Roger: I Have a Celestial Dragon on My Crew. Do You?

They didn't talk much about Marlon.

Before long, both Roger's crew and Shiki's crew were getting a little drunk.

Then the drunken Shiki slung an arm around Roger's shoulders and said, "Come to think of it, how did you guys make out at God Valley? We struck it rich, anyway!"

Without waiting for Roger to answer, Shiki bragged, "More than thirty billion Beli! Zehahaha! Bet you've never even seen that much treasure, have you? Roger, I'm going to use this money to build a massive pirate fleet, fulfill that bastard Rocks' unfinished dream, and conquer the entire world! Zehahaha!"

Hearing that Shiki and his men had looted more than thirty billion Beli from God Valley, Roger felt a little jealous. "Who asked you, bastard?!"

The Roger Pirates had only taken a little over twenty billion!

Still, considering Shiki had the Float-Float Fruit, it really was easier for him to loot things. There was no arguing with that.

Seeing that Roger was a little rattled, Shiki became even more smug. He puffed up and said, "What's wrong? Looks like your haul wasn't much. Want this great man to give you some? If you ask nicely, I might consider it."

"What?" Roger slammed his wine cup onto the table, lifted his chin, and said, "You country pirates really have no ambition. It's only a little over thirty billion Beli, yet you act as if it's something incredible..."

"Huh?" Shiki pursed his lips and looked at Roger as though asking what he was putting on. "Only thirty billion Beli? You really talk big. Do you know what that means? A standard Marine Headquarters warship currently costs only around one hundred and twenty million to build in Water 7. With over thirty billion Beli, you could build at least five hundred pirate warships to spec. Do you understand? And you dare call me a country pirate? What country pirate has this much money?"

During the Worst Generation era, Beli had inflated badly for various economic reasons. A standard Marine Headquarters warship cost roughly two hundred million Beli, but at present, just as Shiki said, a little over one hundred million was enough.

"Tch. Vikengam, come show this country pirate what real money looks like!" Roger clicked his tongue disdainfully and called out.

What a joke. If they hadn't met Vikengam, Shiki would have gotten away with showing off today, and Roger would have had no comeback. After all, Shiki's crew really had gained more than his own.

But who told them Roger's crew had a filthy rich tycoon?

At that moment, however, Vikengam was reading Shakky's palm.

"Sister Shakky, your love line is very long. One look says you'll grow old together with Mr. Rayleigh. But forgive me for saying this: he may be a charming gentleman now, but he might turn into a scruffy old man someday. You'd better keep a close eye on him," Vikengam said with a smile.

"Is that so? Even if he becomes a scruffy old man, I'll still like him," Shakky replied with a sweet smile. Her tone seemed joking, but her eyes were exceptionally resolute.

Rayleigh, sitting nearby, said smugly, "Brat, even when I'm old, I'll definitely be an elegant and handsome old man. I won't become some scruffy old man."

Just as Vikengam was about to say something else, Roger's shout came from nearby.

He hadn't clearly heard Shiki and Roger's contest of wealth, so Vikengam looked over at Roger in confusion. "What is it, Captain?"

"I'm saying, stop hanging around that bastard Rayleigh. Can't you see nobody in this tavern can stand him? Get over here and drink with us!" Roger grumbled.

It wasn't just him. Seeing Rayleigh and Shakky sitting together so sweetly they were practically dripping syrup, Shiki also slapped the table in exasperation. "Exactly! Why are you hanging around with that bastard? It's infuriating!"

And just like that, for no apparent reason, Vikengam ended up sharing a table with Shiki, Roger, Jaba, Silver Axe, Babel, and the others.

The moment he sat down, Shiki looked at him with intense curiosity. "A new face I haven't seen before. Are you a Mythical Zoan?"

Babel, who was seated against the wall, said bluntly, "Back at God Valley, I think I saw Rayleigh holding a blade to his neck..."

