Chapter 21: Tit for Tat
"Roger! The Rocks Pirates have done something big again!"
Rayleigh hurriedly ran over to Roger, who was sitting at the bow of the ship, holding a newspaper.
"Oh? What did that Rocks guy do this time?"
Roger, wearing a straw hat, took the newspaper and scanned it.
"Goodness! Rocks is planning to wipe out the Navy in the second half of the Grand Line!"
Roger looked at the newspaper in surprise, re-reading the details of the G-8 branch's destruction several times.
"Hey! There's another headline! The new officer of the Rocks Pirates, the captain of the 8th Division, Rockefeller Charlotte, has a bounty of 300 million berries! Are the Rocks Pirates recruiting new members now?"
Roger raised an eyebrow at the photo of Rockefeller Charlotte.
The angle of the photo captured Charlotte and the Rocks Pirates' cadres clashing with their domineering Haki, visibly splitting the sky in the image.
"What a monster! The younger generation these days is something else!"
Rayleigh, standing nearby, peeked at the photo of Rockefeller Charlotte and sighed.
"Haha! Let's ignore him and continue our adventure. We're the men who aim to explore every corner of this sea!"
Roger laughed heartily, flicked the newspaper away, and spoke with great enthusiasm.
"Uh! Even if you're carefree, why did you throw away the newspaper? That cost fifty berries!"
Rayleigh pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated.
"Don't sweat the small stuff. Let's have a party! Celebrate another loss for the Navy!"
Roger threw an arm around Rayleigh's shoulder, grinning.
"Alright!"
Hearing this, the rest of the crew raised their hands in excitement.
"You don't have to come up with such lame excuses just to throw a party!"
Rayleigh sighed, looking at the crew's excited faces.
As the vice-captain of Roger's Pirates, Rayleigh managed their finances. Despite their reputation, Roger's crew was notoriously poor.
They didn't plunder; their income came solely from battling other pirates or the Navy, which was barely enough to scrape by.
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A Brewing Storm
The sea remained in turmoil after the G-8 branch's destruction.
Charlotte's joining of the Rocks Pirates was noted but largely overshadowed by bigger events. Only those paying close attention remembered his name.
"Ugh~!"
Charlotte opened his eyes to the morning sun, feeling groggy.
At the banquet last night, he had been forced to drink heavily, which he was unaccustomed to. He'd passed out quickly, leading to a pounding headache now.
Sitting up, he glanced around and found himself still at the port, surrounded by pirates snoring loudly.
Using his hands to steady himself, Charlotte stood up, swaying slightly.
"Boss?"
Ivan, who had stayed by Charlotte's side, immediately perked up when he saw him wake.
Charlotte shook his head, taking in the scene. Nearby, Rocks and the Golden Lion were still fast asleep.
Recalling the events of the previous day, Charlotte let out a bitter laugh. He had never imagined he would become a pirate like this.
He had dreamed of becoming a pirate under dramatic circumstances—killing Celestial Dragons, freeing slaves, or rebelling against the Navy.
Never had he thought he would be forced to join under Rocks' thumb.
Looking at the undamaged town behind him, he felt some relief.
It seemed yesterday's slaughter of disobedient pirates had successfully deterred others from wreaking havoc.
"Are the townspeople okay?"
Charlotte asked Ivan with concern.
This was his home in this world, and he didn't want it destroyed.
"Everything's fine, Boss. A few pirates tried to enter the town, but the giant with the golden crescent beard stopped them."
Ivan pointed to the direction of the docks.
"Golden crescent beard? Edward Newgate?"
Charlotte's brows furrowed in surprise.
"Uh-huh."
Ivan nodded affirmatively.
Charlotte followed Ivan's gaze and saw Edward Newgate sitting on the deck of a large ship, watching the sunrise while drinking.
Charlotte walked over.
"No need to thank me, kid."
Edward Newgate glanced at him and said lightly.
The casual dismissal made Charlotte's prepared words catch in his throat, leaving him feeling awkward.
Seeing Charlotte's expression, Newgate laughed heartily.
"Guhahahahaha!"
The booming laughter shook the sea itself.
The pirates sleeping nearby were startled awake.
"Who's making all that noise?"
One irritated pirate shouted before catching sight of Edward Newgate.
"Ca-Captain!"
The pirate immediately broke into a cold sweat.
"S-Sorry, Captain!"
Newgate ignored the outburst, sipping his drink.
Shiki the Golden Lion floated over upon hearing the commotion.
"Hahaha! What's got Newgate laughing so early? Share it; I could use a good laugh!"
Bang!
"Don't touch my ship!"
Edward Newgate threw a punch at the Golden Lion's direction.
Shiki immediately unsheathed Sakura Tenkomu to block the vibrating shockwave.
"Hahaha! So feisty in the morning. Do you want me to calm you down?"
Shiki's words carried a subtle challenge.
"Run! A fight's about to break out!"
The crew on Newgate's ship fled in panic.
"The captains are about to fight!"
Word spread quickly among the pirates at the port.
Hearing this, the pirates scrambled to get away.
Even Charlotte grabbed Ivan and retreated to safety.
Meanwhile, Rocks had woken up and was sitting by last night's bonfire, staring into the ashes.
"Captain, aren't you going to stop them?"
Charlotte hesitated but voiced his concern.
He still wasn't used to calling Rocks "Captain."
Rocks lifted his head, a smirk on his face.
"Let them fight! On my ship, strength is everything. I have no rules forbidding battles between crew members."
Hearing this, Charlotte fell silent.
Though he had read about the Rocks Pirates in his past life, witnessing their chaotic dynamics firsthand was unsettling.
The Rocks Pirates thrived on raw power. Rocks commanded through sheer dominance, enforcing loyalty with his overwhelming might.
Despite his eventual fall at the Valley of the Gods, Rocks' ambition to become the king of the world had made him the undisputed ruler of this sea.
Even Roger had avoided direct confrontation with him.
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