Chapter 42: Both Island
As the ship drew near, the view of Both Island gradually came into focus.
It resembled a quaint medieval town, complete with a small harbor and wooden docks.
"Hey! That's Lord Rocks' ship!!"
"Huh? Wasn't Lord Rocks chasing the Roger Pirates?"
"Don't tell me Roger's already been defeated!"
"Well, of course! This is Lord Rocks we're talking about!"
The islanders were already weaving their own narratives, causing Rocks—who was standing at the helm—to look a little awkward.
Still, he said nothing. As a man who aimed to rule the New World, he had the dignity to ignore such chatter.
"Hahaha! To welcome our new crewmates, let's have a feast!" Rocks declared.
"Yes, Captain!"
"A feast! A feast!"
A chorus of rowdy voices echoed in agreement.
Soon, the crew disembarked and made their way toward the central square of the town.
Walking down the street, Luo Han observed the calm, orderly life of the islanders.
It seemed that over the past four years, the Rocks Pirates had truly begun to stabilize the region and win over the hearts of the people.
If things continued this way, perhaps… Rocks might really achieve his dream.
But—the God Valley Incident must be getting close now.
"Han-ge! The houses here are so pretty… but they're so small!" Cole said.
"What did you expect? Not everyone's your size," Luo Han replied.
"People here are about my height, so they build houses accordingly.
But someday, we'll build a giant one on Ring Tree Island, haha."
"Yeah! A big one!" Cole grinned.
"Hey, Cole, right? What a magnificent body. Why don't you come under me?" Big Mom (Charlotte Linlin) suddenly asked.
Staring up at the figure even taller than her, she was clearly pleased with what she saw.
"Um… no thanks. I'm only following Han-ge," Cole answered instinctively, unsure what his size had to do with anything—but he didn't like the feeling.
Still, Luo Han winced at the phrasing—"only following me"? That could be easily misunderstood.
He noticed Kaido and the others giving him strange looks. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"Linlin, Cole's still young. His body isn't fully developed yet—he needs time to grow," Luo Han said.
Subtext: he's not ready for any... baby-making activities.
Naturally, Luo Han—forever single—was a little sensitive about these things.
Then again, Big Mom's child-bearing reputation might've left too strong an impression.
"Mamama! He can still grow? Then I'll wait till he's ready," Linlin said, clearly excited by the thought. No rush—after all, they were all on the same ship now.
"Haha! Linlin, how about me instead? I'm way stronger than this big oaf!" Ochoku (Wang Zhi)joked.
"Your body's too weak. I'm not interested," Linlin dismissed.
"You…! Tch."
Ochoku (Wang Zhi)grumbled but didn't press it—Linlin was already incredibly powerful.
"Hahaha!"
The whole crew burst into laughter.
Luo Han and Cole continued toward the town square, choosing not to stir up trouble with Ochoku (Wang Zhi). It wasn't the right time to act recklessly.
But Luo Han did take note. Ochoku (Wang Zhi)was officially the first person to call Cole a "big dumb oaf."
Soon, the feast began in the square.
Boom! Boom! Whole roasted boars were set onto long banquet tables, followed by barrels of rum.
Luo Han and Cole picked a random spot to sit down.
Glug glug! Rocks downed his drink in one long swig.
"Hahaha! My plan is nearly complete!" he said.
"The New World will soon belong to the Rocks Pirates, hahahaha!"
"Is that so, Captain Rocks?" Captain John asked nearby.
"Then the great treasure must be close too, huh?"
Everyone turned their attention to Rocks. Even Whitebeard was listening carefully.
"Haha! That treasure… I've nearly found it. But not yet. Be patient," Rocks said.
"Well, we'll be waiting for your good news, Captain!" John replied.
"Haha! Don't worry about that," Rocks said.
"But… these past two years, Roger's crew has been a thorn in my side.
They must be eliminated. Otherwise, the world won't recognize our dominance of the New World."
Rocks frowned. The Roger Pirates were just too good at running away—and they always seemed to get help from natural disasters.
Like the most recent case—Rocks had nearly caught them, when a sudden storm split their ships apart.
That storm had pushed the Rocks Pirates off-course, landing them at Ring Tree Island—and into Luo Han and Cole's lives.
Roger escaped once again.
But this time, Rocks was determined to accelerate his domination of the New World.
"Captain Rocks, let me lead a team to hunt down Roger," Whitebeard said.
He preferred chasing Roger to conquering more islands.
"Newgate, huh? Sure—I was planning to split the crew anyway," Rocks replied.
"Newgate and Shiki will lead the pursuit of Roger.
The rest of you will go conquer the remaining islands in the New World that haven't submitted yet."
Split the crew, huh? Luo Han looked at Charlotte Linlin, Ochoku (Wang Zhi), and the others.
"Captain Rocks, Cole and I will go with Newgate to chase the Roger Pirates," Luo Han said. He figured Whitebeard was the most trustworthy option.
"Fine. Team up however you want," Rocks replied.
"Now, let's continue the feast."
Large bites of meat, big gulps of rum—this lifestyle wasn't so bad.
At least Cole was thrilled. Judging by the stack of dishes in front of him—now just as tall as him—it was clear he was in heaven.
"Han-ge! This meat is delicious!" Cole mumbled, cheeks full and eyes gleaming.
Like a child discovering food for the first time, Luo Han thought.
"It really is," he said, popping another bite of pork into his mouth. Delicious!
After eighteen years of eating nothing but fish cakes and dried fish, this was practically a revelation.
He and Cole quickly fell under the spell of roasted pork.
After a while—
Huff! Huff! Both let out a satisfied breath.
So full. So good.
"Hey! You two! I'm talking to you!" Whitebeard called out.
"What is it?" Luo Han replied.
Cole looked over, confused.
"We're heading out to chase Roger soon. You two better not drag us down, or I'll toss you overboard for the Sea Kings!" Whitebeard warned.
Luo Han narrowed his eyes.
"Haha! Don't worry, Newgate. Cole and I can hold our own."
Tch. Add Whitebeard to the mental list. Another one for the notebook, Luo Han thought.
"Haha! That's what I like to hear. Just don't end up crying after taking a beating!" Whitebeard chuckled.
"Hey, brats! Want to come aboard my ship instead?" Golden Lion Shiki chimed in.
Luo Han blinked. Was he seriously trying to poach crew members right in front of Rocks?
But Rocks didn't seem to care, and the rest of the crew acted like it was perfectly normal.
(END CHAPTER)
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