“So then…
as a friend of Roger, you’ll probably be there to cheer him on, right?
Quite a few pirates have already set out ahead.” Biggs gave Richard a long, deep look, then warned him solemnly: “I have to say…
you’ve got a lot of courage.
I can also tell that you seem quite strong.
But all those pirates heading over there…
they’re all after Roger’s bounty.” “That means you’ll be facing over a hundred of the sea’s strongest warriors…
swordsmen, snipers, powerful Devil Fruit users…
and you might even have to contend with the Marines as well.” Biggs pulled an Eternal Pose from his pocket…
one that recorded the route to an island in Edd Sea.
Once they entered those waters, the massive reef clusters and isolated islands would be more than enough for Richard to navigate by.
“By the way…
what kind of friends are you and Roger, exactly?” Richard smiled.
“Drinking buddies.
He paid for the wine and said he’d collect it on his way back.
But the thing is…
once the Nine-Dan Golden Elixir is unsealed, it can’t be stored for long.
It’ll lose its flavor.” His smile radiated confidence.
“I’m here to deliver the wine…
and have a drink with him while I’m at it.” ‘I’m here to deliver the wine.’ Such a simple statement, yet it carried the weight of unwavering resolve…
as though he would brave any peril to get it there.
Even if ten thousand stood in his way, he would go.
“I see…
understood.” Richard rose to his feet and strode quickly toward the door.
Everything Biggs had said seemed to go in one ear and out the other, as if it were nothing but alarmist talk.
He had been gone for quite some time before the entire second-floor tavern fell into complete silence.
No one knew how long passed before a pirate suddenly let out a snort of laughter.
“Hahaha!!!
What an incredible fellow!!” “Biggs!
I never thought I’d see the day when you got ignored!!” “That guy’s name is Dracule Richard!
Mark my words…
this sea will have a place for him!!” “The Duke of Kuraigana Island!!!
That exploit of his from back then is still being talked about in taverns to this day!!” “He single-handedly killed over three thousand Army and Marine soldiers to save his homeland…
what a stirring story!
And to think the hero of that tale is only a seventeen-year-old kid.” What Richard didn’t know was that the pirates allowed into Biggs’s second floor were all people who had, to some degree, been recognized or held in high regard.
There were only a few seats…
two or three…
and the other seventeen or eighteen spots were occupied by Biggs’s friends.
Or rather, his former crewmates from back in the day.
The combined bounties of these old-timers exceeded 6 billion Berry.
Though those bounties belonged to an era before the current one.
While the present age…
was called the “Golden Age”!!!
…
“Brother…
are we going to Edd Sea?” “Ah.” Richard didn’t slow his pace.
As they walked out, the pirates cast all sorts of hostile looks their way, but since fighting wasn’t allowed on this island, they could only glare and watch the two brothers disappear into the distance.
“Then…
are we going to help Roger?” Mihawk’s voice carried a hint of uncertainty, whether from excitement or concern, it was hard to tell.
“That’s a good question.” Richard sat down on the throne aboard his small raft.
There wasn’t much wine left in storage, but there was still one jar…
encased in a golden container, beautifully crafted and carved with dragon patterns.
It was a noble vessel for holding wine, a relic from the royal family’s past.
“Let’s get there first and see.
Remember…
as a swordsman, you should never have the heart to compete with others.
The one you need to defeat is yourself.” Richard turned and gave Mihawk a wink…
Another golden gem of wisdom from Brother’s lips.
Mihawk committed it firmly to memory.
…
Edd Sea…
a sea region known as the Demon’s Waters, where violent storms raged year-round.
At this moment, on Demon Island, forty-nine pirate ships had gathered.
They formed a fleet assembled from numerous pirate crews from the latter half of the Grand Line, all belonging to the forces of Pirate Admiral, Golden Lion Shiki.
This man’s individual ability might have been the weakest among the three legends…
after all, he lacked Whitebeard’s monstrous strength and Devil Fruit power, nor did he possess Roger’s overwhelming personal combat prowess.
However, Golden Lion Shiki’s influence could be called the greatest among all pirates.
With forty-nine ships and over three thousand men, plus his own officers and sailors, his forces numbered at least thirty-five hundred.
His power was built entirely on his charismatic big-brother personality and his enthusiasm for mentoring younger pirates…
something even the later “Strongest Family” of Charlotte Linlin couldn’t replicate.
At this point in time, Linlin was probably busy breeding like a sow.
They had been waiting here for three days.
On the distant horizon, a massive three-masted ship could be seen.
“The Admiral’s Flagship!” It was one of the largest vessels of the era, offering an unobstructed view.
From the balcony on the highest deck, one could see clear across the horizon.
Golden Lion could even take half a day to leisurely patrol the entire ship.
The other pirate ships in the fleet looked like tiny toys in comparison.
“SHIHAHAHA!” From the heart of the sea came Golden Lion’s booming laughter.
All the captains of the pirate ships jolted to attention at once.
Had he arrived?!
Though the distance was great, some captains on the fleet were already masters of Observation Haki and could hear everything clearly.
It seemed he truly had come.
Gold Roger…
the man who, alongside Whitebeard and Golden Lion, had dominated the seas.
This was the route he had to take.
After many days of waiting…
he had finally arrived!