A New Journey, Roger and Garp

New World, Porlis Island.

This had originally been Shiki's territory, but not long ago, the remnants of Shiki's forces stationed here had been wiped out by the Big Mom Pirates. It had now been absorbed into the Big Mom Pirates' territory.

Of course, that was only temporary. Until the great war in the New World had fully concluded, no one could say whether this island would be seized from the Big Mom Pirates by other pirates. Because of the war, there were not even any Big Mom Pirates troops stationed here.

At that moment, Ortolan stood on the island's harbor pier. He had just disembarked from Katakuri's ship.

"So this is where we part ways?" Ortolan asked softly with a smile, his Warhammer slung across his back as he looked at Katakuri.

Katakuri's eyes held some reluctance as well, but he nodded. "Yeah, this is where we part. After all, it's the path you chose. From here on, you'll have to walk it on your own. Mama has already created some opportunities for you and spread word about you through the Underworld. After that, as long as you find chances to show off your strength and talent, investigators connected to the World Government should come looking for you."

"I understand." Ortolan nodded, then said, "I also wish you smooth sailing on the road ahead... Katakuri."

"I thought you'd call me big brother or something," Katakuri teased.

"Sorry, I'm a little awkward about that kind of thing. Maybe if we get another chance to meet, I'll be able to say it?" Ortolan laughed.

Katakuri did not mind. He raised a hand and patted Ortolan on the shoulder again. "I've left you a ship. You can go wherever you want from here. The New World is in the midst of chaos and war. I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to make a name for yourself."

After giving him a few more instructions, Katakuri turned and boarded the Donut again. Before long, the ship slowly departed the harbor. Ortolan watched it leave for a while before turning and walking away.

The people living in the New World seemed to have long grown accustomed to this kind of warfare.

Although the island had only recently gone through a pirate war, the town had already more or less resumed its usual business.

Ortolan's first step was to find a tavern on the island. He wanted to see whether he could hear any interesting news while enjoying the first leg of his journey.

After wandering around town for only a short while, Ortolan spotted an open tavern. Without wasting time, he walked over, pushed open the door, and entered.

The tavern was rather dimly lit, apparently designed to create the tones of dusk even during the day, making people lose track of time as they drank to their hearts' content.

Ortolan had assumed there would not be many customers at this hour, but when he entered, he found that the tables were nearly full. Only a single table in the corner remained empty.

Looking around at the patrons, most were burly, rough-looking men. Every one of them carried either a blade or a flintlock. The whole place had a fiercely rugged atmosphere.

Yet that feeling gave Ortolan a long-lost sense of familiarity. The taverns on Tyrean Island had carried much the same atmosphere. Most of these strong men who carried weapons with them made their living at sea. Some were dockside thugs, some were fishermen who went out to sea, and some were caravan guards.

When you were looking for work on the seas of the New World, going out without a weapon was practically asking to die.

And without a strong, sturdy body, it was difficult even to get a job. After all, the sea held every imaginable danger. The better your physical condition, the greater your chances of survival.

Naturally, some of the people in the tavern noticed Ortolan entering. But seeing that he was over three meters tall, with an apparently heavy Warhammer on his back and a body packed with muscles, he did not look like someone to provoke.

So no one behaved rudely toward him. Most merely glanced at him twice before returning to eating and drinking with their companions.

Ortolan walked over to the corner table and sat down. A tavern attendant quickly came over.

"A barrel of malt beer, and bring me some of your house specialties to go with it. Also, get me a copy of the latest newspaper... If you've got any interesting information, you can tell me about that too," Ortolan said as he took a gold Belly from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Copper coins, silver coins, and gold coins were still in use here. Of course, thanks to the World Government's eight hundred years of systems and credibility, the banknotes issued by the World Government also possessed sufficient trust and purchasing power, at least for now.

A gold Belly had impressive purchasing power. Even if Ortolan ate and drank here for three or four days, as long as he did not go overboard, one gold Belly would be enough to cover his expenses.

If you can't find the book by searching its title, try searching for the author instead! It may have simply been renamed!

At the request of our many readers, VIP members can now enjoy an ad-free experience.

Click to view

The tavern attendant picked up the gold Belly from the table with a delighted expression. "No problem, sir. Your food and drinks will be ready shortly. I'll get your newspaper right away."

