Rogers stared at the pistol and Beli on his desk. All together, it barely added up to two hundred thousand Beli. That was everything he owned. Even the gun wasn't originally his—it was one he'd secretly bought off Tony. Sure, weapons were handed out when fighting pirates, but those weren't really his.
He carefully polished the pistol, his eyes flickering with unease. He had no idea what might happen tomorrow. He could only do his best. His combat ability should be decent, right? His tall, sturdy body wasn't just for show. In pirate fights so far, he'd crushed ordinary opponents easily—though maybe that was only because the pirates he'd met had been weak…
With those mixed feelings swirling in his head, Rogers lay back on his bed and drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow was unknown, but one thing was clear—he'd need to be cautious. His sharp senses were his greatest advantage. It was time to put them to use, time to act like the "legendary stalker" from stories.
The next day, Rogers tucked the Beli into his pocket, slid the pistol into his waistband, and covered it with his shirt before heading out to work as usual.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened until afternoon. Around midday, he had delivered food once more to the man in black in Room 307, carefully memorizing the man's clothing and scent. After all, his sense of smell was sharp—not dog-like, but close enough.
The passenger ship sailed steadily onward until a black dot appeared on the horizon. Slowly, it grew larger—an island. But this was no ordinary island. Its foundation wasn't soil but stacked stone, and it was massive. Even before the ship docked, the noise and bustle of the place drifted over the water.
The ship anchored smoothly. Rogers and Tony helped lower the anchor. The ship's broadcast system crackled to life:
"Honored guests, the ship has now arrived at Crohn's Island. Disembarking passengers may leave freely. For those continuing with us, please note—we will set sail again tomorrow at 5 p.m. Thank you, and enjoy your travels!"
Once the ship was docked, passengers began to disembark one by one. A gangway connected the vessel to the stone pier, leading straight into a lively street full of vendors and throngs of people. The air was thick with excitement.
The crew was given permission for shore leave too, as long as they returned before departure the next day. Rogers leaned casually on the railing, his eyes fixed on the gangway. It was clear he was waiting for the man in black.
"Rogers-oniisan, do you have something to do today?" Aiqi bounded over to him, dressed in her usual server's outfit. The uniform couldn't hide her figure, though—her chest still drew eyes wherever she went.
Rogers glanced at her, replying absently, "Yeah. Something important later." His attention never left the ship's gangway.
Aiqi pouted, cheeks puffing in dissatisfaction. "Fine! But don't you dare forget the promise you made me!"
Her sulky cuteness made Rogers chuckle. "Don't worry. A promise is a promise—I won't forget it." Thanks to her, his nerves eased a little.
"Good!" Aiqi said with a smile before skipping off. She knew he was up to something—probably that "mission" he'd mentioned yesterday.
"Hey, Rogers! Wanna come with us?"
"Hahaha, let's broaden your horizons!"
"The red-light district here is the best in the West Blue!"
"C'mon, we'll find you a top-class girl!"
A group of the ship's cooks were heading down the gangway. Spotting Rogers on the railing, they immediately invited him along. Their destination needed no explanation.
Rogers's face darkened. This shameless bunch… In the past, he might've been tempted. But now? He was a man aiming to be Pirate King! How could he waste time on women? Well… his inner voice whispered, Once I'm a great pirate, won't I have all the women I want? Hehehe. Don't be shortsighted, Rogers!
So he straightened up and declared righteously, "I've got something important tonight. I'm not going."
"What a killjoy, Rogers!"
"Don't tell me you're planning to sneak off alone later?"
"No need to be shy! With us around, you won't get scammed!"
They clearly misunderstood, teasing him mercilessly. Rogers was the purest among them—if they didn't tease him, who else could they tease? What they didn't know was that, in "those matters," Rogers had perfectly merged East and West culture. His "hard drive" was over 8 GB!
Irritated, he snapped, "I really do have something important. Go already, or I'll tell old man John!"
"Wait, wait! We're going!"
"Please don't tell John-san! Otherwise… he'll want to come with us…"
"And then Melo would skin us alive…"
They scurried off in terror at the thought, vanishing quickly into Crohn's Island's bustling streets. Clearly, John had left a deep impression on them.
Watching them disappear, Rogers let out a sigh of relief. He still envied John though. To think that old man had landed someone like Melo, the beautiful head chef. What luck—damn it, why was life so unfair?
Just then, someone else caught his attention. A mature beauty descended the gangway, throwing him a resentful look. Rogers's head throbbed instantly. It was the same woman who had tried to seduce him at lunch that day. But last night, he hadn't been in the mood for "deep conversations." The late-night snack delivery must have been handled by Aiqi instead.
Avoiding her gaze, Rogers turned his head as if nothing had happened. The woman gave a soft, wounded snort before striding off toward the island, grumbling inwardly: Last night, I was so looking forward to him, and instead a little girl came? Do men these days all prefer ditzy little sisters to mature women like me?
If Rogers knew what she was thinking, he'd definitely scream that he'd been wrongfully accused!
But before he could dwell on his awkwardness, his true target appeared at last. The man in black emerged, carrying two black suitcases as he descended the gangway. Standing now, Rogers realized he wasn't very tall—barely one-seventy. Half his face was hidden beneath his black hat, radiating an ominous aura.
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