Chapter 180: Back Then, Rayleigh Was the Public Enemy of Pirates
Accurately speaking, no matter the location, Roger had no desire to escalate things to a fight to the death with Nereus.
The Roger Pirates weren't violent rioters who just fought everywhere they went. Currently, his goals and Nereus's goals didn't clash in any way.
Since there was no conflict, there was naturally no need for a battle.
Moreover, Roger knew full well how much the deep-sea environment amplified Nereus's strength. If they were on land and Roger had some assistance, he wouldn't be completely devoid of countermeasures.
But underwater? It wouldn't just be Roger who was helpless; the entire Roger Pirates crew would be utterly helpless.
The speed of coating wasn't just related to the size of the ship. The artisan's skill level, the amount of sap used, and even the structure of the ship all affected the coating's efficiency.
If the ship were just a simple wooden raft, coating it would take mere minutes. But coating the Oro Jackson was not a job that could be completed in a short amount of time.
In the end, Roger didn't make everyone stay on the ship. Instead, he took Shanks and Buggy and followed the direction Rayleigh had taken, heading together toward the Ryugu Kingdom's branch office on the Sabaody Archipelago.
It was very much a "taking the two apprentices out to see the world" type of vibe.
Although Rayleigh had only left shortly before them, he was, after all, on a serious errand. Roger, on the other hand, was strolling and sightseeing with his two apprentices. By the time they found the Ryugu Kingdom's branch office, Rayleigh was long gone.
"Yo, Babel, long time no see! Are you the one stationed here now?"
"Roger... So you guys have returned to the Grand Line. Didn't that bastard Rayleigh already come by? What are you doing here now?"
Most of the pirates who were active on Hachinosu back in the day were still active on the sea today. If one were to force a ranking of strength, quite a few people would rank above Rayleigh.
But if one were to rank the most hated person among male pirates... Rayleigh would undeniably take the top spot.
After all, those few years could truly be called the "Great Era of Depression." Even Rocks couldn't resist the supreme power of the Great Succubus in the early days. And Rayleigh taking Shakky away wasn't exactly a secret.
Any pirate who had once been infatuated with Shakky inherently despised Rayleigh.
As for Babel...
Although he wasn't as hot-headed under Nereus's influence, he didn't have the slightest bit of goodwill toward Rayleigh either. Still, he didn't deliberately make things difficult for him; he simply kept things strictly business.
"Just bringing the apprentices on my ship out to see the world, and asking for some information along the way," Roger smiled. "I heard the Ryugu Kingdom has a man named Brook. He should look like a skeleton. Have you heard of him?"
Roger knew exactly why Babel's tone was laced with resentment toward Rayleigh. Had it been about anything else, Roger might have had a good chat with Babel about that particular nickname. But this was an exception.
Not only because Nereus stood behind Babel, but also because Roger himself had been one of the resentful masses back in the day. This kind of upfront grumbling wasn't really a big deal.
He simply changed the subject and asked about Brook.
"Brook? He is indeed with Big Bro. Sometimes he plays music for the princess. You know him? I remember him saying that you were just a rookie who had barely set out to sea; he shouldn't know you at all."
Given Brook's age, almost all the residents of Fish-man Island were rookies in his eyes. Only long-lived species like the Sea Kings could compare seniority with him.
Babel was actually quite curious as to why Roger was looking for Brook.
"It's not me, it's my ship's doctor.
"He is looking for a man named Brook. It seems these two Brooks are the same person. Could you help me contact Nereus?"
Roger was a man of his word. Since Crocus had joined his crew, this was a promise to a crewmate, and Roger naturally wouldn't break it.
"Why should I help you? This is just an immigration visa office. That kind of thing isn't my responsibility."
"My doctor is incredibly skilled. He has the recipe for a hair growth potion."
"Well, what a coincidence. It just so happens I haven't reported your arrival yet. I can report this to Big Bro at the same time."
Old acquaintances had their benefits. At the very least, Roger knew exactly what Babel was interested in. However, while Roger and Babel were communicating, Buggy was poking Shanks next to him.
"What is it?" Shanks whispered.
"Shanks, how come I remember... Uncle Crocus being bald under that bandana of his?" Buggy whispered back into Shanks's ear.
Crocus always wore a bandana on the ship and rarely exposed his head. Buggy had only seen what was underneath in the bathhouse.
"Would a guy who is bald himself... really have a secret hair growth recipe?"
"..."
Shanks didn't say a word. He just silently covered Buggy's mouth and pulled him behind Roger. He wasn't sure if that massive guy Babel had heard anything.
Actually, even if Roger hadn't come looking for Babel, Babel still would have reported the situation to Nereus.
Pirates crossing their borders wasn't an unfamiliar occurrence for the current Ryugu Kingdom. Even without Nereus stepping in, the others could handle 99.9% of the problems.
Roger was one of the very few who were difficult to deal with, so Nereus had to be informed.
Anyone with a bit of fame who could be considered troublesome was basically from Nereus's era, and none of them would choose to enter illegally.
Even if they did, the sentries in the ocean would spot them all the same.
The time it took to dive down would give Fish-man Island ample time to prepare.
Coating wasn't something that could be rushed. If a problem occurred in the deep sea, it truly meant the ship would be destroyed and everyone would die. No matter how fast Rayleigh worked, the Roger Pirates' descent was still several days away.
The light was gradually swallowed by the ocean as the ship dove deeper and deeper. It wasn't until they entered the sphere of influence of the Sunlight Tree Eve that sunlight shone upon the deck once again.
"Has Fish-man Island... gotten bigger again?"
"It seems so. Last time we passed through here, there weren't this many branch islands around."
Looking at the massive cluster of islands connected by bubble tubes in the deep sea, resembling a giant honeycomb, even Roger was astonished by the changes.
From time to time, massive sea beasts and guards circled the ship. But as long as they presented their valid permits, the guards wouldn't make things difficult for them and would even guide them along the path into the island.
However, those artificially built branch islands were just like the Sabaody Archipelago—they lacked a magnetic field of their own. If one wanted to update their Log Pose, they still had to stay on the main island for a while.
For the Ryugu Kingdom, the dive time of ships with permits and their approximate arrival time at Fish-man Island could all be calculated.
Therefore, the moment the Oro Jackson crossed the border, Crocus immediately spotted that familiar afro...
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