Roldy seriously suspected that the reason he had never received a single love confession was because the world saw him as a violent lunatic.
That had to be it.
Though, conveniently, he seemed to have forgotten that during his hospitalization at Marine Headquarters, the fruit baskets by his bedside had been endless—and the "scrap paper" he'd used to prop up his table legs might actually have been something called letters… the kind you were supposed to open.
After sulking for a while, Roldy refocused on the Roger Pirates.
His ship cut through the waves like a blade. The moment he gave the order, every crew member returned to position. The vessel surged forward at full speed.
What he didn't know—
Was that his whereabouts had already been exposed.
"Big news! This is thrilling—absolutely thrilling!"
A strange man covered in avian features stared feverishly at the photographs in his hands. His face flushed with an almost pathological excitement, as though those few pictures were priceless treasures.
"An unprecedented clash between top-tier forces! Roldy, who just left the Golden Lion Pirates, has directly confronted the returning Whitebeard Pirates! Even more astonishing—Whitebeard failed to gain the upper hand against this junior!!!"
This bird-like eccentric was Morgans.
In the underworld, his name was legendary.
The self-proclaimed "Big News" Morgans, king of global journalism, commanded the largest reporter network in the world. Ordinary headlines meant nothing to him.
But this?
This was worth everything.
Dozens of sensational titles already formed in his mind. Hundreds of narrative angles. He could practically see the newspapers flying off presses.
"Someone! Bring me pen and ink! I'm writing this one personally!"
Under his swift hands, a world-shaking article was born.
Without hesitation, Morgans dispatched it across the globe—
Unaware that it would soon bring him considerable trouble.
Roldy received the paper three days later.
His face darkened like the bottom of a pot.
"That damn bird! The Roger Pirates definitely know our movements now! It won't be easy to track them anymore!"
He flung the newspaper aside.
Morgans had completely ruined his plans.
Unforgivable.
"One day I'm plucking that idiot bald and turning him into roast chicken!"
Roldy's instincts were sharp.
The article didn't just expose his position—it revealed too much information.
The Roger Pirates would alter course accordingly.
And the Marines certainly wouldn't sit idle.
Thanks to his frequent appearances and brutally efficient assistance in expanding Golden Lion territory, Roldy had become the kind of name that could stop children from crying at night.
A high-profile monster like him?
The Marines would never ignore that.
Just as Roldy simmered in irritation—
A gale suddenly swept across the deck.
Strangely, despite its ferocity, the wind carried no killing intent.
Dragon
"Alright, Sheen. Lower your fist. And you lot—bring some food to my cabin."
Roldy's tone shifted as he looked at the unexpected visitor.
Monkey D. Dragon stood there, eyes roaming over the ship like a wolf scenting blood. His gaze lingered on the vessel's structure, its military-grade craftsmanship, its near-perfect replication of a Marine Headquarters medium warship.
Ambition flickered behind his eyes.
If he could recruit a subordinate this loyal and powerful…
Or better yet—
If he could bring Roldy himself over…
That would be a dream scenario.
Once seated inside Roldy's cabin, Dragon finally turned serious.
"You've gone all out, haven't you? This is almost a one-to-one replica of a Marine warship. Must've cost a fortune."
He looked like a farmer eyeing a wealthy landlord.
"Enough nonsense. What earth-shattering thing did you do this time, old man?"
Roldy tossed him a beer.
Dragon twisted it open and chugged deeply, sighing in satisfaction before his expression grew heavy.
"You know… if I'd followed the path my old man laid out, I'd be a Marine Admiral by now. Whether he likes it or not. The Marines need it."
He clutched his head.
"But she was only seven years old."
His voice cracked.
"That bastard took a liking to her. Said he'd bring her back as his ninth wife."
"Ninth."
"Where did the first eight go?"
"Her smile was so innocent… Why should she wear chains around her neck? Do you know how disgusting his face looked?"
By the end, Dragon's voice trembled.
For a man like him—
The fury must have been unimaginable.
Roldy suddenly laughed.
"I know, Dragon. I know too well."
"There's no one who despises those creatures more than I do."
He looked up.
"So you killed him?"
"Yes."
Dragon's eyes burned.
"With my Dragon Claw Fist. The claws I call the power to crush tyranny."
"I tore his throat open like ripping apart a rag."
"And in that moment…"
"I felt reborn."
Through a killing that betrayed his former faith—
Yet felt undeniably right—
Monkey D. Dragon had found a new path.
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