19. The Legend Of The Past
Sabaody Archipelago.
Mangrove Area No. 66.
This is where the Marines are stationed.
Despite their forces being depleted due to preparations for war, the Marine base now operates with greater power than ever, with the secret troops being deployed.
"Move quickly! Seal off Sabaody and apprehend all pirates on the island!" shouted a Marine officer in the base's passageway as soldiers rushed past him in an orderly fashion.
"PX-1, PX-2, PX-3, PX-4, move out! Your mission is to eradicate all pirates on the island!" commanded Sentomaru, wielding a massive axe.
In response, the four Pacifistas, their red eyes gleaming, acknowledged the order and left the Marine Base with purposeful strides.
Zhan Taowan followed closely behind, his expression unreadable.
"This will be a good opportunity to test the Pacifistas' capabilities," he mused.
These humanoid weapons, created by Vegapunk and based on the Shichibukai bear, were theoretically stronger than even the Supernovas. However, actual combat tests were still needed to confirm their effectiveness.
...
Meanwhile, at Shakky's Ripped Off Bar.
"Hey, did you hear that? The Vice-Captain of the Roger crew?"
The entire bar erupted in disbelief, except for Zoro, Sanji, and Robin, who remained composed as if they had already suspected.
"Liar! Dark King Rayleigh is legendary! His name's known far and wide across the seas. I've heard tales of Dark King Rayleigh since I was a kid," Nami exclaimed incredulously.
"Yeah, she's right," Usopp chimed in, confirming Nami's disbelief.
While the reputations of other big pirates might be limited to certain regions, the fame of figures like Roger and the pirate king crew had spread worldwide.
"Uncle, you're so powerful! I can't believe you were the vice-captain of the Rpirate king's crew," Luffy exclaimed in awe.
"You didn't figure that out sooner? I thought you would've sensed it," Sanji remarked, slightly bemused.
With their experiences and perceptions, coupled with the terrifying aura and the name Rayleigh, it wasn't hard for them to piece together Rayleigh's true identity. However, considering Luffy's tendency to overlook such details, it made sense.
"Haha, being the vice-captain of the Roger crew was decades ago. Now, I'm just a regular coater, Uncle Rayleigh," Rayleigh replied calmly, taking a sip of his wine with a smile.
"But wait," Luffy interjected, his curiosity piqued. "If the pirate crew of the pirate King, Gold D Roger, was arrested along with him, why is his vice-captain here on this island?"
"That's fake news spread by the Marines to bolster their reputation. Roger, he surrendered himself," Rayleigh revealed after a moment of silence, his tone calm yet carrying weight.
"Surrendered himself?" Nami echoed, her disbelief evident.
Rayleigh proceeded to unveil the truth, a revelation that shook everyone present.
"Roger had been suffering from a terminal illness for some time. After our final voyage, the Roger Pirates disbanded. When I saw him again, it was a year after we had gone our separate ways. He surrendered to the Marines."
With a steady voice, Rayleigh recounted the events between the two legendary figures. His perspective offered a glimpse into the reality behind the façade perceived by the world—an account imbued with the weight of history and the winds of change.
"Roger, with the last embers of his life, ignited a flame that spread throughout the world," Rayleigh continued, his words resonating with profound meaning. "That night, I laughed like never before, and I felt sorrow like never before. Our captain lived a truly remarkable life."
Rayleigh fell silent, his glasses seemingly fogged up, concealing his true emotions. The bar was silent, all eyes fixed on him as if drawn by the sunlight streaming through the door.
At that moment, it felt as though one could follow that light back to the legendary era and witness the farewell between two legendary pirates.
Rayleigh bore the weight of a great era on his shoulders.
"It feels like we've just heard an extraordinary tale," Nami remarked after a pause.
Rayleigh's words carried a sense of grandeur and awe yet also an inexplicable feeling of unreality. The sheer legendary nature of the story seemed to distance it from reality.
"Is this Roger's?" Luffy whispered, his hand instinctively resting on his hat.
"Yes, that's the one," Rayleigh confirmed, smiling as he gestured to Luffy's hat.
"This hat? Shanks gave it to me," Luffy explained.
"I know. I really miss it. Roger gave that hat to Shanks, and Shanks passed it on to you," Rayleigh chuckled.
"Luffy's straw hat is from the Pirate King?" Chopper exclaimed in disbelief.
Initially thinking that Shanks's straw hat was significant enough, the revelation that it originated from the legendary pirate King, Roger, added an even deeper layer of meaning.
"Uncle, you know Shanks too?" Luffy asked, taken aback.
"Why didn't he tell you?" Rayleigh responded with some surprise. "Shanks used to be an apprentice on our ship."
"The trainee crew on the Roger's ship has now become the Four Emperors, quite a powerful connection," Franky remarked, clearly surprised by the revelation.
"Speaking of which, you guys are from East Blue, right? Buggy was also a trainee crew member. He and Shanks were quite close. They were always together back then," Rayleigh reminisced with a laugh. "It's been decades, and I wonder what became of Buggy. I still think about him from time to time."
"Buggy," Zoro and Nami's expressions immediately soured. The idea of that clown remaining on the pirate king's ship seemed utterly incongruous to them.
The two styles didn't seem to match at all.
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