The Whitebeard Pirates didn't just occupy islands and collect money from them.
Roy had been developing the islands for the growth of the pirate crew, setting up many factories that boosted local economies.
For example, in the islands currently managed by Whitey Bay, one of them was ideal for growing cotton. The cotton there grew large and had excellent quality, making it a prime material for high-grade fabric.
However, the area had long been plagued by war. Two years ago, Whitey Bay took control of it and, through underground black market channels, purchased machinery and established a clothing factory.
A year later, the island was bringing in billions of Berries in revenue, and the locals were living much better lives.
But the richer an island becomes, the more it attracts pirates, and so, the island was attacked.
"They actually dared to cause trouble on the Whitebeard Pirates' turf? These Bastards!" Whitey Bay immediately set sail with her icebreaker.
The island flew Whitebeard's flag, and in the New World, most pirates wouldn't dare provoke the Whitebeard Pirates.
Only those with real power and guts would try to challenge Whitebeard. Otherwise, they were clueless rookies entering the New World, trying to make a name for themselves.
By the time they arrived, the island was already engulfed in flames. Roy's expression instantly darkened.
He hated it when people destroyed what he had built with hard work. The factory he had painstakingly constructed had been burned down.
"Damn it. I want to see who's behind this."
Whitey Bay, furious, led her crew ashore.
Sure enough, it was a pirate crew. As soon as the two sides met, they clashed.
Roy was seething. Whitey Bay had never let him fight, which led the crew to call him a "pretty boy."
The enemy wasn't weak either, with a bounty of 240 million Berries.
Whitey Bay's strength was on par with a division commander, equivalent to a Marine vice admiral.
A fierce battle broke out.
Roy picked up his sniper rifle.
He aimed at the pirate battling Whitey Bay.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out, the bullet slicing through the sky. The pirate sensed something but couldn't move in time. The bullet hit him square in the chest.
Whitey Bay was startled. She turned around and saw Roy putting away his sniper rifle.
Whitey Bay was in disbelief. The opponent she had been struggling with was taken down by a single shot from Roy.
Judging by the wound, Roy had perfectly predicted the target's position and fired in advance.
Looking at Roy's cold expression, Whitey Bay suddenly remembered something.
"Kill all this trash and hand them over to the Marines for bounty money," Whitey Bay ordered.
Back on the ship, Whitey Bay looked at Roy.
" Dear, you've been fooling me all this time!" She pounced on Roy and bit his shoulder.
"Ah—! I didn't lie. My abilities gradually unlock with time. It's only been twenty years, and I've only regained a portion of them," Roy said as he gently stroked her hair.
"So that's it. The longer time passes, the stronger you get, huh? Why didn't you tell us?" she asked, a bit upset.
"Because I didn't know it would turn out like this either. I used to be very pessimistic. Thank you... all of you. Thank you." Roy hugged her.
"I'm happy for you." Whitey Bay hugged him tightly.
"You've worked hard."
"No, you've had it harder, being doubted by everyone."
"Hahaha, I've never cared about that. I only care about the people around me."
They embraced for a long time, and the other crew members who saw it were speechless.
They couldn't understand why their ice-cold captain would fall for someone they all thought was a useless freeloader.
Many of them had joined the Whitebeard Pirates later and only knew Roy for his financial skills and ability to mooch off others.
They had never respected him. Who would respect a freeloader?
The defeated pirates were handed over to the Marines through the islanders in exchange for their bounty.
They'd gladly take money from the World Government. If they could fleece them, they would, especially when it was hundreds of millions of berries. It didn't matter who actually did the job, as long as there was a reward.
As the Whitebeard Pirates' fame in the New World grew, so did the number of challengers. Every year, new pirates would emerge, some would challenge Whitebeard, others would go after different big-name pirates.
Then, one rookie pirate crew suddenly shook the world: the Red-Haired Pirates.
Though new, they stirred up chaos in the New World and took down many notorious pirates.
Since Roger's death, powerful figures had risen one after another. The world was steadily marching toward its destined future.
Roy would meet with Whitebeard once a year to celebrate his birthday.
It had been 32 years since the God Valley Incident. Roy was now 41 and sailing aboard Whitey Bay's ship. Their son was already 12.
"Dad, where's Mom?"
In the cabin, Roy was reading when the door opened and a black-haired, black-eyed boy walked in.
"What happened?" Roy asked, surprised to see how dirty the boy was.
"I got into a fight," the boy said, clenching his fists.
"Did you win?"
"Of course!"
"Then why are you looking for your mom?"
"I'm hungry."
"Go find Uncle Hat. He's in charge of food."
"I wanna go see Grandpa Whitebeard, and Uncle Marco. Uncle Thatch's cooking is the best."
"Thatch…" Roy muttered, as if remembering something, then shook his head. "Alright, I'll take you there."
"Really?"
"Of course."
"Forget it. Dad, you're unreliable. I'll go find Mom."
Roy smiled wryly. The crew had really corrupted the kid.
Who knew what they'd been teaching him? Now, just like the others, he thought Roy was weak and useless, only good-looking and living off others.
Over the years, Roy hadn't shown his strength, and people had really started to look down on him.
Not long after, Whitey Bay returned, with a troubled expression.
"What's wrong?"
"Red-Hair Shanks has become one of the new Emperors of the Sea," she said, handing Roy a newspaper.
It listed Shanks' recent exploits. He had lost an arm six years ago, ending his duels with Mihawk, but his Red-Haired Pirates continued to make waves in the New World.
Now, after defeating a legendary pirate, he had officially ascended as an Emperor, standing alongside Whitebeard as one of the sea's supreme rulers.
"So what? In this sea, anyone with strength can become an emperor. But there's only one Pirate King." Roy chuckled.
"What are you waiting for?" Whitey Bay stared at him.
"What do you mean?" Roy asked, smiling.
"Don't play dumb. What agreement did you make with Pops? Why does he refuse to see you?" she demanded.
"Come here."
Roy hesitated, then opened his arms.
Whitey Bay blushed at his gesture, but still walked over and sat on his lap. They held each other as Roy buried his head in her neck.
"Newgate needs a stage. Just wait a few more years, and you'll understand. That's what I promised him."