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Chapter 77 - Chapter 78 – Inviting Barrett

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of explosions erupted, and it felt like the entire island was shaking. The unsuspecting townspeople thought it was an earthquake, looking around in shock and confusion.

Meanwhile, the members of the Roger Pirates, who had been waiting in the tavern for news, turned their eyes toward the back of the island, where a giant mushroom cloud was rising into the sky.

"Let's go!" Jaba was the first to react, bolting toward the beach on the far side of the island.

The others quickly followed, racing to the site of the explosion.

"No way! What are those two doing? Trying to blow up the whole island?!" Buggy exclaimed in disbelief as he ran alongside Shanks.

Even from the town, they had felt the shockwave. One could only imagine how terrifying it was at ground zero.

When they arrived at the beach, they saw Captain Roger and Rayleigh each carrying an unconscious person—Barrett and Fang Yi—walking back toward them.

"Captain…" Jaba stepped forward to ask something but paused in shock as he saw the aftermath of the battle: a massive crater had formed on the beach, surrounded by countless signs of intense combat.

"Let's head back first. We'll talk later. Crocus, looks like we'll need your help—these two went all out," Roger said with a helpless smile.

"Hey, Shanks… who do you think won?" Buggy asked quietly, watching the scene.

Shanks shook his head. "No idea. But seeing the state they're both in, I'd say it was probably a draw."

"These guys are monsters…" Buggy muttered, shaking his head as they headed back to town.

Because both fighters had passed out, Roger decided to remain on the island for a few days until they recovered.

The rest of the crew was incredibly curious about the outcome, but Roger and Rayleigh refused to comment, and with the combatants unconscious, no answers were forthcoming.

The next day, both Barrett and Fang Yi regained consciousness—Barrett thanks to his strong constitution, and Fang Yi simply from overexertion. Coincidentally, they woke up around the same time.

"Yi-ge, what was the result of your fight? Everyone's dying to know. Some say Barrett won, others say you did. So… who was it?" Buggy immediately asked once Fang Yi woke up.

Fang Yi gave a bitter smile. "I honestly don't know. I passed out from exhaustion right after my final move. I don't even know if I hit him."

"Huh?" Buggy and Shanks exchanged looks. "Well, when we got there, you were both unconscious. So that probably means you won, right? He must've been knocked out by your last move!"

"Maybe," Fang Yi replied. "But don't go around saying that. If Barrett hears it, he'll think I told you to say it."

"Huh? But you did win!" Buggy protested.

"Just listen to me on this one," Fang Yi said, shaking his head, not wanting to explain further.

Buggy grumbled but nodded in agreement.

Once both of them were back on their feet, Roger gave the order for the Oro Jackson to set sail once again.

After that fierce duel, Barrett never again mentioned challenging Roger. It was as if he had forgotten the idea entirely. Roger, of course, didn't make a big deal of it.

Fang Yi also kept quiet about the outcome. Whenever a crewmember asked, he'd simply say he passed out and had no idea what happened.

Eventually, the others stopped asking, respecting his silence. Their attitudes toward Barrett didn't change either. No one ostracized him for previously expressing interest in challenging Roger.

Thanks to Fang Yi's careful behind-the-scenes messaging, the crew understood that Barrett's "challenge" had been more like a sparring match, not a true test of authority.

As time passed and Fang Yi saw no signs of Barrett wanting to leave the crew, he finally relaxed.

He didn't remember exactly when Barrett left the crew in the original timeline, but as long as he could prevent that departure for now, things should be fine. If he was careful enough to keep that thought out of Barrett's head, maybe the man would stay until the end of Roger's journey.

Then, with a little luck, he could invite Barrett to join his crew afterward. With both Barrett and Shanks, even an unestablished pirate crew would earn its place in the New World.

Not to mention, those two practically guaranteed him two daily lottery tickets—just icing on the cake.

A few days later, after finishing his daily training with Shanks, Fang Yi was approached by a visibly hesitant Barrett. Sensing something, Shanks made an excuse and left them alone.

"Thanks," Barrett said awkwardly once Shanks had left.

"For what?" Fang Yi blinked, puzzled. "I haven't done anything lately."

Barrett smiled faintly. "If not for you, I probably would've left the ship by now."

He had long sensed the slight change in attitude from the crew—subtle but real. He also knew Fang Yi had quietly spread the truth about his intent behind the "challenge."

"Oh, that," Fang Yi said casually. "That's nothing. Just doing what I thought was right."

"I don't care what others think," Barrett admitted. "But… I still appreciate it."

He still had some concept of camaraderie after spending so long on Roger's ship.

"Anyway," Fang Yi changed the subject with a smile. "Have you thought about the future?"

If Shanks were here, he'd know exactly what Fang Yi was up to—he'd heard this same setup before.

"The future?" Barrett asked, puzzled.

"Yeah. Captain Roger is destined to become Pirate King. I believe in that completely, and I'll do everything I can to help. But… his body…" Fang Yi trailed off, then continued, "So what will you do after that?"

"I don't know," Barrett replied, smiling. "Maybe someday I will leave… but only when I decide to."

"Want to join me?" Fang Yi asked. "I've already invited Shanks. After the captain reaches the final island and becomes Pirate King, we'll form our pirate crew. What do you say?"

"You want to form your pirate crew?" Barrett looked at him in surprise. That idea had never occurred to him. All he ever thought about was how to surpass Roger—and now, maybe also Fang Yi.

In Barrett's mind, the outcome of their duel was clear: he had lost. If not for Roger and Rayleigh intervening, he would've been seriously injured or worse.

And he knew Fang Yi hadn't passed out from exhaustion—it was backlash from his powerful move.

Their final attacks had been too close-range, forcing both to take the full brunt of the explosion. That's why Barrett believed he had truly lost that fight.

"Yeah," Fang Yi nodded. "Our crew, with you and Shanks—we could rise quickly and carve our name into the sea."

At the moment, only Fang Yi and Barrett had bounties, and even then, they weren't very high, not compared to legends like Roger or Rayleigh.

"…Sorry. I haven't thought that far ahead," Barrett said honestly, shaking his head.

"That's fine," Fang Yi smiled. "Just keep it in mind. And don't tell anyone about this talk. If the captain finds out, he'll think I'm trying to poach his crew."

"Understood," Barrett nodded seriously.

From that day on, Fang Yi and Barrett seemed to grow closer. They resumed their regular sparring matches—Barrett always winning, but knowing full well Fang Yi wasn't fighting at full power.

Especially with moves like "Flame Dragon Burst," Fang Yi could pose a serious threat. If Barrett ever got pinned down, he knew Fang Yi could seriously injure him.

That didn't mean Fang Yi could win for sure—Barrett was also improving daily and was learning Fang Yi's battle style inside and out, making it harder and harder to trap him.

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