"Roman, let's go."
It sounds long, but actually, only a few seconds had passed since Roman started walking out of the tavern.
Luffy and Zoro also walked out. Since Luffy said not to fight these guys, Roman just dodged and took the hits, easily dealing with these lackeys.
As for standing there and letting the other side insult him because he didn't want to argue, Roman didn't care since he didn't want to be an Emperor or the Pirate King.
"It seems there's no information about 'Sky Island' here..."
Facing Luffy's words, this time no one dared to laugh. The officers of the Bellamy Pirates, who were being helped out of the tavern, and Bellamy, who was lying in the ruins, were the best deterrents!
"Gahaha, the cherry pie here is indeed delicious."
Sitting on the street, eating takeout, Blackbeard looked at Luffy walking out of the tavern and had a strange feeling of seeing 'himself'.
"Those guys' so-called 'new era' is just a pile of crap!"
"You—"
"Big Knife" Sarquiss wanted to step forward and teach this arrogant guy a lesson, but seeing Roman unharmed and Bellamy crawling up with a twisted arm, he decided to be a 'wise man'!
A wise man knows when to retreat, so he decided to leave and recover first.
"What do you mean the era of pirates seeking treasure is over! Gahaha~~"
Facing Luffy, Zoro, and Roman, Blackbeard placed the bottle on the ground. Despite his rotten teeth, wearing the cheapest sailor clothes, eating the cheapest cherry pie, and drinking the cheapest rum, his arrogant aura was like a monster swirling and soaring in the eyes of the three, devouring everything!
"Human dreams—"
"Will never end!!!"
Facing Blackbeard's words, Luffy just looked at him seriously. — Instead of running up laughing as usual.
"Am I right?"
"As long as you set your goal, let others laugh if they want, as long as you achieve—"
"You and I," Luffy looked seriously at the man sitting on the ground, interrupting him.
"Are different!"
...
"Is that so?"
As Blackbeard stood up, his over three-meter-tall imposing figure loomed over them.
"It seems I disturbed you,"
He glanced at Roman, left a meaningful remark, and turned away.
"You have a 'good' crew member."
"If only we could go, Sky Island!" He turned and left cleanly, drinking the cheap wine as he walked.
"Today's wine is especially good~~~ Gahaha!"
---
As Blackbeard turned and left, the serious-faced Luffy, Zoro, and Roman also walked in the opposite direction.
And the street that served as the battlefield? Soon, professional undertakers, cleaners, and builders would restore it to its original state. It was just a fight, after all. Apart from the fact that the losing side was the 'Bellamy Pirates', which would give the pirates a few days of gossip, it was no different from any other day.
Living in drunken dreams, indulging in wanton pleasures, and then, after spending the last coin in their pockets, they would set sail with red eyes and knives in hand, continuing their plundering!
Is this the so-called 'new era' of pirates? Just a bunch of pitiful wretches...
"Roman, that big guy just now—"
Walking silently out of town, Roman first had his paper cranes scout the surroundings to make sure no one else was around before slowly speaking in response to Luffy's question:
"Marshall D. Teach."
"That big guy's name just now, he also has a nickname, 'Blackbeard'."
After a pause, Roman added.
"He's the captain of those 'masters' I mentioned! A true top-tier expert. Stronger than all the enemies we've encountered combined! —Even a fully-powered Crocodile..."
"Yeah, I know."
After leaving the town, Luffy's expression gradually softened.
"He's strong! I'm no match for him."
"Right,"
Zoro, who was also stern-faced, nodded.
"I also feel like I'm no match for him."
...A very accurate judgment, no wonder Luffy and Zoro were silent all the way. But:
Of course, he is the future Yonko, after all. —And unlike the newly-sailing Straw Hat crew, he had been lurking on Whitebeard's ship for decades! A top-tier expert with 100% mastery of all three types of Haki.
Blackbeard's overall strategy for becoming the strongest, his daring and decisive style, his willingness to run when facing strong enemies, and his broad-minded attitude when facing setbacks, both his mentality and strength are top-notch!
"Anyway, he's a very dangerous person."
But it seems Roman was overthinking it. Blackbeard had only shown a bit of his 'true self', and Luffy and Zoro had already sensed his strength. That's good, only pressure can create motivation...
———————
"Hey, why do you three look like you've seen a ghost?"
When the three returned to the Going Merry, their unusual expressions caught Nami's attention.
"Did you encounter something?"
Encounter something? Encounter a 'monster'—someone who could eat two Devil Fruits without exploding, and even planned to eat a third. Luffy's future formidable enemy, the infamous Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach...
Roman remembered that Blackbeard was rumored to have two sisters, and the iron rule of this world is that a person can only eat one Devil Fruit, so there was always a theory in his previous life that Blackbeard was created by the previous 'Munch-Munch Fruit' user!
That's why he doesn't need to sleep, he can withstand additional Devil Fruits, and he immediately went to destroy Drum Island after defecting...
But!
What does this have to do with Roman?
Blackbeard's ambition, whether it's overthrowing the Celestial Dragons, ruling the world, or any other crazy thing, doesn't matter. — Roman just needs to ensure the safety of the Straw Hat crew. As for whether the 'plot' will develop as it originally did, Roman will fully support Luffy in defeating Blackbeard if it comes to that. For now—
"Our main goal is to reach the Sky Island as ordered by the captain."
---
"Hey, why do the three of you look so serious?"
When Nico Robin, dressed in black leather, returned, she saw three serious faces.
"It's nothing, we just encountered a... monster."
Roman waved his hand, not wanting to discuss the topic further. "Robin, did you find anything?"
"Yes,"
When it comes to gathering intelligence, no one in the Straw Hat crew is better than Nico Robin. Although Roman can use paper cranes for full-map surveillance, paper cranes can't ask questions or gather information...
"This is a map of the island of Jaya."
Nico Robin, now in black leather pants and jacket, took out a map, instantly catching Luffy's attention.
"Is it a treasure map?"
"...I said it's a map." Robin pointed to the other side of the island on the map, corresponding to the eastern coast opposite 'Mock Town' where they were. There was an '×' marked there.
"An old man named 'Montblanc Cricket' lives here, exiled from Jaya."
"He's a dreamer, and it's said he has information about Sky Island."
Robin smiled at Luffy as she spoke.
"You should get along well with him~"
----
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