Chapter 262: Pirate King Roger Revives
"My dream, Clan Leader Buggy?"
The Desert Envoy disappeared, and Crocodile stood in the center of the tent, looking at the red-nosed Buggy.
To be honest,
even though Buggy possessed greater power than himself now, Crocodile still didn't take him seriously.
Perhaps it was because Buggy had once been a mere pirate from the East Blue—
someone who, had it not been for the Reincarnation Game, wouldn't even qualify to sit at the same table as him.
That's why he chose Buggy as an ally in the first place.
Still, since they had formed a partnership, Crocodile said,
"My dream is to build a militarized nation that can't be threatened by any power—a utopia of my own."
In the original trajectory, he indeed worked with Mihawk and Buggy
to create the prototype of that dream: Cross Guild.
Now,
Mihawk had joined Shanks' Adventurer Guild,
and Crocodile was indeed working with Buggy—though he had been relegated from leading to serving as vice clan leader.
Not that it mattered.
"Vice Clan Leader, with all due respect, your dream is too narrow.
It belongs in the trash heap!"
Buggy said it bluntly, without a hint of restraint.
Crocodile's face darkened.
"Clan Leader Buggy, though we're allies, belittling my dream may cause cracks in our relationship."
Being mocked by the red-nosed Buggy—whom he had once looked down upon—
Crocodile felt a stinging irony.
"I was once a crew member of Pirate King Roger!"
Buggy didn't look mocking at all. He simply pointed to the pirate flag above his head.
"For some reason, I couldn't reach the final island, Raftel."
"As pirates, the final island was once the dream of all pirates."
"Because of Shanks' talent and Roger's praise,
I once gave up on my dream and hid away in the weakest sea."
He lifted his head, grinning fiercely.
"Vice Clan Leader, I know—even though you've joined the Desert Circus,
you still look down on me, don't you?"
"You think I got where I am today purely by luck."
Crocodile said nothing, puffing calmly on his cigar,
exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"But I'm sorry—that's just the harsh reality!"
Buggy suddenly released a powerful aura—
not just empty bluster,
but an aura that rivaled even top-tier players like Shanks.
"Whether it's luck or not,
right now, I and the Buggy Pirates have a chance to take over the world!"
"A militarized state that can't be threatened?
How naïve. Not in a world where the Reincarnation Game has shattered fate!"
"Only power and wealth can create the utopia you speak of!"
Crocodile, stunned by the pressure, didn't respond.
He hadn't expected Buggy to speak with such conviction.
"All the power and treasure is in the Reincarnation Game.
Let's take it together!"
Before Crocodile could respond,
Buggy had already picked up the transponder snail and activated the island-wide broadcast.
This island was home to countless chaotic pirates—
fugitives from the Navy, despised by kingdoms.
Buggy's voice blared from loudspeakers across the infamous Pirate Haven, Mock Town.
"We are the Desert Circus Clan!"
"You trash pirates, scum, thugs, bandits—dreamless losers!"
"Maybe tomorrow the Navy will catch you.
Maybe the Adventurers will kill you.
So now you hide here, mocking dreams?"
"But your lives aren't over yet!"
"They're still screaming!"
"You who are content with mediocrity—if you still want it, reach out!
Become outer members of the Desert Circus Clan and seize what you once desired!"
"From the Navy, the Revolutionaries, and the Adventurers—let's take it all!"
"This world!"
Mock Town fell deathly silent.
All the noise vanished, like someone had cast a sound-suppressing Fruit.
A few seconds later,
a mug shattered to the floor—crisp and clear like a spark in a powder keg.
The whole island exploded into madness.
Crunch.
Crocodile bit down on his cigar,
eyes complicated as he looked at the fiery figure before him.
Was this really the same Buggy he once considered a clown from the East Blue?
He knew very well—
when he'd tried to establish dominance by punishing Mochi,
Buggy had done the same by asserting himself over Crocodile.
But still—
with this boldness to challenge the world head-on,
Crocodile was completely convinced.
"Understood, Captain."
In the Grand Line, aboard a hijacked slave ship,
a golden coin hovered midair, spinning rapidly before vanishing in a burst of golden light.
Beside it were the young Lunarian boy seeking Shanks, and a tense Rayleigh.
A moment later, a cheerful, hearty laugh rang out from the golden glow.
"Rayleigh?
Feels like I've been asleep a long time."
As the light dimmed,
a familiar figure emerged—
the man who once completed the Grand Line and became the Pirate King.
He still wore the old cloak from his Navy execution,
weathered boots, and messy black hair.
Back then, sickness had left him no energy to groom himself.
He looked like a vagabond at sea.
Now, strength surged through him—no pain, only power.
"Yeah, you've been out a long time, Captain Roger!"
Tears streamed down Rayleigh's face.
He hadn't even realized he was crying.
The Lunarian boy stared, wide-eyed.
He couldn't believe he was witnessing the revival of a legend.
Was this the power of the Reincarnation Game?
"Hahahaha!
Rayleigh, you've gone all gray!
How'd you get so old?"
Roger looked dazed at first,
but quickly caught on.
"Wait, I was executed by the Navy, right?
Did you use a Devil Fruit to bring me back?"
"Yomi Yomi no Mi? No, that only works if eaten before death…
Then it must've been the Ope Ope no Mi?
No, that can't revive the dead either…
Wait—did a new Devil Fruit appear while I was gone?!"
He grew more excited,
grabbing Rayleigh by the shoulders.
The memory of being pierced during execution was still vivid.
He hadn't faked it.
Plus, he'd been terminally ill.
There was no surviving that.
Which meant—
the sea had birthed a new miracle after his death.
To Roger, that could only mean a brand-new adventure—
and that thrilled him beyond words.
Rayleigh hooked his arm around Roger's neck and teased,
"You old fool—right now, you're nothing but a rookie to me!"
"Hey!
Even if I'm a toothless geezer,
I'm still your captain, Rayleigh!"
Their reunion devolved into wrestling,
barely even exchanging greetings before tackling each other like kids.
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