Meeting the Roger Pirates

On the Oro Jackson, a red-nosed boy dressed like a clown in white sleeves sat at the bow with a handsome boy wearing a straw hat. Each held a bottle as they drank together, arms slung over each other's shoulders, their drunken eyes hazy as they reveled in their fun.

"Burp... Shanks, your grilling skills are getting better and better. You've already grilled so much, yet the smell of meat is still this strong."

"Idiot Buggy... that isn't the smell of grilled meat. It's more like... like..."

"Like what? Spit it out. Since when did you start stuttering?"

"Like... like the smell of human flesh being charred."

"Really?" Clown Buggy swayed to his feet, looked toward Orange Island, and shouted, "Holy crap, Shanks, come look! Orange Island seems to be on fire, and there's a big bird-man flying in the sky, breathing fire!"

"What nonsense, have you drunk too much?" Shanks retorted. Though he said that, he still got up and looked toward Orange Island.

Meanwhile, under Nangong Yan's terrifying sea of flames, those who had come for Nangong Yan's head fell one after another. The bizarre, thick scent of roasted flesh was enough to make one retch. Only the bald man remained, struggling within the flames.

At that moment, the bald man's hands and feet had transformed into four sharp blades. Jet-black Armament Haki covered his entire body as he fought desperately against the scorching heat of the surrounding inferno.

The bald man had no time to hate Nangong Yan for slaughtering all his subordinates. He could only resist the heat with difficulty and do everything in his power to survive.

A trace of surprise appeared at the corner of Nangong Yan's lips. He had not expected the Dice-Dice Fruit from the original story to be in this man's possession. Moreover, this man's mastery of Armament Haki was far from shallow; he was more than a cut above the original user in strength.

Nangong Yan descended from the sky and stood amid the sea of flames, not far from the bald man. With a clenched hand, the raging flames converged upon the bald man, instantly multiplying the pressure on him as his moisture evaporated even faster.

"Seeing as you have some skill and such a strong desire to live, I'll give you a chance. Submit to me, and I can spare your life."

The bald man could slash back and split apart the attacking flames, but he could not extinguish them, nor could he withstand temperatures hot enough to melt steel. If this dragged on, he would sooner or later die in the sea of flames.

Lightning and fire were the most offensive and violent forms of energy. They were no joke!

The Golden Crow Fruit might not possess the terrifying volume of flames of the Flame-Flame Fruit or magma of the Magma-Magma Fruit, nor could it turn its user into an element, but in terms of flame temperature, it definitely surpassed quite a few of them.

The bald man glanced at Nangong Yan and fell into hesitation, unsure whether he should submit to him. After all, submitting to someone else would greatly limit his freedom.

Nangong Yan, however, did not give the bald man enough time to think. This decision had been a spur-of-the-moment one anyway, and he did not care in the slightest if the man refused.

With a wave of Nangong Yan's hand, the flames surged, and the Solar True Flame swelled into a pack of ferocious beasts that charged toward the bald man.

The bald man's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly cried, "Wait, wait! I'm willing to submit to you!"

Only then did Nangong Yan smile. He closed his five fingers, and the Solar True Flame raging outside returned to his palm as though fledgling swallows returning to their nest, becoming a pillar of fire that flowed back into his body.

As for the orange-red flames that were still burning, Nangong Yan had no way to deal with them. At present, his Golden Crow Fruit could only control the Solar True Flame he himself produced. He had not developed it to the point where he could manipulate ordinary flames.

If it were the Flame-Flame Fruit, reaching that level would be easy. Controlling ordinary flames would be effortless.

"What's your name?" Nangong Yan asked sternly as he walked over with his hands behind his back.

"My name is Pike." The bald man opened his mouth several times, seemingly hesitating over what to call Nangong Yan. In the end, he could not think of anything and could only answer directly.

"Call me Captain from now on. Forming a pirate crew is only a matter of time." Nangong Yan saw through his thoughts and spoke casually, though his gaze rested on the Roger Pirates docked at the island's pier.

"Yes, Captain." Pike answered respectfully, then followed Nangong Yan's gaze. Cold sweat immediately drenched his body.

How could anyone surviving in the New World possibly not recognize the Roger Pirates, one of the New World's major powers?

"Captain, let's get aboard and leave. That's the Roger Pirates, one of the most powerful forces in the New World. If they set their sights on you, Captain, we'll be in serious trouble."

"Not bad. It seems sparing your life was the right choice. You've only just started following me, and you already know to consider my interests. Have a bottle of wine to replenish the moisture you've lost." Nangong Yan's pupils transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan. A spatial vortex appeared, and a bottle of fine wine emerged in his hand before he tossed it to Pike.

