And so, the Roger Pirates and the Calamity Company began their encounter in the open space deep beneath the sea. The relatively small submarine now rested quietly amidst the coral forest. Roa's subordinates emerged from the vessel, silently facing off against the members of the Roger Pirates.
"They're so young," Gaban murmured to Rayleigh.
Rayleigh nodded in agreement. Apart from Bloodhand Dylan, the oldest was barely in his twenties, and the true pillars, the top executives, were only teenagers. While they were still a long way from reaching the level of the Roger Pirates, none of them could deny that, given time, this group would undoubtedly become the next era's overlords! Rayleigh couldn't help but feel a touch of emotion; the overlords of the present and the future were meeting here.
At the same time, the executives of the Calamity Company were also sizing up the members of the Roger Pirates. So, this is the world's strongest pirate crew?Moria scrutinized each of the individuals whose names already echoed throughout the world. Before he met Roa, he had thought the Roger Pirates were nothing special, but now, having truly understood this world, Moria realized that these people were, in a very real sense, super monsters.
"I never thought I'd get to interact with the Roger Pirates like this," Doflamingo whispered. A year ago, Roa had fiercely battled the Roger Pirates alongside Golden Lion Shiki. Roa was truly a madman.
"There are two kids over there too," Bege immediately noticed the two boys, one red-haired and one blue-haired, in the Roger Pirates' ranks. Noticing his gaze, the blue-haired kid immediately made a face at them, while the red-haired boy gave them a friendly smile.
"Fufufufu, just two insignificant kids," Doflamingo scoffed dismissively, "If they weren't lucky enough to be picked up by Roger, I wouldn't even be interested in giving them a second glance."
Bege shot him a sidelong look. People Roger values, and you don't? If it weren't for Roa, would you dare to say another word right now? You're really getting carried away with this borrowed power.
While their subordinates remained silent, Roa and Roger huddled together, murmuring. Roa's handsome young face was serious. He listened intently to Roger's explanations, nodding earnestly from time to time, and occasionally interjecting with affirmations like, "I see," "Oh, so that's how it is," and "Now I completely understand!" He gave plenty of emotional validation.
Roger, it must be said, possessed a certain skill. Roa quickly gained a deeper understanding of advanced techniques like Conqueror's Haki Infusion, Observation Haki: Future Sight, and Observation Haki Kill. This is the disparity, Big Brother Kaido, you really need to reflect. Not to mention you still can't use Future Sight or Observation Haki Kill, why isn't your explanation of Conqueror's Haki Infusion as easy to understand as Roger's? With this level of teaching, what makes you a "golden standard" tutor?
However, while Roger's explanation was excellent, and Roa believed he understood it thoroughly, these techniques were temporarily useless to him. Conqueror's Haki Infusion required extremely precise control over Haki, which Roa currently lacked. Observation Haki Kill was essentially a specialized application of Conqueror's Haki, also requiring control. And Observation Haki: Future Sight demanded a higher intensity of Observation Haki. While Roa's Observation Haki wasn't weak, it hadn't reached the level where he could foresee the future. After all, Haki couldn't be strengthened by absorbing dark energy; it required Roa's diligent, down-to-earth training. He possessed the "dragon-slaying technique," but couldn't use it.
Roa couldn't help but sigh, "I'm still too weak."
Roger chuckled. This kid was already unbelievably strong. While his three forms of Haki still had a considerable gap compared to truly top-tier experts, even so, this kid's strength was already very close to that of Rayleigh and Gaban.
"Alright, lesson over," Roa clapped his hands. It had been a very pleasant class, full of gains. He looked at the two cool-looking stones, "This should be deciphered by now, right?"
In front of the stones, Olvia, with her growing belly, happened to turn around. The woman gently nodded. Roa's eye twitched almost imperceptibly. Roger, you sly dog.
