Kergashi Island.
Located in the first half of the Grand Line, this island features a tropical rainforest climate. Dense vegetation blankets the landscape, with forests covering over sixty percent of the land.
The island falls under the rule of the Kingdom of Darrons, which maintains a standing army of seven thousand soldiers.
A wide river runs through the terrain, splitting the island into two halves. The front half belongs to the Darrons Kingdom, while the back is a dense, resource-rich forest that also serves as a military station.
A few hours before Sakazuki received the call…
...
Kergashi Island, Stoneport.
A large pirate ship, painted in golden red, slowly approached the harbor. A massive skull adorned the sail, thick, cloud-like mustaches hanging from its mouth. At the ship's bow sat a gleaming cannon, flanked by two mermaid statues carved in gold.
It was the Oro Jackson.
Roger stood proudly at the bow, his coat billowing behind him as he grinned ear to ear. His bold, booming voice rang out over the water.
"All right, boys! We're docking!"
"Yeah!!!" the crew roared back.
As the ship jolted to a stop, Roger leapt off before it had even finished mooring. He sprinted toward the town with the energy of a man half his age. Watching the captain disappear down the street, Rayleigh called out after him.
"Hey! Roger!"
Roger glanced back mid-run, laughing. "Wahahaha! Rayleigh! I'm going to find some booze! You take care of the ship for now!"
Still standing on the deck, Rayleigh let out a weary sigh. He folded his left arm under his right elbow, then placed his right hand across his forehead, completely exasperated.
"Ah, this damn captain..."
Gaban approached from behind and patted him on the shoulder, chuckling. "Hahaha, that's just who he is. I'm heading out too."
The vice-captain gave a helpless smile and nodded. Then he turned to the rest of the crew. "Anyone who needs to stock up on supplies, go ahead. Be back by noon."
With that, the Roger Pirates disembarked in small groups, scattering into the town.
At the same time, Rayleigh stepped into a nearby room, grabbed a newspaper, then headed up to the second deck. He settled into a lounge chair and began reading.
The soft rustle of pages echoed quietly through the peaceful, sun-drenched ship.
...
Stone Town.
Sunbell had just parted ways with Nozdon and entered a local restaurant.
His massive, bulky frame nearly broke the doorway, and his fishman features immediately drew uneasy stares from the other customers. But Sunbell was used to it. The seas were ruled by humans, and no matter the era, fishmen were always discriminated against.
He ignored the odd looks and quietly found a corner seat, then ordered food. As plate after plate was brought out, the table quickly became stacked with empty dishes.
Meanwhile, several Darrons officers had finished their meal upstairs and were coming down. When they saw the scene, they started whispering among themselves.
"Whoa… look at all those plates. That stack's almost my height."
"How did he even eat all that?"
"Disgusting, honestly."
"Hey, you think there are pigfish down in the sea?"
"Huh?"
"Maybe this guy's one of them. Like a sea pig or something."
"Hahahaha!"
"Enough!" someone snapped.
The voice belonged to Robert, Captain of the Third Guard Division of the Darrons Defense Force. He glared at the soldiers who had been joking around.
"That's enough. Don't cause trouble."
Then he turned to Sunbell and gave a respectful nod.
"Apologies, friend. My men spoke out of line. Please forgive them."
Sunbell noted the formal apology. His expression softened slightly as he gave a low grunt and resumed eating. But the soldiers, seeing a lowly fishman act so arrogantly, grew irritated and wanted to step forward.
Robert quickly held them back, pulling them toward the exit.
Just before they reached the door, Nozdon—taller and broader than even Sunbell—stepped inside. A blur of motion followed. In an instant, he grabbed the man who had made the pig joke by the throat.
"So you're the one who insulted my companion?"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The soldiers all drew their swords. Sunbell, seeing this, picked up his weapon and aimed it at them. The air turned tense, like a powder keg about to ignite.
...
Elsewhere.
In a small tavern on the other side of town, Roger raised a massive wooden mug and downed the beer in one long gulp.
With a satisfied sigh, he slammed the mug on the counter, a grin spreading across his face. "Ah… I feel alive again!"
He raised the mug and called out to the bartender, who was wiping down some small glasses. "Another one, barkeep!"
The man took the mug and went to refill it. Just then, the tavern doors burst open, and two children ran in—his son, Ted, and a little girl, both of them laughing and swinging wooden swords at each other.
"Ha! I'm the Grand General of the Darrons Kingdom! Prepare to die! Take this! Unbeatable Slash!"
"Hmph, I'm the great pirate Erica. I'm not scared of you! Yaha!"
As the two children ran wildly around the tavern, the girl who called herself the great pirate Erica suddenly tripped, stumbling forward, her head about to slam into a chair.
Everyone in the tavern gasped, their hearts tightening. 'There's no time.' That was what everyone was thinking. Then, a red blur flashed across the room and Erica was caught just in time.
A collective sigh of relief swept through the tavern. The bartender turned red with anger and shouted at his son.
"Ted! Stop messing around in the tavern! If it weren't for this gentleman, Erica would be hurt!"
The boy pouted and protested, "It's not like I made her fall! She's just clumsy!"
The bartender raised a wooden mug, ready to throw it at his son. "You little—!"
Roger caught his arm and laughed. "Haha, they're just kids. Let it go."
The man huffed and glared at his son. "Only because of our guest. You're lucky today. No more fooling around in here."
Ted grumbled but nodded. Erica, on the other hand, grabbed his arm and pulled him toward Roger. Her eyes lit up when she saw his outfit—classic pirate captain attire.
"Are you a pirate?!"
Roger flashed his signature wide grin, teeth bright white. "Sure am, little lady."
Erica gasped. "Wow! Can you tell me an adventure story?!"
Roger downed the last of his drink, handed the empty mug to the bartender, and looked at the kids. "Wahahaha, alright. Let me think… Hmm… How about the story of Fishman Island?"
His bold voice rang out as the kids stared at him with eyes full of wonder. Gradually, more and more customers gathered around him, drawn in by his storytelling. The tavern buzzed with excitement as Roger's tales painted vivid pictures of adventure and danger.
No one noticed how long he'd been talking or how many refills he'd had, but his cheeks were red and his voice just slightly slurred.
Suddenly—whoosh!!!
A piercing whistle sliced through the air. A bright red signal flare shot high into the sky and exploded, visible from every corner of the town, even the royal palace at the island's center.
The king stepped out onto his balcony and saw the flare, his face hardening at the sight. It was the signal for a foreign enemy invasion.
"Deploy the Seventh Division," he ordered. "One thousand men. Intercept immediately."
Back in the tavern, the guests started to panic. Some rushed for the doors.
Roger, slurring slightly, asked the bartender, "Whass goin' on...?"
The man hurriedly explained, "Sir, that was a signal for enemy invasion. Please, hide in the cellar."
Then, he turned toward his son and said, "Ted, take Erica and get to the back cellar now."
Ted grabbed Erica's hand, and the two kids vanished toward the back room.
Roger, however, looked intrigued. "Enemy invasion? Now that sounds interesting."
He tossed a handful of berries onto the counter and dashed out before the bartender could say a word, heading straight for the direction of the signal flare.
Time to watch the show.
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