"Boss Shiki, the Roger Pirates don't seem to agree with our proposal. They said they have no interest in ruling the world—they just want to adventure freely."
A subordinate in a black suit approached, holding up a Den Den Mushi.
"What? How dare he!"
Shiki's golden lion-like mane of hair bristled, a clear sign of his foul mood.
He glared fiercely at the subordinate delivering the report and demanded.
"Where is Roger's pirate crew right now? I'm going to find them and give him one last chance. If he refuses me to my face, I'll tear him to shreds."
Conqueror's Haki erupted continuously from the Golden Lion, spreading in all directions.
The pirates who had barely survived the earlier test all knelt on the ground, submitting to his overwhelming aura.
However, a few pirates, unable to bear the terrifying pressure, couldn't help but mutter something they shouldn't have.
Golden Lion suddenly turned his head, his gloomy eyes scanning these individuals.
"Jihahahaha! So there are still those who hold grievances against me? How amusing."
"Boss, we—"
Before the kneeling pirates could even beg for mercy, a golden Sword Beam shot forth from Golden Lion's left hand.
It instantly appeared before the pirates, its sharp and overwhelmingly domineering force tearing through their bodily defenses in a flash, shredding their clothes and weapons into dust along with them.
That Sword Beam, after piercing through the pirates' bodies, continued downward, only stopping after barely slicing through the Floating Island.
Shiki laughed triumphantly, "Roger, anything I cannot possess, I will destroy."
"The Edd sea is the burial ground I've chosen for you!"
...
Meanwhile, the Roger Pirates remained unaware they were being targeted.
They were still immersed in the joy of their journey.
"Captain Roger, let's have a fight!"
A tall, robust young man enthusiastically invited Roger to spar.
He was none other than Douglas Bullet, known as the Demon Heir.
A powerhouse born in a war-torn nation, possessing the power of the Gasha Gasha no Mi.
Initially, he had joined the Roger Pirates precisely because Roger was strong.
But as Roger's health continued to decline due to his incurable illness, the opportunities for Bullet to fight him grew fewer and fewer.
"Bullet, let Roger rest a bit longer. If you're bored, I'll spar with you."
A swordsman with golden hair, glasses, and an exceptionally elegant demeanor stepped forward.
Silvers Rayleigh, later known as the Dark King and the right-hand man of the Pirate King.
That name alone represented a legend.
However, when Bullet saw Rayleigh, his interest wasn't focused on him.
Because earlier, when Rayleigh fought on Roger's behalf, Bullet had already essentially fought him to a standstill. Thus, there was no meaning in a battle between the two of them.
But Roger was different—Roger's strength was more than enough to overwhelm Douglas Bullet.
This was why Douglas Bullet, despite possessing immense power, willingly stayed on Roger's ship: his goal was to defeat Roger and become the world's strongest.
"Bullet is at it again. Even though he can't beat the Captain, why does he insist on fighting?"
Buggy couldn't understand it at all.
Moreover, he couldn't relate to Bullet's relentless drive to grow stronger.
In his view, the purpose of being a pirate was to search for all kinds of treasures.
As for strength, having enough to protect oneself was sufficient—there was no need for overwhelming power.
In contrast, the equally young Shanks looked on with admiration and said:
"Bullet is really amazing. In such a short time, he's already able to fight Vice Captain Rayleigh evenly."
"I wonder when I'll reach Bullet's level."
The young Shanks yearned to become strong.
He desired the title of the world's strongest that Bullet aspired to, and he also wanted the carefree, meaningful journey that Roger embodied.
"Shanks, instead of training, why not come with me to dig for treasure? I recently got my hands on a few old treasure maps. Want to go check them out?"
Buggy pulled a few tattered, ancient maps from his chest.
Based on his two and a half years of experience, these maps were definitely the real deal.
Getting his hands on them was a stroke of luck.
If the Roger Pirates hadn't docked in the Water 7 area for a stop, Buggy would have sneaked off long ago to secretly dig for treasure.
Noticing Bullet's disappointment, Roger turned to him and comforted him:
"Sorry, Bullet. Recently, the doctor said I shouldn't engage in intense physical activity. But once I'm a bit better, we can have our match."
"Right now, what's more important is that guy contacted me, saying he wants to form an alliance with us."
"That guy—I knew it back then. He's just like Rocks, still dreaming of ruling the world."
Hearing the conversation, Silvers Rayleigh walked over and said, "Back at God Valley, the Rocks Pirates had Shiki, Edward Newgate, and Charlotte Linlin under their command."
"Back when they were all together, they were like a scattered mess. They were crushed by our combined forces with the Marines, and in the end, Rocks D. Xebec, the captain of the Rocks Pirates, fell at God Valley."
"That guy Shiki—does he really think he's so much stronger than Rocks? He doesn't have the brutal force the Rocks Pirates had back then."
To be honest, Rayleigh wasn't particularly afraid of Shiki either, because the Roger Pirates now were gathering formidable fighters.
Even Shiki couldn't boast arrogantly in front of the Roger Pirates.
"Yeah, what we have now is just fine—searching for treasure and exploring."
Buggy's words lightened the mood and made everyone laugh.
"Buggy's right! It's just the Golden Lion! If he comes to capture people, we must give him a shock!"
Scopper Gaban, the left-hand man of the Pirate King, emerged from the cabin at this moment and said to Buggy.
"We'll prepare to go ashore soon. We'll stay there for three days, replenish our supplies fully, and then leave this place."
With these words from the Pirate King Roger, the crew seemed to find their backbone, and everyone proactively carried out their respective tasks.