If the younger brother is already this strong…
just how powerful is the older one?
Roger couldn’t stop grinning.
The sea really was an incredible place.
No matter how long you sailed, you never knew when some absurdly talented monster would suddenly appear out of nowhere.
He looked at Mihawk again.
“Mihawk…” Roger’s expression became unusually serious.
“One day, that name is going to be known across the entire world.” Everyone in the Roger Pirates smiled at that—even the battle-crazed Douglas Bullet.
Discovery.
Exploration.
Finding people and places you never knew existed.
That was what adventure was all about.
And discovering an island like this, with two brothers like Kael and Mihawk living on it, was exactly the sort of surprise that made sailing the seas worthwhile.
Shanks finally dragged himself out of the rubble.
His face was bright red, almost the color of a ripe apple.
Mihawk looked at him seriously.
“There’s power behind your sword.” Shanks blinked.
“But you leave openings everywhere.” Mihawk continued without the slightest hesitation.
“Your stance lacks proper training.
You rely too much on charging straight at your opponent.” “That might work against ordinary fighters, but you’ll never reach the top fighting like that.” Then Mihawk raised his chin slightly.
“My brother taught me that when two truly powerful swordsmen fight, victory can be decided in an instant.” “The difference is often no more than a single mistake.” The calm, almost condescending way Mihawk looked down at him made Shanks’s face turn even redder.
He had challenged Mihawk for Captain Roger’s honor.
And then he’d been beaten in one move.
Shanks wanted the ground to swallow him.
“Damn it…” He clenched his fists.
“Next time, I won’t lose.” “Hmph.” Shanks stood and brushed the dust from his clothes.
He had already spent years adventuring aboard Roger’s ship.
He had witnessed battles between great pirates and fought his share of obscure enemies himself.
He knew he wasn’t weak.
Which meant there was only one explanation.
Mihawk really was that strong.
As the Roger Pirates watched the two boys, their initial shock gradually turned into genuine admiration.
How could it not?
Kael had taken an island devastated by war and carved out a peaceful territory in the middle of its ruins.
More than that, he had personally raised a swordsman whose talent might one day place him at the very summit of the seas.
Roger finally turned toward him.
“Kael.” His expression was sincere despite the faint flush of alcohol still on his face.
“How about becoming my crewmate?” The laughter around them quieted.
Roger continued.
“I’m going to conquer the Grand Line.” “I need people I can trust to help me reach the end.” Kael studied him for a moment.
Truthfully…
He was tempted.
Sailing with Gol D.
Roger was hardly an opportunity that came twice in a lifetime.
But the Swordsmanship Achievement System had never given him an achievement related to joining Roger’s crew.
There was no real reason for him to tie himself to Roger’s journey.
So Kael shook his head.
“No.” A notification immediately appeared before him.
[Hidden Achievement Completed: The Lone Swordsman] [Condition: Reject the future Pirate King’s invitation.] [Reward: Asura’s Demonic Aura] Kael’s eyes widened slightly.
…What?
A hidden achievement?
Roger scratched his head.
“Rejected, huh?” He sounded disappointed, but not offended.
Although he had yet to see Kael truly fight, Roger could already sense something unusual about him.
When they first met, Kael’s presence had felt like a drawn blade.
But now that Roger had spent some time around him, that sharpness seemed to have disappeared entirely.
That, if anything, made Roger even more interested.
A truly exceptional swordsman didn’t need to constantly announce his strength.
He could hide his edge completely— Like a famous blade resting quietly inside its sheath.
And once that blade was drawn…
Only then would its killing intent reveal itself.
Kael suddenly spoke.
“You’re in such a hurry because you’re terminally ill…
aren’t you?” Roger froze.
Rayleigh heard him.
So did Gaban.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Roger’s expression dimmed for only a moment before his usual smile returned.
“Yeah.” He glanced around.
“I need to speak with you alone.” Then he turned toward his crew.
“Rayleigh, take everyone back to the banquet.” “Roger.” Rayleigh’s expression hardened.
“What he just said—” “It’s fine.” Roger interrupted him with a smile.
“Really.” “I’ll explain everything to you later.” Rayleigh stared at him for several seconds before finally taking a deep breath.
The unease in his chest did not disappear.
…
Before long, only Roger and Kael remained on a raised terrace overlooking the castle’s great hall.
Roger sat across from him.
“How did you know?” For once, there was no joking in his voice.
He stared directly at the young man before him.
Kael was strange.
He lived quietly on an isolated island, yet Roger had no doubt that if this man ever chose to sail the seas, his name would shake the world.
“I could tell.” Kael took a drink from his flask.
The liquor burned pleasantly down his throat, leaving a lingering warmth behind.
“You don’t have much time left.” “But with proper treatment, you should still be able to buy yourself a few more years.” His gaze drifted into the distance.
“But I suppose a man like you wouldn’t want to spend those years hiding somewhere safe just to cling to life.” Roger said nothing.
Kael’s expression softened.
“Men who reach the top aren’t built for that.” “If you’re going to die anyway, you’d rather burn brighter than anyone else before the end.” Roger slowly smiled.
Kael lifted his flask.
“You’re a good man, Roger.” “When your time comes, I’ll send you off with a bottle of the best liquor I’ve got.” A rare brew worthy of being saved for a man’s final drink.
You’re a good man.
Four simple words.
Nothing more.
Yet they made Roger pause.
Being evaluated like that by someone barely a third his age should have felt ridiculous.
Strangely enough…
He rather liked hearing it.
Roger laughed.
“Just hearing you talk about that wine makes me want to try it already.” Then his grin widened.
“And I like you too, Kael.” “If someone like you joined my ship, I’d feel a lot better about our chances of reaching the end of the Grand Line.” Even after being rejected, Roger clearly hadn’t given up entirely.
“In fact…” His voice became quieter.
“If I die before we reach the end, you could take everyone the rest of the way.” Roger looked him straight in the eye.
“I think you’ve got what it takes to lead them.” “Haha.” Kael glanced toward Mihawk in the distance.
“No.” His answer came easily this time.
“I already have someone I can’t leave behind.” Family was not something Kael took lightly.
In his previous life, he had known little of the warmth that came with having one.
In this life, almost everyone he had come to care about had been taken from him again.
Only Mihawk remained.
Kael wasn’t willing to give that up.
Roger followed his gaze and understood.
“That’s a shame.” He raised his bowl and drained the last of his wine.
“But you know what I regret even more than you refusing to join?” Kael looked at him.
Roger grinned.
“I still haven’t seen you fight.” Kael’s eyes narrowed faintly with amusement.
“Oh?” He took another sip from his flask.
“You’ll get your chance.”
Add to library.
Send some Power Stones.