Why Were They Fighting So Well Just Now? Why Did They Suddenly Stop?

It was so abrupt that Vikengam couldn't make sense of why Rayleigh had suddenly come over to help.

Had he and Roger joined forces to take down Shiki?

But just then, he noticed that Nozdon and Eye Dragon, who had been fighting Babel alongside him moments ago, no longer seemed to be in fighting condition.

Even Babel, who had looked ready to kill him earlier, showed no intention of continuing after Rayleigh made his move.

"Where did you find this kid? He looks rather promising," Babel said as he crawled out of the whirlpool-like sea eye and stood once more on the shattered ice.

Rayleigh smiled. "Jealous that our new member's such a fine lad? Say, the Rocks Pirates have basically disbanded. Have you considered joining our crew?"

Although he still did not fully understand what was going on, the atmosphere no longer seemed as tense as before. Vikengam, having landed at the harbor, also withdrew from his battle stance and turned toward the town.

Well, Jaba was still swinging axes and hacking away at Silver Axe, but Roger and Shiki had already stopped fighting.

The two stood face-to-face, apparently arguing fiercely about something.

"You're not used to this kind of situation, are you?" Doringer, also carrying an axe, asked as he fluttered his little demon wings and landed beside Vikengam.

"No kidding. For no reason at all, we started fighting the moment we met. Then we fought for less than ten minutes and suddenly stopped. Are pirates always this... weird?" Vikengam could not help complaining.

Back in Mary Geoise, he had already felt that the Celestial Dragons' logic was absurd. He had thought pirates would be better, but now that he considered it, he had simply been too young.

"This is West Blue, not the New World. If nothing unexpected happens, the Marines probably still have fleets searching for us. How could we possibly fight Shiki and his lot to the death here?" Doringer smacked his lips and explained.

"So what exactly was that fight about?" Vikengam asked after a moment of silence.

"It was mutual probing," Doringer said. "Shiki saw that our captain was injured, so he wanted to see whether he had a chance to take Captain Roger down here. Captain Roger, Mister Rayleigh, and the others also wanted to see what state the Rocks Pirates were in after the battle at God Valley."

"So if either side had really exposed a weakness just now..." Vikengam raised a brow.

"Just as you thought. If anyone exposed a weakness and looked like they could be taken down soon, that little skirmish would immediately turn into a real slaughter," Doringer said without hesitation.

"I see." Vikengam smacked his lips in sudden understanding.

While Roger and Shiki argued, Vikengam did not interfere. Instead, he focused entirely on Jaba and Silver Axe, who still had not fought to their fill and continued hacking at each other.

The two had already demolished two streets by the docks. Ruins split and blasted apart by battle axes lay everywhere. Whenever the two figures crossed paths, violent clashes and chaotic shockwaves of air could be heard.

Even so, it was clear that they were holding back. Neither was going all out; it was more like a technical sparring match.

Without a doubt, a clash between top-tier "Big Axe Heroes" like this was an extraordinarily rare sight.

At that moment, Vikengam had even activated his Sharingan. The tomoe spun rapidly in his crimson eyes as he feared missing even a moment of Jaba and Silver Axe's dazzling display.

Learning had always been Vikengam's strength, whether it was knowledge or combat techniques!

"I already told you, if the two of us join forces, we can immediately recreate the strength of the Rocks Pirates. Then, this sea will belong to us. Think about it, Roger. Whether it's Newgate or Linlin, once they return from West Blue to the New World, a new struggle for supremacy will begin. With the tide of such a grand age rolling in, aren't you moved in the slightest?" Shiki said excitedly to Roger, gesturing wildly.

Although Shiki looked displeased on the surface upon encountering the Roger Pirates here, he was actually extremely excited inside.

Just as he had said, as long as Roger nodded, the two of them could immediately become the brightest figures in the tide of this new era!

Think about it. Shiki had gathered Silver Axe and Babel, making for a formidable combination on their own. The Roger Pirates were even more extraordinary—Roger, Rayleigh, Jaba, none of them were weaklings.

Given the current situation on the seas, even without joining forces, Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, and the other great pirates might not be able to handle them. If they truly united, the gap would undoubtedly be crushing!

Roger looked somewhat displeased as he listened to Shiki's temptations. Just as he was about to speak, Shiki cut him off. "Besides, at God Valley, you saw him with your own eyes. You even fought him, didn't you? That monster? Even Rocks fell into that monster's hands... If we faced that monster alone, who do you think could deal with him? But if you and I join forces, that might be a different story..."

Those words undoubtedly stirred Roger.

Shiki and the others had also been involved in the battle at God Valley, but their feelings about it had not been as clear or direct as Roger's.

But that feeling lasted only an instant.

Roger's gaze sharpened at once. "Stop talking nonsense, Shiki. The two of us aren't compatible. If we force ourselves together, we'll fall out sooner or later. Rather than that, it's better not to get tangled up in the first place. I never wanted to become some ruler of an era. I have more important things to do, and I don't have time to play games with bastards like you in the New World..."

Just as Roger said, although he acknowledged Shiki's strength and ambition, their temperaments clashed too badly. Roger was no saint himself, but Shiki was far too untrustworthy, ruthless, extreme in his actions, and overly bloodthirsty.

Roger felt that he simply could not get along with him!

Shiki wanted to return to the New World to contend with Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, and all the great pirates there, to join the tide that was about to sweep across the age.

But Roger had no intention of doing that. In fact, in order to find the Final Island, they clearly would not be staying in the New World for long. They needed to search the world for clues to the Final Island.

Where would he find the time to stir up trouble with Shiki in the New World?

Shiki clearly had no intention of giving up, but Roger did not give him the chance to continue. Instead, he hurriedly asked, "That square stone covered in a bunch of unreadable writing, the one that can't be destroyed—it's called a Poneglyph. We mentioned it once when we were drinking on Hachinosu, remember?"

"A Poneglyph?" Shiki frowned slightly after being sidetracked. "Rocks was looking for those things for a while too. What about them? Do they hide treasure?"

"Yeah, they hide something, but it's the history of the Void Century. I'm not sure whether there's any treasure, but I'm very interested in those things now. If you have any clues, tell me..." Roger did not hide too much and gave a selective explanation.

"The blank history?" Shiki paused, then asked, "What are you looking for that stuff for?"

At this point, Shiki did not know enough about such matters. He was a pirate, out there to raid and plunder. Why would he study such things? It was not like he was preparing for an entrance exam.

Only later, after Roger stirred things up, did the matter of the Poneglyphs gradually become known and valued by everyone. That was when Shiki learned that they might conceal the whereabouts of the Ancient Weapons.

"To solve a mystery. Don't you think it would be incredibly interesting to unravel a mystery that no one has understood for centuries?" Roger said without hesitation.

Shiki could not empathize with Roger at all. All he cared about was conquest and supremacy. What was the point of solving some mystery?

After thinking for a moment, Shiki said, "There's one in Linlin's base. I heard her mention it to Rocks."

Roger froze, then looked at Shiki with deep suspicion. "You bastard, aren't you trying to use me to kill with a borrowed blade? Have me fight Linlin to the death while you follow behind and pick up the scraps?"