The Grand Line, Here I Come

Boom!

The impact came as promised, a powerful, unstoppable force hurtling straight toward the pirates.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bursts of flesh exploded. The pirates' bodies shattered under the impact, torn apart one after another.

Watching even the cabin get blown away, Rogge shook his head. The Chop-Chop Fruit did not have the terrifying range of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, but its power to break things was beyond ordinary comprehension.

Anyone struck by it would shatter. Whether Rogge touched someone himself or hit them with a shockwave, the force generated by the Chop-Chop Fruit carried that same shattering effect.

With one easy punch, he crushed every pirate aboard the ship. Rogge turned his gaze to the other pirate ships. Their advantage in numbers meant this might take a while.

They were outnumbered, but each of them could take on a thousand enemies. The trouble was that those enemies were scattered, making it hard to deal with them one by one.

Rogge had only destroyed his third ship when Cook sent a fifth to the bottom of the sea. Heads dotted the water as those who had fallen overboard swam desperately toward the remaining ships.

"Why is this happening? There are only five of you." A pirate captain stood before Rogge, staring at him in despair.

Blood and chunks of flesh covered the deck. Rogge was used to it by now, though his ability did seem rather gruesome.

Only the captain remained aboard, clutching a knight's shield. It was battered almost beyond recognition, but it had evidently blocked Rogge's shattering power.

"Because we're stronger than you. So what if you have more people? Killing you all is just a matter of time. Honestly, the West Blue can't hold us back anymore. The Grand Line is where we're headed, understand? You're in our way." Rogge stepped forward and planted a foot on the shield, now no bigger than a frying pan. The last of it shattered.

"No, don't kill me! I'll be your dog! I don't want to die! I was tricked!" The captain dropped to his knees and repeatedly slammed his forehead against the deck.

"My dog? Hahaha!" Rogge laughed.

"Die!"

Still kneeling, the captain suddenly pulled a dagger from his coat and lunged at Rogge's chest, aiming for his heart.

"Tsk, tsk."

Rogge caught the dagger in an instant, unafraid of its sharp edge. In his hand, the blade crumbled into scraps of iron, leaving only the hilt.

"You like doing that, do you? I'll oblige." Rogge drew the dagger at his waist, seized the captain by the neck, and drove the blade hard into his stomach. He pulled it out and stabbed again. Only after carving a gaping hole in the man's belly did Rogge let his corpse fall.

"Why go to sea if you don't have the strength? Once you set sail, you'd better be ready to die. Why become a pirate if you can't even accept that? I live every day as though it's my last. I've never been attached to this world." Rogge wiped the blood from his dagger and spoke calmly.

"Rogge, you're too slow." Cook surfaced from the water.

"The rest are already running, aren't they? Let's not waste time. Let's go to the Grand Line." Rogge looked toward the distant Red Line.

The West Blue held no interest for him anymore. It offered him no challenge. He had taken down its highest-bounty pirate, lured more than half its pirates to their deaths, and now routed them again. Rogge had no reason to linger. He could hardly wait to reach the Grand Line.

"True. No point in it." Cook watched the remaining ships flee without any desire to pursue them, then slung his hammer across his back.

Rogge went into the cabin and searched the ship for valuables. He might say he had no interest in money, but who would complain about having more of it?

It was only a few million Beli. Enough to buy a few outfits.

Ares brought their ship over, and the four of them regrouped. Seeing Rogge covered in blood, Jelly could not help snickering. "Rogge, why don't you hand over the captain's position? You spent all that time taking down just three ships."

"Want to fight me?" Rogge glanced at Jelly.

"Forget it. I'm not arguing with a brute. In your world, fists are all that matter." Jelly spread his hands.

"Of course they are. It's survival of the strongest in this world. Might makes right. What else have you got besides your fists?" Rogge snapped.

Ham patted Jelly on the shoulder and said evenly, "You need treatment."

"Huh? What's wrong with him?" Ares, who had not had a chance to do anything, immediately thrust his face close to Jelly's and asked with a worried look.

"I'm fine!" Jelly snapped, flustered and angry.

"I'm going to change." Rogge went into the cabin to bathe and put on fresh clothes. He had the most blood on him. Jelly and Ham fought with far more finesse, unlike Rogge, who charged through battles like a madman without a care.

Before long, Rogge emerged, washed and changed. Ham had already counted their haul: a little over forty million Beli. At last, they had some savings. They had spent everything they got from the Bloodhand Pirates on supplies, so they were hardly wealthy. The money came at a good time.

"The weather's getting worse." Jelly raised both hands as raindrops began to fall onto his palms.

"Haven't we been here before? Look, that Marine fortress." Ham smiled.

"You've been here before?" Ares asked curiously.

"These three once went after the Heavenly Tribute. You can read the old newspapers if you're interested," Cook said.

Ares stared at Rogge and the other two as if they were ghosts. "The Heavenly Tribute? You dared go after that?"

"Mainly our captain, not us. Hahaha! How else do you think he became captain? We're only here today because he risked his life for us," Ham said with a laugh.

That was why Ham admired Rogge: Rogge dared to do what others would not. Plenty of people had set their sights on the Heavenly Tribute. Nearly every pirate in the world wanted a piece of it, but the cost was too high, and few succeeded. They, in particular, had been a bunch of weaklings.

Donquixote Doflamingo was the only one who could truly be called successful. He had used the Heavenly Tribute to threaten the World Government and secure a place among the Shichibukai. Rogge and the others had not really succeeded; they had merely used a scheme to steal three Devil Fruits from it. That was also why the World Government had not moved against them yet. Once they entered the Grand Line, they probably would not enjoy the same peace.

As they spoke, they reached the foot of the Red Line and spotted the waterway leading up the mountain. Looking at the channel that climbed straight toward the sky, Rogge stood atop the skull figurehead and spread his arms.

"Grand Line, here I come!"