Roger set off on the second morning.
He quietly got up and dressed before dawn. After leaving a light kiss on his wife's and daughter's faces, he silently opened the door. He put his beloved sword, Ace, which he had been using as a firewood cutter for the past year, back on his hip. He then crossed the forest and boarded the small boat that was already prepared.
He knew that Olvia hadn't slept all night, and neither had he, but he didn't say goodbye. He just left quietly.
Olvia didn't want him to see her crying, and Roger didn't want to show his weakness in front of his wife at the very end.
A man's farewell doesn't need tears, does it?
Thinking this, Roger set sail with reddened eyes.
Even if you don't want me to say sorry, Olvia, I'm truly sorry that I couldn't give you happiness.
And Robin, even when I'm not by your side in the future, please grow up well. It doesn't matter what you think of me later; Daddy will always love you.
In that cozy little wooden house, Olvia silently hugged her adorable daughter, and hot tears streamed from her eyes.
A year later, the Pirate King set sail again, his destination the New World.
Roa!
Wait for me. I've come to fulfill our promise!
That kid is too dangerous. He already has a talent that surpasses everyone else, and now he knows the secrets of the Ancient Weapons. Most importantly, he's a lunatic with malicious intent toward the world!
Over the past year, the World Government's media blockade on the New World had gradually failed.
The news that the New World had been occupied by pirates was no longer a secret to the world.
However, according to the World Government, they were forced to divert some of their forces to pursue the heinous Roger Pirates, which allowed the monsters of the New World to take advantage and cause the New World to fall.
In short, it was all the Roger Pirates' fault!
Roger didn't pay much attention to the World Government's attempt to shift the blame, and he sneered at their declaration that they would retake the New World within two years.
However, he was very concerned about the news coming from the New World.
Especially the news from the sea area called the freest in the world.
Roa's madness was fully displayed in these reports.
Free?
Yes, it was free.
But it was a guided, free-for-all madness!
I was the one who brought him to the final island. I was the one who made him more dangerous.
On his small boat, Roger's eyes were firm.
Fearing that Roa would discover his crewmates' whereabouts, none of them disembarked at their true destinations in the New World.
Now, everyone was in hiding.
Rayleigh had also gone to pick up Olvia and Robin.
There were no more ties.
So, it was up to him to end all of this!
Soon after, Roger arrived at a certain country. After all, his small boat needed frequent resupplying.
Roger, wearing a cloak, hood, and mask to conceal his identity, quietly landed at the island's port.
Although it was a non-affiliated country, there were countless people on the sea targeting him. If his identity were exposed, countless jackals would immediately come sniffing.
However, it seemed he had arrived at a bad time.
Just as he landed and was about to go buy supplies.
Rumble!
On the sea not far from the port, a giant splash of water exploded, and several huge sea beasts roared toward the sky.
Roger suddenly turned his head. "What a coincidence."
It wasn't just sea beasts!
Scattered on top of the sea beasts and in the surrounding sea were many Fish-Men.
Chains were bound to the sea beasts' bodies, and these chains were now taut, dragging several large ships from under the sea. Among them were two giant snails also wrapped in bubbles!
Sea beasts, Fish-Men, transport, large ships, and snails.
Only one organization in the world had this combination of manpower and resources.
There was a moment of silence at the port, and then it instantly erupted.
"It's the Calamity Army!!"
"Run! They're all a bunch of lunatics!!"
"Who hired them! Why our country of all places!"
Chaos and fear descended in an instant, and the entire port became a panicked mess.
Roger sighed helplessly and also hid in a small alley.
Over the past year, that guy Roa hadn't just been active in the New World.
His mercenary group, the Calamity Army, had fought one war after another around the world without a single defeat. They were now a terrifying legion that struck fear into people's hearts everywhere.
Although they accepted employment, Roger knew very well that the chaos in the non-affiliated countries around the world now was inseparable from that kid, Roa.
Moreover, Roa had already obtained the treasure of Laugh Tale. He had no shortage of money; he just simply wanted to see chaos descend!
As he was deep in thought, at the port, the two giant snails had already landed first, rumbling forward with no regard for anything in their path.
Behind them, the large ships, pushed by the sea beasts, had also docked. The clone soldiers on the ships quickly disembarked and lined up.
Also being sent off the ships were heavy cannons and howitzers, as well as a number of armored vehicles that the Calamity Company called "tanks."
At the same time, from the backs of the two leading giant snails, several black figures shot out like phantoms, leaping onto the rooftops of the port and quickly jumping away.
They were so fast that ordinary people couldn't even see them clearly.
But Roger saw them.
"Are those Minks?"
He was a bit surprised.
Then he immediately realized.
No wonder Roa didn't directly attack Zou at that time; he had the idea of completely bringing the Mink Tribe under his command!
This country was finished.
