A Thick Scent of Blood

"General, it's bad news—they've escaped."

Not long after Shirakawa and his group left that city, inside a towering building, a soldier knelt humbly before a man.

"What did you say?" The man's tone was harsh. The wine glass in his hand shattered instantly, red wine spilling down his fingers onto the floor.

"G-General, they got away." The kneeling soldier's voice trembled with fear.

"You useless trash." The general stepped forward, producing a greatsword from somewhere. Under the soldier's terrified gaze, he swung it down, splattering blood across the ground.

"Spending so much money every day to keep you lot is worse than keeping a dog. Someone come here."

Hearing the general's voice, a man pushed open the door and entered. Seeing the dead soldier on the floor, his eyes were numb—clearly, he was used to this.

"Clean this up. And bring my horse. I'll handle this myself. Outsiders meddling in our affairs—they're asking for death."

"Yes, General."

Once everything was ready, the general stepped out of the shadows, revealing his appearance.

He stood less than one meter six, weighed nearly two hundred jin, with a fat head, big ears, and gold and silver draped all over him. Ten rings adorned his fingers, but they were so tight they'd sunk into the flesh, only occasionally letting the sunlight catch a diamond's gleam.

Despite his obese build, he was surprisingly nimble. He walked to his horse, swung himself up in one smooth motion. The horse itself was no ordinary beast—it bore scales, likely some hybrid breed, otherwise it couldn't have supported his weight.

"I'll go ahead. You follow behind."

"Yes, General." The general sat astride his horse, issuing orders to the soldiers under his command.

"Look, that bastard's got his sights on someone again. Whoever he targets never ends well."

"Yeah, yeah." The townspeople watched the general ride his White Phosphorus Horse, their faces a mix of worry and pity.

"It looks like Shirakawa and the others are in for trouble." Rayleigh, who had just finished gambling and was sitting at a roadside stall drinking tea, naturally spotted the general too. He sensed a thick aura of bloodshed radiating from the man—the kind that only came from killing countless people. A ruthless one.

Rayleigh had only ever sensed such a dense bloody aura from Bullet. But that didn't mean this general's strength could compare to Bullet's; Bullet could finish off a piece of trash like him in ten moves, or even three.

Still, the bloodlust was real. It meant he had killed a great many people—a very great many.

This made Rayleigh worry for Shirakawa and his two companions, but he didn't rush to their aid. He believed this man could only pose an ordinary threat to them.

Just as Rayleigh was watching the general, a figure walked up, sat down across from him, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip.

"What are you looking at, Rayleigh?"

"Nothing. I just have a feeling that fellow's fate won't be too pleasant."

"Because of Shirakawa and them?"

"You already know, Captain?" The man sitting before Rayleigh was none other than Roger.

"No, just a guess. They made such a commotion yesterday it was hard not to know. By the way, were you involved?"

"Haha." Rayleigh let out an awkward laugh.

"I was dragged into it passively. But it's been a while since I felt the thrill of being chased. Kind of nostalgic."

"You really are a glutton for punishment. Besides, didn't we just escape from Garp's pursuit a few days ago?"

"That monster doesn't count." At Roger's words, Rayleigh's expression shifted.

"Monster? If you call him a monster, aren't you one too?"

"At least I'm not his match yet. Speaking of which, aren't you worried about Shirakawa and them?"

"Worried? What's there to worry about? Even if they can't beat that guy, they can still run. I saw Shirakawa flying through the sky today carrying a girl. By the way, who is that girl? What's her relationship with Shirakawa?"

Roger asked with a gossipy look.

"No idea. But her identity should be the princess of the Kingdom of Mol on this island."

"So they're escorting her back to her country? Why?"

"They said they want to get the Eternal Pose for the next island, then go train on the battlefield."

"Oh, I see. Training is good. As for the Eternal Pose, they don't need it."

"What do you mean?" Rayleigh asked. Was the Captain planning to stay on this island for three years?

"Because I already have one." Roger pulled a pose out of his pocket and set it on the table.

"How did you get that? Where from?"

"Bought it, of course. It's not exactly a rare item on this island."

Since this country lacked skilled navigators and its sailing techniques were poor, there were plenty of poses that had already recorded the next island. You could buy one at any random shop.

"Oh, so that's how it is. Then Shirakawa and them went through all that trouble for nothing."

"Who knows? If they gain something from the battlefield in this country, it won't be a wasted trip. But this island really is chaotic."

"What, do you have some idea?"

Roger had one flaw: he loved meddling. If he saw trouble, he wanted to stir things up. If he saw something he didn't like, he'd find a way to fix it. A land where the people suffered in war was exactly the kind of thing Roger couldn't stand.

"Who knows? We'll take it one step at a time."

As he said this, a smile spread across Roger's lips, revealing both rows of teeth.

Seeing that smile, Rayleigh rubbed his forehead in exasperation. He knew Roger was definitely going to get involved. And though he didn't know how, making three kingdoms coexist peacefully was bound to be a huge headache.

"I'm really starting to regret getting on your ship now," Rayleigh said helplessly.

"Haha, you want to get off now? I'm telling you, no way, it's already too late."

Roger laughed heartily, completely unconcerned by Rayleigh's words, because he knew Rayleigh's temperament well—he might complain with his mouth, but when it came to action, he never slacked off.

"Come on, what's the point of drinking tea? No fun. Let's go get some liquor."

After paying, Roger slung an arm around Rayleigh's shoulder and headed toward the tavern.

Why did Rayleigh become First Mate? Not just because he was the first to board Roger's ship, but also because he was the one who suited Roger's taste the most.

"If only it could stay like this forever," Rayleigh thought. But when he remembered Roger's illness, even the happiest mood instantly turned to gloom.