Roldy 's attention was not on this battlefield, still far from the true center of the conflict.
Nor did he care in the slightest about the so-called treasure.
From beginning to end, his target had been the town—more precisely, the Celestial Dragons within it. In his mind, Roldy had already devised ten thousand different ways for them to die. Satisfied with his own foresight, he strode forward as if no one stood in his path. Even the nearby pirates and Marines instinctively ceased fighting as he passed.
It wasn't only the Marines who feared him now—the pirates did as well. Roldy was infamous for his brutality. Who knew if some careless movement or stray noise might provoke him and get their heads twisted clean off?
For the Marines, his departure was a blessing. With that insurmountable mountain gone—and with two powerful fighters still capable of battle on their side—they finally began a counteroffensive.
Meanwhile—
In the town.
An unexpected group had appeared.
"Roger, are you sure the treasure is hidden here?"
Seeing the devastation around them, Scopper Gaban frowned and asked his captain. It wasn't that he doubted him—it was just that this place didn't look like it held any treasure at all.
This was the core hunting ground of the Celestial Dragons. Why would treasure be hidden here? Of course… perhaps that was exactly the point—hiding it somewhere no one would suspect. Their captain had obtained this "absolutely reliable intelligence" through mysterious means. Surely it couldn't be that outrageous…
"Of course I'm sure!" Roger declared confidently, brimming with enthusiasm. "You don't get it! But as captain, I've figured out what it means for the most dangerous place to be the safest place! Isn't this perfect? Hide the treasure right under the noses of the commoners, stage battles elsewhere to draw attention, then defeat enemies one by one! You know how underhanded the World Government can be! I paid 100 million Berries for this top-secret information—it can't be wrong!"
Seeing how confident Roger looked, the crew found it hard to argue. Several of them instinctively glanced toward Silvers Rayleigh.
As the crew's foremost strategist, the Rear captain's judgment was often the one they trusted most. Yet today, Rayleigh seemed… unusual. He carried himself with a strangely proud air.
"Relax! If you don't trust Roger, can't you trust me?" Rayleigh declared. "Before this war, I gave him a private intelligence training session! He's absolutely reliable now. After all, I'm the most renowned master teacher on the seas!"
"Ohhh, so that's how it is! Nothing to worry about then!"
"Right! Rear Captain Rayleigh's teaching skills are obvious to all!"
"Exactly! These days, everyone's improved dramatically!"
"If we run into that brat Roldy again, I could beat him myself!"
"So reliable!"
"That's right! And to test everyone's progress, here's a simple question—how do you use Armament Haki?"
At times like this, the Roger Pirates might not fully trust their captain—but they absolutely trusted their Rear captain.
After all, everyone knew a teacher's words could never be wrong.
The Roger Pirates laughed and chatted along the way, as if the God Valley Incident meant nothing to them. Yet from their formation and subtle movements, it was clear—they were playing it casual while remaining ready to strike at any moment.
Along the road, they encountered several Celestial Dragons. Compared to most pirates, they might even be considered "good people." Their sense of justice flared up immediately. They rescued the oppressed civilians and eliminated the pursuing Celestial Dragons. Listening to the tearful thanks of the rescued commoners only lifted their spirits further.
But everything was suddenly interrupted by an uninvited guest.
"Gahahahaha! I was wondering who it was—so it's the Roger Pirates! Instead of going after the treasure, you're here stealing my prey?"
Roldy appeared out of nowhere, blocking their path.
Bathed in blood, he radiated intimidation. The Roger Pirates' laughter stopped abruptly. Every member stared at the arrogant young pirate who had once defeated their Rear captain. Some of the more hot-tempered crew members had already drawn their weapons.
"Yo! Roldy ! Long time no see! How've you been lately?"
Roger greeted him warmly—unexpected, yet somehow perfectly in character. To an outsider, they might have seemed like old friends.
The strange scene heightened Roldy 's vigilance.
Then he noticed something even stranger—the majority of the Roger Pirates were casting odd glances at Rayleigh.
Had he missed something?
"Idiot! Roger, stop fooling around! That's Roldy —we're enemies!"
Rayleigh nearly threw out his back at Roger's attitude.
Why did it feel like his captain's intelligence had regressed instead of improved? Strange… Roger used to struggle with addition and subtraction under one hundred. Now he could even handle multiplication under one hundred with ease.
Logically, his intelligence should have increased.
So why did it feel worse?
"What kind of trick are you playing now?"
Roldy snapped his bead bracelet, letting the string break. He caught the scattered beads in his palm. Watching Rayleigh scold Roger—and hearing the pirates struggling to suppress laughter—he suddenly felt ignored.
What a joke.
He was a great pirate—Fett Roldy ! The man who had defeated the "Dark King" Rayleigh! A Seventh Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates with a bounty of 948,000,000 Berries!
He tossed the beads lightly into the air, then clenched his fist and hurled them forward.
The beads expanded midair—thirty times their original size in an instant. Like a storm of buckshot, they blanketed the Roger Pirates' entire position.
"Whatever trick you're playing—die!"
That was both his thought and his action.
But what happened next nearly made his eyes pop out of their sockets.
This probing attack, which he hadn't even expected much from, threw the Roger Pirates into complete disarray.
Those who were normally elite fighters now looked flustered.
One of them was even shouting—
"How do you use Armament Haki again?!"
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