As the world reeled from Roger's incredible feat, at the very end of the New World, on the chaotic sea, a large ship suddenly broke through the water.
"Hahahaha! I'm rich! I'm rich!"
Buggy lay face down on the deck in a state of ecstasy, or rather, face down on the thick layer of gold and silver treasures piled on the deck. It wasn't just the top deck; all the storage areas in the ship's hold were also overflowing with treasure. In addition, everyone on the ship was adorned with a variety of golden and jeweled ornaments, each person glittering in the sun. This was why the ship's waterline was at an alarmingly low level.
"We'll never be able to spend all this treasure in our lives!" Buggy chuckled. At only nine years old, little Buggy didn't have big ambitions. As long as Shanks was the one to inherit the captain's position, all he wanted was treasure! And this time, they were loaded!
"You're right," even the usually mature Shanks was a little excited. "We'll never be short on money again!"
"But even with all this treasure, it's just the tip of the iceberg of what's on Laugh Tale," Jabba said with a touch of emotion. "After all, that's the accumulation of countless years."
"I didn't want to take any of this with me." Roger sat against the ship's railing, holding his daughter. "We came at the wrong time. The person Joy Boy was waiting for wasn't us. So, all this treasure should have been left behind."
"But that kid, Roa, said he didn't care. He told me to take as much as I could and that he'd take all the rest."
So you didn't want to lose out, did you? Rayleigh pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses with a wry smile.
"What?! All the remaining treasure was left for that guy Roa?" Buggy, who had been in a state of ecstasy, suddenly looked up, his face full of disbelief. "Captain! Why did you let that guy get such a good deal?!" The treasure they had was nothing compared to the treasures on Laugh Tale, not even a drop in the ocean. All of it was left for Roa?
"You fool, isn't it enough to have enough money to use?" Roger said with a laugh. "This treasure is enough for all of us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. What's the point of having more? Besides, we couldn't take any more anyway. The ship is only so big."
"But—" Buggy was speechless. Even if they couldn't spend it all, just looking at it in front of him would be nice! Besides, who would ever complain about having too much treasure?!
"Wahahahaha! Anyway, we'll never have to worry about money again!" Roger laughed heartily. All the pirates on the deck joined in the celebration. After all, who wouldn't be interested in treasure?
Only Rayleigh and Jabba exchanged a glance. Was Roger already thinking about everyone's future?
It was at that moment that they heard two bird calls from the sky. A small white bird swooped down, its wings folded, and dropped a newspaper as it passed over the deck. Jabba reached out and easily caught the newspaper. He took one look at it, and his expression completely changed.
"Hey, Roger! It looks like you're being called the Pirate King now!"
"Huh?" The pirates on the deck, who had been laughing, froze. They all crowded around the newspaper, eager to read its contents.
"What does Pirate King mean? The king of pirates?"
"We found Laugh Tale! Of course, the Captain is the king who stands above all pirates!"
"But how are the newspapers so well-informed?"
"Quiet, everyone!" Jabba, annoyed by the crowd, leaped onto the top of the cabin. "I'll read it to you!"
"Ahem!" He cleared his throat dramatically. "'Breaking News! The Birth of the Pirate King!' That's the headline. Hm, a little cliché."
"Now's not the time to be a critic, Mr. Jabba!" one pirate urged anxiously.
"Don't be so impatient, here it comes," Jabba said with a slight grin and a playful tone. "The legendary final island really exists, and the One Piece is real! Gol D. Roger led the Roger Pirates to a feat unprecedented in history: a circumnavigation of the world! They reached the true end of the Grand Line! They have conquered the greatest sea route in the world!"
On the deck, everyone wore a proud and brilliant smile. Even Buggy and Shanks, who had barely contributed, puffed out their chests with pride.
Jabba laughed as he read the newspaper's contents. No one said a word. They were all laughing and listening. This was their story, and now, it seemed it was forever etched into the history of this world.
"...No one in pirate history has ever achieved such a feat! Without a doubt, Roger has obtained everything in the world! He is the undisputed King of Pirates, the Pirate King!"
Jabba closed the newspaper, a little wistfully. "Pirate King... tsk, so good!"
"Pirate King!" The pirates began to cheer.
"Captain! You're the Pirate King!" Buggy's body trembled with excitement. He happily ran over and hugged Roger's leg. "Hahahaha, what are the Seven Monarchs? They're nothing compared to the King of Pirates!" A monarch who ruled a sea area was indeed great, but compared to a king who stood above all pirates, they were insignificant!
"Yeah!" Shanks also nodded happily.
"But," Rayleigh said, crossing his arms and looking at Roger with a smile, "did that kid Roa spread this news?"
"Yep," Roger nodded slightly. "Who else could it have been?"
"What's that guy thinking?" Jabba was puzzled. "He helped us become famous and deliberately concealed his own existence. That doesn't fit his character, does it?" The way Roa acted—carving up the New World, destroying Marine Headquarters, publicly executing a Marine Fleet Admiral—was not what a normal person would do.
"Perhaps he wants to get the treasure without taking on any of the risk," Rayleigh said.
"Risk?" Crocus was surprised. "What risk?"
"I get it now, too. Now, the whole world knows we have the legendary One Piece." Jabba flipped the newspaper over, showing the shining golden images to everyone. "There will be countless jackals rushing to us, right?"
"So..." Crocus also understood. Cold sweat seeped from his forehead and back, and his body stiffened. "Is the whole world's attention on us now?"
"Not the whole world, but at least all the ambitious people have already stirred," Rayleigh sighed.
