"Each of you will receive three bounty targets, along with detailed intel."
"The targets are selected based on your strength. They won't be too easy, but they won't be impossible either."
"As Marines, sooner or later you will chase pirates across this sea. Strength matters, but it is not everything."
Zephyr's voice rang clearly from the platform.
Below him, the trainees were full of excitement.
They had trained for so long. From understanding haki to awakening it, even Logia users were no longer invincible in their eyes.
Naturally, everyone was eager.
Zephyr frowned slightly behind his sunglasses. "You should understand one thing. The pirates you will face are not the trash from the Four Seas. Your targets are pirates from the Grand Line."
"Some of them have even returned from the New World. Their haki is not weaker than yours. Many are Devil Fruit users. Compared to you, they are far more experienced in killing."
He paused for a moment.
"So listen carefully. Come back alive."
The fleet began to move.
Warships departed from Marineford one after another.
Zephyr stood at the port, watching them leave. For a brief moment, concern flashed beneath his glasses.
After losing his family to pirates, he had devoted everything to teaching the next generation. Every student received everything he could offer, just as he had once done for Borsalino.
"Teacher, we're leaving too."
"Mm."
Zephyr exhaled slowly. "They are still young. Tell communications to stay active at all times. If something happens, support must arrive immediately."
"Understood."
On the warship, the captain in charge saluted.
"Major Rowan, which target do we prioritize?"
Rowan waved lazily. "Any of them. Just follow the route. If you encounter pirates, notify me first. I'll head over with Geppo and test them."
"If I can handle it, we capture them all. If not, you retreat first. I'll catch up."
The captain froze.
That tone… that attitude…
Why did it feel exactly like Vice Admiral Garp?
And… if they could not win, shouldn't they call for support? Running away from pirates sounded ridiculous.
"Why are you staring at me?"
Rowan yawned and patted his shoulder. "Relax. If you sail with me, I'll bring all of you back alive. Don't rush in. Let me test them first. If it works, we fight together. If not, we leave."
With that, Rowan walked into the cabin and dragged out a lounge chair.
When he went in, it was his real body.
When he came out, it was already a shadow clone.
The sea was boring. Navigation, steering, everything had people in charge. He had nothing to do.
The clone lay back on the chair and fell asleep.
The captain sighed and began planning routes and confirming targets.
This year's monster trainee really did resemble Vice Admiral Garp. Lazy, but easy to work with. At least better than Sakazuki.
As usual, Rowan arrived at the lawless zone of Sabaody.
He took out a map and checked the locations he had not cleared yet.
This place had the highest chance of encountering Celestial Dragons, but their appearances were unpredictable. There were no announcements.
Last time, he had rushed over with Flying Thunder God after hearing the news.
But by the time he arrived, the Celestial Dragon had already taken a slave and left.
Tesoro's intel had worked once. That was already luck.
This time, Rowan had another goal.
He needed a vessel for Roger.
And in his eyes, there was no better place to find suitable trash than here.
Three hours passed.
Something felt off.
The lawless zone had… improved.
At least the dark alleys were no longer filled with ambushes.
Rowan scratched his head.
He might have gone too far recently.
The auction house had not opened for a month.
As for slave shops, they had gone completely underground after being slaughtered.
By the fourth hour, Rowan headed to Area 13.
The moment he pushed open the door, he saw a familiar figure drinking.
"Oh? What a coincidence."
Rayleigh sat there casually.
Rowan wore a white mask.
Shakky looked over first, frowning slightly before recognizing him. "Last time you had the face of a Marine Vice Admiral. Now you're wearing a mask. Not very honest, are you?"
Rowan smiled and sat beside Rayleigh. "If you saw my real face, your retirement wouldn't last, would it?"
Rayleigh finished his drink in one go and turned toward him. "Relying on that teleportation ability makes you fearless. Sitting next to me like this… you might die."
Rowan replied calmly, "You can't kill me in one move. And if you attack, our positions become enemies. You might not live to see twenty years later."
Rayleigh fell silent, then laughed. "Interesting. A mimic ability, teleportation, ice… or maybe ninjutsu from Wano."
Their eyes met.
"That's a bit rude," Rowan said lightly. "I didn't ask you about Laugh Tale. So I don't need to share my secrets either."
He paused, then added, "Although I didn't notice you that day. Were you pretending to be a slave?"
Rayleigh choked slightly.
Shakky stepped in smoothly. "So why are you here? If it's about Yanichiro, Rayleigh already agreed to help. But against the Beasts Pirates, Whitebeard's crew is necessary."
Rowan shook his head. "Wano still has over three years. Not urgent. I came to ask about Celestial Dragons. When they appear, where they go."
Silence.
Shakky and Rayleigh exchanged a glance.
After a while, Shakky answered directly. "Don't know."
They clearly did not want involvement.
Rayleigh's stance might align with Rowan, but like Roger, he believed in the future twenty years ahead.
If Roger had not experienced the prison, he would not have believed Rowan either.
Rayleigh suddenly laughed.
"You're right. Everyone on this sea has their secrets. Asking directly is rude. So I'll just say what I observed."
His gaze grew serious.
