"The Adam Tree!"
Roger's eyes blazed brighter than gold itself, as if he could already see the ship of his dreams cutting through the waves.
Rayleigh and Gaban wore the same look of anticipation.
"Kuahahaha! Then what are we waiting for?! Let's buy it! How much?!" Roger thumped his chest proudly.
Tom took a swig of liquor and raised three thick fingers.
Roger's grin froze.
He turned slowly toward his first mate, his eyes full of hope.
Rayleigh quietly averted his gaze and began studying the patterns on his sword hilt with intense concentration.
What a very… sword-like sword.
Roger then looked to Gaban for salvation.
Gaban tilted his head up toward the sky, as if pondering why today's weather was so nice.
What a very… sky-like sky.
The most valuable things on their ship were probably their own heads.
Kyle sighed. This was a Roger Pirates specialty—being broke at the worst possible moment.
"Ahem…" Roger cleared his throat awkwardly.
"So, uh… Master Tom… we're a little short on cash right now. Any chance we could put it on credit?"
"Wahahaha!" Tom's thunderous laughter shook sawdust from the rafters.
"Kid, you're even more interesting than I thought! DON!"
Then his face grew serious.
"The Adam Tree isn't something you can just buy with money. It only appears at the highest black-market auctions… or in the hands of certain very powerful people. Even I don't have any in stock."
The crew's excitement deflated immediately.
"But—" Tom clapped a massive hand onto Roger's shoulder, nearly knocking him over.
"I, Tom, respect nothing more than a man who chases his dreams! I don't care about money. If you bring me Adam Tree wood, I'll build your ship for free! I'll pour my entire life's skill into forging you a vessel worthy of conquering the seas! DON!"
Roger froze—then grabbed Tom's hand.
"Really?! Tom, you're a saint!"
"Don't celebrate yet," Tom snorted.
"If you can't find the Adam Tree, it's all just talk."
Back on their ship, the entire crew buzzed with excitement and anxiety.
Where could they possibly find the legendary Adam Tree?
"Black-market auctions are out—we can't even afford the entry ticket," Gaban said bluntly.
"Then that leaves only the 'big shots,'" Rayleigh concluded.
Spencer polished his wine glass gracefully.
"When it comes to rich, arrogant big shots in this world… there's only one answer."
Everyone knew what he meant.
The Celestial Dragons.
"I've heard something," Mugren said, blowing out smoke.
"A World Government convoy will pass nearby soon, escorting the 'Heavenly Tribute' of a member nation. Along with gold and jewels, it's carrying special building materials for a Celestial Dragon's new palace."
The deck went dead silent.
Robbing a Celestial Dragon's ship was insanity—even more reckless than bombing a Marine base.
That meant declaring open war on the highest power in the world.
Newer crewmates like Nozdon swallowed nervously.
"Kuahahaha!"
Roger's laughter shattered the tension.
He planted a foot on the rail, eyes blazing.
"Then let's take it all! Adam Tree, Heavenly Tribute—everything! Lads, time to work!"
"OHHHHHH!"
Any lingering fear was burned away by the captain's fire.
Kyle sighed—but smiled—and moved to the map table with Rayleigh and Spencer to plot their route.
Three days later, a World Government fleet appeared on the calm sea.
Three Marine warships escorted a massive, ornate merchant vessel.
"All hands ready!" Roger drew his sword, grinning.
"Let's show the World Government who really rules these seas!"
The battle began in an instant.
"Tidal Resonance!"
Kyle slammed his hands onto the railing. Invisible shockwaves rippled across the ocean, raising two towering walls of water that smashed into the escort ships and shattered their formation.
"Mirage of Light!"
Light bent around the Roger Pirates' ship, projecting a phantom duplicate nearby.
Half the incoming cannon fire blasted empty water.
"Now! Charge!" Roger roared.
Their ship shot forward like an arrow.
"Leave this to me!" Isaac leapt, cutting down a Marine ship's main mast in a single stroke.
Chaos erupted.
Meanwhile, Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban boarded the giant merchant vessel, overwhelming the CP agents with terrifying ease.
When Roger kicked open the cargo hold—
There was no gold.
Only cages.
Hundreds of ragged, hollow-eyed people packed together like livestock.
Silence fell.
"These bastards…" Gaban growled.
Kyle felt fury surge through him.
Children, women, broken men—sold like objects.
A little girl whimpered. Her mother covered her mouth in terror.
Roger knelt before the cage.
"It's okay now."
One clean slash.
"You're free."
Light returned to their eyes.
At the far end of the hold, they found it—
massive, glowing timbers of the Adam Tree.
Beside them sat chests of Heavenly Tribute gold.
"We take half," Roger said.
"The rest gets sold so these people can start new lives."
"And them?" Nozdon asked.
"We leave them with the Marines," Rayleigh decided.
"Yeah," Kyle nodded. "It's safer than keeping them with pirates."
"Kuahahaha! Then we even get to mess with Garp a little!"
Under cover of night, they delivered the freed slaves and gold to a Marine base—then vanished.
On deck, the Adam Tree logs lay before them, heavy with destiny.
Roger's voice cut through the wind.
"One day… I'll drag those so-called gods down from their thrones."
Kyle looked at the glowing wood.
This wasn't just ship material.
It was proof.
"Back to Water 7!" Roger declared.
"Let's show Tom what we brought!"
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/NightShard525