Rogers withdrew his hand and said to Aiqi with a bright smile, "Alright then, when I set sail, I'll definitely take you with me. Let's head to the Grand Line together!"
Since he had decided, there was no turning back. If the captain hesitated, then the whole crew would crumble. He absolutely couldn't afford to make such a pathetic mistake.
Aiqi fidgeted a little, her voice shy and uncertain. "I… I haven't gotten Grandpa John's permission yet. So… so you'll have to talk to him…"
Rogers's face darkened. That old man wasn't exactly the easiest person to deal with. But he could only force himself to answer confidently, "Don't worry. Leave that to me. Old man John wouldn't stop a man from chasing his dream, right?"
What began as a moving declaration ended with Aiqi puffing her cheeks in annoyance. "I'm not a man, I'm a woman, idiot!"
"Sorry, sorry, slip of the tongue!" Rogers said quickly, embarrassed.
"Hmph! Then I'll leave it to you! You have to convince Grandpa John! He's usually easygoing, but when it comes to me setting sail, he always gets so serious." Aiqi crossed her arms, trying to sound proud, but her voice betrayed her worry.
"It's fine, leave it to me!" Rogers replied with an air of confidence. Then he grew serious and said, "Next, I need to carry out a solo mission. If it succeeds, I'll be ready to set sail immediately."
Aiqi blinked, caught off guard. "Eh? I haven't even prepared for going out to sea yet! I'd better start getting ready right away!"
Rogers froze for a moment, then chuckled. "You really do have confidence in me, huh?"
"Of course. Because it's you, Rogers-oniisan. Any mission you take on won't fail!" Aiqi answered as if it were the most obvious truth.
"I think I'll succeed too," Rogers replied with a grin. "Anyway, I'm heading back to the cabin. I didn't eat properly earlier, so I'm starving now. Just wait for my good news."
With that, Rogers strode toward the stairs. Aiqi watched his back disappear, murmuring to herself: This mission Melo-oneesan set up for me should succeed… hehehe.
When Rogers returned to the kitchen, most people had already finished eating. He had to make do with the leftovers. Damn this body—it could never stay full!
While he wolfed down the scraps, the beautiful head chef, Melo, gave him a meaningful smile. It nearly made him choke on his food in fright…
After finishing his meal, Rogers finally got a short break. The calm sea had spared him from more deck work.
He sprawled in a chair like a salted fish, mind racing. If he was really preparing to head to the Grand Line, then there was no way he could let the Yami Yami no Mi slip through his fingers. He had to prepare carefully. The question was—did he have the strength to take it?
Rogers longed for the fruit. After all, it was called the most fearsome Devil Fruit for a reason. Blackbeard had waited decades aboard Whitebeard's ship for it. But Rogers also knew that Devil Fruits weren't everything. At the very peak, physical strength was what truly mattered. Just think of Marineford—even Whitebeard, half-dead, nearly killed Blackbeard with brute force alone!
It might be risky, but compared to the risk Blackbeard had taken—waiting decades—what was this to him?
If he managed to seize the fruit, Rogers planned to set sail immediately. After all, interfering in a Government deal would bring trouble down on this passenger ship. And everyone here had treated him kindly—he couldn't drag them into it.
Once at sea, he'd spend a few years honing himself and mastering the fruit's power in the West Blue before challenging the Grand Line.
And if he failed to get it? That was fine too. He didn't believe this body lacked potential. He was still young, only fifteen. Most of the rulers of the seas were in their forties or fifties. Luffy and his peers were exceptions—they had protagonist halos.
Without a fruit, he could simply stick around longer. He could keep learning combat techniques from Tony and Nick, master their moves, and then slip away later. Hahaha!
Still, this would be his first real life-and-death gamble. The Yami Yami no Mi wasn't only about granting powers. If those old discussions he'd read on One Piece forums in his past life weren't wrong, Blackbeard had used its power to steal other fruits' abilities!
And Devil Fruits were incredibly valuable. With money, building a ship wouldn't be a problem. Maybe he could even craft a vessel as wondrous as the Thousand Sunny! Then his days as a pirate would be even more enjoyable.
Alright—time to prepare for battle… No, wait. Better finish his chores first, or old man John would scold him again. His burning passion instantly cooled, and he slipped back into his salted-fish routine.
Rogers worked steadily until night. He didn't even deliver the ten o'clock late-night snack. He had delivered meals to the third floor during dinner and had tried listening in on Room 307 again, but heard nothing. Clearly, catching that crucial conversation before had just been sheer luck.
When his duties were finally done, the dining hall had transformed into a dance floor. Normally, Rogers enjoyed watching the ladies twirl across the floor, but tonight, he wasn't in the mood. After greeting Aiqi and the others, he returned alone to his small room.
It was simple: a table, a bed with plain white sheets and pillows. On the desk sat a lamp and a few books. The top one was Mastering Firearms—a book he'd begged off Tony. Beneath it were some encyclopedias from this world, filled with the "official" stories the Government allowed. How much of it was true, Rogers couldn't say.
Pulling out a chair, he sat down and opened his drawer, taking out a pistol—the most common flintlock in the world of One Piece—and a pouch of bullets. He placed them on the table. Then, slipping a hand into one of his books, he pulled out several folded banknotes. Finally, he lifted his lamp and retrieved a few hidden coins from its base.
Yes, Rogers had a talent for stashing away secret money. After all, Aiqi often barged into his room to play. If old man John ever discovered he'd been keeping tips, they'd be confiscated immediately. And given that he ate far more than he worked, he couldn't afford that.
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