Chương 5: Chapter 5 - The Farewell Party
Just as Shanks and Shirakawa were about to climb the stairs to the deck, two loud bangs echoed across the sea, shaking the ship violently. Shirakawa stumbled, grabbing the railing for support.
"What's happening?" he asked Shanks.
"Someone's giving us a send-off," Shanks replied with a grin, seemingly unfazed.
Shirakawa reached the deck and heard a crew member reporting to Roger.
"Captain, those three pirate ships are probably some rookies from this year."
"Oh? Newcomers daring to challenge me? How brave," Roger said, his tone ambiguous.
'Is he praising them or mocking them?' Shirakawa wondered. He suspected it was the latter. Roger, a New World powerhouse, likely had a strong sense of pride. Perhaps these rookies had targeted him, thinking he was the weakest of the Yonko.
Shirakawa rushed to the side of the ship. Three pirate ships were speeding towards them, looking aggressive.
Suddenly, a pitch-black cannonball zoomed into view, heading straight for him. Shirakawa froze, forgetting to even run. His mind went blank. He hadn't mastered the Silver King's power yet and wasn't sure if the shield would activate in time.
Just as he thought he was about to die, a figure appeared in front of him. With a swift slash, the cannonball was split in two, falling harmlessly into the sea.
"Boy, you'd better stay inside. You're in the way out here," a voice said.
Shirakawa opened his eyes. It was Rayleigh, the first mate.
Shanks ran over and pulled Shirakawa away. "You're not strong enough yet. It's too dangerous out here."
"I know," Shirakawa said. "But I couldn't help but want to see. It's my first time witnessing a pirate battle."
"Battle? This isn't a battle," Shanks scoffed.
"What do you mean?" Shirakawa asked, confused.
"Those guys aren't worthy of a battle. The only ones who can give the Roger Pirates a real fight are crews like Whitebeard's or the Golden Lion's. Just watch, and you'll understand."
Shanks led Shirakawa to a safer spot and then left.
To Shirakawa's surprise, he found Buggy there.
"Hey, Buggy. Fancy seeing you here," Shirakawa greeted him.
"Fancy seeing you too," Buggy replied dryly. "It's the first time I've seen anyone else come here."
Shirakawa wondered why Shanks had brought him here. It didn't seem particularly safe. It offered a clear view of the surroundings, but it was also likely a prime target for cannon fire. Maybe it was considered safe because Buggy was here. After all, anywhere with Buggy couldn't be called completely safe, but it was probably free from immediate danger.
'Maybe Shanks thinks I'm the weakest one on the ship now,' Shirakawa thought, feeling a bit insulted.
"Buggy, have you forgotten I won our duel?" he asked.
"Heh, that was just Mr. Buggy holding back. If I'd used my full strength, I would've taken you out in one hit," Buggy boasted.
"Sure. Next time, I'd love to see that," Shirakawa said sarcastically.
He remembered Buggy's role in the One Piece story. Aside from his wide network and good luck, Buggy wasn't particularly strong. His only real weapon was the Buggy Ball he developed later.
Shirakawa turned his attention to the battle.
"This is hardly exciting," he commented.
"Aren't you worried the Captain and the others might lose?" Shirakawa asked, even though he knew Roger wouldn't be defeated.
"Lose? Impossible. No one can make the Captain retreat without a fight, except for that madman Garp," Buggy said.
"Is Garp that strong?"
"Of course. The world might call Whitebeard the strongest man, but Garp, even without a Devil Fruit, is his equal."
"But even so, the Captain wouldn't run from a fight."
"You haven't seen Garp when he's serious. His relentless pursuit gives everyone a headache." Buggy shuddered at the memory. "That's why the Captain would rather face the Golden Lion and Whitebeard at the same time than deal with Garp. If you haven't met him, you can't imagine how powerful he is."
Shirakawa looked back towards the sea. The three pirate ships had been split in half and were sinking.
"What...happened?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"There are at least three master swordsmen on our ship. Pirates who aren't strong enough don't even qualify to fight us," Buggy said with a smirk. He walked out of the shadows to join the celebration of their "hard-won" victory.
'At least three master swordsmen?' Shirakawa was once again in awe. Joining the Roger Pirates had opened his eyes to the crew's hidden strength.
The first swordsman that came to mind was Mihawk, the future World's Strongest Swordsman, capable of effortlessly slicing through meteorites.
"So, Shirakawa, what do you think of our crew's strength now?" Shanks asked, clapping him on the shoulder.
"I can only say they're worthy of being the Roger Pirates, one of the Yonko of the New World," Shirakawa replied.
"Haha, the Captain didn't even need to lift a finger. When you see him in action, you'll understand our true power. Come on, let's go celebrate with a feast!"
"A feast? For what?"
"To celebrate our victory, of course."
"You celebrate every victory, even against weaklings?"
"Of course. Even the weakest pirate crew deserves a farewell after being defeated by us," Shanks said with a grin.
Shirakawa rolled his eyes. 'What a strange tradition.'
'Do they even have enough food and drinks for all these feasts?' he wondered.
Just then, one of the crew members hauled a giant sea creature onto the deck.
Shirakawa's eye twitched. 'Nevermind. I guess they do.'
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