"Uh..." Though Pike was extremely shocked by Nangong Yan's abilities—after all, fire and space had absolutely nothing to do with one another—his captain's calm attitude still left him wanting to cry.

"Don't worry. The Roger Pirates are different from ordinary pirate crews. They are essentially more like an adventure group and do not place much value on Beli or treasure."

"They won't bully the weak or make things difficult for a small fry like me." Nangong Yan remained calm, as though he was not worried in the slightest that the Roger Pirates would attack him.

In truth, if Nangong Yan did not have the Mangekyo Sharingan, he would have fled long ago. He would never leave the choice in someone else's hands and let others control his fate.

"Look at that bearing, that calmness. No wonder I lost." Pike greatly admired Nangong Yan's composure. All he could do was risk his life alongside his captain.

Roger, wearing a pirate hat, sporting two thick black mustaches, and dressed in a traditional red pirate outfit with a sword at his waist, took the lead. At his side were his right-hand man Silvers Rayleigh, left-hand man Scopper Gaban, ship's doctor Crocus, the future daimyo of Wano Country Kozuki Oden and his retainers, Shanks, Buggy, and several others Nangong Yan did not recognize, all walking toward Nangong Yan and Pike.

There was no heavy, oppressive aura, nor any earth-shaking presence. Yet as the group approached so plainly, they seemed to carry an inexplicable pressure with them. Pike beside Nangong Yan could barely control his body and began to tremble slightly.

When they drew near, Roger revealed a surprised smile and laughed heartily. "Hahaha! Sure enough, the younger generation surpasses the older. I never expected the man who had just kidnapped a Celestial Dragon and extorted the World Government to be so young."

"Shanks, Buggy, you little bastards, learn from him. This young man looks like he's only a little older than you two."

"Yes, Captain," Shanks replied firmly after carefully examining Nangong Yan.

Clown Buggy said nothing. He too studied Nangong Yan, but had already fallen into a fantasy, his eyes practically turning into Beli symbols.

"Captain Roger, you flatter me. I merely did it with a stiff upper lip; I don't deserve such praise. Compared to the matter of the Celestial Dragons, being able to meet the Roger Pirates, who roam the New World, makes me even happier. It truly is the honor of three lifetimes." Nangong Yan wore a friendly smile as he spoke unhurriedly, neither servile nor overbearing.

Nangong Yan's words made Roger pause slightly, and Roger's favorable impression of the young man deepened. The other members of the Roger Pirates also found Nangong Yan much more pleasing to the eye.

Everyone liked to hear pleasant words, and the Roger Pirates were no exception.

"Look, look. As expected of the Captain. The way he speaks, his attitude, how calm and composed he is—his future is limitless. I can't embarrass the Captain either." Pike's thoughts raced, and he immediately returned to normal. His head no longer spun, his legs no longer went numb, his waist no longer hurt. He stood ramrod straight, looking like he had some real substance.

"What happened here?" Roger asked, though he clearly already knew.

"Nothing much. Some jumping clowns coveted my head, so I burned them to death."

"Everyone, let's go into town. I'm happy to meet you all today, so it's on me. Eat and drink as much as you want. After all, I don't feel the slightest pain spending the World Government's money."

"Hahaha... then I won't hold back. Brothers, follow this young man! Let's have a grand feast and fleece this rich man, make him bleed properly!" After casually asking about it, Roger made no further comment and immediately called out to his brothers.

"The Captain's right. One billion Beli—this young man is loaded! We have to fleece him properly. Tonight, I'm drinking the most expensive wine!" Shanks immediately joined in.

Once he started it, everyone else joined the commotion as well. They all declared that they would give Nangong Yan a proper fleecing; for food and drink, they did not want the best, only the most expensive.

Nangong Yan's smile remained unchanged. Meeting these legendary figures made him genuinely happy, and he did not care about Beli in the slightest.

So what if he spent all one billion Beli? This world had plenty of rich people, and even more wealthy but unscrupulous merchants. Once the money was gone, he could simply rob more.

Nangong Yan booked the largest tavern in town. All kinds of delicacies, liquor, and fruit were brought out as though they cost nothing. Cheerful music, drinking-game shouts, and boasting blended together in a lively din as everyone let loose and partied hard.

Nangong Yan also gained some things, such as various secret tidbits. His greatest gain, however, was probably learning the pirate song Binks' Sake.

The banquet lasted until dawn. After partying through an entire afternoon and night, everyone had thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and Nangong Yan's relationship with the Roger Pirates grew even closer.