During Garp's relentless chase, the days flew by, and Rhett grew into a handsome young man.
Roger's bounty: 1.5 billion berries. Rayleigh: 1.2 billion. Gaban: 1.1 billion. Rhett: 900 million. They hadn't done anything earth-shattering yet, so the bounties were lower.
Something caught Rhett's attention recently. They docked on a small island, and Roger disappeared for a few days. When he returned, he was covered in wounds. When questioned, he just smiled and patted Rhett's shoulder without saying a word.
Roger and Rayleigh were undoubtedly at Admiral-level strength, and Rhett felt Roger was far beyond that. After all, his captain could go toe-to-toe with Garp. As their powers gradually grew, the scale of their battles became increasingly grand.
Rhett had mastered the advanced use of all three types of Haki—Conqueror's Haki infusion, Ryou—skillfully honing them through practice. He, too, had reached Admiral-level strength.
If it were any other transmigrator, the story would have ended long ago. But Rhett had no choice. The River Deity hadn't bestowed him with extraordinary talent—the kind where you master something just by glancing at it. However, Rhett could confidently say that in a one-on-one fight with an Admiral, he could outlast them. His monstrous stamina was practically a cheat code.
As his strength grew, his body gradually adapted. He rarely felt tired anymore.
The most noteworthy thing was that his Devil Fruit still hadn't awakened after all this time.
Rhett toyed with the red mist in his hand—though it could be any color, he found red the most stylish. More importantly, his mist had evolved beyond its initial abilities of corrosion, refraction, and shielding enhancement. Combined with Kuroshio, he had developed numerous new techniques.
Rhett smiled. "It seems I'm still looking forward to the adventures ahead."
Rhett still kept his long, straight black hair, his face always bearing a warm, jade-like smile. Kuroshio rested on his back, with blood-red mist swirling around him. He was the epitome of contrast.
During this time, many new crewmates joined Roger's ship, including familiar faces from the manga. The one who left the deepest impression on Rhett was an older brother named Elio—a white top hat, a pink-and-green patterned shirt, and flowing blue hair.
Rhett couldn't help but think he looked like the mayor of Windmill Village. The resemblance was uncanny.
There was Samboel, a fishman, Bulma, and others. While their strength paled in comparison to the Roger Four, they were still formidable.
After finishing his training, Rhett lay on the deck of the Oro Jackson. A newspaper-delivering seagull dropped off a few bounty posters.
"'The Ruffian' Rocks with a bounty of 5.35 billion berries, dead or alive."
Rhett instantly became wide awake. Rocks, currently hailed as the Pirate King, was someone Rhett knew would appear at his peak, inevitably leading to the explosive war at God Valley.
You're the real transmigrator here.
Lying on the deck, basking in the sun, Rhett lazily rested Kuroshio beside him. Suddenly, his brow twitched as his Observation Haki sensed an immense presence approaching.
"Hmm?" He sat up slightly, looking toward the bow.
"Boom—!"
A towering figure landed heavily on the deck, causing the Oro Jackson to tremble slightly.
Golden whiskers glinted in the sunlight as the young Edward Newgate, Murakumogiri slung over one shoulder, scanned the deck before settling his gaze on Roger.
"You're Roger?"
Roger grinned, his straw hat shading his eyes, which sparkled with excitement. "Gahahaha! That's me! And you are…"
"Whitebeard," Newgate said gravely. "I've heard of your reputation. I've come to test you."
Rhett's mouth twitched. He had expected Rocks to show up eventually, but he hadn't anticipated Newgate being the first.
Before Roger could respond, Rhett stood up, Kuroshio clanging as he planted it on the deck, blood mist swirling around him.
"Hey, Newgate," Rhett said with a grin. "If you want to challenge our captain, you'll have to go through me first."
Newgate glanced at him, a slight smirk on his lips. "Kid, you sure about that?"
"We'll find out soon enough. And you're not that much older than me."
Newgate looked just as spirited as ever.
Before the words fully left Rhett's mouth, his figure vanished. Blood mist filled the air, obscuring Newgate's vision as Kuroshio swept through with a heavy whoosh!
"Clang—!"
Murakumogiri firmly blocked Kuroshio. The moment the two weapons collided, a shockwave erupted, splintering the deck planks.
Newgate's eyes flickered with surprise. "Impressive strength."
Rhett grinned. "Not done yet!"
"Mist God Style: Blood Tide!"
The blood mist around Kuroshio exploded into countless razor-sharp blades, raining down on Newgate like a storm!
Newgate snorted, Murakumogiri vibrating as the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit erupted!
"Crack—!"
The air shattered like glass, the blood blades disintegrating as a terrifying shockwave surged forth!
Rhett's eyes narrowed. He crossed Kuroshio in front of him, Armament Haki flaring to its limit!
He was blown back several steps, deep cracks forming under his feet, but his smile only grew more excited.
"Again!"
The two clashed in a flurry of blows, the sounds of Kuroshio and Murakumogiri colliding like thunder across the sea, shaking the Oro Jackson's hull.
As the blood mist dissipated, Rhett realized that if he truly wanted to harm Newgate, he could use his mist to damage his organs. But since this was a spar, there was no need to go that far, so he let the mist fade.
Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban watched from the sidelines, clearly entertained.
"Rhett's improved quite a bit," Gaban remarked, stroking his chin.
"Hard to say. Both are holding back," Rayleigh said, adjusting his glasses. "They haven't unleashed their Devil Fruit powers fully."
Sure enough, after about ten minutes of combat, Newgate suddenly thrust his arms forward, the tremor energy around Murakumogiri erupting!
"Space Quake!"
Kuroshio was forcibly knocked aside, and Rhett was sent flying, flipping mid-air before landing steadily.
He shook his numb arm, grinning. "Impressive. I lose."
Newgate sheathed Murakumogiri, his tone calm. "Not bad, Rhett of the Scarlet Mist. I've heard your mist is quite sinister."
Roger stepped forward with a hearty laugh. "Gahahaha! Newgate, how about joining my crew?"
Newgate glanced at him and shook his head. "No. I have my own goals."
"Oh?" Roger raised an eyebrow. "What goals?"
"A home," Newgate said quietly. "In my time at sea, I haven't found my place. I don't even know what 'home' is."
Roger paused, then burst into laughter. "Interesting! Then next time we meet, we'll be rivals!"
Newgate smirked. "Don't lose too badly."
With that, he leaped back to his small boat and sailed away.
Gaban walked to the ship's edge, watching Newgate's retreating figure. "That guy… he's going to be a monster in the future."
Roger patted his shoulder. "Gahahaha! That's what makes it fun, right?"
Rhett nodded with a smile. "Yeah, Captain."
The sea breeze carried the Oro Jackson forward.
Rhett gazed at the distant horizon, his heart burning with fierce determination.
"Rocks, Newgate... This era is getting more and more interesting."