Pirates: A Family Slaughtered, Every Celestial Dragon Must Die!

"Hahaha! Nothing beats fine wine after an all-out fight!"

The next moment, Roger was sprawled on the deck, leisurely drinking wine he had found somewhere.

"You bastard. When did you get that out?"

Rono quickly realized Roger had taken the wine from his ship!

After learning the Advanced Brewing Technique on the island, Rono had made plenty of wine and stored it away. When had Roger found it?

"You brewed this? You're good!"

Gulp, gulp. Roger soon drained the entire jar.

In the blink of an eye, Roger vanished and reappeared with more than a dozen jars of wine before him.

"Drinking alone is no fun. Join me." Roger tossed a jar to Rono.

"Hey, I didn't make that much!" Rono winced.

That wine was supposed to last until he joined the Rocks Pirates.

"Hahaha! Don't worry about it! That fight wore me out. Cheers!"

Roger paid no heed and pulled Rono into a drinking session.

Celestial Dragons and Heavenly Tribute

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"Why leave that little bit at the bottom? Keeping fish in there?"

"Again! Again! First one to pass out loses!"

"You'll never beat me at drinking!"

"You're the one who's going to lose!"

Their excited voices rang out across the Revenge's deck.

Jar after jar went down as day turned to night, then night to day.

Another day and night passed, and Rono's supply was nearly gone.

"You're still not drunk? Are you really only seventeen?" Roger's cheeks were flushed, but Rono was still clear-eyed. He couldn't help but marvel.

At seventeen, Roger hadn't touched a drop. How was this guy still sober after drinking all day?

Wasn't his monstrous talent for fighting enough? Did he have to be just as gifted at drinking?!

And Rono could brew excellent wine, too. What a shame he wouldn't join Roger's crew!

Roger beat his chest in frustration.

"I could drink with another one of you and still stay sober!"

Rono lifted a jar and drained it in one go.

The system could pick up anything, so naturally, it could pick up alcohol tolerance.

That was why Rono had managed to drink with Roger for a full day and night.

With his actual tolerance, one jar would probably have knocked him out for three days and nights.

"Keep telling yourself that." Roger thought Rono was an even bigger braggart than he was.

"Haha, don't believe me? I'll show you someday." Rono took a bite of roast chicken, then picked up another jar and emptied it.

"Damn, it's almost gone!"

Seeing how little wine remained, Roger tossed aside his chicken leg, grabbed a jar in each hand, and started chugging.

"You're trying to cheat me! You bastard!" Rono refused to be outdone and began drinking with both hands too.

A man's pride was at stake. He couldn't lose.

Gulp, gulp. Gulp, gulp!

The two drank as if it were plain water, polishing off more than a hundred jars of fine wine in no time.

"Hahaha! Now that was fun! The sea really is wonderful!"

With the supply completely exhausted, both men collapsed spread-eagled on the deck and began snoring with smiles on their faces.

"How long was I asleep?"

A bubble of snot popped, and Roger woke up.

"Three days," Rono replied from the Control Room, where he stood at the helm.

"Where are we going?" Roger asked instinctively when he realized the ship was moving.

"Heh. Somewhere interesting. You'll love it." A faint smile touched Rono's lips.

"Oh?"

Roger sprang to his feet and used his Observation Haki to look around.

Not far away were several ships: Marine warships, World Government escort ships, and a huge transport vessel.

The transport was loaded with vast amounts of gold, silver, jewels, and Beli.

It was obvious what Rono had found interesting.

"Heavenly Tribute?"

"That's right. Interesting, isn't it?" Rono nodded.

He had just grown vastly stronger, and now he had run into a Heavenly Tribute convoy. What timing!

With Observation Haki, Rono could sense his surroundings.

That was how he had noticed something interesting: the World Government was collecting Heavenly Tribute.

Every World Government Affiliated Nation had to contribute it. It was essentially a tax.

Every bit of that money went toward the Celestial Dragons' food, housing, and entertainment.

