"They really are something... I never thought I'd see the Mera Mera no Mi and Goro Goro no Mi here."
Watching the flames and lightning streaking through the sky, Rayleigh looked at Roger beside him, his voice tinged with amazement.
"Yeah... those two remind me of the three kids in the Marines."
Rayleigh immediately understood who Roger meant.
After all, the Roger Pirates had clashed with the Marines more than a few times. Those three youngsters who had suddenly risen to fame—monsters in both strength and potential—had given them quite a headache for a while.
Just then, the two figures descended from the sky and landed unceremoniously on the Waver where Roger stood.
The entire Roger crew stared in surprise as the two boys suddenly dropped into their midst.
"Captain... what's going on?"
Gaban, standing next to Roger, asked with a puzzled look.
Roger opened his mouth to explain but then realized he didn't even know their names. So he turned to them and said:
"These two kids will be traveling with the Roger Pirates for the next few days. You two, introduce yourselves."
Right now, Yemu felt like a lamb surrounded by lions. In his view, these were legends straight out of One Piece—now standing vividly before him.
Rayleigh, Gaban, Bullet, Kozuki Oden, Crocus, Shanks, Buggy, Nekomamushi, Inuarashi... and many more.
Over a hundred people.
So this was the Roger Pirates!
He was in awe, but he introduced himself calmly and without rushing.
"My name is Yemu... and this is my younger brother..."
"Enel."
After the humiliating experience in front of Roger earlier, Enel stepped forward with renewed resolve and introduced himself without hesitation.
"Yemu... Enel..."
Roger repeated their names thoughtfully, then suddenly grinned and announced to the crew:
"Since we've got new friends, then by our tradition..."
As his voice fell, the slightly tense atmosphere instantly shifted. The crew erupted with excitement.
"Banquet! Banquet!"
"Ohh! Long live the captain!"
The cheerful uproar left Yemu and Enel a little dazed.
After all, they had lived in isolation for five years, completely cut off from the world. They hadn't felt this kind of energy in a long time—let alone at a party held just for them.
"So this... is what being a pirate feels like..."
Enel murmured to himself.
...
Under Gan Fall's lead, the group steered their Wavers to a wide, flat area. Night fell—and the banquet began…
…
Under the moonlit sky somewhere in Upper Yard, the bonfires blazed brightly. The aroma of malt wine drifted through the air, mingling with the tempting scent of grilled meat.
As the familiar rhythm of "Binks' Sake" rang out, the crew sang and drank together in high spirits.
Technically, this was Gan Fall's domain, but tonight, he seemed more like an outsider. It was the Roger Pirates who had taken over the scene, laughing, singing, and dancing like the true hosts of the island.
Enel had started off reserved, but surrounded by such warm and boisterous people, he quickly loosened up. Before long, he was completely drunk and showing off his Goro Goro no Mi powers, lightning crackling across his body.
The others cheered him on, eyes lit up with excitement.
Meanwhile, Yemu sat off to the side alone, quietly sipping juice and eating while watching the festivities.
Not far away, Roger and Rayleigh sat together, eyes fixed on Yemu. After finishing his drink, Roger asked, "What do you think of those two kids?"
Rayleigh thought for a moment before answering.
"The one named Enel... he's not so different from Shanks or the others. But that younger brother, Yemu—he's too calm and composed for a kid his age."
Roger nodded thoughtfully, his voice carrying a hint of meaning.
"I can't hear his heart, but I can feel it—this kid has ambition. Do you know why he came looking for us today?"
Rayleigh shook his head, and Roger, without holding back, drained his cup and said, "He wants me to teach him Haki."
It might sound simple, but for an eleven-year-old to meet the infamous Roger Pirates and ask for nothing but Haki training—it said everything about his hunger for power.
"Haki, huh? A kid that young already wanting to train in Haki? Even though he's got such a strong Devil Fruit…"
"Exactly. That's why he's not ordinary. What was I thinking about at his age? Wahahaha..."
Still, Rayleigh knew Roger wasn't laughing just because of that. Sure enough, Roger added:
"You know what he called me the moment we met?"
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Roger's answer made him freeze.
"The future Pirate King."
Rayleigh's eyes widened, and Roger continued, still smiling.
"He called me Pirate King, but there wasn't even a trace of awe in his eyes—just calm, like I was some ordinary guy. And he seemed to know... that I don't have much time left."
"...!!"
"Hahaha, maybe I'm just overthinking it," Roger said with a laugh. "After all, who in this world can really know the future?"
But Rayleigh couldn't brush it off. His expression grew serious. After a moment's thought, he abruptly stood and started walking toward Yemu.
Roger looked startled.
"Hey, Rayleigh, what are you doing? Wait..."
...
"Hey there, kid. How's it going?"
Rayleigh approached Yemu with a glass in hand and sat beside him. Roger quickly followed, flustered, but thankfully Rayleigh didn't press too hard.
"Everyone else is drinking—why are you sticking to juice?"
Yemu glanced sideways at him and replied casually.
"I'm still a minor. Besides, you're not staying in Skypiea for long, right? I don't want to waste my Haki training time by getting drunk."
Rayleigh was caught off guard. The boy's maturity, the calm in his gaze—he couldn't treat him like a child. Remembering what Roger had said, he finally couldn't hold back.
Still, under Roger's silent plea, he chose his words carefully.
"I... I have a friend who's seriously ill. I wanted to ask if you know of any way to cure him."
After saying that, Rayleigh waited, nervous and tense.
He swore—even when facing Rocks alongside Roger, he hadn't been this anxious.
Then, he saw Yemu shake his head.
"No."
Rayleigh's heart sank instantly. Even Roger's face showed a subtle change.
Even someone destined to become the Pirate King—if there was a way to live, who wouldn't choose it?
A fading hero was a tragic thing.
But then Yemu continued—and both men perked up again.
"I'm not a doctor, so I don't know how to treat diseases or save lives. But... there are three things in this world that might help. At the very least, they could slow it down..."