Because it had all happened so abruptly, Valthior couldn't quite figure out why Rayleigh had suddenly come over to help.
Had he and Roger already taken down Shiki?
But just then, he noticed that Nozdon and Ganryu—who had been fighting alongside him against Babel—were no longer in a combat stance.
Even Babel, who had been trying to kill him moments ago, showed no intention of continuing the fight after Rayleigh intervened.
"Where did you guys find this kid? He looks pretty promising," Babel said as he climbed out of the whirlpool and stood once more on the shattered ice.
Rayleigh smiled. "Jealous that our new member's such a fine lad? Say, now that your Rocks Pirates have disbanded, have you considered joining our crew?"
Still somewhat confused, Valthior sensed that the tension had eased. As he landed back at the harbor, he also withdrew from his combat state and turned his head toward the town.
And what he saw—
Gaban was still clashing axes with Silver Axe, the two of them hacking at each other nonstop.
But Roger and Shiki had already stopped fighting.
The two stood face-to-face, seemingly locked in a heated argument.
"Not used to this kind of thing yet, huh?" Doringo landed beside Valthior, flapping his little demon wings, his axe resting on his shoulder.
"No kidding," Valthior complained. "We just met and suddenly started fighting out of nowhere, and now we haven't even been at it for ten minutes before it stops again. Are pirates always this… weird?"
Back in Mary Geoise, he had already thought the Celestial Dragons' logic was absurd. He had assumed pirates might be a bit more reasonable.
Now it seemed he had been naïve.
"This is the West Blue, not the New World," Doringo smacked his lips and explained. "If nothing unexpected happens, the Marines should still have fleets searching for us. In a situation like this, how could we really go all-out and fight Shiki's crew to the death here?"
"Then what was the point of fighting just now?" Valthior asked after a brief silence.
"Just testing each other," Doringo replied. "Shiki saw that our captain was injured and wanted to see if he could take Roger down here. And Captain Roger and Rayleigh wanted to gauge how the Rocks Pirates are doing after God Valley."
"So if either side had shown an opening just now…" Valthior raised a brow.
"Exactly," Doringo said without hesitation. "If anyone had shown weakness—like they could be taken down quickly—this little scuffle would've turned into a real, all-out battle immediately."
"I see…" Valthior clicked his tongue, finally understanding.
While Roger and Shiki argued, Valthior didn't bother getting involved. Instead, he focused entirely on Gaban and Silver Axe, who clearly hadn't had their fill and were still fighting fiercely.
The two had already wrecked a couple of streets near the port. Ruins were everywhere, smashed and cleaved apart by their axes. Every time their figures crossed, violent clashes and chaotic air currents erupted.
Even so, it was obvious—they were holding back. Neither was going all out. It felt more like a technical sparring match.
There was no doubt—this kind of duel between top-tier Great Axe Masters was an extremely rare sight.
At this moment, Valthior had already activated his Sharingan. In his crimson eyes, the tomoe spun rapidly as he watched intently, unwilling to miss even a single detail of Gaban and Silver Axe's dazzling exchange.
Learning had always been Valthior's strength—whether knowledge or combat techniques.
"I told you, as long as the two of us join forces, we can immediately recreate the strength of the Rocks Pirates. When that happens, these seas will be ours to command! Think about it, Roger—Newgate, Linlin, whoever...once they return from the West Blue to the New World, a new era of power struggles will begin. Waves of history are rolling in… don't you feel even a hint of excitement?" Shiki exclaimed, gesturing wildly as he spoke to Roger, his voice alive with fervor.
Truth be told, although Shiki acted annoyed upon encountering the Roger Pirates, he was actually thrilled inside.
Just as he said—if Roger agreed, the two of them joining forces would instantly make them the most dazzling force in this new era's tide!
Think about it—on Shiki's side, he had Silver Axe and Babel, already a powerful lineup. And the Roger Pirates? Roger, Rayleigh, Gaban—none of them were weak.
Given the current state of the seas, even Whitebeard or Charlotte Linlin might struggle against them individually. But if they joined forces, the gap would be overwhelming!
Listening to Shiki's persuasion, Roger looked somewhat displeased. Just as he was about to speak, Shiki cut him off:
"And besides, at God Valley, you saw it with your own eyes—you even fought it, didn't you? That monster… Even Rocks fell to it. Do you really think any of us can deal with something like that alone? But if you and I join forces… that might not be the case."
That clearly struck a chord with Roger.
Although Shiki had been there at God Valley too, his experience hadn't been as direct or intense as Roger's.
But the hesitation only lasted a moment.
Roger's gaze sharpened instantly. "Cut the crap, Shiki. The two of us don't get along. If we force it, we'll just turn on each other sooner or later. Better not get tangled up from the start."
"I'm not interested in ruling any era. I've got more important things to do. I don't have time to play power games with you bastards in the New World…"
Just as Roger said—he acknowledged Shiki's strength and ambition, but their personalities clashed too much.
Roger wasn't exactly a saint, but Shiki was far too ruthless, untrustworthy, extreme, and bloodthirsty.
Roger knew they could never get along.
Shiki wanted to return to the New World, to compete with Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, and the other great pirates—to ride the tide of a new era.
But Roger had no interest in that.
In fact, in order to find the Final Island, he likely wouldn't even stay in the New World for long. He needed to search the entire world for clues.
Where would he find time to stir up chaos alongside Shiki?
Shiki clearly wasn't ready to give up, but Roger didn't let him continue. Instead, he quickly changed the subject:
"Hey, those square stones with all the weird writing on them—the ones you can't destroy. They're called Poneglyphs. Remember when we talked about them back on Hachinosu while drinking?"
"Poneglyphs?" Shiki frowned slightly as the topic shifted. "Rocks was looking for those for a while. What about them? They hide treasure?"
"Yeah, they do hide something—but it's the Void Century. As for treasure, I'm not sure," Roger said, not fully hiding it but only partially explaining. "Anyway, I'm really interested in them right now. If you've got any leads, tell me."
"The Void Century?" Shiki paused, then asked, "What do you want with that?"
At this point, Shiki didn't understand their significance. To him, he was just a pirate—why bother studying history? It's not like he was preparing for some exam.
It was only later, after Roger stirred things up, that the world began to realize the importance of the Poneglyphs—and that they might hold clues to the Ancient Weapons.
"I want to solve the mystery," Roger said without hesitation. "Don't you think uncovering a secret that's gone unsolved for hundreds of years would be fascinating?"
Shiki couldn't relate at all. His mind was set on conquest and domination—what was the point of solving riddles?
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Linlin has one at her base. I heard her mention it to Rocks."
Roger paused, then looked at Shiki with suspicion. "You bastard… you're not trying to use me to kill with a borrowed knife, are you? Send me to fight Linlin while you sit back and pick up the spoils?"
...
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