When he first saw the pregnant Olvia, Roa was already stunned. And when he curiously asked whose child it was, and then heard Roger proudly claim it was his, Roa felt an even deeper sadness. Roger, you son of a gun, couldn't you learn from Luffy and not graze near your own nest? Robin, my Robin!
"So, what exactly do the stones say?" Neptune asked impatiently. Although the atmosphere was somewhat subtle now, with the Roger Pirates and the Calamity Roa's crew implicitly in a standoff, Neptune couldn't suppress his curiosity. He truly wanted to know what was inscribed on these two stones left by his ancestors in the Sea Forest.
Olvia looked at Roger, who nodded at her. So, the white-haired woman took a deep breath.
"The red Road Poneglyph records the name of an island. It is said that by finding all four Road Poneglyphs and obtaining the locations of the four islands, one can find the location of the Final Island." Olvia said, "The island's name is Bristol, in the East Blue."
"What about the second stone?" Gaban asked eagerly.
"The second stone—" Olvia paused, then said, "is Joyboy's letter of apology to the Mermaid Princess eight hundred years ago."
"Apology letter?" Gaban was stunned.
"Mermaid Princess?" Neptune's eyes widened.
"Joyboy?" King exclaimed, "This is a letter left by Joyboy?"
"Joyboy?" Doflamingo looked bewildered, not understanding why King was so excited. "Who's that?"
"Joyboy is a figure who existed during the Void Century, eight hundred years ago!" Olvia slowly explained, "All I know about him is that he was probably the world's first pirate!"
"What?" Neptune was suddenly startled. "The world's first pirate? How could such a person be connected to the Mermaid Princess eight hundred years ago?"
"He's not just a pirate!" At this point, King glanced at Roa. After receiving Roa's nod, he also spoke, "He's also the person our Lunarian tribe has been waiting for!"
"It's said that when he returns to this world, the world will undergo a great change!"
"What do you mean 'returns to this world'?" Buggy exclaimed, "Is he going to be resurrected?"
"The stone doesn't say," Olvia only shook her head regretfully, "In this letter, Joyboy apologizes to the Mermaid Princess, saying that the promise to move Fish-Man Island to the surface can only be voided because the outcome of failure could not be changed, and everything could only be entrusted to the future."
"Wahahahaha! I'm getting more and more curious!" Roger laughed heartily. "What exactly happened during that Blank Century! What kind of person was Joyboy?" He looked at Neptune, "Mermaid Princess!" Then he looked at King, "Lunarian tribe!"
"And the Giant tribe!" Roger's lips curved into a wide grin, "A figure who connected all these different races, he did what? And who was he fighting?"
"What kind of person could it be?" Roa merely said with disinterest, "He's just a loser, that's all." And, another loser who completely squandered a good hand. Ancient Weapons, allied races, plus powerful individual strength that left Im with an 800-year psychological scar—and he still lost? Isn't that shameful enough? Presumably, it was Version T0 at work again.
"Whoa, you kid!" Roger's smile visibly stiffened for a moment due to Roa's words. He glared at Roa good-naturedly, "You're such a buzzkill!"
"But never mind," Roger's gaze became more serious, "I'm here to restart my journey around the world, so I want to return to the starting point of my adventure. What are you doing here, kid?" Neptune was his friend, and Fish-Man Island was his friend's country. If Roa intended to cause trouble here, he wouldn't allow it.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot the main point!" Roa acted as if he had just woken up. He looked at Neptune, "I'm here to recruit people."
"Recruit people?" Neptune paused. "Do you mean you want to recruit a group of Fish-Man warriors to join your pirate crew?"
"Pirate crew?" Roa chuckled, "I stopped being a pirate many years ago." Both Roger and Neptune wore expressions of utter confusion after hearing Roa's statement. A monster with a bounty of two billion saying he hasn't been a pirate for years?
"I have a logistics company, but sailing on the surface of the sea isn't always safe," Roa stated frankly, "Aren't there many fixed ocean currents at the bottom of the sea? They connect all regions like a vast network."
