Faced with Buggy's sudden burst of speed, Shirakawa was caught off guard. He had underestimated Buggy based on their earlier scuffle.
Seeing the dagger hurtling towards him, Shirakawa knew he couldn't dodge. He could only try to block it. The onlookers showed no intention of intervening. After all, they were pirates, and injuries were commonplace. Some even grinned, eager to see Shirakawa humiliated. Roger shook his head slightly, disappointed by Shirakawa's apparent lack of skill.
"Go, Buggy! Beat that pretty boy!" someone cheered.
Shirakawa tuned out the noise, focusing on the impending attack. Suddenly, his expression changed from fear to a confident smirk. He straightened his back and extended a hand.
"Is he crazy? He's going to try and catch the dagger? Does he think he's Kaido?" someone scoffed.
But just as the words left their mouth, a white light enveloped Shirakawa.
"Finally getting serious?" Roger's interest was piqued. He wanted to see what Shirakawa was capable of. They all assumed Shirakawa had a Devil Fruit power, otherwise how could he have survived falling from the sky unharmed?
Just as Buggy's dagger was about to strike Shirakawa's palm, a translucent, slightly white shield materialized, blocking the attack.
"What?" Buggy exclaimed, surprised by the sudden change. He hadn't noticed Shirakawa's shift in demeanor and didn't expect him to have a Devil Fruit ability.
"Look! The giant sword is back!" someone shouted.
Everyone, including Shirakawa, looked up.
"Is that really the Silver King's Sword of Damocles?" Shirakawa wondered.
He was now convinced that he had inherited the Silver King's power, or perhaps he was the Silver King himself.
The Sword of Damocles shone brightly against the night sky.
"Alright, that's enough," Roger declared. "You've proven your strength. You can join my crew as an apprentice."
"Thank you, Captain," Shirakawa said.
The light around him faded, and the Sword of Damocles disappeared. The crew members sighed in relief. Having a giant sword hanging overhead was unsettling.
"But, Captain, I haven't lost yet!" Buggy protested. Accepting Shirakawa would mean admitting defeat.
"I know," Roger said. "But if you keep fighting, you'll lose eventually."
"Why?" Buggy asked, confused.
"Your strength can't break through his ability. If you keep fighting, you'll tire out and lose."
"But you did well, Buggy. You're a worthy member of my crew," Roger added.
Buggy's disappointment vanished at his captain's praise, but he still held a grudge against Shirakawa. "I'll get you back for this," he thought.
"Alright, boy," Roger turned to Shirakawa. "Your current strength isn't enough. Rayleigh, can you train him?"
"No problem," Rayleigh replied, taking a swig from his wine bottle. "Teaching one is the same as teaching two."
"Thank you, Captain! I'll train hard under the First Mate!" Shirakawa exclaimed, thrilled at the prospect of learning from Rayleigh. If he couldn't get stronger with this opportunity, he might as well give up.
He wondered if his Silver King power would prevent him from growing stronger. That would be a major setback.
Rayleigh was already training Shanks, so adding Shirakawa wouldn't be an issue. Shirakawa was older and might learn slower, but Rayleigh didn't mind. He would guide them, but their progress was up to them.
Buggy, on the other hand, wasn't suited for training. He lacked discipline and gave up easily. As long as Buggy remained on the ship, Roger would ensure his safety.
"I'll leave him in your care then," Roger said.
The crew dispersed, except for a still-pouting Buggy.
"Shanks, take the newcomer around and introduce him to everyone," Roger said.
"Aye aye, Captain," Shanks replied.
He approached Shirakawa and patted his shoulder. "Let's go. I'll show you around. We'll be crewmates from now on."
"Okay," Shirakawa said.
"I'm Shanks," the red-haired boy introduced himself.
"I'm Shirakawa."
"I know," Shanks grinned.
Shanks led Shirakawa around, introducing him to the key members of the Roger Pirates. He skipped some of the newer members, as he didn't know all of them himself.
Everyone greeted Shirakawa warmly, except for one person: Douglas Bullet.
According to Shanks, Bullet was a monster, even stronger than Rayleigh. He had a Devil Fruit power and was known as the "Heir of the Devil."
Shirakawa vaguely remembered Bullet from a One Piece movie. He had the power to combine objects and had overwhelmed several Supernovas, even Luffy in Gear Fourth, with his strength.
Shirakawa greeted Bullet, but Bullet ignored him, likely unimpressed by Shirakawa's current level of power.
"He might be grumpy, but he's dedicated," Shanks explained. "Even though he's incredibly strong, he trains relentlessly every day. They say his goal is to surpass the Captain."
"Wow, that's impressive," Shirakawa said.
After the introductions, Shirakawa and Shanks sat down together. Shanks handed Shirakawa a glass of wine.
"You seem like you come from a noble background," Shanks observed. "And now you're a pirate."
"Do I really?" Shirakawa felt a bit proud.
"By the way, do you really not remember anything about your past?" Shanks asked.
"Nope, I've forgotten everything," Shirakawa lied. He couldn't reveal that he was from another world and knew the entire One Piece story.
"Your hair is unusual too. It's silver-white."
"Silver? Me?" Shirakawa asked, surprised.
"Yeah, you," Shanks confirmed.
'If even my hair changed, I wonder if my face did too. Maybe I look like Vista or Izo now,' Shirakawa mused. "Do you have a mirror? I want to see what I look like."
"A mirror? I don't carry one around. We can check when we get back to the ship tomorrow," Shanks said.
"Alright then," Shirakawa said, suppressing his curiosity. It was nighttime, and the wine wouldn't reflect his image anyway. "Lots of people have strange hair colors, like your red hair and Buggy's blue hair. Why are you surprised by mine?"
"Because yours is shiny," Shanks said. "Even without sunlight, it still gleams."
"I see," Shirakawa chuckled.