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

Geppo!

The three knew their own limits. At best, they were around Vice Admiral or Rear Admiral level.

They only threw their weight around in front of the marines because they were CP0.

Against a monster like Rono, who could take down a Vice Admiral with one punch, they would all be dead within minutes!

"Trying to run?"

Rono raised an eyebrow. His Observation Haki revealed one CP0 agent's escape route, and he moved to block it.

Finger Pistol: Rupture!

The agent was no helpless lamb. The instant Rono closed in, he attacked.

"Aaaah!" The agent Rono had targeted let out an agonized scream.

His Finger Pistol struck Rono's arm, which was coated in Armament Haki. Rono applied a little more force, snapping the agent's fingers outright!

Pain like that was no joke.

"Die!"

Rono punched through his chest, killing him on the spot!

But the other two agents used the opening to put some distance between them.

"Damn it, I really am late. Only two left?"

"Take this!"

Roger had finally arrived. He brought his blade down on one of the fleeing CP0 agents.

The agent had no idea Rono had an ally. In an instant, he fell to Roger's sword.

"He has an ally?"

The sole surviving agent fled for his life, too panicked to care where he was going.

"Heh. Geppo!"

Rono had no intention of letting anyone escape. Since there were no Celestial Dragons here, he would vent his anger on their dogs instead.

The system had just picked up Geppo. Along with it, Rono had acquired Finger Pistol and Iron Body, two more of the Six Powers.

"Rono, I'll help you!"

Roger joined Rono in chasing the last CP0 agent.

"Don't kill him. Just catch him."

Rono called out to Roger. He had suddenly realized the man needed to stay alive.

As a CP0 member, the man could surely contact the Celestial Dragons. If he died, the trail would go cold.

"Got it."

Roger nodded. Closing in from opposite sides, they soon caught CP0's only survivor.

"Give it up, you commoners! I'll never tell you where the Celestial Dragons are!"

The captured agent knew he was as good as dead, but his resolve held firm. He even spat at them.

Rono wasn't surprised. These people had lost their minds long ago.

Ignoring him, Rono searched the agent.

He soon found what he wanted—a specially made Den Den Mushi.

The mark on it identified it as a private Den Den Mushi, probably used for communication between CP0 members.

With it, he should be able to contact the CP0 agents escorting the Celestial Dragons.

But Rono found he couldn't activate it.

"Hahaha! That Den Den Mushi was made for us. It won't work without a special cipher!"

The agent laughed smugly.

For an intelligence organization, a countermeasure like that was child's play.

"Rono, do you have a grudge against the Celestial Dragons or CP0?"

Roger, who stood nearby, suddenly turned to Rono and asked.

He had sensed Rono's anger on his way here.

The mere mention of the Celestial Dragons made Rono's emotions erupt, as though he had become someone else.

Rono didn't answer.

He didn't want to. It was his deepest wound, his most closely guarded secret. He didn't want to speak of it to anyone.

"All right. That's fine. I'll help you."

Rono said nothing, but Roger didn't mind. Sensitive as he was, how could he miss the change in Rono's mood?

Roger's Observation Haki let him hear the Voice of All Things.

He couldn't read people's minds directly, but his instincts were dozens of times sharper than most people's!

He could tell Rono had a painful history with the Celestial Dragons.

They weren't crewmates, but Roger already considered Rono a friend. And when a friend needed help, it was time to do what he could.

Roger leaned close to the CP0 agent, bringing his ear near the man as if listening.

"What's this?"

Rono froze at the sight.

This... this looks like Roger's special Observation Haki—the Voice of All Things!

[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have acquired the god-tier Observation Haki ability: Voice of All Things!]

The moment Roger used his Haki, the system's welcome chime rang out.

I got it! The Voice of All Things!

This was a god-tier Observation Haki ability!

Like Katakuri's ability to see the future and the Red Count's ability to peer into minds, it was a special form of Observation Haki!

It allowed its user to communicate with all things, an exceedingly rare ability.

The Voice of All Things might even surpass future sight and mind-reading by a considerable margin.

