The Battlefield in the Calm Belt / Roger Makes His Move

Rayleigh laughed. "Oh, please. If you hadn't tricked me into boarding your ship back then, I'd never have joined a fool like you!"

They both burst out laughing again. The memories etched by time were always the sweetest.

After a long while, Roger said something startling. "Rayleigh, what I really want to know is the answer Dongze promised me. The way he spoke before, he must know something. But why was he so confident he could give me that answer?"

Rayleigh froze, then said in disbelief, "He knows the truth of history!"

Roger smiled without answering. He handed Rayleigh the little iron bottle and said, "I'm taking you to tomorrow's match. As for the others, even if they want to come, they probably won't be able to."

Rayleigh was puzzled. It was only a sparring match. Was all that really necessary? Besides, no matter how strong Dongze was, he couldn't be stronger than Rocks D. Zebek had been.

As if reading his mind, Roger chuckled. He offered no explanation, only said, "You're in for a shock!"

Suest Kingdom, inside the old castle.

Dongze stood on a balcony of the Royal Palace, gazing into the distance. The moon shone bright among sparse stars, draping the land in a thin silver veil. The kingdom had not gone entirely quiet; two or three shops along the streets were still open.

He remembered those places offered nighttime entertainment, all legitimate business. Guards were on duty at night, making regular patrols to keep the kingdom safe, and Den Den Mushi provided round-the-clock surveillance at several key checkpoints.

The lights at the distant harbor were still on. Night-shift workers unloaded cargo from several merchant ships and carried local products aboard. Everything proceeded in orderly fashion.

The young kingdom was like a machine that had been