Dreams Never Die: Sky Island Intel

"Roman, let's go."

It's a long story, but only a few dozen seconds have passed since Roman walked out of the tavern.

Luffy and Zoro also came out. Since Luffy said he wouldn't fight these guys, Roman could just dodge and tank the damage; he could take care of these minions just the same.

As for the "big boss" demeanor of standing there and letting the other party humiliate him because he disdains arguing with them, it doesn't matter to Roman since he doesn't want to be either one of the Four Emperors or the become King of the Pirates.

"It seems there's no information about 'Sky Island' here..."

This time, no one dared to laugh out loud at Luffy's words. The Bellamy Pirates' executives, being helped out of the tavern, and Bellamy lying in the ruins nearby, served as the best deterrent!

"Hahaha~, the cherry pie here is absolutely delicious."

Blackbeard, sitting on the street eating takeout as if no one else was around, looked at Luffy as he walked out of the tavern and had a strange feeling that he saw 'himself' in him.

"The 'new era' those guys talk about is a pile of shit!"

"You--"

"Big Saber" Sarkis really wanted to go up and teach this arrogant, rough-looking black man a lesson, but seeing Roman unharmed beside him and Bellamy crawling up from the ruins with his twisted arm, he decided to be a "hero" for once!

A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle; he should retreat and recuperate first.

"What do you mean the era of pirate treasure hunting is over! Hahaha~~"

Facing Luffy, Zoro, and Roman, Blackbeard placed his bottle on the ground. Despite his rotten teeth, his cheapest sailor uniform, his cheapest cherry pie, and his cheapest rum, his arrogant aura swirled and danced like a monster in the eyes of the three, seemingly capable of devouring the heavens and the earth!

"Humanity's dream—"

"It will never end!!!"

Faced with Blackbeard's words, Luffy simply looked at him seriously—instead of running forward with his usual joking manner.

Am I right?

"Once you've set your sights on your goal, let others laugh; as long as you achieve it—"

"You and I," Luffy interrupted the man sitting on the ground, who was as tall as him, with a serious expression. "We're not the same!"

·········

"Yeah?"

As Blackbeard stood up, his imposing presence, towering over three meters tall, swept over you.

"It seems I've disturbed you."

As he spoke, he glanced at Roman beside him, uttered a meaningful remark, and then turned away.

"You have a 'good' crew."

"If only I could go, to the Sky Island!" With that, he turned and left cleanly, chugging the cheap liquor in his hand as he walked away.

"The wine tastes exceptionally good today~~~ Hahaha!"

As Blackbeard turned and left, Luffy, Zoro, and Roman, all with serious Luffy, also headed in another direction.

As for the streets that served as the battlefield? Soon, professional morticians, cleaners, and architects will restore them to their original state. It was just a fight, and apart from the fact that the losing side was the 'Bellamy Pirates,' which would give the pirates a few more days of gossip, it was no different from any other day.

They lived a life of debauchery and reckless indulgence, until they had spent the last coin in their pockets. With bloodshot eyes and a knife in hand, they set sail to continue their plundering spree!

These are the so-called "new era" pirates? A bunch of pathetic bastards...

"Roman, who was that big black man just now—"

Walking silently out of town, facing Luffy's question, Roman first had the paper cranes 'scout' the area to make sure no one else was around before slowly speaking:

"Marshall D. Teach".

"That big, dark-skinned man's name, he also has a nickname, 'Blackbeard'."

After a pause, Roman added.

"He's the captain of those 'experts' I was talking about! A true top-tier expert. Stronger than all the enemies we've ever faced combined! — Even Crocodile at full power..."

"Yes, I know."

After leaving the town, Luffy's expression gradually softened.

"He's very strong! I'm no match for him."

"Right,"

Zoro, who had a stern face, also nodded.

"I also feel that I am no match for him."

... A very accurate assessment; no wonder Luffy and Zoro remained silent the entire way. However:

Of course, he's a future Four Emperors of the Sea). And unlike the Straw Hat crew who just set sail, he's a veteran who's been lurking on Four Emperors's ship for decades! A top-tier expert with 100% Three Types of Haki Whitebeard.

Blackbeard's strategic thinking in his quest to become the strongest, his daring and decisive approach, his willingness to back down and run away when facing powerful enemies, and his magnanimous attitude in the face of setbacks—both his character and strength are top-notch! He's practically a Prime Minister Cao with maxed-out combat prowess...

He was an absolute tyrant!

"In short, he is a very dangerous person."

However, it seems Roman was overthinking it. Blackbeard only revealed a fraction of his true power, yet Luffy and Zoro already sensed his strength. That's fine; pressure is the best motivator...

"Hey, why do all three of you have such deadpan faces?"

When the three returned to the Golden Merry, Nami noticed their unusual expressions.

What happened to you?

What did he encounter? He encountered a 'monster'—someone who could eat two Devil Fruit without exploding and even planned to eat a third. He's Luffy's future formidable enemy, the infamous Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach ...

Roman remembered that Blackbeard had two sisters, and the rule that one person can only eat one Devil Fruit was an ironclad law in this world. Therefore, he had always speculated in his previous life that Blackbeard was created by the previous generation of the 'Munch-Munch Fruit' and became an adult!

So he doesn't need to sleep, he can withstand extra Devil Fruit, and after defecting he went to destroy Drum Kingdom, etc... But!

What does this have to do with Roman?

Whether Blackbeard's ambition is to overthrow the Celestial Dragons, rule the world, or whatever else is on his mind, it doesn't matter. Roman only needs to ensure the Straw Hat crew's safety. As for whether the 'plot' will continue as originally planned, Roman will focus all his efforts on helping Luffy defeat Blackbeard. As for now—

"Our primary objective now is the Sky Island that the captain ordered us to visit."

"Hey, none of the three of you look too good?"

When Nico Robin returned, dressed in a black leather outfit, she was greeted by three serious faces.

"It's alright, we just encountered a... monster."

Roman waved his hand, not wanting to bring up the topic again. "Robin, have you made any progress over there?"

"Some,"

When it comes to the Straw Hat crew's intelligence-gathering abilities, Nico Robin is undoubtedly the best. While Roman can use origami cranes for full-map surveillance, those cranes don't collect information...

"This is a map of the island of Jaya."

Nico Robin, dressed in a black leather jacket and pants, pulled out a map, instantly attracting Luffy's attention.

Is it a treasure map?

"... I already said it's a map." Robin pointed to the other side of the island on the map: the eastern coast corresponding to 'Mock Town' where everyone was, where an 'X' was drawn.

"An old man named 'Wenblam Kulik' lives here, who was expelled by Jaya."

"He's a dreamer; I heard he has information about Sky Island."

As she spoke, Robin smiled and looked at Luffy.

"I think we get along quite well~"

PS: The Crocodile arc is over, and the number of recommendation votes has plummeted... 450~400~350~300... I'm exhausted from writing these past few days. Even though the Jaya storyline is a transitional phase, it shouldn't be this bad, right? Am I going to get 250 votes today...? Let me go climb some more points to calm down.