After all, this was an ability fit for a protagonist. Both Luffy and Roger possessed it!

More importantly, perhaps he could learn something about the Celestial Dragons from this CP0 agent and finally avenge his parents!

A Young Marine: Monkey D. Dragon

"Don't think you'll get any secrets out of me!"

"Just wait! The World Government and Marine Headquarters will hunt you to the ends of the earth!"

As if he had sensed something, the CP0 agent steeled himself and bit off his tongue!

"Damn it! Stop him!"

Roger and Rono tried to intervene, but it was too late. The agent was already dead.

"Never thought a scumbag like him would be so loyal." Even Roger hadn't expected CP0's "loyalty" to the Celestial Dragons to go this far.

He had killed himself! Roger couldn't imagine how the World Government had brainwashed these agents.

"He was afraid of giving away the Celestial Dragons' whereabouts. What awaited him afterward would've been worse than death."

Rono wasn't impressed.

CP0 were nothing more than the Celestial Dragons' "house dogs." If those dogs failed a mission, their masters would put them through hell.

In the original story, Who's-Who, one of the Beasts Pirates' senior officers and a member of the Tobi Roppo, had once belonged to CP0.

After failing to transport the Gum-Gum Fruit, he was thrown into Impel Down. He eventually joined Kaido.

Clearly, even if Rono hadn't killed these CP0 agents, they would likely have taken their own lives. Anything was better than falling into the Celestial Dragons' hands.

"Hahaha! Fight's over. Come on, let's see what treasures are in the Heavenly Tribute!"

With the obstacles gone, Roger threw an arm around Rono's shoulders and led him into the ship's hold.

Their Observation Haki showed that the Heavenly Tribute was stored there.

Rono was eager to see it too.

Aside from gold and silver, could the Heavenly Tribute contain a powerful Devil Fruit or some other treasure?

Roger hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit. In fact, he had no interest in them at all.

If they found one, it would surely be Rono's.

"I wonder if there's any fine wine tucked away. Can't wait!"

Roger's remark nearly made Rono stumble.

"What goes on in that head of yours?"

Rono was speechless. With enough money, Roger could buy all the fine wine he wanted. Besides, the Celestial Dragons were hardly short of it.

No ordinary person could keep up with the Pirate King's train of thought.

"S-stop!"

Just then, a young voice rang out, trembling.

"Oh? Someone's still conscious?"

Surprised, Roger and Rono turned toward the voice together.

It came from a young marine, clearly a green recruit. Yet he had been the first to regain consciousness.

Roger's Conqueror's Haki was advanced, after all. To wake up so quickly, the recruit had to have tremendous willpower.

Could a marine this talented be one of the three future Admirals?

No. None of them had joined the marines yet.

Sengoku, Garp, or Zephyr?

No, those three were already famous. They were all Vice Admirals at Marine Headquarters and candidates for Admiral.

Rono also felt he had seen the young man's face somewhere before, but he couldn't place it.

"I saw everything you did. I won't let you take the Heavenly Tribute."

"I'm a marine! I stand for justice!"

The young marine sounded almost like a boy playing hero as he drew a recruit's short sword and pointed it at them.

"Justice? The Celestial Dragons' dogs can walk all over you. You call that justice?" Rono mocked.

"That's only for now! Once I grow stronger, I'll change the marines!" the young marine replied firmly.

"Change the marines? That's a big claim."

The young man had caught Rono's interest.

A young man ought to chase his dreams, but setting out to change the marines was no small ambition.

Someone with that kind of resolve would never amount to nothing.

Yet this couldn't be one of the three future Admirals, or Garp, Sengoku, or Zephyr.

Then who is he? Fujitora, perhaps?

No, Fujitora wouldn't sound so much like a boy playing hero. A few people do come to mind, though.

But one is Luffy and the other is Roger. Neither is possible.

Rono racked his brain. Had he forgotten someone from the original story? Surely he would have heard of a marine like this.

Boom!

Just as Rono was deep in thought, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from the young marine!