Brother Yi, you're not planning to fight Barrett, right?
As soon as Barrett left, Shanks rushed over, concerned.
"Of course he's planning something," Buggy cut in with a pout. "That guy's a total lunatic!"
Fang Yi nodded. "I just needed to buy time. If Barrett challenges the captain—even if Roger doesn't blame him—he'll never be able to stay on this ship afterward."
"Hmph! He never really fit in with us anyway. Why do you even care?" Buggy scoffed.
Fang Yi shook his head. "Buggy, ever since the captain allowed him aboard, he's been one of us. And from the time we've spent with him, I don't think he's a bad guy. He's just… different. Like how you love treasure, but I don't. That doesn't mean I dislike you, right?"
Buggy gave a half-understanding nod. These ideas were still a bit too complex for someone like him, whose thoughts were pretty straightforward—he either liked someone or didn't.
Meanwhile, in the captain's quarters, Rayleigh was explaining things to Roger.
"Wait… you're saying agreeing to Barrett's challenge was the wrong move?" Roger asked with a frown.
"Fighting for training is different from issuing a formal challenge," Rayleigh replied calmly. "Whether Barrett won or lost, he would've had to leave the ship. Fang Yi recognized that, which is why he stopped it."
Roger fell silent. He hadn't thought that deeply—he'd just assumed it was a casual duel, like usual.
"So what do we do now?" Roger pouted.
"Since Fang Yi intervened, let's see what he can do," Jabba chimed in with a chuckle. "If he loses, you can do whatever you originally planned."
"Huh? But didn't you just say—" Roger looked confused.
"Haha! But think about it. What if Barrett hadn't challenged you and instead just asked to leave? Would you have let him go?" Jabba asked with a smile.
Roger paused, then nodded solemnly. "I'd respect his choice."
"Exactly. The only reason he joined us in the first place was to defeat you. Now that he feels like he'll never get that chance, of course, he's thinking about leaving," Jabba said.
He and Rayleigh had been watching Barrett closely. From the moment Roger revealed his illness, they'd noticed Barrett's reaction.
Roger went quiet, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Fang Yi quietly walked to Barrett's room.
Knock knock knock.
"Who is it?" came Barrett's voice from inside.
"It's me—Fang Yi."
"What do you want?" Barrett opened the door with a cold look.
"Not gonna invite me in?" Fang Yi grinned and barged in anyway.
"Fine, say your piece," Barrett sighed as Fang Yi helped himself to a seat.
"Come on, we're still crewmates, aren't we?" Fang Yi smiled. "So… were you planning to leave the ship?"
"Leave?" Barrett looked genuinely puzzled. He hadn't been thinking that far ahead.
"Exactly. You idiot. You act purely on impulse," Fang Yi said with a sigh. "If you weren't planning to leave, why challenge the captain?"
"I just want to defeat him. What's that got to do with leaving?" Barrett asked, confused.
Fang Yi shook his head. "I figured you just wanted to spar. But a challenge is different from a duel. When you publicly challenge the captain in front of the crew, it's a declaration—you're either trying to leave or take over."
Barrett didn't reply. He knew Fang Yi was going to explain, so he listened.
And after Fang Yi explained the implications, Barrett finally understood why Fang Yi had stepped in.
"…Fine," he muttered.
"Good. I stopped it, so let's pretend it never happened. Once we reach the next island, you and I can spar, get a drink afterward, and say you got your fill. Just don't bring up challenging the captain again," Fang Yi offered with a smile.
"I still want to beat Roger," Barrett said after a long silence.
"Then ask him to spar, like before. I'm sure he won't say no," Fang Yi shrugged.
In the original story, Barrett had challenged Roger and left the crew afterward. Fang Yi suspected Barrett didn't understand the meaning behind that challenge. When he lost, the rest of the crew probably turned against him, making it unbearable for him to stay.
But things were different now. Barrett was a rare powerhouse. Letting him walk away would be a huge waste. That's why Fang Yi stepped in.
Of course, that was all hindsight. Back when he first interfered, he truly thought Barrett wanted to fight Roger. Now, seeing Barrett's reaction, he knew he had been right.
"But the crew knows I challenged the captain," Barrett said, looking down.
During his time on the ship, Barrett had changed. In the past, he wouldn't have cared about others' opinions.
"Relax. You didn't fight him, so it's fine," Fang Yi said.
But Barrett shook his head. He looked up and said, "Still… I feel like I've gotten weaker since joining this crew."
"…Huh?" Fang Yi blinked, confused. "Are you serious? Do you even know what weak means? Look at Buggy—that's weak."
Barrett raised his arm, revealing a scar from a previous battle. "I never used to get hurt in fights like that."
Fang Yi chuckled. "Yeah, but you also never used to win so easily either, did you?"
He knew how Barrett had gotten that scar—by shielding a comrade from an enemy's slash.
"But I still won. And I wouldn't have gotten hurt before," Barrett insisted.
Fang Yi had no counter. Before, Barrett fought alone, recklessly, and ruthlessly. No one could land a hit on him.
"Still, when facing strong enemies, having comrades by your side is better than going it alone," Fang Yi offered weakly.
"I'd still lose to Roger. And probably die faster," Barrett replied seriously.
Fang Yi twitched—was he calling all of them dead weight?
He didn't dare suggest picking only strong crewmates like Rayleigh or Jabba—that would mean discarding the weaker ones.
"But you can't sail alone. You need a navigator, a cook, and crewmates! They might not fight like you, but they're experts in other areas," Fang Yi argued.
Barrett thought about that, then said, "But I don't have to treat them like comrades the way you do."
"Ugh! You're impossible!" Fang Yi groaned. He had to admit, Barrett kind of had a point.
Still, Fang Yi knew the truth—having comrades and being alone were worlds apart.
"That's why… Fang Yi. Once we reach the next island—let's fight!"
Barrett's eyes were blazing with determination. He lived for battle.
Fang Yi felt like giving up. Barrett was like a bull—no reasoning with him.
"And then what? Beat me, then go challenge the captain? Everyone ends up judging you, and you leave the crew in disgrace?" Fang Yi asked, rolling his eyes.
"This is my path," Barrett said with a grin. "If you want to stop me… then beat me!"
"You…" Fang Yi finally understood. Barrett wanted him to go all out. He was provoking Fang Yi to fight seriously.
Fang Yi huffed and stood up. He was done talking. This guy was a full-on battle junkie.
"Thanks, buddy," Barrett said softly as Fang Yi reached the door.
Hearing that, Fang Yi smiled. "Wow… getting a thank-you from you isn't easy. Don't worry—I will stop you."
"I'm looking forward to it," Barrett grinned.
Fang Yi now understood: the only way to stop Barrett was to shift his focus—from Roger to himself.
When Fang Yi returned to his cabin, he found Shanks and Buggy waiting for him.
"Brother Yi, is Barrett going to challenge the captain?" Shanks asked anxiously.
"Don't worry—he won't. Because I'm going to beat him," Fang Yi replied with a confident grin.
"Huh?"
Shanks and Buggy stared at him in shock.
This didn't sound like Fang Yi at all. Sure, he was strong—but strong enough to beat Barrett? They weren't so sure.
They both suspected Fang Yi was hiding some of his true strength. But Barrett's power? They knew it well.
About time someone put that guy in his place!" Buggy grinned. "Let him know we interns aren't pushovers!
While they didn't fully understand what had happened, they were all-in on Fang Yi showing his full power. After all, the three of them—the Intern Trio—were in this together.