Very soon, the attendant returned from the bar with a newspaper and handed it to Ortolan. Before long, he came back again carrying a barrel of beer, which he set beside Ortolan.

Ortolan opened the newspaper and began reading through the information printed on it.

The biggest recent news was still the Ed War Sea Battle. Shiki's defeat, as a pirate overlord, would probably dominate public discussion for quite some time. This newspaper was still discussing him as well.

The information Ortolan had learned within the Big Mom Pirates was far more interesting than what was in the newspapers, so he quickly skimmed past Shiki's news. It was of no use to him.

"Silver Axe Pirates Encounter Marine Fleet in Nitor Sea. The two sides fought a fierce battle lasting two days, ending with the Silver Axe Pirates' retreat and defeat. Great Pirate Fierce Ghost Cortes Lenito, carrying a bounty of 264.2 million Belly, was killed on the spot by Marine Headquarters Admiral Sengoku!"

"Blood Hand Lion Rain Gar, a Great Pirate under Shiki with a bounty of 320 million Belly who had long been missing in Ed War Sea, has appeared on Walenik Island!"

"Spectacle: Zunesha Spotted in Veroni Sea of the New World, Moving Toward Porlis Island!"

Ortolan paused slightly when he saw that information. A spectacle? Zunesha? Considering how Zunesha walked through the sea, it truly could be called a rare sight.

If he remembered correctly, his father's homeland, the Mink Kingdom, was on Zunesha's back. There also seemed to be a Road Poneglyph up there?

"And Porlis Island is the island I'm on right now, isn't it? Zunesha will pass nearby?" Ortolan mused.

Should he go up and take a look?

Speaking of the Marines, Ortolan felt that Charlotte Linlin's plan was not reliable at all. At best, it was an attempt made in hope. During that time, if possible, he still needed to come up with a more practical method.

Judging from the newspaper, Marine Admiral Sengoku seemed to be involved in this war as well. He wondered whether there might be an opportunity there?

Just as Ortolan was thinking about these things, in the same Veroni Sea, the Oro Jackson of the Roger Pirates had just sunk a Marine warship.

"Hey, Roger, didn't you say this morning that there hadn't been any News Coo for days and you were miserable because you couldn't read the papers? Here, I brought this down from that warship for you. It's this morning's latest newspaper," Jabba said, casually stuffing a newspaper into Roger's arms.

Roger was sitting beneath the mast, wiping blood from his blade with a cloth. He casually opened the newspaper and gave it a glance, then exclaimed in delight, "Hey, hey, hey! Spectacle Zunesha is in our waters! Should we go take a look?"

"Aren't we supposed to be looking for Poneglyphs?" Rayleigh rolled his eyes and complained.

"Maybe Zunesha has a Poneglyph on it too?" Roger immediately retorted. Then he added, "Besides, I heard the stories about Zunesha a long time ago, but I've never actually seen it! A giant elephant that can roam freely through the seas of the New World—it must be even more spectacular than a supermassive Sea King, right? Let's go see it! Let's go see it! Porlis Island isn't far anyway. We can wait there for a bit and take the chance to rest up!"

While Roger was brimming with excitement, Garp's Dog Head Warship was resting at the G-3 Marine Base in the New World. Inside the base commander's office, Garp was having tea with the local Marine Base Commander, Vice Admiral Grumir.

"I heard you're being transferred to take charge of G-2 after the New Year?" Garp asked casually, one leg crossed over the other.

Clearly, he and Grumir were fairly familiar friends.

"Yeah. At G-2, I can leave this most intense front line and retire in Paradise. So I'm planning to stay at G-2 until retirement!" Grumir said with a hearty laugh.

G-3 was in a hellhole like the New World, while G-2 was in the First Half of Grand Line. Going there would indeed be much easier for Grumir than staying here.

Just as the two chatted and laughed, a Marine Colonel suddenly pushed the door open without even announcing himself, his face filled with panic. "Vice Admiral, Major General Horrens's warship encountered the Roger Pirates near Porlis Island and was sunk!"

"What!?" Garp shot to his feet. "The Roger Pirates? Are you sure it was them?"

If you think this book is good and want to avoid losing it next time, please remember to add it to your bookshelf.

At the request of many readers, an ad-free VIP membership feature is now available.

Click to view