Roger rushed out of the Captain's cabin and gave orders to the crew members on both sides of the ship.
The others who were fishing showed no resentment on their faces.
Some held a fishing rod in one hand while interacting with a photo of the Kuja Pirates' first mate in the other.
Others were head over heels for Gloriosa, treasuring her photo like a precious gem.
This was because photos of the Kuja Pirates could sell for astronomical prices.
The same applied to the free kraft paper bounty posters of the Kuja Pirates' Captain and first mate.
There were simply no bounty posters of them on the market; any posted on walls, bulletin boards, or tavern walls were torn down by people for their private collections.
One could only imagine how terrifying their fame and unfair beauty were.
"Who cares about you? I'm interacting with my little Shakky-chan."
Not a single crew member paid any attention to Roger, all busy with what was in their hands.
Rune walked out from the cabin holding a wine bottle and patted Roger on the shoulder.
"Hahaha, they won't be like this once we dock. They're just a bunch of grown men who don't have much entertainment besides banquets, fighting, and work."
Roger looked completely depressed.
"The fish count isn't enough yet; there are nearly thirty of us, Roger. I'm afraid the banquet will have to wait until dusk."
Barna, at his post with a fishing rod, responded to Roger alone.
"How about I go into the sea and catch a big one?" Rune suggested to the crowd.
As soon as he spoke, everyone's eyes snapped toward him with looks of total resistance, and they hurriedly waved their hands.
"Better not, Vice-Captain Lu En! Last time you and Vice-Captain Rayleigh made a bet and caught a sea beast, you almost destroyed the ship. It took me a long time to repair it!"
Bulmalin, a short middle-aged man on the deck holding a mop and wearing a yellow and black checkered jumpsuit, responded to Rune.
He was the shipwright of the Roger Pirates, responsible for the ship's repairs and maintenance.
"Alright, looks like there's nothing for us to do then." Rune sighed and shrugged, feeling somewhat helpless.
Sometimes, when power is too great, it can be a disaster if not properly controlled in daily life.
As everyone continued their work, Jabba quickly ran to Rune's side from the deck.
"Hey, Rune, teach me some tricks. How do you get women to fall for you on their own?"
Jabba nudged Rune with his knuckles, asking for advice with great curiosity.
"That doesn't seem like something that can be learned, Jabba. Your skills with women are already so good, you don't need to learn anything," Rune responded after taking a sip of wine.
"Haha, you can't learn it, Jabba." Roger, overhearing from the side, smiled at Jabba.
"This guy was born to be liked by women; it's been that way since he was a kid."
Rune clinked his wine bottle with Roger's and took another drink.
"Since he was a kid?" Jabba felt incredibly surprised. "You've gotta be kidding me."
"Besides," Rune put his left hand on Jabba's shoulder, "you don't need me to teach you at all. I actually want you to teach me."
"Huh?" Jabba froze in place, not understanding what Rune meant.
He should teach Rune?
Even though Rune was now 36 years old, with a face full of stubble and messy short hair, he still looked quite handsome.
Men, women, young, and old—everyone liked his kind of handsomeness.
He looked gently handsome when calm, wildly and boldly handsome when laughing, and extremely secure and handsome when serious.
What could he possibly teach him?
In Jabba's eyes, this was a natural 'woman-attracting' Saintly Body, and his strength was also exceptionally powerful.
Little did he know, what Rune wanted to ask was how Jabba would have children with a female giant in the future.
Just standing in front of Linlin, Rune felt like a dwarf, and a female giant would be once or twice the size of Linlin.
The thought of a human having a child with a female giant gave Rune endless room for imagination, making him break out in goosebumps.
"You two... one is great at actively flirting, and the other has women throwing themselves into his arms..." Roger stared at the two, suddenly getting a bit angry and pouting.
"Why can't I... make Shakky fall in love with me? When the Kuja Pirates left just now, Shakky even winked at that blockhead Rayleigh... Wait...!"
Thinking of this, Roger's emotions suddenly exploded, and he pointed at Rayleigh.
"You're the one who's the most suspicious, Rayleigh!!"
"Huh?" Rayleigh, caught in the crossfire, stood on the lower deck with a look of confusion.
"What did I do now? Don't talk nonsense, Roger."
"I saw it before Garp and Zephyr arrived! Why did Shakky wink at you?!
Quick, tell me, when exactly did things progress between you two!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere on the oro jackson became like a Shura Hell, as everyone focused their resentful gazes on Rayleigh.
"Sigh... here we go again." Rune walked toward the Captain's cabin, not forgetting to pat Roger on the back.
"I'm going back to drink."
He entered the room and closed the door. Within ten seconds, the sound of punching and kicking erupted on the deck outside.
Daily life on the oro jackson was like this; Rune was almost used to it.
If this were any other pirate crew, any member who dared to treat their Captain or first mate with such an attitude would definitely be hanged by the next day.
"Sigh." Rune returned to the wine crates and sat cross-legged on the floor.
"A Captain with no dignity—that only happens on your ship, Roger."
A moment later, Rayleigh dragged in the mobbed Roger, leaving one person on the deck to supervise the others.
"Those bastards, I'm the Captain! Rayleigh, how could you just stand there and watch me get beaten!"
