Chapter 19 - 19: Intelligence on the Roger Pirates

Words : 1348 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

It took the entire day for the warship to travel along the Navy's exclusive sea route, crossing the Red Line and officially entering the New World. That night, Garp's warship anchored at an unnamed port somewhere deep in the New World. A gentle night breeze drifted by, and stars glittered in the dark sky above. Yoriichi Tsugikuni lay in a hammock, gazing through the cabin window at the night sky beyond. His cabin was a private room that Garp had arranged specially—but tonight, that "private" room had two occupants. On the bed, Kuzan lay sprawled under half a blanket, mouth slightly ajar, breathing softly in his sleep. Yoriichi, on the other hand, didn't enjoy quite the same luxury. His bed was the hammock. As Garp had bluntly put it, Yoriichi wasn't officially on the ship's roster, so there was no designated room for him—he had to share with Kuzan. Fortunately, Kuzan didn't mind. In fact, he'd even offered to give up the bed for Yoriichi. But Yoriichi had declined—not out of shyness, but simply because he was curious about sleeping in a ship's hammock. And honestly? He had to admit It was surprisingly comfortable. "Life at sea… it's not so bad after all." With that thought in mind, Yoriichi closed his eyes and drifted into sleep. That night, he dreamed. The sea, warm sunlight, sandy shores… and a quaint little seaside town. The townsfolk were simple and kind, living a quiet, self-sufficient life—not rich, not poor, but peaceful and content. And Yoriichi? He was one of them—at peace, living in quiet harmony. The next morning. Before Yoriichi had even gotten up, the rumble of the ship's anchor being hoisted echoed through the cabin. As he opened his eyes, soft morning light filtered in through the window, casting a faint glow across the dim room. Turning his head, Yoriichi noticed Kuzan was already gone. The bedding had been folded neatly. Yoriichi leapt down from the hammock and stepped out the door. After a quick wash, he made his way to the ship's mess hall. The moment he stepped in, he heard someone call out: "Hey! Yoriichi, over here!" It was Kuzan. In his early twenties, Kuzan still had that youthful energy—right now, he was waving enthusiastically. Yoriichi grabbed some bread and milk, carried his tray over, and plopped down beside him. Kuzan glanced at Yoriichi's expression and smiled as he asked: "How'd you sleep?" "Getting used to life on board?" "Feeling seasick at all?" He peppered him with friendly questions, genuinely concerned for his new little brother-in-arms. "Not bad, I'm adjusting well," Yoriichi replied with a smile, stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth. "I'm not prone to seasickness. On a ship this big, it's not easy to get queasy anyway." Taking a sip of milk, Yoriichi glanced around the bustling dining hall before asking: "Kuzan, I heard we're heading out to chase down the Roger Pirates?" "What's their story? What have they done to warrant a full pursuit?" At the mention of the Roger Pirates, Kuzan's eyes lit up with interest. He gathered his thoughts for a moment, then said: "The Roger Pirates, huh? They've done plenty." "Back in the East Blue, they attacked two Navy branch bases. Captain Roger even killed a branch commander." "Then, while evading pursuit, they crisscrossed over a dozen countries—raiding, plundering, and killing quite a few nobles along the way." "They became the most wanted pirate crew in the East Blue. After that, they broke into the New World, defeated several rival crews of their era, and repeatedly slipped through the Navy's fingers. That's how they gained their infamous reputation." "A few years ago, they returned to the East Blue. Everyone thought they were retiring while they were ahead." "But then, starting last year, they began frequently traveling back and forth between the New World and the Four Blues." "Just recently, for some unknown reason, they entered the New World again." "Vice Admiral Garp has been chasing them for years. Now that they've resurfaced, he's naturally on their tail again." Yoriichi merely nodded slightly in response. The charges did sound severe—attacking the Navy, plundering nations under the World Government, killing nobles of affiliated kingdoms. Such a list of crimes, combined with their erratic movements, certainly warranted the Navy's full attention. But still… it wasn't enough. These incidents alone couldn't account for the legend the Roger Pirates had become. There had to be more—things even Kuzan didn't know. "And the crew?" Yoriichi asked. "What kind of people are on Roger's ship? How strong are they?" Kuzan had been with the Navy long enough to be familiar with the crew's general makeup. "Well, the captain, Gol D. Roger, is a big-name pirate with a bounty of 2.6 billion berries." "As for his strength… he's clashed with Vice Admiral Garp multiple times. Always manages to escape." "He's seriously strong." "The first mate is Silvers Rayleigh. Another top-tier pirate, bounty of 1.1 billion." "There's also a samurai from Wano Country—Kozuki Oden. Heard he transferred over from Whitebeard's ship." "Then there are the Mink Tribe warriors, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi." "Oh! And there are two kids on Roger's ship—about your age!" Kuzan suddenly slapped Yoriichi's shoulder with excitement. "My age?" Yoriichi turned, puzzled. "Yeah, I think one of them is called Shanks… and the other… Buggie, or Buggy?" Kuzan scratched his chin, unsure. "I see… So that's part of why Vice Admiral Garp brought me along," he added with a knowing grin. And at that moment, Yoriichi's mind drifted back to something Garp had said before they set sail—something about there being two people on Roger's ship around his age. He hadn't been sure back then, but now it all made sense. Shanks and Buggy. Yoriichi had only guessed before. But now, with this new confirmation, he could better determine where he was in the timeline. He didn't have a precise grasp of the One Piece world's chronology, and ever since joining the Navy, he'd deliberately avoided asking about Garp's history or age—didn't want to draw attention. But now that he knew Shanks' age, he could finally see what was on the horizon. In just a few short years, the world was about to change dramatically. Yoriichi and Kuzan continued chatting over breakfast. Just as they were about to head off for the day's training, Garp's adjutant, Bogard, stepped in, sword in hand, blocking their path. "Commander Bogard, do you need something?" "Good morning, Commander Bogard." Kuzan and Yoriichi greeted him one after another. "Captain Kuzan," Bogard said, "Vice Admiral Garp has assigned me to take over Yoriichi's training." "According to the Vice Admiral, Yoriichi no longer needs to study the Navy's Six Styles. It's time for him to begin training in Haki." "From today onward, you'll be serving directly as the Vice Admiral's adjutant. I'll be handling Yoriichi's instruction." Bogard's explanation made Yoriichi's eyes light up. Even Kuzan nodded, then turned to him and said: "Well, looks like it's time for you to level up, Yoriichi—starting Haki already, huh?" "This stuff's no joke. Training it is brutal." Kuzan gave a visible shiver, clearly recalling some unpleasant memories. Then he waved at Yoriichi and strolled out of the mess hall. "Yoriichi," Bogard said, "come with me. We'll train on the deck." ********* Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 250 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch! For advance chapters, please do visit and consider joining me on Patreon, it really helps me out and I'd love to have you along for the journey! p(a)treon.com/Lnee *remove () to open it

Chapter 19 - 19: Intelligence on the Roger Pirates

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