Chapter 21: The Sea Remembers Monsters
"Roger! The Rocks Pirates are at it again—big time!"
Silvers Rayleigh jogged across the deck, waving a freshly delivered newspaper in his hand. On the bow of the Oro Jackson, Gol D. Roger stood with his arms crossed, gazing out at the horizon beneath his straw hat.
"Oh? What kind of mess did Rocks make this time?" Roger asked as he took the paper from Rayleigh.
He scanned the headline.
"NAVY G-8 BASE ANNIHILATED—NO SURVIVORS."
Roger let out a low whistle. "Damn… this Rocks guy's really going for broke. Looks like he's sweeping through the New World."
Flipping to the next page, his eyes landed on a new bounty poster.
"Rockefeller Charlotte. Newly appointed Captain of the Eighth Division. 300 million Berries. Dead or alive."
Roger raised a brow. "Another monster joins their crew?"
Rayleigh leaned over his shoulder. The image showed Charlotte in mid-combat, a brutal clash of Conqueror's Haki captured on film. The sky itself looked torn.
"…He ripped the clouds apart with a stare. These rookies are getting wild," Rayleigh muttered.
"Haha! Let him rampage," Roger said with a grin, tossing the paper overboard. "We've got our own path to sail. The whole sea's waiting for us!"
"Ugh! That newspaper cost fifty Berries!" Rayleigh groaned as it fluttered into the wind. "Would it kill you to read them before throwing 'em overboard?"
"Who cares about that? C'mon, let's party! The Navy's licking its wounds again!"
Roger slung an arm around Rayleigh and shouted to the crew.
"BANQUET TIME!"
The crew erupted in cheers.
"Seriously?! That's your excuse for a feast?!" Rayleigh massaged his temples. "You're going to bankrupt us at this rate…"
As the first mate and treasurer of the Roger Pirates, Rayleigh knew just how tight their finances were. Unlike most pirate crews, they refused to plunder civilians. All their funds came from bounties and looting other pirates.
Which meant—they were always broke.
The world reeled from the destruction of G-8.
Countless eyes turned to the seas in fear.
But amidst the chaos, few noticed the true significance of the name Charlotte.
Only those who paid close attention to power shifts realized what it meant.
"Ugh…"
Charlotte groaned as sunlight pierced his eyelids.
He sat up, head pounding. The heavy stench of booze lingered in the air. Pirates snored around him, passed out across the docks like wreckage from a storm.
His throat was dry, his body sore.
"Boss? You awake?"
Ivan's voice came from nearby. He'd stayed by Charlotte's side through the night, eyes alert even as others slept.
Charlotte blinked. "Where…?"
"Still in the port. You passed out after a few cups."
Charlotte rubbed his aching forehead. His alcohol tolerance was garbage—he knew that. The fact he'd tried to keep up with Rocks' monsters was foolish in hindsight.
He looked around.
The village nearby was still intact. No smoke, no destruction.
"Is the town… okay?"
Ivan nodded. "Some pirates tried to go in. But the guy with the golden crescent beard stopped them."
"…Whitebeard?"
Charlotte's eyes widened.
He turned to where Ivan pointed.
There, aboard a massive ship, Edward Newgate sat at the edge of the deck, calmly drinking while watching the sunrise.
Charlotte approached.
"I—" he began.
"Don't thank me, brat."
Newgate didn't even turn his head. His tone was flat, but not unfriendly.
Charlotte swallowed the words stuck in his throat.
His awkward silence must've been obvious—because Newgate suddenly broke into booming laughter.
"GUHAHAHAHAHA!"
The sea itself seemed to shake.
The other pirates jolted awake.
"Damn it! Who the hell's laughing so loud?!"
One pirate looked up blearily—only to realize who he was yelling at.
"C-Captain?! I—I didn't mean—! Sorry, sir!"
Newgate ignored him entirely.
This was his ship. His crew.
His territory.
Floating above, Shiki drifted down from the sky like a golden ghost.
"Jihahaha! What's got you laughing this early, Newgate? Share the joke!"
Boom!
A punch shot from Newgate's arm like a cannon, aimed directly at Shiki.
"Don't touch my damn ship!"
Shiki blocked with crossed swords—his famed "Dead Tree Sakura"—deflecting the blow mid-air.
"Jihahaha! Getting fired up already? Maybe I should put you down a notch!"
Their clash crackled with tension.
"Run! Those two are about to go at it again!" someone shouted from the docks.
"The First Division and Second Division Captains are fighting!"
Every pirate within earshot scrambled to flee.
They knew what happened when monsters like these got serious.
Charlotte didn't hesitate—he grabbed Ivan and leapt off the ship.
Rocks was already awake, sitting before the remains of a campfire, staring into the glowing coals.
"Captain," Charlotte said, landing near him. "Aren't you going to stop them?"
He still wasn't used to calling Rocks that.
Rocks looked up at him, grinning.
"Why would I?"
Charlotte frowned.
"There's no rule against infighting on my crew," Rocks said coolly. "This ship sails on strength. If they want to beat the hell out of each other, let them."
His words were cold—but they rang with iron conviction.
Charlotte said nothing.
In his past life, he'd read about this.
The Rocks Pirates were more a warband than a crew—united by force, not loyalty. Rocks ruled through power and ambition alone. He didn't care if his subordinates tore each other apart—as long as he remained king.
And he was king.
The Navy couldn't touch him. Other pirates scattered before him. Even Roger avoided direct confrontation.
It was no wonder.
Rocks D. Xebec was the overlord of the New World.
And now…
Charlotte was one of his monsters.
******
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