"Ahahaha!" Roger laughed loudly and patted Vikengam on the shoulder. "He's our crew's scholar, Vikengam. Just call him Vikeng. He may still be a young brat, but you saw his potential earlier. A Mythical Zoan user—after a few years of training on our ship, he'll definitely become something extraordinary."

"Want to join our crew? Following Roger won't be any fun. I'll take you to the New World and fight Whitebeard!" Shiki laughed and immediately tried to poach him.

It had to be said that Shiki's crew and Roger's crew were remarkably alike in this regard: whenever they met, they tried to poach each other's people first.

Or rather, this was extremely common among pirates, especially big-name pirate crews like theirs. Whether ordinary pirates had talent or caught their eye was hard to say.

But their archenemies and rivals definitely had people who were qualified.

"I'll pass. I'm doing quite well with the captain," Vikengam replied with a cheerful smile, showing no sign of timidity.

"You said you looted more than thirty billion Beli earlier. Honestly, that's nothing. What Vikeng is wearing is worth more than everything you stole," Roger said, finally steering the conversation back to their contest of wealth, his face full of smugness.

"Huh?" Shiki frowned. "What do you mean?"

Silver Axe, on the other hand, seemed to know his stuff. He pushed his sunglasses up onto his forehead and stared fixedly at Vikengam's brooch. "Tear of the Mountain Goddess, made by Master Baronia. It sold for a sky-high thirty-seven hundred million Beli at an auction in the Vini Kingdom of the East Blue. Rumor has it that the king offered it as tribute to a Celestial Dragon in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. Why is it on you? It's fake, right?"

"Eh? You really know your stuff!?" Jaba asked in surprise.

Silver Axe raised his wine cup and took a deep gulp. "Just a killer's little hobby. I like luxury goods."

"If you like it, you can have it." Vikengam was equally generous. He casually removed the brooch and tossed it in front of Silver Axe.

Silver Axe hurriedly caught it. "Don't break it, bastard... Wait, this is genuine?"

He hadn't been completely certain just by looking at it, but the instant he held it in his hands, he knew. It was real!

Damn it! The Roger Pirates are this rich!?

Was I too hasty in turning down Jaba's offer earlier?

A newcomer who only just boarded their ship has a brooch worth... Huh? What's with that eye-catching bracelet of yours? Don't tell me that's the legendary Faloa Chain?

That's another top-tier luxury item worth more than three billion Beli!

Shiki was dumbfounded by Silver Axe's incredulous expression. Seriously? Roger, were you for real?

"Hmph hmph, now you get it, right? Your thirty billion Beli is nothing at all. Everything Vikeng is wearing is worth at least thirty billion. In other words, the huge sum you think is enough to build five hundred warships is merely a few little trinkets hanging off Vikeng's body," Roger said, swaying his head with immense satisfaction.

"Just who the hell is this new member of yours!?" Shiki couldn't help asking.

"Ahahaha, it's nothing much. He's merely a Celestial Dragon from Mary Geoise who greatly admires the Roger Pirates. He was so captivated by my charm that he specifically chased after me, begging to join my ship as a scholar. Sigh, I don't know why, but my charm is just that great~" Roger said as though it were nothing unusual.

But his tone was practically soaring into the heavens.

Shiki gritted his teeth. "Your charm is great? But Shakky chose Rayleigh."

"I have a Celestial Dragon on my crew. Do you?" Roger said, though he was deeply rattled inside, acting as though he didn't care at all.

"I..." Shiki was about to say something.

Roger cut in again. "I have a Celestial Dragon on my crew. Do you? Huh? Do you!? You don't have a damn thing!"

"Damn it!" Shiki finally snapped. After cursing, he raised his cup and shouted, "Fuck it, may Rayleigh and Shakky have eight kids in their first pregnancy! Cheers!!!"

"Oh!!!" The tavern immediately erupted into excitement. Then Jaba, Vikengam, Roger, and the others all noisily raised their cups and shouted, "Cheers!!!"