Chapter 429: Roger's Visit!
"Dad, I've finished them all."
Caesar, blood-drenched from head to toe, stood before Charlotte with a calm expression—
but that calm hid an undercurrent of exhaustion.
"Mn."
Charlotte nodded.
"But don't fight like that again," he added, eyeing Caesar's slowly healing wounds.
"Be more cautious next time."
Caesar grinned.
"Got it!"
The death of Kozuki Oden marked the collapse of Wano's final hope.
The victory of the Rockefeller Pirates crushed the spirit of nearly all Wano citizens.
In hiding, many wept at the sight of Oden's fallen body—
mourning the fall of the Kozuki family and the future of their land.
Their hearts felt hollow, their wills shattered.
Charlotte could clearly feel it—
Wano's soul had died overnight.
The people became mechanical, listlessly obeying the pirates' commands.
Charlotte understood what this meant.
Wano had broken.
There was no more hope.
And to Charlotte, that stirred no emotion at all.
He simply pressed forward, organizing Wano's youth to mine seastone in Udon.
Seastone had now become the lifeblood of the Rockefeller Pirates—
far surpassing weapons or medicine in value.
Through the Dark World's underbelly, Charlotte sold seastone across the globe.
He knew the buyers well.
The largest client?
The World Government.
And Charlotte didn't stop them.
Let them buy. Let them rely on him.
He toured Wano briefly—
searching for the ancient Pluton warship said to be hidden within the country.
But the eruption of the volcano had submerged much of Wano.
If Pluton ever existed, it was likely buried beneath molten rock.
With nothing to show for his efforts,
Charlotte returned to Kame Island—
but not before retrieving Wano's red Road Poneglyph.
When Caesar heard he would be left behind in Wano,
he was initially disappointed.
But once he realized he wouldn't have to deal with his dad's "annoying face" every day—
he cheered up instantly.
As the ship disappeared into the horizon—
"HELL YEAH! I'M FREE! I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT!"
He transformed into a massive dragon and soared across the sky.
Wano's citizens trembled at the sight.
Back on Kame Island—
only Barrett remained.
Estes and the others had already set sail.
Though Charlotte's battle with Big Mom had ended,
the war between the Rockefeller and Big Mom Pirates was far from over.
While less intense than before, skirmishes were frequent.
Estes led the charge, waging daily battles with Big Mom's children near Totto Land.
Many of these conflicts were initiated by Estes herself.
Charlotte, very familiar with his daughter's lust for battle, let her be.
He himself chose a different strategy—
rebuilding, recruiting, and resting.
Why?
To prepare for the era Roger was about to unleash.
When Roger made his move,
the whole world would follow.
And the New World would be bathed in blood.
Charlotte had to be ready.
Time passed.
A strange calm settled across the New World.
The Whitebeard Pirates sailed aimlessly, bonding as "family."
The Rockefeller Pirates remained relatively quiet,
aside from sporadic clashes with Big Mom.
The Flying Pirates, having conquered the first half of the New World,
now focused on regaining strength.
Even the Big Mom Pirates began accepting outsiders,
in a desperate bid to stay relevant.
Everyone was stockpiling power.
Year 1498 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
The Roger Pirates vanished.
The world descended into silence.
That evening—
Charlotte, as usual, stood alone by the sea, watching the sunset.
Then—
His instincts flared.
He turned abruptly toward the nearby hill.
And saw—
Gol D. Roger.
"…Roger?"
Charlotte was genuinely surprised.
Roger smiled and raised a bottle of sake.
"Hey there."
Charlotte climbed the hill, eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing here?"
Roger's visit was completely unexpected.
Shouldn't he be spending his final days with Rouge in the South Blue?
Instead, he was here—in the New World.
Roger didn't answer right away.
He handed Charlotte the bottle.
Then looked into the distance and said—
"Just wanted to see something."
Charlotte's expression twitched.
"…What do you mean?"
He sat down beside Roger.
The dying Pirate King took a deep breath.
"Nothing much. I just wanted to talk. I wandered… and here I am."
They clinked their cups.
As they sat, Roger suddenly asked—
"Do you want to know the truth of this world?"
Charlotte's hand froze.
"…No point lying. If you're willing to share it—
I wouldn't mind hearing it."
Roger burst into laughter.
"WAHAHAHAHA! That's not the answer I expected!"
He laughed until tears came.
Charlotte, listening to that laugh, felt uneasy.
"You know, I just came from visiting Whitebeard too.
Wanna guess what he said?"
Charlotte raised a brow.
Roger grinned.
"He told me he wasn't interested. Can you believe that?"
Charlotte shrugged.
"Not really. Newgate only cares about one thing—family.
Nothing else matters to him."
"WAHAHA! Exactly!"
Roger nodded.
Then—
"Remember what I told you two years ago?"
"…The territory?" Charlotte blinked, then understood.
"Yes. The Roger Pirates are disbanding.
Those territories—they're yours now."
Roger watched his reaction carefully.
Because—
No one else knew that the Roger Pirates were already disbanded.
To be continued…
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