"If it's the Fish-Man race, who can tame sea beasts, I believe they could make excellent use of these underwater routes."
"Oh! You kid, that's quite an ingenious idea! Sounds very interesting!" Roger exclaimed in surprise, "What do you think, Neptune, is it feasible?"
"Uh..." Neptune was also somewhat bewildered at this moment. "We've certainly never thought of something like this."
"But if we utilize the ocean currents, then it really shouldn't be a problem, right?" His eyes gradually lit up. "Although the deep sea in other areas is different from Fish-Man Island, being dark and bone-chillingly cold, these problems are not difficult to overcome. As long as we have bubbles and lights, these issues won't be a hindrance!"
"And with the assistance of sea beasts, navigating and transporting in the deep sea seems to truly not be a difficult task!"
"Right?" Roa smiled meaningfully, "And, wouldn't this be an opportunity for Fish-Man Island to integrate into the human world?" This time, he truly had no ill intentions towards Fish-Man Island. It only had five million people in total; he didn't lack that much dark energy. Of course, it also had something to do with Fish-Man Island's importance. After all, who was it in this ocean-dominated world that was so heavily discriminating against fish-men? Was it Im? How petty was that guy! In the vast ocean, the role that fish-men and merfolk could play was even greater than that of giants. They could even tame sea beasts, not to mention the future Sea King.
"Integrate?" Neptune was somewhat surprised. "Fish-Man Island doesn't need to integrate into the human world," he said with a touch of self-deprecation, "The human world doesn't welcome us." Oh, Otohime hasn't married yet, so this guy's ideology hasn't changed.
Neptune's attitude was basically how most Fish-Man Island residents felt. They harbored deep hostility towards the human world, yet also longed for it. It should be said that Otohime was the anomaly.
"That's precisely why you should cooperate with me," Roa said with a smile, "Under my banner, who would dare to discriminate against you? Who would dare to harm you?"
Neptune was suddenly taken aback. With a hint of suspicion, Neptune politely said, "Mr. Roa, I appreciate your intentions, but Fish-Man Island doesn't need external protection just yet."
Indeed. Before the Great Pirate Era began, while the number of pirates was still alarming, it was far from exploding. Not many pirates would make it to Fish-Man Island. Fish-Man Island didn't have the severe security issues it would face in later years. Darn it, Neptune, you're not giving Roa any face! If it weren't for the fact that you'll have the Sea King in the future, you'd already be on your way to demise!
"However," Neptune added, "we can discuss a partnership." Opening up underwater shipping lanes would be a good thing for Fish-Man Island! And if it happened, Fish-Man Island would become a major cargo hub, greatly boosting the entire island's economic development. Furthermore, he liked Mr. Roa's attitude toward Fish-Man Island. I forgive you.
Roa nodded with a smile, "That's good. For us, this is a win-win, as we won't be stingy with the compensation." With this as an opportunity, once Roger ushers in the Great Pirate Era, Fish-Man Island will be in his grasp, won't it?
"Wait a minute! Neptune, are you really so hastily deciding to cooperate with humans?" A cold voice echoed from deeper within the coral.
"Oh! Finally heard enough, have you?" Roger said with a grin, "I thought you'd keep hiding!"
Roa also turned his head. A group of fish-men rustled out from the coral forest. Leading them was a strong, red-skinned fish-man. Behind him, Roa also saw a blue-skinned, plump teenage fish-man.
Oh! Another familiar face.
"Tiger, why are you here?" Neptune, of course, recognized Fisher Tiger, the boss of Fish-Man District, followed by a throng of fish-man orphans.
"If I weren't here, wouldn't I have missed this scene?" Tiger stared intently at Roa. "Calamity Roa, even we on Fish-Man Island have heard your name resonate like thunder!" It seems Morgans's business has really taken off, Roa thought.
