In the New World, on an island where cherry blossoms fluttered, a gentle breeze blew, and a waterfall cascaded down, creating ripples in the pond below. Under several cherry blossom trees sat two towering men.
One wore a pirate hat with golden hair flowing beneath it and a distinctive crescent-shaped mustache. Whitebeard held a bowl of sake, took a swig, and looked at the man before him with some surprise.
“You say you’re dying?”
“Yes, I don’t have much time left.”
Grinning, the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, who had been in the South Blue, now appeared here, visiting Edward Newgate.
“I can’t see any signs that you’re dying.”
Whitebeard set down his sake bowl, scanning Roger up and down with a slight frown.
“I’m sick.”
Roger seemed unfazed by his impending death, remaining carefree.
“Sick? Even Crocus can’t help?”
Whitebeard’s expression turned serious, his sake no longer tasting as good. Roger shook his head, smiling without saying more.
“Should I have Marco take a look at you?”
“The boy on your ship? Can the Phoenix’s powers heal illness?” Roger was slightly surprised, recalling the blue-flaming youngster who had fearlessly challenged him.
“Gu la la… My children are strong.”
Whitebeard was a bit proud.
“It may soon be their era.” Roger clinked his sake bowl with Whitebeard’s and took a swig. “My illness can’t be cured by him.”
“Is that so?”
Whitebeard didn’t doubt Roger, as there was no need.
“Where have you been lately? There hasn’t been any news of you on the seas.”
“Newgate, I have a woman I love named Portgas D. Rouge, and I’m going to be a father.”
“Portgas D. Rouge? And you’re going to be a father?”
Whitebeard looked at Roger, astonished.
“Hahaha… Yes.”
Roger raised his bowl, signaling for Whitebeard to rattle it.
“Congratulations.”
“Of course.”
They both finished their sake, and Roger personally refilled Whitebeard’s bowl.
“Do they know about your illness?”
“They do.” Roger’s face showed longing and guilt as he looked at his sake bowl.
“There are so many Devil Fruits on this sea, there must be a way.”
“It’s too late. I have my reasons.” Roger shook his head firmly.
“That guy Baroric got captured a few months ago.” Whitebeard’s enthusiasm waned.
“I know.”
“If you leave, there won’t be many drinking buddies left.”
“There’s still Shiki, Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr. If you’re bored, you could visit Marineford.”
“No, only Shiki is tolerable. As for those Navy guys…”
Whitebeard shook his head and rattled his bowl with Roger’s.
“Newgate, do you want me to tell you how to get to Laugh Tale?”
“Not interested. Even if I knew, I wouldn’t go.” Whitebeard waved dismissively, genuinely uninterested in Laugh Tale.
“I forgot, you only care about your family.”
Roger was momentarily stunned but didn’t press further.
“Gu la la la…”
Whitebeard laughed without saying anything, implicitly agreeing.
“Do you know what the World Government has been calling me lately? ‘Gold Roger.’ Isn’t that funny?”
“Hm? Is that your real name?”
Whitebeard put down his bowl, looking at Roger in surprise.
“No, no.” Roger slapped his thigh, laughing. “I’m Gol D. Roger.”
Roger pronounced each syllable.
“Sometimes you meet people with ‘D’ in their name. I have one named Teach. What does the ‘D’ mean anyway?”
“Do you want to know?”
“Forget it, I’m not that interested.”
“You…!” Roger was speechless seeing Whitebeard’s lack of interest.
“That was a long time ago…”
Roger continued talking to himself while Whitebeard drank, his expression shifting from frowning to surprise.
On the Grand Line, a warship slowly sailed into the Calm Belt, finally docking beside an island.
Unbeknownst to them, two months had passed. In the center of one island, a fierce battle was taking place.
“Shwip…”
A green shadow flickered, slicing through trees and rocks with precision. A lock of hair fell to the ground as Foxy, supporting himself with one hand, flipped backward, standing with a bleeding gash on his chest.
Opposite him was a ten-meter-tall mantis with sharp forelegs that could slice through rocks like tofu, its mere presence chilling.
They were near the island’s center, and Foxy had planned to train blindfolded for the last five days, but he encountered a life-threatening situation immediately. He had to remove the blindfold and use his powers to survive, or he’d have been fertilizer by now.
Foxy kept his eyes covered unless necessary. After several battles, his suspected Observation of Haki’s sense grew sharper and more precise.
But today, facing this mantis, Foxy had to regain his sight. His sense alone couldn’t handle it. The gash on his chest, deep enough to show bone, was proof.
The mantis stood over ten meters tall, with a large abdomen and forelegs like sharp blades, creating dazzling sword lights when swung.
Despite its size, the mantis was incredibly fast. Without his mastery of Shave, Foxy might have been sliced into pieces.
Sparks flew as the mantis’ forelegs clashed, generating tiny sparks. The ground shook as the mantis charged, its right limb slicing toward Foxy’s waist.
Foxy leaned back, but the mantis’ left limb stabbed downward.
“Shwip!”
Foxy used Shave to disappear, reappearing beside the mantis, his right fist tightly clenched, landing a solid punch.
With a gust of wind, the mantis shrieked and flew backward, scattering stones in its path.
Foxy disappeared again, aiming to continue his attack. But as he reached the mantis, a blade flashed towards him. Foxy stopped short, dropping to the ground and sweeping a kick at the mantis’ middle legs.
Losing its balance, the mantis instinctively stabbed its forelegs into the ground. At that moment, Foxy appeared before it, delivering a punch the size of a sandbag to its face.
The mantis shrieked again, its vast body flying into the trees, green liquid covering its face.
Foxy flashed above the mantis, his body spinning rapidly as he kicked its head again. The mantis’ head smashed into the ground, creating tiny cracks around it.
Even then, the mantis wasn’t dead, showing its tenacious vitality.
“I wonder if mantis is edible.”
Looking at the mutated mantis, Foxy landed and kicked its head again. This time, the mantis couldn’t withstand it; its head vanished, and it finally lay still.
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