I'm So Glad I Refused Your Request to Join the Crew

Ochoku's face darkened as he forced out a sentence through clenched teeth. "You really know how to piss people off."

Whitebeard ignored him, turned around, and headed into the ship.

Ochoku stood there quietly, watching Whitebeard leave. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't beat him, so he could only swallow the humiliation.

Time always passed in the blink of an eye.

In the blink of an eye, another two days had passed.

The other members of the Rocks Pirates still had not arrived to meet up with them.

The sea was empty and still. By the time Ron woke up, it was already past ten in the morning.

Sunlight slanted in through the porthole, casting a bright trapezoid across the wooden floor.

Ron sat up with a yawn. When he stepped outside, he found a note Annika had left by the bedroom door.

[Lord Ron, I went out to buy food and will be back soon. The hostage has not run away.]

After reading it, Ron casually slipped it into his pocket. The part about the "hostage not running away" was completely unnecessary.

If he had not trusted Annika, he would not have given her the freedom to move around.

After washing up, Ron entered the ship's hall and immediately spotted Stussy curled up on the sofa, flipping through a newspaper.

"Yo, you're up?" Stussy did not even raise her head as she turned a page, her voice lazy. "Newgate told you to go to the tavern in town and drink with him once you woke up."

"You're not going?" Ron asked casually.

Only then did Stussy lift her eyelids and glance at him before quickly lowering them again. Her tone was flat. "A thief came back. I wouldn't dare leave my back exposed to him."

Naturally, she meant Ochoku. Right now, Stussy only hoped that those bastards from the Rocks Pirates would return soon, so she would not have to worry about that "thief" doing something behind her back.

"Oh." Ron nodded lightly and said nothing more as he headed outside.

He honestly could not understand these treasure-obsessed people. They were pirates, so what did they need money for?

Couldn't they just take whatever they wanted? What proper pirate would give up something he wanted just because he did not have enough money?

"Hey, Ron." Stussy's voice called after him. "Bring some back for me too."

"Got it."

The distance from the coast to the town was not far. Walking at a normal pace, it would take around thirty minutes.

Ron was in no hurry. He did not walk too fast or too slowly, but when he reached a slightly winding stretch of road, he stopped.

It was not because he was tired. His Malice Perception had sensed a dangerous presence.

That feeling was soon confirmed.

"Ron, we finally found you."

A light, drifting voice came from ahead and to the side.

Ron turned toward the source of the voice, and three familiar figures were reflected in his eyes.

"Roger? Rayleigh? Gaban?" Ron looked mildly surprised. "What a coincidence?"

But the expressions on Roger and the other two's faces quickly told him that this was no chance encounter.

Roger pushed up his straw hat. There was not a trace of a smile on his usually bold and cheerful face.

"Something you need?" Ron spoke first.

Roger did not answer immediately. He stared at Ron for two seconds before slowly speaking. "Why? Why did you agree to Shakky and the others' conditions, only to ignore them? You could have chosen not to save them, but why drag them into this?"

The moment Ron saw the funeral-like looks on their faces, he knew this would not be anything good. And now, it had indeed come to pass. Still, he had not expected Roger and the others to come for Shakky's sake.

But on second thought, it made sense. In the original story, the entire Roger Pirates had been utterly captivated by Shakky.

For "love," for so-called "righteousness," they had come to demand justice from him... perfectly normal.

But... wait.

Ron felt something was off. He had acted together with Kaido, Whitebeard, and Stussy, yet they had come only for him? Or was he just that unlucky, happening to run into them alone?

"Them?" Ron's tone remained calm. "You mean... those slaves captured by the World Government?"

"Looks like... you came to hold me accountable because none of them survived."

Ron found it a little regrettable. You should have said so earlier. If you had told me that all those slaves were the people Shakky wanted, I would have brought them onto the secondary ship along with the others.

Then I could have demanded a hefty reward from Shakky. Kidnapping one was kidnapping, and kidnapping a group was kidnapping too.

Roger had been watching Ron's expression the entire time. He wanted to see a trace of guilt, a trace of unease, even a trace of excuse—anything.

But there was nothing.

There was only indifference on Ron's face, the detached indifference of someone saying, "This has nothing to do with me," the kind that made people want to punch him.

Roger's anger finally surged up like a flood bursting through a dam. "Ron, you bastard! Does 'honor' mean absolutely nothing to you?"

Ron did not refute him immediately, because he felt there was no point arguing with Roger about this.

From Roger's perspective, if Ron had not saved everyone, then Ron was in the wrong.

But from Ron's perspective, Shakky had only asked him to "provide some help under special circumstances." Ron believed he had already done that.

He had saved Annika.

And since he had acted independently, the Kuja Pirates had contributed nothing. It was perfectly normal for him to demand double compensation.

"Everyone on the seas calls me the Devil Butcher. They all say that I, Ron, am a demon who does not value life. Didn't you already know that? Heh heh heh... Is there really any need to be this angry?"

Roger lowered his gaze. Whatever had been churning in his eyes finally sank, and his hand slowly moved to the hilt of his sword, gripping it tightly.

"Haa..." Roger exhaled. "In that case..."

Roger was deeply disappointed.

If Ron's attitude had been even slightly better, if he had said, "I didn't mean to," Roger might have let him off.

Even if it had only been a lie, at least it would have meant that he still cared about something.

But no.

Ron did not care.

He did not care about the people who had died, nor did he care about "honor."

"I'm incredibly glad I refused your request to join my crew back then," Roger said in a low voice.

"After all that talking," Ron said, his voice still calm, even carrying a hint of amusement, "I thought you came to reason with me."

"Face reality, bastard." Gaban suddenly cut in with a cold laugh, placing a hand on the weapon at his waist. "We're pirates. Whether we reason with people or not depends on our mood."

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