Hachinosu Island port, a large ship set sail.
Roa stood at the stern, waving to the people on the dock. "Dylan! I'm counting on you to look after the place! Don't forget what I told you!"
On the dock, Dylan bowed slightly in response.
"What are you preparing for again?"
Behind him, Rocks, sprawled in a large chair in the center of the deck, didn't turn his head. "Kid, you'd best behave yourself. I don't want to see a repeat of last year's incident!"
"Captain, don't underestimate me too much,"
Roa turned back, a little indignantly. "I'm not a six-year-old brat anymore; I won't do such boring things!"
Actually, it wasn't boring at all.
Or rather, precisely because it was too boring, Roa organized a unique "battle royale" on Hachinosu Island last year.
He selected four pirate crews to act as prey, then incited the island's pirates to hunt them. One could say he made an indelible contribution to world peace.
Of course, the peace envoy Roa also had a good feast, a super exciting one.
It was just a pity that the pirates got a little too excited and caused considerable damage to Hachinosu Island. Afterwards, Rocks thoroughly disciplined Roa.
"It had better be."
Rocks snorted.
Whitebeard, sitting silently on the side of the ship, drinking, also snorted.
They both knew Roa too well.
This kid was simply a born deviant. Not everyone could treat others' suffering as food with absolutely no malice.
The same understanding, but with a difference: Whitebeard was repulsed by it, while Rocks loved it.
"Who doesn't know that I, Roa, am the most well-behaved seven-year-old in the Rocks Pirates?"
Roa grinned.
"You brat!"
Rocks couldn't help but find it amusing.
The Rocks Pirates only had this one kid, and he was a good kid.
"Get ready. Once the war begins, you won't escape either!" the world's most dangerous man said.
"Eh? But I'm still a child."
Roa complained, "I'll definitely be instantly wiped out."
Sorry, Captain, I did tell Dylan to be ready, but it was to prepare for the dissolution of the Rocks Pirates.
Overthrowing the World Government and becoming the King of the World, you probably won't be able to do it.
"Stop talking nonsense, you're an executive under me!"
Rocks snorted again. "If you don't want to die, just get stronger!"
"Oh!"
Roa's eyes instantly lit up. "Captain, can I organize a few more events on Hachinosu Island?"
"If you want to die!"
Rocks stood up, turning to Roa with some impatience. "Instead of all this chatter, kid, let me see how much you've improved."
"Oh! Captain, are you going to personally guide me again?"
Roa looked touched. "Captain, you care about me so much. Could it be that you want me to inherit the Rocks Pirates?"
Whitebeard's mouth twitched. What nonsense is this brat talking about?
Any fool knew that the Rocks Pirates existed because of Rocks himself.
"Inherit?"
Rocks sneered, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I don't need any inheritor! After I die, let the floods rage!"
"Is that so?"
Roa looked disappointed. "If I can't inherit the Rocks Pirates, then achieving my dream will be a bit troublesome."
"Your dream?"
Rocks was uncharacteristically surprised. "What kind of dream could a kid like you have?"
"Well,"
Roa scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed. "It's a bit shameful to say, but I actually want to become a gourmet, and eat all the delicacies in the world."
Rocks froze completely.
Then.
"Hahahahahaha!"
The man who dominated the New World laughed so hard he bent over backward. "You brat... you really are something!"
Whitebeard pursed his lips, looking at Roa with even more disdain.
This kid was indeed a born deviant, beyond saving.
"After I conquer the world, I'll fulfill your wish!"
Rocks said magnanimously. "But the premise is, you must not disappoint me!"
"Captain is so generous!"
Roa was filled with joy. "Then watch my performance!"
Black fur grew on his body, and the next moment, Roa had already pounced towards Rocks.
Strictly speaking, Rocks was not a good teacher.
Or rather, most pirates who rose through unconventional means were not adept at teaching others.
Rayleigh only taught Luffy the basics of Haki.
The famous "Teacher Kaido" relied on wildly swinging his iron club to make his students understand things for themselves.
So, Rocks' teaching method for Roa was the same as the Golden Lion's: through sparring, Roa learned how to fight.
The difference was, Shiki used two swords, while Rocks used one.
However, Roa thought there was no real difference. As long as he could cut people, whether it was one sword style or two sword style didn't matter; he could do both.
Hachinosu Island was not far from Elbaf. After more than a week, the large ship was already approaching the waters where the Giant Kingdom was located.
