Successfully Joining the Roger Pirates!

Somewhere in the West Blue.

The Roger Pirates' ship drifted aimlessly there.

Two days had passed since the battle at God Valley.

Vikengam sat on the railing by the ship's side, reading a newspaper. Not far away on the deck lay a massive pile of gold, silver, jewels, and several treasure chests.

Everyone aboard Roger's ship was waiting for their captain to wake up before opening the chests. That was the rule on their ship, so no one went near them.

But Vikengam had already sensed it with Observation Haki. Inside one of the chests amid that mountain of gold and jewels, there really was a baby. Two days had passed, yet the little one still looked half-asleep. It was ridiculous. Shouldn't he have been crying from hunger long ago? Don't tell me he really hit his head and damaged his brain?

Still, he did not meddle and turned his attention back to the newspaper.

"Oh? After all that hardship and defeating the ruler of the era, Rocks, Roger didn't get any fame at all. The newspaper doesn't even mention Roger's name. According to this description, Marine Vice Admiral Garp ended Rocks's era," Vikengam said with a hint of schadenfreude.

Not far away, Gaban drank atop the mast and said indifferently, "Fame is nothing but drifting clouds to us. Why care so much? We've got the treasure already. I just hope that bastard Roger gets up soon so we can count exactly how much Beli we stole, then find somewhere lively and properly enjoy the charm of money."

"Hahahaha! That's right. That damned Roger still isn't up? I can barely wait to throw a party," Rayleigh said with a laugh, his arm around Shakky.

His words drew jealousy and dissatisfaction from the other crew members, who immediately began teasing him.

"Damned Rayleigh, you just can't wait to celebrate finding perfect love, can you? Shakky, what exactly do you see in him?"

"Exactly! I object to this marriage!"

"Get off the ship! Throw him off! We're all golden bachelors on this ship—there's never been a couple among us!"

"All your thoughts are on Shakky now, aren't they? How are you supposed to go on great adventures with us later? Get lost, bastard!"

"Take my blessings and go be happy at the bottom of the sea, damn it!"

It had to be said that the Roger Pirates had an exceptionally good atmosphere. Compared to that hellhole Mary Geoise, Vikengam found it thoroughly enjoyable. Listening to their bickering, he folded up his newspaper and said with a bright smile, "They're a perfect match, made for each other. What right do you monsters have to object? Don't worry, Rayleigh. As a comrade who escaped God Valley with you, I support your marriage!"

"Hahaha! Thanks, but I don't recall fighting side by side with you, bastard!" Rayleigh laughed.

Then he smugly retorted to the others, "See that? Even a Celestial Dragon supports our marriage. What are you demons and monsters objecting to? This marriage has the World Government's approval!"

"Wow, you bastard, have you become a Government lapdog already?"

"Look how far he's fallen! I propose we throw him off the ship!"

"Letting Viking join us wouldn't be bad. I quite like him—a 'noble' Celestial Dragon willing to hang around pirates like us. Hahahaha!"

"Then let Rayleigh get lost and have him be the first mate?"

Just as everyone was laughing and chatting, the cabin door was shoved open. Roger emerged, covered head to toe in bandages but looking full of vigor. "Sorry, I really made you worry. I'm already—"

Before he could finish, everyone perfunctorily said, "Alright, alright, no one cares about that. Let's hurry and look at the treasure, Captain Roger!"

Roger cursed irritably, "Bastards, did you people ever worry about me at all?"

"Shakky is safe and sound," Rayleigh said with a smile, his arm around Shakky.

"And we got the treasure!" Gaban and the others said, pointing at the pile of gold and silver.

"Oh, it really is a huge haul..." Roger said excitedly when he saw the mountain of treasure.

But the next second, he spotted an unfamiliar figure and asked in surprise, "Huh? Who's this guy? Do we have someone like him on our ship?"

"Me?" Vikengam rose from the railing at the deck's edge and pointed his thumb at himself. "I haven't formally introduced myself yet, Captain Roger. My name is Jaygarcia Vikingham, current scholar of the Roger Pirates."

"Huh?" Roger was utterly dumbfounded. What had happened while he was unconscious?

Come to think of it, wasn't he the captain? Even if a new companion joined, shouldn't he have to approve it first?

Seeing Roger's bewildered expression, Rayleigh explained, "Don't listen to that kid's nonsense. You should have realized from his surname, right? Jaygarcia—the name of one of the Five Elders. He's a Celestial Dragon from Mary Geoise."

"A Celestial Dragon?" Roger was even more surprised. "You kidnapped a Celestial Dragon from the island? Not bad. A member of a Five Elders family should fetch quite a ransom, right?"

"He wasn't kidnapped by us," Gaban said at the right moment. "He clung to Rayleigh and ran from God Valley onto our ship. He's a Celestial Dragon insisting on joining us. You were unconscious before, so you didn't know about it. We're all waiting for you to make the decision."

"A Celestial Dragon came aboard our ship to become a pirate? I feel like I haven't woken up yet. This has to be a dream..." Roger fiercely pinched his arm. The wound sent pain shooting through him, making him bare his teeth. "This isn't a dream?"

"What do you say, Roger? Let me join you all, and let's get along," Vikengam said, looking at Roger.

Roger fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No. We still have something important to do, and if we bring you along, the World Government will definitely pay special attention to us. That won't help our current goal, so—"

"I can decipher the Ancient Language and read Poneglyphs," Vikengam cut him off before he could finish.

The next second, Roger's expression changed. He raised his hand and shouted, "What are you waiting for, you bastards? Hurry up and cheer for our new companion joining us!"

Although they did not seem to have much of a hierarchy when they got along,

Roger was the captain. Once he said that, Vikengam's status was settled.

From that day onward, he was the scholar of the Roger Pirates.

Over the past two days aboard the ship, everyone had gotten along quite well with Vikengam. So the instant Roger finished speaking, they all cheered.

After the commotion died down, everyone gathered around the treasure piled on the deck.

As though he had finally slept enough, a certain baby woke up at that moment and lightly knocked on the treasure chest.

"Hm? What's that sound coming from the chest?"

"Sounds like there's something inside."

Roger curiously crouched down, intending to open the chest, when the nearby crew member Doringer warned, "Be careful..."

Under everyone's puzzled gazes, Roger slowly opened the chest. Then they saw a tiny baby lying amid the jewels with a radiant smile, stretching both hands toward them as if asking to be held.

"Huh? A baby!?" Everyone except Vikengam cried out in surprise.

Before the little guy could make a sound, Roger abruptly slammed the chest shut and turned to the others. "Who brought this aboard?"

"No idea. Everyone just grabbed treasure as they went."

"Does anyone know where this little guy came from?"

Gradually, everyone's gaze fell on Vikengam. After all, they had gone to God Valley to cause trouble; only Vikengam had remained up there the whole time. Maybe he knew something.

Vikengam did not hide anything and said directly, "As far as I know, the commander of God's Knights, Figarland Garling, had a child at God Valley. They said the child had red hair, and judging by his age, he really is a newborn baby... His name is Shanks."

"Shanks?" Roger opened the chest again upon hearing that and checked around the baby's collar. Sure enough, the name "Shanks" was embroidered there.

"It really is? Doesn't that mean we actually kidnapped a Celestial Dragon!?" Roger said in bewilderment.