"Tch, old man, you're meddling too much! Aiqi agreed to board my ship out of her own will. Besides, what's wrong with being the navigator of the future Pirate King?" Rogers didn't back down, raising his voice.
If he backed out now, he might lose the chance to have a cute partner like Aiqi. That was unacceptable!
"Future Pirate King? You sure dare to talk big, brat!" John narrowed his eyes. That phrase seemed to stir something in him, but he still sneered: "Impossible! I will never agree. Whether or not you can become Pirate King isn't my concern, but you definitely can't protect Aiqi!"
"I can absolutely guarantee it!" Rogers stood up, glaring at John. "Even if I'm not strong now, if anyone wants to hurt Aiqi, they'll have to cross over my corpse first!"
His voice grew louder and louder, more and more forceful, until the last words were practically shouted. At that very instant, Rogers felt something inside his head shatter—
BOOM!
An invisible wave burst out from his body, sweeping through the entire passenger ship, then spreading outward to the sea and shoreline. The previously turbulent waves calmed for a moment, and most of the passengers and crew on board collapsed unconscious.
"Well, well… interesting! So it's Conqueror's Haki!" Tony, polishing his golden pistol in his room, broke into his signature grin.
"What's going on? …Ah, my booze is gone again…" Nick muttered drunkenly in another cabin, though a glimmer of sharpness flickered in his eyes before he went back to babbling nonsense.
"Brat, using Haki recklessly on my ship?" John's face darkened as he rose from his chair. He hadn't expected this kid to really have something up his sleeve.
Rogers himself was exhilarated. The feeling of releasing it was completely different from just knowing he had it. Conqueror's Haki was tied to one's spirit—breaking free of his small-mindedness must have helped awaken it!
At that moment, the door opened. A mature woman in a chef's uniform walked in, accompanied by a cute tall girl—Melo and Aiqi.
"It's really noisy in here…" Melo said helplessly.
Aiqi noticed the bruise on Rogers's face and ran to him anxiously. "Rogers-nii, you're hurt! Did Grandpa John hit you again?" She turned to glare at John in indignation.
John felt like a farmer who had tended his cabbage for years only to have it stolen by a pig. His heart was bitter.
"It's nothing, just a scratch," Rogers waved it off. With a hot-blooded pirate's body, small wounds like this healed fast—eat some meat, sleep a bit, and it's gone.
"Girls really can't be kept at home…" John muttered bitterly.
"John, Aiqi's wanted to go to the Grand Line for years. If she doesn't now, she'll still want to later. And this kid Rogers doesn't seem too bad—let her go." Melo stroked Aiqi's head with a gentle smile.
"How is he reliable? He's weak!" John snapped, growing more annoyed at the sight of Rogers. He even regretted saving him back then—now the boy wanted to "steal" his beloved cabbage!
"Hey, I'm not that weak!" Rogers protested. He was sure that with his new fruit powers, he could at least hold his own in a fight.
"I could beat you with one finger! Shut it!" John growled. To him, this was an unforgivable theft.
"Rogers-nii is only fifteen! He'll grow stronger!" Aiqi said softly. Even with John's harsh tone, she still defended Rogers.
"No! What if you run into a powerful enemy right after setting sail?" John's stubbornness didn't waver.
"I… I can fight too! Grandpa John, please let me go!" Aiqi said, frightened yet firm.
Seeing her determination, John's heart softened, but he still didn't want to entrust her to this brat.
"Enough!" Rogers shouted, meeting John's gaze head-on. "I don't think I'll ever be weaker than anyone else. Aiqi is my navigator, and I will protect her no matter what!"
"You brat—!" John's temper flared. If Rogers had pleaded, he might have relented, but this hardheadedness only provoked him further.
"Both of you, stop it!" Melo, who had been watching, finally cut in, unable to stand it anymore. "Here's how we solve this: Aiqi wants to go with Rogers—we can't stop her. John, your concern is his lack of strength, right? Then set him a goal. If he achieves it, he can take Aiqi to the Grand Line."
"But—" John started, only to be silenced by Melo's glare.
"No objections?" Melo scanned the room with sharp eyes.
Aiqi nodded obediently, secretly cheering for her Melo-neesan.
Rogers gestured that he had no problem either.
John looked extremely unwilling, but under Melo's stern gaze, he grudgingly nodded. Truly a henpecked husband…
"Then it's settled. John, you tell Rogers the requirement. I'll have a word with Aiqi." With that, Melo briskly pulled Aiqi away, the girl even closing the door behind them.
The room was left with only John and Rogers. John snorted coldly and sat back down, staring daggers at the boy. Rogers felt his nerves tighten, uneasily taking a seat as well.
Unable to stand the pressure, Rogers braced himself and asked: "Old man John, just tell me the requirement. I'll definitely fulfill it!"
"Tch, arrogant brat…" John smirked strangely. "It's simple: Morro Island, the forbidden zone of the West Blue! Defeat all the beasts there, and I'll allow you to take Aiqi into the Grand Line."
Rogers felt his scalp tingle, but still nodded. Fighting beasts? That, he could accept.
"Hmph!" John wasn't satisfied but gave in with a sigh. His expression suddenly grew old and weary, and he said with rare solemnity: "Rogers, Aiqi may not be mine and Melo's child, but we've always raised her as our own granddaughter. You absolutely must not let her be harmed…"
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T/N:
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