One Piece: I'm not Roger

After fixing her appearance, Shyarly finally believed she looked presentable enough to face Aether again.

However, the moment she turned around and met his gaze, she instinctively retreated several meters in panic.

She clearly did not understand that, to some men, a woman dressed elegantly could appear even more alluring than when undressed.

Not daring to lower her guard, Shyarly immediately pulled the blanket tightly around herself before speaking seriously.

"Two days ago, I performed a divination for you."

"The vision I saw was terrifying."

"The sky split apart, a gigantic palm descended from the heavens and destroyed Fish-Man Island. Countless islands around the world were swallowed by flames, while strange looking humans carried out massacres everywhere."

"And the source of all those disasters… was you."

Aether's expression gradually turned serious.

The scene Shyarly described immediately made him think of a dangerous possibility.

Could the true threat be connected to his transmigration?

Perhaps some horrifying existence had followed him across worlds, something similar to the evil gods or outer gods described in other stories.

The thought instantly made Aether more cautious.

A rabbit repeatedly entering and leaving its burrow would eventually attract predators.

Maybe his repeated interference with fate had already drawn the attention of something dangerous.

Seeing Aether remain silent, Shyarly gathered her courage and continued.

"Is this the price of your resurrection?"

"Did you make some kind of agreement with an unknown entity?"

"…You really have an impressive imagination."

Aether looked speechless.

He raised his hand and lightly flicked her forehead.

"Stop overthinking nonsense. I have never cooperated with any strange existence."

"Though… the issue might be slightly related to something I did two days ago."

"I can simply abandon that plan, so relax. The future you saw will not happen."

Shyarly covered her forehead while staring at him in surprise.

She was not used to such casual intimacy.

Still, hearing Aether personally guarantee it eased the tension between them considerably.

At this point, she had little choice but to believe him anyway.

Not only had she failed to kill him, but even if she revealed the prophecy to others, very few people would truly believe her.

Fish-Man Island might treat it with caution, but the outside world would probably dismiss it entirely.

After hesitating for a moment, Shyarly quietly said:

"I… believe you."

"I just hope you never drag the world into destruction."

Aether immediately noticed the uncertainty hidden in her expression.

She still did not fully trust him.

Or rather, her fear of the prophecy was greater than her trust.

Without warning, Aether stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

The massive shark mermaid felt strangely comfortable to hold, almost like an oversized body pillow. Her smooth shark tail only made the situation more dangerous for a man's self control.

"When did you become someone who cares about saving the world?" Aether asked with amusement.

"I do not."

Shyarly turned her face away stubbornly.

"I only care about Fish-Man Island. Whether the surface world burns or not has nothing to do with me."

Seeing her timid resistance only made Aether grin mischievously.

The more prey struggled, the more it stimulated the hunter.

He pushed Shyarly back onto the bed and leaned closer.

"Really?"

"I do not believe that."

"Last night I was too drunk to properly enjoy Lady Shyarly's kindness. This time, let me personally experience just how noble your conscience truly is."

Shyarly's face instantly turned red.

"Do not come closer!"

Unfortunately for her, both of them were completely sober this time.

The warm atmosphere inside the Mermaid Cafe continued deep into the night.

…

6:00 AM, the following morning.

On Raina Island, sunlight pierced through the darkness as dawn slowly arrived.

As the frontline territory against the Big Mom Pirates, the island had already been transformed into a small fortress.

The civilians had long since evacuated.

Before the evacuation, Marco had personally negotiated with the townspeople, promising that they could return after the war ended.

Of course, whether the town would still exist by then was another matter entirely.

Fortunately, the Aether Pirates had agreed to fully cover all reconstruction costs afterward. Both sides had even signed future trade agreements before the evacuation.

Large flocks of seagulls circled above the coastline while pirate ships constantly moved through the harbor below.

The clear blue skies and peaceful weather made it hard to believe a massive war was about to erupt.

At this moment, Raina Island resembled a true military fortress.

More than twenty massive coastal defense cannons lined the shores, each one equipped with terrifying 800 millimeter artillery barrels capable of wiping out ordinary pirate ships instantly.

Their firepower rivaled Marine military fortifications.

This was part of the legacy left behind by Edward Newgate.

Even after Whitebeard's death, his territory still possessed the industrial capability to mass produce large scale coastal cannons.

Even the Beast Pirates and Donquixote Family lacked that level of manufacturing efficiency.

If Aether truly wished to enter the weapons business, he could easily seize a massive portion of the black market from both Donquixote Doflamingo and Kaido.

After an entire day of preparation, countless pirate ships finally appeared from the distant sea.

The harbor quickly became crowded with allied forces.

Including Marco's fleet, nineteen subordinate pirate crews had successfully assembled on Raina Island.

At the bustling port, Marco unexpectedly encountered a familiar face.

Byrnndi World.

"Byrnndi," Marco said in surprise, "didn't you leave to gather your former crew members? You returned pretty quickly."

The massive pirate burst into loud laughter.

"Hahaha! I had just reunited with my companions when I heard the Aether Pirates were preparing to fight the Big Mom Pirates."

"How could I possibly miss something this exciting?"

"Do not worry, my companions are reliable!"

Marco's expression became slightly strange as he looked behind Byrnndi World.

"Reliable… huh?"

It was not Marco trying to be rude.

The problem was that Byrnndi World's crew looked extremely old.

One man appeared to be over eighty years old.

Another looked to be in his seventies.

There was also an elderly woman nearing eighty.

The only member who still looked physically imposing was a middle aged hybrid between a giant and a fishman.

Seeing Marco's doubtful expression, the white haired old woman immediately became dissatisfied.

"Marco Boy!"

"How dare you underestimate me?"

"Back in my prime, I was the beauty of the seas! Charlotte Linlin could not compare to me at all!"

"In those days, even Roger, Whitebeard, Garp, and the Golden Lion were fascinated by me!"

Marco's mouth twitched awkwardly.

"I see… my apologies."

Naturally, he chose not to argue with the elderly.

Still, Marco understood that despite their age, these people had once been genuine monsters of the sea.

Byrnndi World's former crew had been infamous decades ago.

Byjack, the former first mate and Byrnndi's younger brother, had served as the strategist of the World Pirates despite possessing almost no combat ability.

Gairam, the shipwright and combatant, possessed the Cube Cube Fruit.

Sebastian, the blind half giant fishman, once possessed strength comparable to the Sweet Commanders or the All Stars.

Nightin, the elderly female doctor, had once been a famous pirate beauty skilled in martial arts and medicine.

Twenty years ago, this crew would absolutely have been considered terrifying.

The only question now was how much strength they still retained.

Suddenly, piercing alarms echoed across the island.

The enemy had arrived.

Everyone immediately looked toward the horizon.

More than twenty five pirate ships emerged from the sea, each one carrying powerful pirates from the New World.

Byrnndi World narrowed his eyes.

"It seems Charlotte Linlin is taking this seriously."

"Marco, who came here to support you?"

"Aether or Rayleigh?"

Marco calmly answered:

"Rayleigh-san."

"He is currently resting inside the fortress and waiting for Big Mom to appear."

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