Right now, the most pressing question before Rogers was whether or not to seize the Yami Yami no Mi. When he first saw it, he wanted it desperately. But as his initial impulse cooled, reality set in. He knew exactly what his limits were—at best, he could handle pirates with bounties of a few million. If he tried to snatch it, he might just end up beaten into the ground.
If he didn't go for it, though… how much of this body's potential could he really bring out? Rogers felt lost. An odd sense of responsibility weighed on him. He had inherited someone else's body—he couldn't just waste it living as some small-time pirate drifting through life. The body's original owner had been a hot-blooded guy who had even awakened Conqueror's Haki. What if his change in personality made that Haki disappear? That would be a nightmare…
The appearance of the Yami Yami no Mi was a rare opportunity. Its power was beyond dispute. But could he really do it? Could he become a great pirate?
In his past life, he had been a nobody, maybe even a parasite on society, surviving without purpose. Back then, he only wanted to live quietly. But now was different. The choice was right in front of him. For the first time in his life, he felt the weight of responsibility. The responsibility to become a great pirate—maybe even the Pirate King. But he had no confidence at all.
In his old world, he had nothing tying him down. Now, at least, he had a dream. Even if it wasn't originally his own, did it really matter?
"Rogers-oniisan, what's wrong? Everyone says you don't look too good." A soft, sweet voice called out from behind him, filled with concern.
"Aiqi, I'm fine. Just not feeling great, that's all." Rogers turned around, leaning his back against the railing as he looked at the girl before him. With a trace of fondness in his tone, he added, "And I've told you so many times—I'm only fifteen. You're already sixteen, older than me, so stop calling me 'big brother.'"
Truthfully, though, hearing her call him "big brother" made him secretly happy. Back in his past life, no girl had ever called him onii-chan…
Standing before him was a girl with a mushroom-shaped bob of golden hair. Her cute face still carried traces of childishness, and the large, round black-rimmed glasses on her small nose made her look even more endearing, almost motherly in a vague way.
She wore a simple white dress that showed off her smooth, pale legs. Petite, about one meter sixty tall, she looked young—but her chest was anything but flat.
"How rude, Rogers-oniisan! Hasn't anyone told you not to talk about a girl's age?" Aiqi puffed out her cheeks in protest, clearly displeased.
"Come on, that's the kind of thing only aunties say." Rogers couldn't help himself. Looking at the cute Aiqi, he reached out and pinched her puffed-up cheeks, his mood lightening a little.
"Melo-oneesan taught me that! She said cute girls are even more lovable that way!!" Aiqi said seriously, which only made her even cuter. Rogers's hand automatically pinched her cheek again. Flustered, Aiqi's face flushed pink as she slapped his hand away. "Geez, once is enough! Stop pinching me all the time!"
"Can't help it. You're just too cute, Aiqi. But don't let Melo rub off on you too much!" Rogers said with a laugh, not embarrassed in the least. He was clearly very close with her.
"H-How can you say that? I'm just average at best…" Aiqi muttered, face burning red as her small hands twisted at the hem of her skirt, looking unbearably adorable.
"Hahaha, you really can't take a compliment, can you?" Rogers laughed. His mood had lifted a lot. Having a cute girl around really did make things easier, even if this particular girl preferred playing the little sister.
"Hmph! Rogers-oniisan, you're always like this! And I… I only act this way with you…" Aiqi turned her crimson face aside, her voice growing softer and softer. If not for Rogers's sharp hearing, he might not have caught those last words at all.
Rogers's gaze dimmed. At a time when he himself felt so uncertain about his path, there were things he simply couldn't respond to, no matter what he heard. He could only pretend not to have heard.
Aiqi leaned against the railing just like him, gazing at the sea. "Rogers-oniisan, you're still planning to set out to sea, aren't you?"
Rogers stared at the horizon alongside her. "Yeah. No matter what, I still want to become a pirate."
This wasn't a joke—these were his true feelings. Compared to being a marine, his free-spirited nature was far more suited to piracy. Besides, he wanted to fulfill the dream of his body's original owner. In a way, it was like keeping another man's promise. Though, unlike the bond between Luffy and Shanks, it was… much more muddled.
Aiqi turned her head, eyes filled with expectation. "Then… can you take me with you, Rogers-oniisan?"
Rogers felt a twinge of distress. He was already struggling to figure out his own future as a pirate. Adding another person into the mix? That only made things more uncertain.
He grew serious, meeting her gaze head-on. "Aiqi, I'm going to be a pirate. That's not a game. Pirates are extremely dangerous!"
Aiqi's face hardened with stubborn determination. She shouted back, "Of course I know pirates are dangerous! But I've listened to Grandpa John's stories—about pirates, about the Grand Line's bizarre weather, strange islands, all the different races! I want to see them for myself!"
It was the first time Rogers had ever seen her raise her voice like this. Surprised, he still kept a stern expression. "Sure, traveling might sound fun—but it's far too dangerous. Absolutely not!"
To Rogers, Aiqi was still like a younger sister—someone who needed his protection. Even if she was actually older than him… emmmm…
So to refuse her, Rogers could only force a bitter smile. "Aiqi, my pirate crew right now is just me alone. I'm no great pirate. I might not even make it into the Grand Line before being wiped out."
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