"What exactly do you want to do?" Tiger demanded, "I don't believe someone like you would kindly help Fish-Man Island!" His tone was quite sharp.
Roa said somewhat helplessly, "I already said it's business; there's no such thing as kindly helping out. And," he said with an old-fashioned air, "young man, aren't you being a bit too presumptuous?"
Roger almost burst out laughing.
"If I truly wanted to do something to Fish-Man Island," Roa's eyes widened, "why would I need to go through all this trouble?"
Boom! The coral forest suddenly began to shake. The ground cracked, and the corals shattered. The aggressive fish-men all trembled, stumbling backward. Tiger was instantly covered in sweat. Some monsters, even by just showing a glimpse of their fangs, reveal themselves as absolutely impossible to defeat! Behind him, Jinbe also trembled. How could he be this strong?
"Alright, Roa, why argue with ordinary people?" Roger said somewhat helplessly, "Be careful not to break the bubble, or it'll be all over."
All over? I wouldn't be all over, though. He could manipulate the water currents to leave enough space to move, then create wind to constantly replenish the air, making the deep sea no different from the surface.
However. Roa reined in his aura, "Do you understand now? The fact that I'm willing to talk to you properly means I'm giving you a lot of face." And it has nothing to do with Roger being here, so I can't go too far!
"Indeed," Roger nodded, "if it's in this deep sea, this kid is stronger than me."
"Tiger, stop messing around!" Neptune was also sweating. If Roa were truly angered, who knew what would happen. "If you heard our conversation just now, you should know this cooperation is good, right? You should be very clear about Fish-Man Island's economic situation. How many people are idle? Getting a job would certainly not be a bad thing."
"..." Tiger looked at Roa, then at Roger, then at Neptune, and finally back at Roa. His voice was somewhat hoarse, "But how can we guarantee the safety of our compatriots? I don't trust pirates!"
"If you're so worried," Roa seemed a bit impatient, "I see you seem to be a prominent figure on Fish-Man Island. So, why don't you personally take charge of it?"
Neptune's eyes immediately lit up, "Good idea!" Not to mention, Fish-Man District had always been a thorn in Fish-Man Island's side. There were currently too many orphans growing up there, all idle, constantly roaming the seabed with their friends. Anyone who has governed a country knows that such idle youth are breeding grounds for chaos.
Tiger was suddenly stunned.
"We'll provide the funds, you provide the people, and we'll form a joint venture company," Roa said decisively, "You, Tiger, right? You'll be responsible for personnel management. How about it, young man? Do you long for the blue sky? Do you long for white clouds? If you fish-men go to the surface yourselves, you might be captured by slave traders before long. But with my flag, it's different!"
Tiger's eyes widened sharply at that moment. He was genuinely moved. No one knew that Fisher Tiger, the boss of Fish-Man District and leader of delinquents, actually harbored a dream of traveling the world! Roa's suggestion truly hit a sweet spot for him; it could not only protect his compatriots but also allow him to fulfill his dream!
"Tiger, if it's you, I'd be very relieved," Neptune encouraged.
Tiger paused again, then turned to look at his subordinates. Their eyes were somewhat excited.
"Do you want to go to the great sea?"
Jinbe immediately replied, "If Big Brother Tiger wants to go, we'll go with you!"
"That's right!" The fish-men echoed. They knew their boss too well; they knew Big Brother was already tempted. So, even if they disliked humans in their hearts, they didn't want to make things difficult for Big Brother.
Tiger took a deep breath. He looked at Roa again, "In that case, I can give it a try!"
Roa's lips curved upward. That's why he said they were still young; too naive. No wonder they'd be captured and enslaved in the original story.
"Excellent! This is a three-way win!"
The establishment of the underwater logistics was successfully completed. Fish-Man Island was now within his reach. Plus, the unexpected bonus of Fisher Tiger and Jinbe. He had won three times!