across his left cheek.
A vicious scar now ran across his chest, as though he had nearly been split in two. The scar near his left eye showed no sign of fading either. Though it marred his face, it added a ruthless edge befitting a pirate.
"Jihahahaha! What's wrong, brat? Can't sleep, brooding alone on the roof?"
Shiki sat casually beside him, unconcerned about dust or bird droppings. He wore a brand-new golden coat—brighter than ever.
Rocks' death had completely freed the beast from its cage.
He had grown even more flamboyant.
On the very day he returned to Hachinosu, over a thousand pirates had pledged themselves to him. Shiki accepted them all with a grin.
Among the seven former Division Commanders of the Rocks Pirates, he now commanded the largest force.
"I just can't sleep, Shiki-san. What do you think this sea will become?"
Roldy lay back, his massive frame nearly collapsing the roof beneath him.
"What will it become? What does that have to do with us?" Shiki snorted. "Chaos on these seas is inevitable. From the moment this world existed, turmoil followed. This world's grown too comfortable—it needs a savior!"
He glanced at Roldy—and his pupils suddenly narrowed, as though he had noticed something unusual.
"So… where do we go from here?" Roldy asked. "As captain, you must already have a plan."
Roldy's lifespan was long. Since he had made a promise, he would not begrudge five years of his time. Sailing with Shiki might not be a bad idea. At least he could see the world this man envisioned.
"Hmph! I've got over 2,000 men now! And they're all elites who survived God Valley! The world's vast—where can't we go?"
Shiki's grin widened.
"The era of Rocks is over. The next era should bear the name—Golden Lion!"
Roldy blinked.
"But Roger's bounty is way higher than yours now."
Shiki nearly choked.
Roldy truly had a talent for conversation—one simple sentence and he had struck straight at the heart.
And the worst part?
He couldn't refute it.
Gol D. Roger's bounty now stood alone atop the seas—
4,000,000,000 Berries.
The amount infuriated Shiki every time he thought about it. What were those fools in the World Government thinking? Roger didn't even have some earth-shattering achievement to justify it!
Sure, Shiki and Whitebeard had seen their bounties rise significantly after God Valley—but that was due to their performances as Division Commanders of the Rocks Pirates.
But Roger?
Just because he had fought alongside the World Government against Rocks?
The more Shiki thought about it, the angrier he became.
His gaze drifted to Roldy.
This brat's bounty increase was even more outrageous.
Before God Valley, it had been just over 948,000,000 Berries—not even a billion.
After the war?
It had skyrocketed to a staggering 2,000,000,000 Berries.
More than doubled.
A bounty was a pirate's face.
It was intimidation.
Proof of strength.
The best recruitment tool.
Shiki ground his teeth. One day, he would do something grand enough to surpass the two bastards standing above him.
Then—
He suddenly remembered something.
His eyes turned dangerous.
"The cigar in your mouth… where did you get it?"
"Huh? From the top cabinet in your quarters—the second from the end. It looked big, so I took it. Why?"
Roldy looked genuinely puzzled.
Shiki had never been stingy. Was it important?
Shiki felt as if a steel blade had pierced his heart.
That brat.
Smoking—like some ignorant calf—the treasure he regarded as priceless.
It was a top-grade product from a famed tobacco island, released only once every ten years. The longer it was preserved, the richer the flavor.
And the one in Roldy's mouth?
He had aged it for seven years.
To a seasoned smoker like him, its value was beyond money.
If it had been anyone else—
Shiki would already have drawn his sword.
But since it was Roldy…
"…It's fine. As long as you enjoy it."
He swallowed his pain whole.
"Eh, it's alright. Tastes about the same as the cheap stuff."
Roldy shrugged.
He wasn't some connoisseur. How could he appreciate such depth?
Shiki: ...…
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