Pay the Heavenly Tribute, and the World Government would protect a nation from outsiders. Refuse, and it wouldn't care whether that nation lived or died.

But the amount was enormous. Even an entire nation struggled to pay it.

Over time, some nations imposed crushing taxes and levies. Ordinary people who could no longer survive took to the sea and became pirates.

Some poor nations even went bankrupt. Pirates preyed on their people, the Marines did nothing, and the people suffered.

Roger's final words certainly played a part in ushering in the Great Pirate Era.

But Heavenly Tribute also bankrupted many nations, and countless people who could no longer make a living chose to become pirates.

"Hahaha! Heavenly Tribute! Now that's interesting. Let's get this adventure started!"

Roger grinned broadly, his voice booming with excitement.

Roger's style wasn't to rob people, even after becoming a pirate. But the Celestial Dragons were an exception.

"I wonder if any Celestial Dragons are aboard." Rono clenched his fists at the thought of them and steered the ship faster.

Before long, the World Government's Heavenly Tribute convoy came into view.

"Report! A sailing ship ahead. It isn't flying a pirate flag, and we don't know what it's doing here."

At the same time, the convoy transporting the Heavenly Tribute spotted Rono and Roger.

A Marine hurried to report it to Hank, a Vice Admiral stationed at the East Blue branch.

As a branch Vice Admiral, Hank was the Marines' highest-ranking officer in the East Blue.

"Sink them—"

Before Hank could finish giving the order, several tall, masked men appeared beside him. One of them, clearly the leader, spoke without a trace of emotion.

Their attire left no doubt: they belonged to CP0, a spy organization under the Celestial Dragons!

CP0 was known as the Celestial Dragons' strongest shield. Some of its members were even powerful enough to rival the strongest pirates and Marines.

"But their ship isn't flying a pirate flag. What if it's a merchant vessel? What if everyone aboard is a civilian?"

Hank looked troubled. As a Marine, he still believed in justice.

"Vice Admiral Hank, this convoy is carrying Heavenly Tribute. Anyone who comes near it has committed a capital offense."

The voice beneath the mask was utterly indifferent, as if this were a trivial matter.

"But..." Hank hesitated.

"Heavenly Tribute is what the gods value most. If it's lost, do you think a mere Vice Admiral like you can take responsibility?" The CP0 agent's voice grew colder.

Before Hank could say another word, something happened that caught everyone off guard.

"Finger Pistol: Yellow Lotus!"

The CP0 agent struck without warning.

Whoosh!

The attack pierced straight through Hank's left shoulder, and blood gushed out!

"Aah!!"

Hank fell to the deck, clutching his left shoulder in agony.

"Vice Admiral Hank!"

The surrounding Marines were stunned.

Hank was a Marine Vice Admiral, the highest-ranking officer in the East Blue.

They had actually attacked him!

CP0 was far too brazen!

They had no regard for the Marines at all.

"Damn it! You CP0 agents are just spies who answer directly to the Celestial Dragons! What gives you the right to attack Vice Admiral Hank?"

"That's right! We're Marines. CP0 has no authority over us!"

"You bastards! Aren't you afraid the Marines will retaliate?"

Several young Marines who had recently joined and still had a strong sense of justice couldn't stand it. They began denouncing CP0.

Some veterans tried to stop them, but it was too late.

"Interesting... Are you trying to rebel?" The CP0 leader snorted. Then, in the next instant—

"Finger Pistol: Ten-Finger Gun!"

"Rankyaku: Amane Dachi!"

"Six Powers: Lotus!"

Several CP0 agents attacked the Marines who had spoken up without a moment's hesitation.

The young Marines were no match for CP0. Screams rang out one after another!

In less than a minute, the dozen or so young Marines who had spoken were all dead!

Splash. Splash.

Their bodies were soon thrown into the sea.

The remaining Marines watched in horror, hardly daring to breathe!

CP0's methods were terrifying!

They had slaughtered fellow World Government forces without hesitation!

So this was the Celestial Dragons' strongest shield?

An Enraged Strike! CP0 Killed in One Blow