The chaos at the harbor slowly died down. What remained of the Black Shark Pirates and the Marines retreated in disarray, leaving behind a port soaked in blood and smoke.
Roger kicked aside a half-dead pirate who still tried to sneak an attack, flicked the blood from his sword, and laughed loudly.
"Kuahahaha! That was way too easy, Rayleigh!"
Rayleigh sheathed his blade, his eyes sweeping over the wreckage before settling on Kyle, who lay unconscious against a wall.
"You're thinking of picking him up, aren't you?"
"Kuahahaha! Of course! That kid's amazing!" Roger strode over, grabbed Kyle with one hand, and hoisted him up like a sack. "That Devil Fruit, that crazy guts of his—I like him!"
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses and sighed, though he didn't object.
Once Roger decided something, even ten Sea Kings couldn't stop him.
After all, Rayleigh himself had been "recruited" the same way.
"Let's go!" Roger called. "Marine reinforcements will be here soon!"
The two of them leapt onto a shabby little sailboat at the edge of the dock and disappeared from Dog Town.
Kyle woke up to the gentle rocking of waves.
Sunlight streamed in through a small porthole. His ribs screamed in pain as he tried to move.
"…I lived?"
"Hey, you're awake!" a cheerful voice said.
Kyle looked up to see Roger sitting on a barrel, chewing on a giant piece of meat.
"Did you save me?"
"Kuahahaha! More or less. I'm Gol D. Roger. Rayleigh patched you up. So tell me, kid—what kind of Devil Fruit was that? Breaking things apart with vibrations?"
Kyle met Roger's gaze and answered honestly.
"Logia-type. Ripple-Ripple Fruit."
Roger's eyes lit up. "Amazing! You're strong, bold, and interesting."
Then he held out his hand.
"Come with us. Sail with us. See the real world."
Kyle's heart nearly burst.
This wasn't a man inviting him to join a crew.
This was a man inviting him to change the world.
He grabbed Roger's hand.
"I'm in."
Roger laughed, loud and free.
"Then welcome to the Roger Pirates!"