After Patri Vic and Roger's fight ended, they returned to the tavern together.
Only the stunned residents of the Sabaody Archipelago remained behind.
Though they weren't strong, they did know a thing or two.
Out on the sea, everyone knew that a person could eat only one Devil Fruit.
Yet Patri Vic, a commander of the Rocks Pirates, had eaten four!
They looked at the raging sea of flames still burning, the enormous stone wall still standing, the Wood Dragon shattered on the ground, and the Purple Steam Patri Vic had already withdrawn.
The sight of it all shook them to their core, leaving them unable to calm down for a long time.
The man from the news agency was especially shaken. The fact that he worked there meant he was a well-traveled reporter with plenty of experience.
But even he couldn't contain his shock. Without hesitation, he hurriedly made a call.
He reported everything he'd witnessed that day.
In just a few days, this shocking news would spread across the entire world.
And Patri Vic's fame would spread across the seas.
Patri Vic and the others returned to their seats in the tavern. The tavern keeper saw them and—
He broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly ran out.
"Am I really that scary?"
Watching the tavern keeper flee, Patri Vic couldn't help grumbling.
"Your abilities scared even me, let alone everyone else," Roger said with a laugh from his chair.
Roger took a deep breath and began studying Patri Vic seriously. He couldn't imagine how one person could eat four Devil Fruits.
He had seen a man try to eat two Devil Fruits in the first half of the Grand Line. The man had exploded and died on the spot.
Each Devil Fruit held a demon, and only one demon could reside inside a person.
As the saying went, one mountain couldn't hold two tigers. If someone ate two Devil Fruits, the demons inside them would clash, killing the eater.
But Patri Vic had eaten four Devil Fruits. Not only was he unharmed, he could also use all their abilities with ease.
No matter how he looked at it, it seemed incomprehensible.
"Why do you keep staring at me?"
Patri Vic opened a bottle of fine wine and drank deeply.
"Is it because of your constitution, or have you uncovered the secret of Devil Fruits, or... are you not even human?" Roger pondered for a long time and came up with only those possibilities.
Any one of them would shock the entire world.
"Take a guess," Patri Vic said calmly.
None of the three explanations Roger had suggested was right. Patri Vic was simply a little "special."
"Fair enough."
Roger knew when to take a hint. Since Patri Vic didn't want to reveal more, he naturally wouldn't press him.
"What are the Rocks Pirates like?" Gaban asked curiously from nearby.
He'd seen the Rocks Pirates' deeds in the news many times, which had made him curious about them.
He was only curious, of course. He wouldn't join them, since he already belonged to the Roger Pirates.
"A group brought together by self-interest. The crew and commanders do everything for money. But Rocks... his ambitions are much greater," Patri Vic replied after thinking for a moment.
Rocks had fallen at God Valley. Vic didn't know exactly what he'd gone there to do, but there was no doubt about it.
He'd wanted to accomplish something earth-shattering, but in the end, he'd failed.
Even after the Rocks Pirates disbanded, the remaining commanders still rose to prominence, eventually forming terrifying forces of their own.
Three of the Four Emperors, a legendary pirate, and several other great pirates had all come from his ship.
If every member of the Rocks Pirates had fought with all their strength at God Valley, then even the Navy and Roger working together might not have been able to defeat them.
But the Rocks Pirates' commanders were already divided. There was no telling what would happen when the battle at God Valley came.
By then, Rocks would probably be captain in name only, with only a handful of people actually following his orders.
"Why did you join the Rocks Pirates? Was it for money too?" Roger took a sip of wine and asked with interest.
"Money? That's far too vulgar," Patri Vic replied with a faint smile.
Patri Vic had no ambitions. He didn't want to form his own pirate crew, nor did he have Whitebeard's kindness and desire to help the people of his homeland.
So money meant very little to him.
"Did you just treat it as a place to stay?" Roger asked with a grin.
"More or less. The Rocks Pirates often run into formidable people on the sea. It's a good place to test myself," Patri Vic said casually.
"If you ever leave the Rocks Pirates, remember to consider joining my crew, Vic," Roger said, as bold as ever.
"Are you dreaming, Roger?" Patri Vic teased.
Though Patri Vic had mastered plenty of abilities, their fight today hadn't ended with either of them claiming victory.
"Hahaha!" Roger burst into laughter.
They hadn't determined a winner, but Roger had been the one to suggest they stop, which could be taken as admitting defeat.
"Roger, when are you planning to head to the New World?" Whitebeard interjected from beside them.
"Right, Captain. I was just about to discuss that with you," Rayleigh said suddenly, his expression serious.
"I know what you want to say."
Roger sighed. Then he took a sip of wine, wiped the foam from his lips, and looked at Whitebeard with a serious expression. "Let's wait until we're a little stronger. The New World is still too dangerous for us right now."
"Gurarara... I'm looking forward to seeing you in the New World, Roger. When we meet, we'll have to cross swords."
Even if they crossed swords, Whitebeard certainly wouldn't kill Roger.
Whitebeard had known Roger for just one day.
Yet the bond they'd formed in that single day was stronger than the bond Whitebeard had shared with the Rocks Pirates' commanders over several years.
Whitebeard had been far too disappointed in the Rocks Pirates' commanders, because there wasn't a shred of friendship between them.
So when he met Roger, he found him interesting and worth getting to know.
"Then I'll definitely run away," Roger said with a loud laugh.
The group chatted happily, as if they'd known one another for ages, and kept drinking until late at night.
By then, even Whitebeard and Patri Vic, both of whom loved their drink, were tipsy.
Without a hint of concern, they all slumped over the table and fell asleep.
"Alas..." Rayleigh and Gaban sighed helplessly.
Before you continue