"I watched that battle at the slave shop from start to finish. I didn't like those people either, so I didn't stop you. I was even ready to save you when the Marine arrived."
"But later I realized it wasn't necessary. That Marine couldn't kill you. Your teleportation is highly developed. Even my Observation Haki couldn't track you after you left."
He paused.
"And inside the shop… there was another you saving people."
Rayleigh looked straight at Rowan.
"All of that together… I don't believe a single person can possess that many Devil Fruit abilities and still be alive."
"And just so happens, I know that in Wano, there are ninjas. I've even learned a bit about their techniques."
Rayleigh looked at Rowan. "A grudge from fifteen years ago… given that timeline, the only thing I can think of is God Valley."
Rowan nodded. "If that counts, then yes, this is our second meeting. I'm a survivor from God Valley. It's normal that you figured that out."
He turned his head and looked at Shakky. "I didn't come here today to talk about the past with retired people. Those memories are not pleasant. I need information. When and where Celestial Dragons appear. How much?"
Shakky had been watching him the entire time.
After hearing Rayleigh's words, she had already pieced things together.
She had heard about God Valley before from Kurozumi.
A so called study trip by the Celestial Dragons.
From the king to ordinary civilians, even infants, everyone had been marked as points and hunted.
If not for the chaos that followed, no one would have survived. The entire island would have been wiped out for the sake of a game.
Hatred like that…
It made sense.
"Since you killed a Celestial Dragon, some rules in Mary Geoise have changed," Shakky said calmly. "Your teleportation ability makes you difficult to deal with. Naturally, they had to adjust."
She did not mention money.
Instead, she continued.
"They have increased protection. And more importantly, they no longer go to auctions for slaves. Now, all slaves in Sabaody must first be selected by Celestial Dragons before entering the market."
"Of course, they still pay. Money means nothing to them. At the same time, the World Government has never stopped searching for you."
Rayleigh chuckled. "I can't even sell myself anymore. Thanks to you, business is bad. Imagine that."
Rowan stood up.
He had not gotten what he wanted.
There was no point staying.
Rayleigh was not Roger.
Roger had become the warden of his prison. In a sense, he was already on his side.
"Kid."
Rowan stopped at the door.
Behind him, Rayleigh spoke again. "Your goal is revenge. If that's the case, haven't you already achieved it?"
Rowan turned back.
The white mask looked like a ghost in the dim light.
"My revenge is far from over. The awakening of thought has already begun. A revenge rising from the oppressed for hundreds of years… it won't end so easily."
He left.
Inside the bar, Rayleigh and Shakky looked at each other.
"The sea is about to boil," Shakky said quietly.
Rayleigh poured himself another drink and raised the glass slightly. "Whatever you saw at Laugh Tale, this kid already has enough strength to survive his growth. He will bring more and more trouble to the World Government and the Marines."
He took a sip.
"The era Captain started… this is what it was for. Countless people rushing to sea, chasing what was hidden. I'm looking forward to what happens twenty years from now."
He raised the glass again, as if toasting empty air.
"Too bad you died too early. You won't see it. But if it's your son… I'll tell you when I get there."
Sabaody Archipelago, Area 10.
Rowan wandered aimlessly.
He was waiting.
Waiting to hear someone shout that a Celestial Dragon had arrived.
But clearly, after seeing Samit's fate and failing to catch the culprit, they had chosen caution.
Even slave hunters and pirate gangs had gone quiet these past two months.
Rowan sighed.
What used to be the perfect place to farm sin value had been cleaned out by his own hands.
Even finding a vessel for Roger had become difficult.
Just as he was considering leaving and waiting a few months for things to recover, a memory from a shadow clone surfaced.
Work had arrived.
In the next instant, Rowan vanished.
Grand Line, first half.
On the deck, the captain looked troubled.
Before departure, Rowan had said to call him if anything happened.
The first thing he was called for… was going to the bathroom?
He turned and looked at the pirate ship not far away.
Should they chase or not?
Could this so called monster trainee actually be a fraud?
As he was lost in thought, Rowan walked out of the cabin.
The frustration from Sabaody had not faded. And he still needed a vessel for Roger.
Perfect timing.
"Bang."
The deck cracked beneath his feet.
Rowan stepped into the air.
Geppo.
He moved straight toward the pirate ship, not caring about stamina.
"Boom boom."
Cannon fire erupted.
Pirates shouted from the ship, but every shot missed.
Geppo was not just for staying airborne. With Observation Haki, he could change direction mid air and evade everything.
Five minutes after boarding, the fight ended.
From his special perspective, anyone with over one hundred sin value was dealt with. All but one were killed, their souls extracted.
The one left alive was the helmsman.
A middle aged man.
Decent physical condition.
Weak will.
He had already collapsed on the ground, begging.
"I'm just a fisherman, I swear! I was forced onto this ship! If I refused, they would have killed me! I'm just a normal person!"
Rowan scratched his head. "Do you even believe that yourself? Or do you think not killing you means you get to live? You will live… just not by your own will."
The man was knocked unconscious.
In the next moment, a blue glow representing his soul floated into Rowan's hand.
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