Roger sighed in his hiding spot.
How terrifying the Calamity Company was!
They could casually deploy a force capable of easily destroying a country thousands of miles away!
The Calamity Army had finished lining up.
The armored tanks were at the very front, with the two giant snails close behind. Ordinary infantry soldiers guarded them, and the tight formation rumbled forward.
The heavy armored vehicles mercilessly smashed through all the buildings in their way. This poor country's wooden buildings could only be uselessly crushed to pieces.
The unstoppable calamity stormed its way through the entire port city.
Only outside the port did the hastily assembled army of this country finally stop them.
However, before the general leading the army could give any orders, several shadows that were barely visible to the naked eye shot out.
"Wah!"
Several huge claw marks had been torn across his neck.
It wasn't just him; all the surrounding officers were attacked. The vast majority were killed in a single blow, and only a few were lucky enough to escape.
But that was enough. The black shadows didn't stop, and they quickly retreated at a speed that the soldiers couldn't even react to.
At the same time, as the intercepting army fell into chaos, the Calamity Army at the front raised the heavy cannons on the backs of the giant snails.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
After a few continuous shots, the country's army was engulfed in explosions and smoke.
Roger, watching the battle from a nearby rooftop, shook his head with a sigh.
The military power wasn't even on the same level.
"Huh?"
Roger was slightly stunned.
According to his plan, after the beheading action and the firepower suppression, all they would need to do was let the armored vehicles roll forward for a complete victory.
But at this moment, the group of armored vehicles separated, revealing a path.
And from the backs of the two giant snails, a group of special soldiers jumped down.
"What?"
Roger was shocked.
These soldiers were each carrying heavy machine guns or even personal rocket launchers, and they were also wearing heavy armor.
But what shocked Roger was not these soldiers' superhuman physical abilities.
Instead, it was that every one of these guys had a bizarre appearance, a brutal combination of human and certain animal features.
Some had a dog's head, some had hands that had turned into wings, and some had hooves and a pair of large horns on their heads.
Minks?
No, Minks didn't look this strange.
Then, could they all be Zoan-type Devil Fruit users?
Over a hundred of them were all Devil Fruit users?
Even the well-traveled Roger's eyes widened.
What in the world was going on?
Then, under Roger's astonished gaze, these strange "Zoan users" began a massacre.
Their physical abilities were far superior to ordinary soldiers. Combined with the heavy weapons they carried, no one on the battlefield could resist them in the slightest.
Like armored vehicles, they charged into the smoke-filled battlefield, mercilessly using their weapons to harvest the lives of their enemies.
It was nothing but a bare-faced slaughter.
A few days earlier, New World, the Floating Island of Calamity.
"So, these are the artificial Devil Fruits?"
Morgans excitedly examined a fruit in his hand.
It was grayish, with discontinuous spiral patterns on it.
"This is truly amazing, Boss. I never thought that Devil Fruits could one day be mass-produced!"
Morgans did not hold back with his praise.
"The amazing ones are Judge and Caesar, not me," Roa said lazily. "They worked day and night to grow these fruits."
"They just provided the labor and effort. In the end, it was all due to your leadership, wasn't it?"
Morgans's expression didn't change, and his smile was as fawning as ever.
"You..."
Roa laughed heartily.
Either his subordinates were sycophants like him, or they were like Dylann Bullet, who followed his orders meticulously. If he turned out this way, it would be because these guys spoiled him too much!
"But Boss," Morgans carefully squeezed the fruit in his hand, "what happens to the people who eat these fruits?"
"They're still just the first-generation prototypes. They're only Zoan types," Roa said casually. "Even so, the ability boost isn't much, and they can't even transform freely. If they gain an ability, they'll just have the corresponding animal features on their body."
"Boss, you said, 'if' they gain an ability?" Morgans asked with suspicion.
He's sharp.
Roa's lips curled up. "After eating the fruit, there's only about a 50% chance of gaining an ability."
"And the other half?" Morgans pressed.
"They become dead weights, of course," Roa said with a laugh. "Not only can they no longer eat a Devil Fruit, but because of the clash of lineage factors, they will also uncontrollably start to laugh."
"Laughing?"
Morgans clicked his tongue. "Science is truly wondrous. It can even have a side effect like that."
"No, that's a part I had Judge and Caesar add," Roa said. "Isn't it too pitiful for someone to eat a fruit and not gain an ability? So, at the very least, they should keep their smiles, right?"
Ah, I'm too kind.
Morgans's face visibly stiffened.
Should he say this was just like the Boss?
He always managed to surprise people in the most unexpected ways.
"The first batch of Beast Soldiers has already been sent out for real combat," Roa said. "I wonder how they're performing?"
"Their performance is excellent!"
