"Move it, men! Faster! Once we reach the harbor, we're safe!"
With Domiton holding Roldy back, the Roger Pirates sprinted toward the port at full speed.
Through the dense forest, they could already see a stretch of blue sea. Joy flashed across their faces, and they quickened their pace.
Buggy, in particular, burst forth with the fastest speed of his life. No one knew just how deep his fear of Roldy ran. Most absurdly, he even started running with the wrong arm-and-leg coordination midway—
And still, he outran everyone else in the crew.
"Haha! We made it! My dear Oro Jackson, I've missed you so mu— … huh?!!!"
Buggy's excited shout abruptly turned shrill.
He rubbed his eyes frantically.
But when he opened them again, the sight hadn't changed.
The once magnificent hull of the Oro Jackson was now scorched black, as if it had endured a barrage of artillery. The stern was heavily damaged, the propulsion system nearly cut in half.
Worst of all—
The main mast was broken.
For a pirate ship, that was fatal.
"Why is it like this?!"
Cries erupted one after another.
For pirates, their ship was their partner. It carried them across the seas, gave them freedom, adventure, and dreams. The Oro Jackson had accompanied them through countless voyages and growth.
Its importance was beyond words.
"It must've been that brat Roldy! What a despicable move!" Roger gritted his teeth.
There was no time to dwell on anger.
He immediately ordered the crew into the forest to gather timber. Fortunately, their shipwrights were highly skilled.
Everyone did what they could.
Even with the entire crew working, repairs would take time.
From deep within Zou, furious roars and violent shockwaves still echoed.
Even from this distance, they could sense it.
Time was running out.
With Roger's exceptional Observation Haki, he could feel Domiton's presence growing weaker and weaker.
An injured beast might grow more ferocious—
But against Roldy, that simply meant taking a few more punches.
Five long minutes passed.
Roger's expression suddenly changed.
Domiton's presence vanished.
From the depths of the kingdom came a series of furious roars—
Until they were drowned out by one final, thunderous howl.
"How much longer?" Roger asked, already drawing his sword.
Almost the moment he finished speaking—
The final nail was hammered in.
The shipwright wiped the sweat from his brow and grinned.
"It's done!"
Cheers erupted.
These carefree fools even considered throwing a celebration banquet.
Fortunately, they didn't lose their heads completely.
The Roger Pirates rushed aboard. At Roger's command, the sails were raised immediately.
Though damaged and slower than before, the Oro Jackson managed to depart Zou before Roldy arrived.
As a "parting gift," Roger even left a slash behind for Roldy's ship.
The pirates left behind had no power to resist. The mere pressure of that slash sent them sprawling in terror.
When Roldy reached the shore—
All he saw was devastation.
His expression darkened like a stormcloud.
For a fleeting instant, a trace of dejection flickered—
Then vanished.
"ROGER!!!"
The thunderous roar startled even Sheen behind him.
The remaining pirates shrank like frightened quails, wishing they could detach their heads and hide them somewhere else.
Roldy's emotions were clearly spiraling.
In the end, it was Sheen who issued orders for the crew to gather materials and repair the ship.
As the only person qualified to address Roldy as "Big Brother," he had effectively become the crew's vice-captain in everyone's eyes.
At that moment, the Minks emerged from the forest once more.
This time, aside from anger and hostility—
There was something else in their eyes.
Was it… reverence?
"May I ask… do you carry the blood of our Mink Tribe?"
The leading Mink stepped forward.
During the battle, Roldy had awakened both his bloodlines. It was precisely that power which allowed him to defeat an Admiral-tier warrior so swiftly.
For the Mink Tribe—
Shared blood mattered.
Roldy turned, his gaze ice-cold.
If not for these fools, Roger would never have escaped.
Naturally, he had no patience for them.
"So what if I do? So what if I don't?"
"It makes all the difference. If you bear Mink blood—and you defeated our former king—then you are our new king."
"I'm not interested in your damn throne," Roldy snapped. "Get lost. Before I change my mind."
To him, these elite Mink warriors were insignificant.
In truth, had he accepted them, his pirate crew's strength would have skyrocketed.
The Mink leader's words caught in his throat.
After a long sigh, he stopped his companions from pressing further.
From Roldy's eyes, he could see—
Persuasion was meaningless.
And the aura radiating from that man…
Compared to them—
He was more beast than Mink.
Repairs took time. Roldy's crew lacked an experienced shipwright.
It wasn't until evening that the ship regained sailing capability.
As for this so-called homeland—
Roldy felt no attachment.
Without looking back, he departed.
The Roger Pirates had vanished again.
But this wasn't the first time.
He wouldn't give up.
However—
Two days later, a piece of intelligence arrived.
It didn't merely disrupt Roldy's plans.
It tore them to pieces.
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