"All the hopes, dreams, and wills of those who came before, our friends, our brothers, will be carried forward by this pirate crew. We will take them with us... to the Other Shore." Rojen's voice was low, but it made the eyes of every crewmember around him light up.
A tiny spark called hope had finally found its fuel. The ship called Dream had found the drive to move forward.
"Now, it's time to decide our pirate flag!"
Once again, everyone launched into a lively discussion. This time, Rojen didn't interrupt. He just quietly listened to all the suggestions.
Some suggested using a ghost as the emblem. Others proposed a sword stabbed through a skull, or combining the sun with a skull motif. Everyone's ideas were imaginative and full of flair.
Rojen genuinely had no need to cut in; this time, the process was meaningful.
"How about... we just use a skull?" Suddenly, Trens spoke up.
"Trens Nii San, pirate flags already have skulls!"
"Yeah, Trens, are you alright in the head?"
"No, no, listen. I mean, we use only the skull. Nothing else!"
"A pirate crew is a pirate crew. Since all pirate crews use skulls and add other elements to them, why don't we do the opposite, just use the skull by itself?"
Trens explained with a smile.
At that, everyone paused and began thinking.
Yeah, if every pirate crew added things to the skull to create their flag... why not just use the skull, raw and unembellished?
"That's actually a solid idea," Said Crocodile, nodding.
"I agree," Jason added.
"We're in, too," echoed the six Dragon-Elephant brothers, without objection.
"Alright then, we'll go with Trens' idea. I'll leave the design to you guys."
A smile crept onto Rojen's face. A single skull as the flag, simple, direct, but also symbolically full of the domineering ambition to unify the One Piece world.
He had to admit, Trens' suggestion was excellent.
They spent all night working on it, and by the next morning, the Skull Flag was born.
A menacing black skull, with two blazing blood-red flames in its eyes, roared with intensity. From a distance, it looked like a demonic ghost emerging from hell. Paired with the name Nether Soul, the visual was even more terrifying and fitting.
An hour later, when the pitch-black pirate flag rose and fluttered in the wind, all the crewmembers jumped in excitement.
"Hahaha! From this day forward, we're members of the Nether Soul Pirates!"
The Dragon-Elephant Six shouted with glee.
Crocodile lit a cigar, exhaled, and smiled subtly. Jason slammed his fists together, letting out a loud peng peng peng. Trens swung his rifle up onto his shoulder, his windswept bangs dancing as hope lit up his handsome face.
At the bow, Rojen stood tall, gazing out at the open sea. He circulated his true qi, unlocking all 365 acupoints, in an instant, his breathing roared like thunder, and his aura surged across the ocean like a tiger ready to devour the world.
By midday, after lunch, Sanbes walked up to the group with a complicated expression.
"I've got some good news for you all."
"Ooh? Sanbes, what is it? Tell us quick!" Jason asked with a smile.
"We're about to reach Long Ring Island." Sanbes forced a smile, but it looked strained.
As soon as he spoke, the ship fell into silence.
Arriving at Long Ring Island meant Sanbes would be leaving. Though a Marine, he had spent enough time with them to show his hearty, loyal character, he had fit in completely. During this time together, they had truly become friends.
"Next time we meet, we'll still be friends."
Trens walked up, gave Sanbes a pat on the shoulder, and pulled him in for a hug.
Then one by one, the others said their goodbyes, faces complicated.
Finally, it was Rojen's turn. He stepped forward and stood before Sanbes…
"Next time we meet, don't hold back. If I have to die, I'd rather it be at the hands of a friend than an enemy, or worse, a stranger."
Rojen smiled openly and warmly as he looked at Sanbes.
Sanbes' face twitched, and tears welled up in his eyes.
"Take care!"
Those two words came out heavy. Sanbes vaguely understood just how dangerous the path Rojen had chosen was.
Three minutes later, the ship docked. Sanbes turned his back to the crew, waved his hand without saying another word, and jumped off the ship, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
Rojen stood watching Sanbes' departing figure for a long time, before finally turning around.
"Alright, it's time we got to work."
"Captain."
Everyone turned to him.
"Dragon-Elephant Six, disembark and buy supplies. Be back by dusk."
"Trens, go purchase firearms and ammunition."
"Jason, buy everything we need for cultivation, weights, medicine, and other essentials."
"Crocodile, you stay and guard the ship."
"Now, move out!"
With that final shout, all the crew members leapt off the ship and scattered to their respective tasks.
In a matter of seconds, the ship was empty.
Crocodile stood at the bow, puffing his cigar, staring at the not-so-large island ahead with a look of solitude and resignation.
"They actually left me to guard the ship…"
He shook his head, a sense of boredom rising in his chest.
Upon arriving in the town of Long Ring Island, Rojen quickly realized the locals were… strange. Whether plant or animal, everything on the island radiated a bizarre vibe.
All the creatures had elongated, stretched-out bodies, like they'd been forcibly pulled. Even the people's speech was strange, drawn out, broken, and sluggish.
"Is this… caused by the magnetic fields?"
Rojen pondered in silence but had no answer. This world was full of mysteries that defied scientific explanation.
For example, islands within the same sea zone could have wildly different climates and cultures.
Or the greatest mystery of all, Devil Fruits.
In fact, Long Ring Island wasn't a single island, but rather an archipelago. Its unique customs, flora, and fauna deeply fascinated the Nether Soul Pirates.
Rojen wandered through town mostly to broaden his horizons. He hadn't been sailing long, but what he'd already seen had opened his eyes.
"This world is full of wonders. And there are still so many places waiting to be explored…"
A smile appeared in his eyes as his anticipation grew.
By dusk, everyone returned to the ship, their arms loaded with supplies. As night fell, the ship quietly set sail once more.
"Next stop: Water 7."
Rojen stood at the bow, facing the sea breeze.
"This time, our goal isn't travel for the sake of travel, or to push further into the Grand Line's second half."
"This time, we're going to bring back one of our own."
"And once this mission is over, I'll take everyone on a real, thrilling adventure."
"We'll start from scratch, and see for ourselves how vast and magnificent this world truly is!"
His voice echoed clearly to the crew behind him.
"Hahaha! Captain, we're with you all the way!"
"An adventure, huh? I can't wait!"
"If we're starting fresh, I wanna begin from East Blue, that's the Pirate King's hometown, after all!"
With cheerful banter, the crew began discussing and dreaming about the journey ahead.
(End Of This Chapter)
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