"That damn Roa is so despicable!!" Buggy finally understood what the adults were saying and screamed, his face covered in cold sweat. "If that's the case, won't we be targeted by a bunch of dangerous guys?!"
"Captain!" Shanks also looked at Roger anxiously. "Shouldn't we do something?" They couldn't just let Roa get away with it! He was going to get the most treasure, while they, the Roger Pirates, got a pittance and were now targeted by the entire world!
"This was a deal I made with Roa. Let's just leave it at that," Roger said. If Roa had truly revealed everything about the final island, Joy Boy's preparations would have been for naught. Im might begin a new purge of the world. At that point, things would develop to a truly irreversible state. This world might never get another chance to change.
"Captain?" Shanks was confused. What did Roger and Roa talk about to make him agree to such terms?
"Also," Roger paused, and his smile faded a little. "I have something else to announce."
"Roger..." Rayleigh's face changed slightly.
"The Roger Pirates, from this point forward, are disbanded," Roger said. As soon as he finished speaking, everyone on the deck stood in a daze. Even Jabba gritted his teeth.
Then...
"Captain! What are you talking about?!"
"How can we just disband? Captain, you must be kidding, right?!"
"Yeah, yeah! The Captain must be joking!" Forced smiles appeared on everyone's faces, but they instinctively wanted to deny reality.
"I'm serious," Roger said with a smile. "We've already found the final island and the One Piece. Our goal has been achieved. We came at the wrong time, and there's not much more we can do."
"Now, the World Government and all the ambitious people will be watching us. Continuing our voyage would be too risky."
"And I don't have long to live anyway. I want to spend my last moments with Olyvia and Robin."
"So, the Roger Pirates are hereby disbanded. This is a Captain's order."
"..." A silence fell over the deck.
The Captain was serious. No matter how much they laughed and joked, when a Captain's order was officially given, everyone had to obey. This was an ironclad rule of the sea. They could only accept this fact.
But for the children, it was different.
"CAPTAIN!! I don't want to! Where will I go if the pirate crew disbands?!" Buggy ran over and hugged Roger's leg. When he looked up, his cheeks were a blurry mess of tears. "Without the Captain, without everyone, I... I..."
"Captain..." Shanks was also teary-eyed. No matter how mature he was, he was still a nine-year-old boy. The Roger Pirates were his home since he was little, and now that home was breaking up!
"You two," Roger said, ruffling their heads. "Just follow Rayleigh from now on." The two of them were still too young to stand on their own. "Is that okay, old friend?" Roger looked at Rayleigh, his tone suddenly a little strange. "It shouldn't disturb your retirement with Shakky, should it?"
Rayleigh shook his head helplessly. "Okay."
"Now, let's begin our final voyage," Roger said with a smile. "Our ship will carry us to the very end, taking all of us back to where we belong."
"...Yes, Captain..."
Many of the pirates on the ship were now sobbing uncontrollably. This pirate crew was truly coming to an end.
A little later, Roa soared through the sky, flapping his wings. He was huffing and puffing as he made his way to Egghead Island. Just when he was feeling a little bored, a call came in.
"Roa, it's me, old lady!"
"Auntie Linlin?"
"Enough small talk, join the channel!"
Again? Roa sighed a little, but still slowly dialed the Den Den Mushi to join the corresponding channel.
"Everyone's here, so I'll get straight to the point. Let's hunt Roger again!"
I knew it. Roa shook his head.
"I agree!" Wang Zhi, who had not participated and had even caused trouble behind the scenes in the last operation, was the first to respond excitedly. "Haha, this time, there's a reason to act!"
"Hahaha! I know, I know! The legendary One Piece really exists, and Roger got his hands on it! Of course we have to take it from him!" Silver Axe was the second to laugh loudly. "Count me in!"
"Me too," Captain John chimed in. "With that much treasure, who wouldn't be tempted? Roger, this time you're probably going to be targeted by every ambitious person in the world. Since that's the case, we certainly can't fall behind."
Charlotte Linlin snorted coldly. "You three scoundrels are so proactive this time? Was my request before so insignificant compared to the One Piece?"
"What are you talking about, Linlin? Your request was important, but this time, the treasure is just too much!"
"You're right, you're right!"
Inside the channel, there was a chorus of laughter.
"Alright, these three scoundrels have agreed. What about the other three scoundrels, Kaido, Shiki, and Roa? What do you say?"
"I'm in! Pirate King? I don't recognize that title!"
"Mamamama! Good! Kaido, that's the spirit! I didn't give you that fruit for nothing! And Shiki, don't you want revenge?!"
"I don't care. Just let me know when you find Roger."
"Mamamama! Understood. I'll leave Roger to you in the end. And Roa, what about you, kid?"
Roa sighed helplessly. "Everyone else is in, so of course, I won't be the odd one out."
"Excellent! Mamamama! This time, let's go and take everything from Roger!!"
Sigh, what a pain. I have to guide Roger and the others again.
Thankfully, he had Roger's contact information. Besides, this was an opportunity.
Of course, they weren't the only ones looking for Roger.
In Mary Geoise , several teams of men in white suits rushed out of Pangaea Castle. The World Government's intelligence agency began to operate at full capacity, determined to find the Roger Pirates.
In the New Marine Headquarters, the new Fleet Admiral roared, "Mobilize all intelligence personnel! We must find the Roger Pirates' whereabouts as soon as possible!"
"Also, the military draft must be expanded! This era has gone wild!"
But more than anything, there was a chorus of, "I'm going to sea too! I'm going to find the Roger Pirates!"
"All that treasure is mine! Roger, just you wait!"
"To the Grand Line! To the New World! To find the Roger Pirates!"
The entire world began to stir.
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