"Captain Roger! Don't be reckless!"
"We can't fly, you know!"
"Charging into Mary Geoise is one thing, but there's no way we're getting out!"
"Calm down, calm down..."
"..."
The crew of the Roger Pirates clung tightly to their fool of a captain, faces flushed with anxiety, looking like they were about to cry.
"If we can't escape, then we don't need to!"
Roger was furious, gritting his teeth as he growled,
"That bastard Sengoku actually let some Marine brat's bounty surpass mine... He's looking down on me!"
"..."
Everyone's mouths twitched violently in disbelief.
The World Government and the Marines didn't assign bounties solely based on strength.
A target's destructive capabilities, their potential for danger, the threat they posed to the World Government's authority and the sea's stability, the size of their following, whether they had an uncontrollable lust for chaos—these all factored into the bounty amount.
Rogers Daren might be powerful, with a body and strength like a monster, but even then, his overall combat level was at most comparable to First Mate Rayleigh—not anywhere near Roger's level.
Let alone exceeding it.
Still, the World Government and Marine Headquarters had slapped a massive bounty on Rogers Daren, likely taking into account his Devil Fruit powers, his airborne fleet, and the dangers posed by his personality.
After all, even the Roger Pirates didn't go around provoking the Marines or attacking the World Government for no reason.
But that Marine brat? He absolutely would!
As Roger struggled against the crew trying to restrain him, Rayleigh rolled his eyes and snapped,
"Are you really going, Roger?"
"We're about to reach the final island. If you leave now, everything we've worked for will be wasted."
Roger froze. His body stiffened, expression hardening in place.
Muttering under his breath, he reluctantly pulled his foot back and turned to reenter the cave.
Outside, the rain still poured in sheets.
Inside, Roger squatted by the damp cave wall, swigging from a bottle and angrily scribbling circles into the dirt.
"Why the hell... That Marine brat only killed a few Celestial Dragons, and his bounty just shoots straight to the highest in the world..."
At some point, Kozuki Oden had crouched beside him, looking every bit the dejected companion. He said nothing, simply chugged down wine.
The air around the two seemed to darken, their resentment nearly manifesting as waves of purple-black miasma.
Rayleigh and the others: "..."
With a captain like this, it was no wonder they were exhausted.
Rayleigh sighed and rubbed his temples. He glanced toward the back of the cave, where two young figures sat near the fire, concern flickering in his eyes.
"Shanks, how's Buggy? Any better?"
Beside the bonfire...
Young Shanks sat cross-legged, the flickering flames casting shifting shadows across his face.
Buggy, red nose and all, lay on a cloak nearby. His cheeks were flushed, his expression twisted in discomfort.
Hearing Rayleigh's question, Shanks shook his head.
"He's still unconscious. His fever won't go down."
As he spoke, he soaked a towel and laid it across Buggy's forehead to help lower the temperature.
"Don't worry, it's just a cold. Devil Fruit users are especially vulnerable in storms. He should recover after a couple of days of rest."
The ship's doctor, Crocus, took the thermometer from Buggy and checked the reading, then patted Shanks on the shoulder with a smile.
He turned to Rayleigh and gave a reassuring nod—Buggy would be fine.
Rayleigh nodded, then looked toward Gaban.
"Any luck finding the final route?"
Gaban was fiddling with a Log Pose, which was vibrating and spinning wildly in all directions—no clear course in sight.
"The magnetic field in this region is a mess."
Gaban frowned deeply and shook his head.
"Oden managed to decode the ancient text on the Road Poneglyph, and we've got intel on the 'Final Island.' But the exact route is still a huge mystery."
"The New World is just too unpredictable. Even with route data, we often lose our bearings in this upside-down sea."
"But we can say for sure—we've reached the entrance to the final route. If we can just find that 'entrance,' we'll be able to reach the legendary 'Final Island.'"
...
The entrance...
Hearing this, Rayleigh and the others furrowed their brows, falling into silent contemplation.
To find this "entrance," they had been circling this stretch of sea for over two weeks.
Although they appeared to be laughing and joking as usual, anxiety was taking root deep within them.
The Oro Jackson was running dangerously low on both food and medical supplies.
If this kept up, they wouldn't even need Garp's unit to catch them—they'd end up lost in these chaotic waters... starved and helpless.
Buggy's persistent fever was mostly due to their medical stores being completely depleted. All they could do was hope his body could fight through it.
Just as everyone was lost in thought, someone suddenly cried out in surprise.
"What's that?!"
Rayleigh and the others were stunned and turned toward the voice.
They seemed to see something incredibly shocking—their eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's..."
"The sea... it's splitting apart!"
"A passage has appeared in the storm!"
"Could it be..."
Amid the raging storm, a massive whirlpool emerged on the distant ocean, lightning and thunder tearing across the sky.
Golden lightning crackled within the pitch-black vortex, the deafening roars painting a hellish scene.
As the sea howled and surged, a terrifying gap—seemingly without end—gradually opened up across the roaring waves, revealing a transparent tunnel beneath the sea!
At the same time, the magnetic needle in Gaban's hand suddenly began trembling violently. The spinning needle halted abruptly and locked onto the direction of the "underwater tunnel"!
Gaban jumped to his feet, eyes blazing with a desperate hope, locked firmly onto the path ahead.
"That's it!!"
"The final route!!"
"The entrance to the 'Final Island'! We've finally found it!!"
Everyone erupted with excitement. Hearts pounded. Fists clenched.
After half a month of fighting against the merciless sea—just as they were about to reach their limits—they had finally found hope!
That grand, dangerous, and awe-inspiring undersea tunnel... it was the dream the Roger Pirates had been chasing since the beginning!
At the far end of the tunnel, they could faintly make out the silhouette of an island!
The Final Island!
"Wahahaha!! Let's go!!"
Roger rose to his feet, bursting with energy, the bounty already forgotten as he laughed heartily.
"Let's go!!"
"To the island!!"
"This is our destination!"
"The Final Island, here we come!"
"…"
The Roger Pirates erupted into loud cheers. The gloom that had hung over them was swept away in an instant.
"But... Buggy..."
Crocus spoke up hesitantly.
"I'll stay behind."
A young voice rang out.
Shanks cast a long look at the awe-inspiring undersea tunnel, then slowly turned away, reluctant.
He lowered his gaze to Buggy, still lying on the ground in pain. After a moment of hesitation, he clenched his teeth.
"He needs someone to look after him."
Under everyone's gaze, the red-haired youth took a deep breath—then smiled.
"Besides... if it weren't for me, he wouldn't have become a Devil Fruit user."