He had gone next door with nothing more than a packet of tea to visit Aunt Sindy.
Yet when he left, he was burdened with an enormous bundle of food and supplies instead.
Their homes were separated by nothing more than a single wall. He lacked for nothing—but she had stuffed his arms full anyway, not giving him the slightest chance to refuse.
Perhaps this was what people meant by a "sweet burden."
Helpless, he accepted it.
She treated him very well. At times, he saw in her the shadow of the family he had once lost. Roldy was grateful—grateful that, years ago, he had chosen to follow Zephyr back to Marine Headquarters.
Returning to his own house, Roldy flopped onto his absurdly oversized ten-by-ten-meter bed without a shred of decorum. Half of the second floor of his villa was occupied by that bed alone. Its sheer size made him feel less massive.
He liked that feeling.
After resting for a bit, Roldy got up, grabbed a piece of jerky from a nearby cabinet, and tossed it into his mouth.
His gaze shifted to the table.
Resting there was a katana perfectly suited to his towering frame.
Blades were a man's romance.
When he was younger, Roldy had naturally been fascinated by swords. After relentless pestering, Zephyr had finally arranged for him to study under a capable swordsman—a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral and an accomplished master of the blade.
Unfortunately, his talent in swordsmanship was far inferior to his gift for physical combat.
After years of training, he was still just shy of the level required to cut steel—the hallmark of a true swordsman.
Four whole years devoted solely to the blade—
—and he still had not become a swordsman of that caliber.
Pathetic.
Of course, quitting had never once crossed his mind. He would never give up—not in this lifetime.
Even without supervision, he had developed solid habits. After practicing hand-to-hand combat in his courtyard for a while, he unsheathed his katana and diligently repeated the most fundamental slashing drills.
Zephyr and Garp were still out on assignment, expected back in about three days.
Until then, he had little to do.
He might wander around Headquarters aimlessly. Or sneak into Kong's office to "borrow" two packets of tea. Or attempt his 395th goat-napping plan—only to get smacked into a lump by Sengoku.
If he felt like it, he'd visit Aunt Sindy. Or study under Vice Admiral Tsuru for some practical knowledge.
And if he grew truly bored?
He'd seek out Gion and Tokikake, who were still training at Headquarters.
Having good friends was nice.
After all, if he was ever in a foul mood, he could always find an excuse to beat up Tokikake.
Easy days passed quickly.
Three days later, Garp and Zephyr returned.
Under the witness of many high-ranking Marine officers, Roldy removed the insignia of a Marine Headquarters Colonel and donned his own Justice coat for the first time.
The epaulettes of a Brigadier General gleamed brightly on his shoulders under the sun.
A young man—
radiant like the rising dawn.
The New WorldPirate Stronghold – Hachinosu (Pirate Island)
This was the territory of the sole overlord of the New World—
Rocks.
Captain of the Rocks Pirates, Rocks D. Xebec.
The most vicious criminal in history.
His bounty stood at a staggering 4,039,000,000 Beli.
Inside the pirates' meeting hall, this infamous figure sat at the head of the table.
He wore a dark crimson pirate coat. His wild black hair shot upward. Though not particularly tall—just over two meters—he exuded overwhelming dominance. One leg was crossed casually over the other. In his hand was a bottle of strong rum. A pirate cutlass rested on the table before him.
Below him sat six figures, each in their respective seats.
Their builds varied—some towering over eight meters, others just over two. But they shared one common trait:
They all radiated ferocity.
These six were the six Division Commanders of the Rocks Pirates.
From the First Division Commander, Edward Newgate—Whitebeard—
To the Second Division Commander, the Golden Lion, Shiki—
These two stood just below Captain Rocks himself in strength.
Following them were:
Third Division Commander, Charlotte Linlin.
Fourth Division Commander, Wang Zhi.
Fifth Division Commander, Silver Axe.
And finally—
Sixth Division Commander, Captain John.
Among the six Division Commanders, even the lowest bounty—Captain John's—was worth 700,000,000 Beli.
The strongest pirate crew in history.
The title was no exaggeration.
But what kind of matter could bring together so many unruly monsters to sit down and deliberate as one?
"Shiki. Still no trace of that Devil Fruit?"
After finishing a bottle of rum, Rocks casually tossed it aside, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and spoke.
"It's not that easy," Shiki replied irritably, cigar clenched between his teeth. "The Marines are like sharks that smell blood—they've been biting at my heels nonstop. Finding a Devil Fruit out at sea is hard enough as it is. With those bastards interfering, it's even worse."
"You've done well," Rocks said calmly. "But we've been searching for it for years. Continuing to waste treasure on it isn't wise. Starting tomorrow, shift your focus back to the New World."
Shiki nodded.
Rocks then turned his gaze toward the First Division Commander—Edward Newgate.
"Newgate. Any movement from the Roger Pirates?"
If there was any pirate crew in the New World bold enough to stand toe-to-toe with the Rocks Pirates, it was the Roger Pirates—the crew that had carved their way from the Grand Line into the New World at an astonishing pace.
Even Rocks found them troublesome.
They were not a force that could be ignored.
Their captain, Gol D. Roger, carried a bounty second only to Rocks himself and Whitebeard—higher even than Shiki's.
And perhaps more importantly, the Roger Pirates and the Rocks Pirates were fundamentally incompatible.
The conflict between them had long since become open and undeniable.
Whitebeard was primarily responsible for handling the Roger Pirates.
"Nothing recently," Newgate replied evenly. "They seem to have headed to some remote kingdom. Didn't pay them much attention."
"Those bastards… If the timing weren't wrong, I'd have wiped them out already!"
The irritation in Rocks' voice was unmistakable. The fact that this overlord had endured them for so long meant something significant was restraining him.
"Enough of that," Rocks waved it off. "Linlin—how are your preparations coming along?"
"Mamama~ Captain, don't you trust my abilities?" Charlotte Linlin's laughter echoed through the hall. "All it takes is a little interesting information, and those fools swallow the bait whole. So-called World Nobles… they're nothing special."
The only woman present, Charlotte Linlin's eyes gleamed with chilling coldness.
And the target of these monsters was now clear—
They had set their sights on the World Nobles.
The Celestial Dragons.
It seemed that conquering the New World alone was far from enough to satisfy Rocks' ambition.