Roger: Cake Island, Here I Come!

"So that's how it is. In other words, for at least the two powers of Armament Haki and Observation Haki, as long as you train diligently without stopping, they can keep growing stronger. So it's a matter of steady accumulation—the longer you train, the stronger these two powers become. Generally speaking, does that mean the older you get, the more of an advantage you have?" Ortolan wrote down the relevant points in his notebook and pondered.

After that, Rocks also offered some evaluations and summaries of various power systems, including Haki, qi techniques, Devil Fruit abilities, and more.

That was right—he had even mentioned the system of "qi techniques," which surprised Ortolan. After reading into it in detail, he learned that it was a relatively uncommon power system, apparently originating from the Kano Country in the West Blue. The reason Rocks knew something about it was because Ochoku was aboard his ship, and Ochoku was particularly skilled in this kind of power.

Ortolan thought back carefully. If he remembered correctly, in the original story, among the family officers under Donquixote Doflamingo, there had been an old man named Lao G. That guy had mastered a power called "qi." What was the name of his style again? Ah, right... Dion Fist. It allowed one to store the "qi" of their youth within their body, then release it in old age to regain the strength they had accumulated in the past.

"This world really is full of color... I never paid much attention to it before," Ortolan sighed.

Reading further, Ortolan saw that Rocks's conclusion from all these observations was that Haki was the most versatile power, with incredibly broad applicability. It could blend perfectly with almost any power system, raising the limits of that system!

In other words, no matter what kind of power you specialized in—swordsmanship, Devil Fruit abilities, or even rare qi techniques—cultivating Haki alongside it would never be a bad choice. It could bring you even greater increases in strength!

And even if you cultivated none of those things, Haki alone was enough to support you all the way to the pinnacle and make you a top-tier powerhouse!

Thus, Rocks's conclusion was... only Haki stood above all things!

Seeing this, Ortolan could not help thinking of Kaido, who would later become a renowned teacher of the seas... If nothing unexpected happened, Kaido's extreme reverence for Haki had probably been inherited in part from Rocks, hadn't it?

"What a great book. Even though it has some random nonsense mixed in, this is definitely a rare cultivation manual..." Ortolan looked at the book in his hands and could not help sighing again.

Just as Ortolan was marveling over it all, the library doors were pushed open, and Katakuri walked in from outside.

Hearing the sound, Ortolan turned around. Katakuri smiled at him as well and walked over.

"You've been living in here for two days already. It's about time you went out and got some fresh air, isn't it?" Katakuri greeted him with a smile.

"I just want to improve too badly..." Ortolan laughed and joked.

"You should still remember to balance work and rest," Katakuri reminded him before adding somewhat apologetically, "There's been a lot going on these past two days, so I neglected you a little. Come to think of it, all the other brothers and sisters have gone to the front lines, so you haven't gotten to meet them. I'll introduce you when there's a chance in the future."

"Is it because of that war with Shiki you mentioned before?" Ortolan asked casually.

"Yes. In fact, Mother and I were originally supposed to leave for the front lines around now as well..." Katakuri nodded.

Those words, without him even realizing it, earned Ortolan another favor.

"Come to think of it, tonight's the full moon... I hope her method really works," Ortolan said expectantly.

"Yeah, that's why I came to get you. Otherwise, if you missed this full moon, you'd have to wait for the next one," Katakuri said with a chuckle.

Ortolan's full-moon curse was not unavoidable. The simplest method was to hide somewhere he could not see the moon or be touched by its light during the full moon, then wait until that time passed.

Ortolan had tried that method in his earlier years, but it only treated the symptoms, not the root cause. It could not help him overcome the madness brought on by full moons in the days ahead. And if he did not solve that problem, his moods, temper, and even personality would gradually be affected by his "mad blood." So after trying it once or twice, Ortolan had ultimately decided to face the full moon directly and search for another solution.

Glancing at the Homies clock hanging on the library wall, Ortolan realized that he had become so immersed in the sea of knowledge that it was already afternoon. Before long, dusk would arrive.

"Time really flew..." Ortolan closed the book in his hands and set it on the small square table.

"Mm. Come outside with me now, have something to eat, then rest for a while. I'll take you to the forest on the island's back mountain. Mother will attack you there and help suppress your frenzy. Hopefully... it works," Katakuri said.

Before long, the two left the library together and headed to the dining hall. Just as before, Katakuri really did need doughnuts with every meal!

At the same time, along the cliffside coast at the back of Cake Island, the Oro Jackson had slipped past Cake Island's surrounding defenses and moored beside a dangerous stretch of shore where it could run aground at any moment.

Soon, the anchor was dropped, securing the ship and keeping it from drifting with the currents.

On deck, the Roger Pirates were holding their final discussion.

"How about you stay on the ship, Roger, and wait to receive us? This time, we're not here to start a war with Charlotte Linlin and her people. It's an infiltration operation. Once we get in, we find that Road Poneglyph. If we can take it, we take it. If it's inconvenient, we make a rubbing. That way, the fewer people we have, the more concealed and safe the operation will be!" Sanbell, the Fish-Man helmsman, suggested.

As soon as he finished speaking, Scopper Gaban, who held a pair of axes at his side, nodded in agreement.

But Roger, who was restless and loved adventure, was unwilling to accept that. He immediately objected, "Without me, who among you can accurately find that Poneglyph? So I have to go on this operation!"

Rayleigh looked somewhat troubled as he listened. "That's true. Among us, only Roger can accurately hear the 'voice' of the Poneglyph and determine where it's hidden..."

That was right. Roger was also a man with exceptional Observation Haki talent. He possessed the ability to "hear the voice of all things." The reason he dared to plan to come to Cake Island and steal Charlotte Linlin's Poneglyph was precisely because he could use that "hearing" to determine where Charlotte Linlin had hidden it.

And the reason they had been able to pass through the waters of Whole Cake Island, reach Cake Island, and evade every patrol and surveillance unit along the way was, on one hand, because the Big Mom Pirates' elite forces had recently been deployed to the front lines. On the other hand, it was because of Roger's precise predictions, made through his powerful talent and Observation Haki.

After a brief discussion, Roger, Rayleigh, Gaban, and the two brats Shanks and Buggy were chosen for the operation.

The reason was simple. First, Roger's ability to hear the voice of all things was indispensable, so he had to go. Second, Rayleigh and Gaban were the strongest among the remaining members. If anything unexpected happened, the two of them could play a greater role.

As for Shanks and Buggy, they were small and young. If there were places that large adult men could not infiltrate, they could slip in first through dog holes, windows, and similar openings to open the doors.

Besides, Shanks was clever, and Buggy could split himself apart with his ability, making this kind of task even more convenient for them.

Once the members and plan had been decided, the five of them quickly began scaling the sheer cliffs of Cake Island's back mountain, preparing to sneak through the forest behind it and make their way to Cake Island's castle!

As he climbed, Roger said, "Linlin's ability is very strange. There might be Homies she created lurking somewhere in this forest, keeping watch. So make sure you stay close to me. Don't expose yourselves."

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time!