Shirakawa opened his eyes, his head groggy. It was dark, and the crackling of a campfire filled the air.
He turned his head and saw Bullet sitting beside him, which brought him a sense of relief.
"Awake, are you, kid?" Bullet's voice rumbled.
"Kid? You don't look that much older than me," Shirakawa retorted, feeling a bit offended.
"But I'm much stronger than you," Bullet said simply.
"Yeah, you're the only one who could possess such strength at this age," Shirakawa admitted, sitting up and looking at Bullet with a mix of awe and envy.
Bullet was incredibly talented and trained tirelessly, aiming to surpass Roger. In the current Roger Pirates, aside from Roger himself, no one could confidently claim they could defeat Bullet.
"How did you get here, anyway?" Shirakawa asked.
"You were about to die. I happened to be nearby when you were fighting, and your sword was quite conspicuous."
"True," Shirakawa nodded, recalling the Sword of Damocles. "But why did you think we couldn't win?"
"I sensed the clash of Conqueror's Haki," Bullet said with a smirk. "You can't defeat someone who has mastered Conqueror's Haki at your current level."
"Ouch. That hurts," Shirakawa said, chuckling despite the truth in Bullet's words.
Even those with the potential to be kings typically mastered Observation and Armament Haki before awakening Conqueror's. Shirakawa was an exception.
"Thank you for saving me," Shirakawa said, moving closer to the fire to warm himself.
"Don't mention it. As long as I'm part of the Roger Pirates, I won't let any of you die."
"Are you planning to leave the crew, then?" Shirakawa picked up on the subtle implication in Bullet's words.
Bullet remained silent, but his silence was confirmation enough.
"I heard about how you joined the crew. As a challenger, you've always wanted to fight Roger and become the strongest in the world," Shirakawa continued.
Bullet still didn't respond, but Shirakawa could see he was listening.
"But learning about Roger's terminal illness must have been a shock to you."
Bullet clenched his fists.
"It made you realize that Roger isn't invincible, right?"
"Yes, you're right," Bullet finally spoke, his voice heavy.
"I've been a warrior since I was a child. I became a hero in my country at fourteen and remained undefeated until I was fifteen. I thought I was invincible... until I met Roger."
"He shattered your illusion of invincibility."
"Yes. That fight against Roger was my first defeat. I've challenged him many times since, but I've always failed. Even though I saw him as a rival, I still believed he was invincible... until he got sick."
"So, his illness shattered that image for you?"
"An invincible man wouldn't get sick," Bullet said, his voice rising with emotion.
"Bullet, your thinking is extreme. Everyone gets sick," Shirakawa said, though he knew he was an exception.
"But he's Roger."
"Even Roger is human. He experiences life, aging, sickness, and death, just like everyone else."
"I can't accept that. I need to become stronger, stronger than anyone. Maybe then... I can find a way to overcome even death." Bullet's eyes burned with a fierce determination
"And your interest in my abilities?" Shirakawa asked cautiously
"Your power intrigues me. It's unlike anything I've seen before. It could be a valuable asset in my quest for strength." Bullet's tone was more curious than threatening
Shirakawa felt a sense of unease, but also a spark of curiosity. What did Bullet see in his powers?
"So, what are you doing here?" Shirakawa changed the subject. He doubted Bullet had come here without a reason.
"I heard there's a constant battlefield on this island. I wanted to check it out, but the strongest fighters here are all pathetic. I've lost interest."
"What about that general? Is he dead?"
"Of course. I don't leave anyone alive when I fight."
"You're ruthless."
"Ruthless? No. This is just the way of a pirate. Showing mercy to your enemies is a weakness."
"I see."
"Well, I'll be going now."
"Going? Where?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'll challenge some of the strong people on this island."
"Well then, good luck."
Shirakawa didn't try to stop Bullet. He knew there was no point unless he was stronger than him.
A while later, Shirakawa's stomach growled.
'I used up a lot of energy today. But it's not safe to leave them here alone,' he thought, glancing at his sleeping companions. 'And why didn't Bullet leave me any food?'
He walked over to Shanks and Buggy and slapped them both awake.
"What happened? Who hit me?" Buggy yelled, startled.
"Huh? Shirakawa, why did you hit me?" Shanks asked, still dazed.
It took them a few moments to remember what had happened. "What about that general? Are you okay, Shirakawa?"
"Don't worry. Someone saved us."
"Saved us? Who?"
"It's Bullet."
"Bullet? No wonder he could defeat that guy. Where is he?" Shanks looked around but couldn't find Bullet.
"He's gone."
"I wanted to thank him. Since the danger's passed and it's getting dark, why did you wake us up?" Shanks asked.
"To get me some food, obviously. Go see if there's anything edible left in that hideout. I bought us some time, didn't I?"
"Fine," Shanks and Buggy grumbled, but they were also feeling hungry.