Roger lay on the ground, his bruised and swollen face comparable to Rune's earlier. However, such minor injuries would fade quickly.
"Everyone likes Gloriosa and Shakky. You brought this on yourself, so don't you deserve it?"
Rayleigh tossed Roger onto the floor in front of Rune, then sat down cross-legged and picked up a bottle of wine.
It was rum, and not a very expensive brand either.
"It's been 15 years, Roger. It wasn't easy for us to pull together so many partners." Rayleigh took a large swig of wine and said with satisfaction.
"Do you guys remember that news from a year ago?"
"A year ago?" Rune thought for a moment. It seemed a major event had indeed happened a year ago, but he had slightly forgotten.
"The disappearing non-affiliated nations. They said they were hit by natural disasters, and the entire countries and their civilians were submerged by the sea. Even the islands vanished."
Rayleigh remembered it clearly and told the two.
Hearing this, Roger immediately sat up, his expression exceptionally serious.
"Yeah, I remember. In the 15 years since we've been at sea, it seems like a similar event happens every three years.
Super tsunamis swallowing countries, meteor strikes, rising sea levels, massive earthquakes, and the like."
"Don't you find it strange?" Rayleigh's gaze suddenly became serious as he glanced at Roger and Rune.
"It's always the same kind of report. Is there something fishy going on?"
Rune didn't speak for a moment, only furrowing his brows. He, of course, knew why those countries disappeared.
It was all the work of the Celestial Dragons' massacre competition games.
Zephyr had been a bit off when they fought just now.
Unlike before, Rune could clearly feel that he was lost. Even his punches were hesitant, no longer pure.
Perhaps it was because the massacres a year ago had caused dissatisfaction within the Marine, Rune guessed.
After all, the Celestial Dragons' massacre games would have many Marine guards.
"What's wrong, Rune? Do you know something?" Rayleigh noticed Rune's serious expression.
"It's just a bit strange. Fighting Zephyr this time, he said some very odd things to me, as if he had encountered something difficult to get through."
"Zephyr? Even him?" Roger found it somewhat unbelievable.
"That guy always has 'I am Z!' on the tip of his tongue. Can he get lost too?"
"Idiot!" Rayleigh slapped Roger and scolded him.
"The Marine is different from us. Although we have it hard too, Zephyr and the others maintain the basic order of the sea. They see much more than we do in some areas!"
"True, for example... death." Rune agreed with Rayleigh's words and added.
"Even though we're enemies, after all these years, a friendship has been forged through fighting. Many things in this world are very dark."
Roger rubbed his chin. He didn't just let their words pass by; instead, he thought for a while. Based on his many years of exploration experience, he felt the world must have some secret.
"Hey, Rune, Rayleigh, let Lovengu find some information on the Final Island. We'll set off after resupplying at Walwick! Let's go and see what secrets lie in that place where no one has set foot for centuries!"
Rune looked at Roger. The Final Island he spoke of was the 'Mercury Fairy Island' currently recorded on maps, located at the end of the New World.
While the true Final Island was Raftel, Roger hadn't reached it yet and hadn't given it the name 'Raftel'.
Now Rune's curiosity was piqued as well. What exactly was that so-called greatest treasure?
Why would it cause the Roger Pirates to disband?
Why did everyone choose a life of seclusion after seeing the greatest treasure, no longer stepping into world affairs?
"There must be something. It would be stranger if this world didn't have secrets!" Rayleigh had the same intuition as Roger.
The three of them chatted about the future and recent events on the sea... Soon, dusk fell, and the sea was dyed in a flowing gold and orange-red.
On the deck of the oro jackson, all members of the Roger Pirates gathered, dancing at a great grilled fish banquet, the scent of wine and grilled meat spreading.
Roger, Rayleigh, and Jabba were brawling in front of a self-made bonfire, not using Haki, every punch hitting home.
The crowd cheered, even betting their future money on who would fall first.
Rune, holding a grilled fish, stood behind the crowd, his back to them as he gazed at the horizon, watching the last tenderness of the sunset fall into the sea.
There was no doubt that as long as Roger didn't hold back, the one standing at the end would be him; Rune didn't doubt that for a second.
"What are you thinking about, Vice-Captain Lu En?" Marcus came to his side with a fresh grilled fish.
"How does the grilled fish taste?"
"It tastes great! I was thinking... if Linlin pursues me, how should I run?"
"Hahaha!" Marcus laughed loudly at the words. "Who told you your physique was so special, first mate? Linlin values that about you, which is why she wants to... pfft..."
"Maybe... a child born with her would have a lot of security..." Rune smirked, joking, but also a bit curious.
Linlin was very beautiful now, at 28 years old; her looks and figure were both excellent!
He could definitely go through with it, and it would be a good chance to challenge his soft spot.
But as soon as these words were spoken, everyone at the banquet was shocked, taking them as truth.
Some sprayed wine into the air, and some had fish stuck in their throats, unable to swallow.
"What did you say!" The brawl between Roger, Jabba, and Rayleigh stopped instantly. They all ran to him, grabbed his neck, and shook him frantically.
"You want a child?!"
"I'm a man! It's perfectly normal to want a child in the future, okay!"
"You want to have a child with Linlin?!"
..."}],