Back to the present, in the palace atop the tower, Roa praised them with a laugh. "Judge, Caesar, you've done very well. After several real battles, the Beast Soldiers have performed outstandingly. Their strength, speed, and stamina have more than doubled compared to ordinary clone soldiers. They have an overwhelming advantage over regular soldiers."
"You're too kind, Boss!"
A year had passed, and Judge looked a little better. Although the dark circles under his eyes were still very heavy, with Caesar's addition, his burden was much lighter, and he no longer looked as listless.
"It's our duty!"
"Shurororororo, Boss! It won't be long before I make a more refined, improved version!"
Caesar had lost a lot of weight compared to a year ago, but his face was filled with excitement.
After Roa put a collar on him, he was terrified at first.
But he soon realized that doing research at the Calamity Company was much better than being in the Marine Science Unit!
Here, he had access to all kinds of lost ancient technology documents, and even the blueprints for the Pluton!
The blueprints for the Pluton!
The best part was that the research funds were unlimited! No matter how large the investment, the great Boss would just wave his hand and give them the money directly!
Who could relate? What scientist could refuse all this?
It was just that Judge was a detestable bastard who always used his position as the head of the research department to block his various research projects, saying they only needed to follow the Boss's orders!
So, Caesar was determined to work hard on his research to show the Boss his value and squeeze Judge out.
"Very good," Roa was very satisfied with their attitudes. One was humble, and the other was full of ambition. This was the attitude of a qualified ox or horse—I mean, a subordinate.
"Don't neglect the other research. Judge, you said the third batch of Calamity Knights will have new changes?"
"Yes, Boss!"
When talking about his proud creation, Judge became even more excited. "The first and second batches of artificial humans used the same technology. The difference is that the first batch produced five, and the second batch produced fifteen because of more funding."
"But I've added a new process to the third batch of artificial humans that are currently being cultivated! It will give them stronger potential, allowing them to become even more powerful through training. At the same time, their abilities will be more diverse! They will no longer be limited to just the fire, lightning, wind, poison, and superhuman strength of the first two batches."
"Not bad, not bad."
Roa nodded repeatedly.
In terms of potential, the Calamity Knights, who were made of lineage factors, were even superior to the Giant Army.
The first batch of Calamity Knights had all mastered Haki. With their battle suits, their individual combat power was far superior to that of a regular Giant Warrior.
The only drawback of the lineage factor artificial humans was that they were expensive and troublesome. Judge had to manually modify the lineage factors one by one, making large-scale mass production impossible.
Now the funds were completely sufficient, but the technology was not. If Vegapunk joined them, this problem might be solved, and the Calamity Knights could truly be mass-produced.
On the side, Caesar gnashed his teeth as he watched Roa praise Judge.
That detestable Judge! Does he have to steal all the glory from this genius?
Brrr-brrr-brrr.
The Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
"Hmm?" Roa raised an eyebrow and answered.
"Roa!!"
A roaring, excited voice came from the other end of the line. "What was that?"
"Big Brother Kaido," Roa moved the Den Den Mushi a little away. He had to say, his big brother's voice was a bit too loud. "What are you talking about without any context?"
"What about those beast-like soldiers? Are they all Devil Fruit users?" Kaido asked impatiently.
"Huh? You're well-informed, Big Brother Kaido," Roa was a little surprised. "They just made their debut on the sea."
"What in the world are they—forget it! Let's talk in person!" Kaido said. "Where are you? I'm already in your territory!"
Roa was not at all surprised by Kaido's reaction.
The name "Beasts Pirates" was still a misnomer, and Kaido was eager to make it live up to its name.
"What a hothead. So, where are you?"
Roa shook his head helplessly. "I'll come and get you."
"Urororororo! I'm almost at Egghead Island!"
An excited laugh flowed from the Den Den Mushi.
"Besides those guys, Roa, don't you dare disappoint me after a year!"
Was he coming again?
This must be some kind of strange tradition.
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The new novel has dropped! Don't miss out—start reading today.
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The Only Player in the Marvel World
For a prize of ten million dollars, Du Mu is trying to clear a large-scale virtual game called "The Marvel World".
Unbeknownst to him, when the game started, he had already transmigrated into the real Marvel Universe, becoming the only player in this world.
Nick Fury: Du Mu is an excellent agent, he just doesn't like to follow orders. Every time I give a mission, he skips it.
Tony Stark: I don't know what happened, that day I teamed up with Du Mu, and when I came back, I was left with only one pair of underwear.
Banner: My situation is exactly the opposite of yours, only my underwear was stolen. I got so angry I transformed into the Hulk, and I was on the front page of every major news outlet that very night.
Thor: Du Mu said he had already maxed out his Justice Value to 1000, then he picked up my Mjölnir and ran off.
...
Facing the complaints of a group of superheroes, Du Mu calmly states: "These are all operations allowed by the game. If you have a problem, go talk to the game planner."