The Hell Pirates and the Roger Pirates threw a grand feast, celebrating both Whitebeard Newgate's awakening of Conqueror's Haki and Brook's recent leap in strength!
"That's amazing! He actually turned stone into food!!"
The Roger Pirates were fascinated by Streusen's Cook-Cook Fruit powers, but his actual cooking skills were just as impressive — even the chefs from Roger's crew gathered around to learn a thing or two from him.
Rayleigh, meanwhile, found himself staring at Shakky in her half-vampire form, slightly entranced. She had an even stronger presence than the last time they met — that bold, cunning charm was exactly his type. Something inside him definitely... awakened.
Golden Lion Shiki and Whitebeard Newgate surprisingly hit it off with Roger. The three of them drank, joked, and laughed together, making the whole party lively and loud, arms slung over each other's shoulders like old friends.
Off to the side, the aloof Redfield sat quietly, drinking alone. Next to him, the equally cool and silent Gaban did the same — no words exchanged, just two men watching the chaos around them in their own stoic way.
Sniper Silva spotted his old rival, Petem from Roger's crew. Their eyes locked, both burning with the same competitive fire — itching for a showdown.
Meanwhile, the Fish-Man Tom found himself being sincerely consulted by the Roger Pirates' shipwrights, eager to learn new shipbuilding techniques. Even the usually cautious Fish-Man Fisher Tiger found this pirate crew surprisingly friendly, making a few new friends along the way.
Linlin, Stussy, and Shakky sat beside Brook, chatting across the table with Rayleigh — whose word carried serious weight among the Roger Pirates. After all, Roger himself was more of a carefree joker.
"Brook, let's not beat around the bush. We don't know what your real reason for calling us here is, but one thing's for sure — we won't be joining any 'Alliance' or getting dragged into some pointless war for dominance!"
Rayleigh shot a glance at Shakky before turning serious. He was determined to keep the Roger Pirates out of such muddy waters.
"Relax, didn't I already tell you over the Den Den Mushi? I know your crew's all about adventure, not ruling the seas — so I won't force you into anything!"
"Really, I just want you to tour a few of my islands, explore a bit, and if you run into any rowdy pirates, feel free to teach them a lesson. If you encounter Rocks Pirates officers, you can avoid them, retreat if necessary!"
Brook's words sounded reasonable enough — but deep down, he knew that if someone from the Rocks Pirates really did stir up trouble in his territory, Roger's hot-blooded nature would have him charging in headfirst before anyone could stop him.
"Sigh, looks like Brook is counting on Roger's impulsiveness. I just hope nothing troublesome comes of this..."
Rayleigh glanced at the hundred-weight pile of gold Shakky had just slid over — their "travel and protection fund." He sighed and reluctantly accepted it. Truth was, their crew funds had been running low for a while.
They lived off plundering other pirate crews and island tyrants just to get by. Roger might joke around, but it was Rayleigh who handled all the serious business behind the scenes.
"Yohohoho~ Don't worry! The Rocks Pirates and Vesper's crew are busy staring each other down — no big shots would dare cause trouble on my turf. With your strength, you guys could sweep through these little rookie pirates like nothing!"
Brook was really just buying some insurance here — even if he lost a few islands, it wouldn't hurt the Hell Pirates much in the long run.
With no better option, Rayleigh accepted the task, took the gold back to his ship... and ended up joining the wild party afterward.
And so, the night of drinking, meat, and games came to an end...
...
The next day.
Everyone gathered at the clearing as if last night's booze hadn't touched them — fresh, alert, and ready — because Golden Lion Shiki of the Hell Pirates was about to have a sparring match with Captain Roger himself.
Whitebeard Newgate sat this one out. He was still getting used to his newly awakened Conqueror's Haki, and frankly, his Tremor-Tremor Fruit's destructive power was a little too much for a friendly spar.
Shiki, ever eager, insisted on fighting Roger directly. He ignored the whole "king vs king, general vs general" etiquette, choosing to skip fighting Rayleigh or Brook.
Meanwhile, Redfield and Rayleigh agreed to a pure swordsmanship match — though, to be fair, it was a bit unbalanced since Rayleigh hadn't yet learned Ryuo Haki.
Right from the start, Shiki could feel the weight of Roger's terrifying swordplay and the thickness of his Armament Haki. Shiki's Float-Float Fruit powers had spread his training thin over time, and it showed — his swordsmanship couldn't quite keep up with Roger's.
Even though he'd learned Ryuo Haki, Shiki underestimated just how advanced Roger's Observation Haki was — and how heavy his Armament Haki felt. Even Ryuo couldn't break through it!
"Flowing Haki, huh? Man, I really wanna learn that — can you teach me??"
Roger's eyes sparkled, sensing that this Ryuo stuff could seriously power up his game. For a non-Devil Fruit user like him, this ability to emit Armament Haki and make it flow was a dream come true.
"Hmph, still playing around, are you?!"
Golden Lion Shiki growled. Realizing his proud twin-sword style wasn't enough, he unleashed his Devil Fruit powers.
This time, Shiki didn't bother making fancy lion shapes just to look cool. Following Brook's advice, he experimented with manipulating the earth itself — even managing to coat it with Armament Haki.
Two massive claws smashed down at Roger, forcing him to dodge and slash. But even as he shattered one claw, it reformed instantly, lunging again.
Shiki kept piling on the pressure, commanding more and more earth to swarm over Roger. Though it looked like Roger was being pushed back, each time he tore through the dirt and closed in for a counter, he put Shiki in real danger.
The two clashed for two days and two nights, and in the end, the fight only stopped because Vesper's crew summoned the Hell Pirates to regroup.
Redfield and Rayleigh's sword duel was equally fierce — back and forth — though in the end, Redfield seemed to have a slight edge. Rayleigh, knowing when to call it, ended the match before a true winner could be decided.
Originally, Redfield had planned to spar with Roger next, but with the Hell Pirates now called to the frontlines, the matches had to end. Still, both crews had watched the battles with excitement and even learned a few things along the way.
Meanwhile, Silva and Petem had slipped away for their own sniper duel. No one knew who won — but when they returned, both looked pale as ghosts...
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+188 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg