Since Fang Yi's victory over Barrett, the latter had been trying every possible way to get him to fight again.
But Fang Yi constantly found excuses to avoid it. Only when he absolutely couldn't dodge the request would he spar with Barrett—and even then, he held back. Naturally, Barrett was dissatisfied with this.
"Fang Yi! Are you looking down on me?! Do you think I'm not even worth your full strength?!"
This time, after another sparring match ended with Fang Yi conceding, Barrett finally exploded, glaring at him with frustration.
"No, Barrett!" Fang Yi shook his head. "Your strength is beyond doubt. You don't need to beat me to prove yourself. It's not that I don't go all out—it's just that I truly can't beat you. In life-and-death battles, things might be different, but in friendly sparring, I refuse to use techniques that could seriously injure my comrades."
His words earned approving nods from Roger and Rayleigh, who were watching from the sidelines.
They agreed—Fang Yi's mysterious technique from before was powerful but unpredictable, as shown by his surprised reaction when it activated during the fight. In friendly matches, it made sense not to use it.
But Barrett didn't see it that way. From his perspective, Fang Yi had more cards to play, yet still refused to fight seriously. As someone obsessed with becoming stronger, this felt like a betrayal.
"Barrett…" Fang Yi looked at him seriously. "Remember what I told you before? Becoming strong is a goal, but why do you want strength? I want the strength to protect my companions. That's why I'll never use something so dangerous against a friend."
Barrett fell silent. Once again, doubt clouded his eyes.
The longer he stayed on this ship, the more he questioned himself. He felt out of place. Everyone here believed in trust, loyalty, and unity—things he'd never really considered important.
After his earlier talk with Fang Yi, he had tried to reflect on the purpose behind his desire for strength. He concluded it was so he wouldn't need to rely on anyone, so he could accomplish anything he wanted, alone.
But aboard this ship, everyone—even those stronger than him, like Roger and Rayleigh—believed in fighting together.
Sure, Barrett admitted Rayleigh was stronger than he was. As for Fang Yi, he still felt he was superior.
Yet losing to Fang Yi left him feeling deeply betrayed—not because of the loss itself, but because he felt Fang Yi hadn't been honest. If comrades were supposed to be transparent, why hide such strength?
The emotional fallout, combined with his stagnating progress, made him start questioning if this path was right for him.
Watching Barrett walk away in silence, both Roger and Rayleigh frowned. Fang Yi's words had been right, but Barrett's low spirits were concerning.
After a moment's thought, Roger stood and followed after Barrett, clearly with something to say.
From that day forward, Barrett never challenged Fang Yi again—not even for a light spar. But he continued training, often seeking fights with Roger instead.
Time passed. Roger, now nearly fifty, remained full of life. Despite suffering from a terminal illness, he lived boldly, whether in battle or during wild parties.
One day, as they sailed across the Grand Line, a News Coo dropped off a newspaper.
"Oi, Captain! Look—Sengoku's been promoted to Admiral!" someone shouted excitedly.
"Well, well… didn't expect that guy to rise so high," Roger said, holding up the paper and laughing.
"Wait, Captain! Does that mean Sengoku won't be chasing us around anymore? That guy was so annoying!" Fang Yi let out a relieved sigh.
Unlike Garp, who fought with brute force, Sengoku preferred meticulously planned strategies and often outmaneuvered them. Roger and Garp were more alike, and Roger's crew had been caught in Sengoku's traps more than once—Fang Yi had grown to dread the name.
Now that Sengoku was an Admiral, Fang Yi hoped he'd stay stationed at Marineford, as Admirals usually didn't move around unless major events occurred.
"Don't count on it," Rayleigh said, shaking his head. "Lately, there's been a new pirate on the rise—a lone wolf known as Red the Aloof. He's incredibly strong. Even if Sengoku's been promoted, the Marines won't let that kind of power go unused."
"Red the Aloof…?" Fang Yi thought for a moment, then remembered. He was a fearsome solo pirate, operating without a crew. Kind of like Barrett, but not quite as extreme.
"Well, that's not our business. We've got our own goals," Roger said with a carefree grin.
"By the way, Roger," Rayleigh hesitated, "what do you plan to do with the clue we found recently?"
"We don't need it," Roger replied firmly. "That thing—if anything—would only lead to a world war. All we're after is freedom."
"I see… Should we destroy the clues, then?" Rayleigh asked.
"No need," Roger said, shaking his head. "As long as people continue seeking freedom, this story will never end. Our role is to record, observe, and guide it to the path it was meant to follow."
Fang Yi remained silent, deep in thought.
Not long ago, while searching for the Poneglyphs, they had stumbled upon evidence of something terrifying—one of the Ancient Weapons.
At the time, Fang Yi had been excited—a legendary weapon! But Roger dismissed it completely, calling it a harbinger of disaster. He insisted they not pursue it further.
Fang Yi had felt a bit disappointed.
Still, he didn't need an Ancient Weapon. Like Roger said, owning one would make you a target for every major power.
"Yi-ge!"
A voice interrupted his thoughts. It was Shanks.
"Oh, Shanks. What's up?" Fang Yi smiled.
"Um… could we spar? I think I've improved a bit lately," Shanks said, scratching his head bashfully.
"No problem. Mind if I use a dagger?" Fang Yi asked.
"Uh… okay." Shanks had hoped to face Fang Yi's archery, but remembered how oppressive that barrage of arrows could be. He likely wouldn't even get to showcase his skills, so he agreed.
"Alright then. Let's begin. And don't underestimate me just because I'm using a dagger," Fang Yi said, twirling the blade expertly.
"I won't! I'll go all out!" Shanks nodded.
"Then I'll strike first—Shave!"
Fang Yi vanished from sight, reappearing behind Shanks in a flash, dagger already thrusting toward him.
CLANG!
Shanks blocked the strike with both hands, gripping his sword.
"Yi-ge, if this is all, I can handle it," Shanks grinned.
"Don't get cocky!"
Though he held only a dagger, Fang Yi's speed suddenly spiked. His attacks became a flurry of slashes and jabs, his dagger leaving afterimages in the air.
This was due to his passive skill, Rapid Fire, which normally boosts arrow speed but also increases attack rate in melee. It couldn't be upgraded, but it was devastatingly useful.
Shanks was forced to retreat quickly, dodging as much as possible. When he couldn't avoid, he blocked, wary of Fang Yi's Precision skill, which could trigger even with melee weapons.
Shanks knew this. He needed to get out of Fang Yi's attack range.
But Fang Yi didn't let up—he chased relentlessly, never giving Shanks breathing room.
To the spectators, it looked like Fang Yi was dominating the fight with just a small dagger. Now and then, his Precision skill would trigger, putting Shanks in a tough spot.
"Hey… Shanks is getting crushed. Fang Yi's only using a dagger!"
"He's a monster. Honestly, I think he might already be stronger than Rayleigh."
"No idea. But he's been able to wipe the floor with me for ages," others muttered from the sidelines.
"Ah… HAAAH!"
Backed into a corner, Shanks roared—and suddenly a terrifying aura exploded from his body.
Fang Yi's movements froze.
"W-what… Conqueror's Haki?!"
The force that blasted over Fang Yi felt like being locked in the eyes of a wild beast. His muscles went rigid, and his mind was nearly overwhelmed by the sheer pressure.
Unprepared, Fang Yi almost blacked out.
Facing Conqueror's Haki without any defense… was no joke.