But just then, something unexpected happened.
"Oh!"
Roa stood on the ship's crossbar, looking through a monocular telescope at a ship on the distant sea. "It's a Marine battleship!"
A blue hull, with the huge character "Justice" on its sail. Undoubtedly, the ship they had coincidentally encountered on the open sea was a Marine battleship.
"They're completely disregarding you, Captain!"
Roa shouted. "How dare they venture into this sea! Don't they know the New World is the Rocks Pirates' territory?"
"That's right,"
Below, Rocks took a sip of his drink. "Kid, you go deal with them."
"Huh?"
Roa instinctively pointed to himself. "Me?"
He quickly waved his hands. "I can't do it, Captain! If they can penetrate this far, it might be Sengoku or Garp on board!"
"Just go!"
Rocks casually said, "It's just a patrol ship, nothing but nobodies."
Oh?
Does that mean he's already scanned them with Observation Haki?
The strong individuals in this world aren't like the Z Fighters from Dragon Ball who can suppress their auras. Users of Observation Haki, who are skilled at sensing the strength of auras, can discern power levels with a single glance.
Then, no problem.
Finally, I can have a big feast!
The black fierce tiger next to him instantly flapped its wings and soared from the deck.
On the distant sea, the Marine battleship's deck was already in chaos.
"The Rocks Pirates! It's the Rocks Pirates' main ship!!"
"Damn it! To run into the Rocks Pirates is bad enough, but it has to be their main ship!"
"Rocks might be on board!! We're doomed!"
What should have been elite Marines were now in a chaotic frenzy, terrified.
"Quiet!!"
A man with a Vice Admiral's insignia on his shoulder roared. "Panic will only make them catch up faster!"
He was also speechless inside. Why are we so unlucky? This should be quite a distance from Hachinosu Island!
"Turn! Full speed ahead!"
He roared loudly.
There was no other option now. Run, just run!
"Yes, Vice Admiral Johnson!"
The bewildered Marines found their resolve and began to perform their duties, turning the large ship and preparing to flee at full speed.
But.
"Excuse me, everyone,"
A childish voice came from above. "The Captain told me to deal with you."
"Who's there?"
The Vice Admiral suddenly looked up.
A black fierce tiger floated in the sky, flapping its wings, quietly looking down at them.
"You're—!"
Johnson's pupils constricted instantly. "Black Tiger Roa!"
Roa in the sky heard this, and a somewhat disgusted expression appeared on his furry face. "Could you call Marine Headquarters and ask them to change my nickname? Do you know how damaging such an unpleasant nickname is to a seven-year-old child?"
A Vice Admiral, huh?
No impression from either this life or the last. Probably not anyone remarkable.
Then no problem. It's well-known that Marine Vice Admirals have the most deadweights. A regular Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral is like a stray dog on the street, purely meant to be kicked to death and used as a stepping stone.
Johnson, however, dared not be careless in the slightest.
Black Tiger Roa, the youngest member of the Rocks Pirates, an intern alongside Kaido, only seven years old, yet his bounty already reached 300 million Berries! Even Charlotte Linlin couldn't compare to him at the same age. He was simply a monster among monsters!
"Prepare for battle!"
Along with the Vice Admiral's roar, the Marines on the deck raised their weapons towards Roa in the sky.
"No need to bluff,"
Roa's eyes reversed to black and white. "I can see your fear."
Darkness rapidly appeared in the eyes of the Marines on the deck.
Then.
"Waaaahhh!"
Intense fear instantly made the Marines scream repeatedly, each crying and sniveling, even losing control of their bladders, completely daring not to look up again.
"What?"
The Vice Admiral's face twisted.
This is... Black Tiger Roa's ability?
"Hmm? Still so many people left?"
Roa looked at the Marines on the deck who hadn't lost their fighting capability, and couldn't help but sigh. Regular military forces really were different; their psychological fortitude was clearly superior to that of pirates.
"Then I'll give you a big present."
Bronze patterns spread across the large horns on his head.
"Marines, have you ever seen a technique that descends from the sky?"
Vice Admiral Johnson suddenly heard a rush of wind.
He instinctively looked up.
Then his pupils instantly constricted to pinpoints.
In the sky, a massive fireball was falling!
No, it wasn't a fireball, but a physical rock!
A meteor!
It was a meteor dragging a long fiery tail!!
This guy summoned a meteor!