Chapter 137
"Captain!"
The sea roared violently as the pirate ship cleaved through towering waves. Standing firm upon the deck, Gol D. Roger and his crew endured the onslaught of the raging storm.
"We can't keep this up! The storm's not weakening! The hull's already taken damage—we need to find land and resupply immediately!"
At the helm, the navigator Donquino wrestled with the wheel. His masterful seamanship allowed the Oro Jackson to sail recklessly through the tempest, but no skill could prevent the sea from battering the ship's body. Wave after wave crashed mercilessly against the hull.
Though the Oro Jackson had been constructed from the finest materials, even she had limits.
More importantly, they had been at sea for over ten days.
Food was manageable.
Fresh water was not.
Their rum had already been drained dry after four consecutive nights of feasting, and fresh water simply could not be stored indefinitely. Their reserves were running dangerously low.
No matter how powerful men were, they could not rival nature itself.
The storm swallowed the Roger Pirates whole. Trying to maintain a precise course amid such disaster was little more than a fantasy.
After a grueling night, they finally forced their way out of the storm's range. Soaked to the bone, Roger collapsed at the bow—
Just as Silvers Rayleigh, who had climbed the lookout mast, shouted down with invigorating news.
"Roger! There's an island ahead! Not far from here!"
Cheers erupted across the deck.
The crew rushed to the ship's side, and sure enough—the faint outline of land appeared on the horizon.
There was no hesitation.
And no other option.
The Oro Jackson pushed forward at full power toward the island.
Whether this detoured them from their intended route—
That could be worried about later.
Buru Buru… Buru Buru…
Early the next morning, Roldy was awakened by the incessant ringing of a Den Den Mushi.
A flicker of irritation crossed his eyes. Suppressing the urge to crush the snail outright, he answered the call.
"Roldy, brat! Awake yet? Never mind, doesn't matter. Get to the conference room—now!"
It was Shiki the Golden Lion.
His tone was urgent.
Shiki knew Roldy's routine. He should have known Roldy was asleep at this hour—yet he had called anyway.
Roldy rose, pulled a sealed bottle of red wine from the refrigerator, tore out the cork with brute force, and downed it in a single gulp.
The icy liquid cleared his mind.
After a brief moment of thought, the corner of his mouth lifted.
"Gahahahaha… That kind of urgency from Shiki… It's been half a month. They're finally here!!!"
All traces of drowsiness vanished, replaced by bone-deep excitement.
He threw on his clothes and vanished toward the conference room at astonishing speed.
A pirate who had just stepped out to begin patrol was suddenly caught in a violent gust of wind, spinning in place several times before staggering upright. Dazed, he looked around—
Only to glimpse Roldy's lightning-like silhouette disappearing in a trail of dust.
The conference room doors were flung open.
Inside sat Shiki, along with three core executives of the Golden Lion Pirates, and fifteen captains—each commanding one of their fifteen large pirate ships.
"Vice Captain Roldy!"
Aside from Shiki, all eighteen men and women stood and bowed respectfully.
Roldy ignored them.
He strode directly to his seat—to Shiki's right.
"Jihahahaha! You're quick, brat. Looks like you've been waiting for this."
Shiki laughed heartily, cigar clenched between his teeth, tossing one toward Roldy.
Roldy had no mood to savor nicotine.
The moment he sat down, he demanded:
"Shiki! Is there news of the Roger Pirates? Has that bastard finally shown himself? Where are they? Tell me—I'll crush them myself!"
Everyone present knew of Roldy's grudge against the Roger Pirates.
Truth be told, Shiki greatly admired Roger. He had once entertained the idea of recruiting him.
But he could not ignore the presence of Roldy at his side.
One year had already passed since their agreement. Roldy would remain loyal for four more.
And in Shiki's eyes—
Those four years were worth more than a single Roger.
If he couldn't recruit him—
Then Roger would have to be eliminated.
After all, a monster like that sailing freely across the seas was an eyesore.
In the New World—
Shiki was the undisputed sovereign.
"Jihahahaha! No need to rush. Podica, since you uncovered the Roger Pirates' location, brief everyone."
A striking woman in her thirties stood.
Curvaceous and elegant in appearance, yet her epithet betrayed her true nature.
Her name was Podica.
One of the fifteen captains of the Golden Lion Pirates.
With a bounty of 320,000,000 Berries, she bore the alias "Blood Thorn."
A ruthless figure.
"Captain Shiki, Vice Captain Roldy, everyone present—according to our intelligence, the Roger Pirates have entered our sphere of influence."
"They've anchored near the Edd War Sea Area, on a small island with only a few hundred residents. Based on reports, their ship likely encountered the recent storm that swept through the region. They're currently resupplying there."
As Podica detailed the situation, Roldy pieced everything together.
Blown off course by a storm?
It didn't matter.
If he remembered correctly, the island she mentioned lay in the southeastern edge of their territory.
Not exactly close.
But if they moved quickly…
"Then what are we waiting for?" Shiki slammed his hand on the table.
"They entered our territory without so much as a greeting. We cannot let them leave alive!"
His decision was immediate.
"This time—I'll show the entire world the might of my flying armada!"
Every operation of the Golden Lion Pirates was executed with full force.
They never left troops behind to guard their base.
Because—
Their base could fly.
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