Chapter 9: Black Spear — Dante
Sea Circle Calendar 1493,
"Why is this guy called Oden wearing what looks like a diaper?"
The weather was clear, the scenery splendid.
The Roger Pirates had just resupplied on an island.
Dante, who had been handling procurement, brought back a newspaper. Shanks and Buggy were huddled together reading it when one particular article caught Roger's attention.
It was about the commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division, a new famous face on the seas:
The Samurai, Kozuki Oden.
"A samurai from Wano? He looks pretty cool!"
"Looks ugly as hell."
Dante shrugged, hefting a barrel of liquor taller than himself onto his shoulders and placing it before Roger. "He looks like a pervert wearing an open-bottomed loincloth. Is it to make public urination easier?"
"If you ask me, a black military uniform is the coolest, right, Bullet?"
That was right. A month ago, the stubborn hardhead Douglas Bullet had already joined the crew.
Dante had watched the entire battle when Bullet challenged Captain Roger. It couldn't be described as a close fight—
it was a one-sided beatdown.
As for the rumor that a fifteen-year-old Bullet could rival Rayleigh in his prime?
Dante's response was:
Say that to my face. Do I look like an idiot to you?
Not just Bullet—even a fifteen-year-old Roger, a fifteen-year-old Whitebeard, or a fifteen-year-old Rocks wouldn't stand a chance against prime Rayleigh.
Did they think mastering all three types of Haki, being a Great Swordsman, and Advanced Conqueror's Haki infusion were just for show?
One could only say that Buggy sometimes really didn't think before he spoke. The fact that Bullet had exchanged blows with Rayleigh was exaggerated into them being rivals.
But Dante didn't dislike that about him.
Since I took a direct Armament Haki kick from Vice-Captain Rayleigh and survived, I hope that guy will talk me up too in the future.
Something like:
"Dante here was once a fellow crewmate on the Roger Pirates. When he was just nine, he fought evenly with Vice-Captain Rayleigh…"
Although Bullet wasn't at the level of the world's top fighters yet, he was undoubtedly a formidable martial artist.
Not long after he came aboard, he had crossed fists with Dante.
After their clash, even a monster like Bullet couldn't help but sigh in amazement at the sheer number of heroes in the world.
Dante's highly advanced Observation Haki, his monstrous strength that sent shivers down Bullet's spine, and his proficient martial arts—
At just ten years old, he could fight evenly with the fifteen-year-old Bullet. Even though Bullet was confident he wouldn't lose, he knew for certain he couldn't easily defeat Dante either.
Bullet didn't believe in comrades, but he respected strength.
So when Dante spoke to him, he didn't ignore him, but merely nodded.
As a former soldier, he indeed believed military uniforms were the coolest attire.
"A diaper? Hahahahaha!!"
Roger was sent into a fit of laughter by Dante's description, the liquor in his bottle sloshing noisily.
Seeing this, Crocus's expression darkened. He snatched the bottle from Roger's hand. "Your body can't handle alcohol anymore!"
"You don't want to collapse before completing your voyage, do you, Roger?"
Roger's face fell upon hearing this, and he groaned in pain. "Don't be like that, Crocus. A little bit is fine."
But unfortunately, in front of the ship's doctor, his status as captain held little weight. He could only watch helplessly as Crocus walked away with his precious liquor.
Deprived of his drink, Roger was feeling down, but the situation soon took a turn.
Dante had quietly sidled up to him at some point and sneakily pulled a bottle of liquor from his robes, quickly stuffing it into Roger's hands.
Their eyes met.
Roger: You're a good kid, Dante!
Dante: Say no more, Captain.
"Is this alright, Rayleigh? Roger's body…"
Their little act certainly didn't escape the notice of the crew's Observation Haki users, but no one said anything about it.
"It's fine. Roger isn't a man who'll be taken down so easily!"
And with the liquor in hand, Roger was clearly in higher spirits than before. He shouted to everyone:
"Everyone! Set sail for the New World!!!"
"Yeah!!!"
…
…
"Big news, big news!!!"
"The Roger Pirates, one of the overlords of the New World, have appeared in the latter half of the New World!!!"
"They've successively defeated several great pirates with bounties over one billion Berries! A new era's Rocks?!"
Since Roger was diagnosed with an incurable disease and resolved to reach the final island, the Roger Pirates' voyage seemed to have entered fast-forward mode.
In just two years, they fought east and west, rushing around for the Poneglyphs. In what felt like a blur, two years passed.
Latter half of the New World,
Edd War waters.
"Dante, your bounty poster is out!"
A lively banquet was underway on the deck.
Buggy, who habitually wore a headscarf, ran over excitedly shouting, nearly tripping in his haste.
Hearing the news, the entire crew paused, then raised their cups in toast to the long-haired youth in their midst, all talking at once.
"You've made it, Dante!!"
"Let's celebrate Dante getting a bounty! Time for another round of partying!!"
"Yeah!!!"
The sea breeze blew, gently stirring the long hair of the youth on the deck. Dante, holding a bottle of juice, walked over to Buggy and looked exasperatedly at these party enthusiasts.
"My head getting a price on it… that's a reason for you to throw a party?"
"Don't be such a killjoy, Dante."
Shanks, who had also been converted into a party enthusiast, quite liked this atmosphere.
"You guys are hopeless," Dante laughed, then took the bounty poster from Buggy's hand.
The largest part was a photo of Dante from a naval battle he'd participated in. In the picture, he stood tall and proud, his eyes, which seemed to look down on the world, gleaming with a faint red light, making him look incredibly intimidating.
In short, he looked terrifyingly strong.
[Black Spear · Dotor · Dante]
[Bounty: 139,600,000 Berries]
[Extremely Heinous. Dead or Alive.]
"Dante, for real! 139 million…"
Buggy, who had always kept a low profile (slacked off) and wasn't particularly strong, hadn't yet entered the Marines' field of vision. He was utterly shocked by Dante's bounty exceeding one hundred million.
While part of it was due to the infamy of the Roger Pirates,
coupled with Dante's habit of taking cheap shots during battles, earning him hatred—even Vice-Admiral Garp's pursuit often involved a certain curly-haired Marine specifically targeting Dante—
this bounty of over one hundred million still spoke volumes.
It signified that Dante, though only twelve years old, was already acknowledged by the World Government as a threatening pirate.
Shanks also agreed. Although Dante could be infuriating at times, he was indeed a worthy opponent.
Just as the two were about to say more, Dante raised his hand to cut them off.
He suddenly looked seriously at the sky, confusing the two youngsters, who could only look up as well.
But as they looked, Buggy noticed something wrong.
A few black dots seemed to be slowly emerging from the cloud layer?
"Can't avoid it after all," Dante took the black spear from his back. A faint black hue slowly enveloped the weapon, and a terrifying red light burst from his eyes.
"The Battle of Edd War!!!"