"Hahahaha, I, Roger, won't die so easily. Have you forgotten what I told you, Buggy?"
Roger patted Buggy's head gently, as if comforting a child.
Buggy sniffled and looked up.
"Captain Roger, what did you say? I don't remember."
Whack! Roger smacked Buggy on the head.
"Ow!"
"I told you I wouldn't die. Do you still respect me as your captain or not?"
"Captain Roger… So you were telling the truth back then? But the mood at the time felt so heavy, like everyone was heartbroken."
Buggy was skeptical. He didn't think he was stupid—he could clearly sense the somber atmosphere back then.
"Hahaha, well, I'm perfectly fine now."
"Hello, Buggy."
Reid stepped forward with a smile.
"Huh?" Buggy turned his head. He had been so focused on Roger that he hadn't noticed someone else sitting nearby.
"I'm Reid. I'm also a member of the Roger Pirates now."
"Reid? Who's Reid? Never heard of you."
Whack! Roger smacked Buggy's head again and dropped him to the ground.
"Reid is now my brother, equal in status to me."
Roger's words were a huge show of respect, and Reid couldn't help but feel smug.
"Equal in status…?"
Buggy was stunned. This was the first time he had heard Roger say something like that. He began to size up Reid carefully, still full of doubts in his heart.
"Who is this guy? How can he earn Captain Roger's respect like that?"
"You know me?"
Buggy asked cautiously. From Reid's tone earlier, it was obvious he already knew who Buggy was.
"Who doesn't know the infamous Buggy? Hahaha!"
"Hahahaha, that's right! I, Buggy, am the future Pirate King!"
Right after saying that, Buggy immediately regretted it—he forgot that Roger was still very much alive.
"Hehe… Captain, I wasn't cursing you, don't get the wrong idea."
"Heh, if you want to be Pirate King, go ahead. I support you."
Roger took a swig from his bottle, clearly in a great mood.
"Hahaha, that's right! I, Pirate King Buggy, won't tarnish your name, Captain Roger. One day I'll flatten Marine Headquarters! I've had enough of those Marines hiding behind the banner of justice."
Buggy couldn't resist praise. After Roger encouraged him, he instantly showed his true nature.
"Looks like even as a kid, Buggy the Clown had the potential to become a big shot. The Chop-Chop Fruit… I wonder what kind of power it'll awaken someday."
Reid watched Buggy showing off, but he didn't underestimate him at all—after all, he already knew how things would play out.
"Alright, you go out first. I have important matters to discuss with Brother Reid."
"Captain Roger, as the future Pirate King, I think I have the right to listen too, right?"
"I'm gonna count to three. If you're not out by then, I'm tossing you into the sea. One… two…"
Whoosh! Buggy turned into a blur and bolted out of the cabin.
"Heh heh."
Roger grinned.
"Brother Reid, if I were to die, would the world change a lot afterward?"
Roger stared at Reid, as if trying to confirm something he suspected.
"Yes, it would change drastically."
Reid nodded. As a huge fan of One Piece, he never missed a single chapter or episode.
"Oh? Tell me more."
Roger took another drink.
"I won't go into every detail, but because you revealed the existence of the One Piece treasure, the Grand Line ushered in the Great Pirate Era. Pirates from all four seas set sail in search of that treasure."
Hearing that, Roger burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Just as I thought. Hmm… I'm still alive for now, but since the words are already out, they should have spread by now."
Roger grinned confidently.
"Brother Roger, I've got a few questions I'd like to ask too. I'm not the only one—many people want to know these things."
"Oh? About the One Piece?"
Roger squinted, grinning.
"Actually, that's not what I care about most."
"Hahaha, alright, ask away. I'll answer whatever I can."
"Heh, first question—Roger, where did you place your Supreme Grade sword, Ace?"
As soon as Reid said that, Roger's pupils contracted sharply.
"Reid, how do you know the name of my sword? And that I named my son Ace as well?"
"Hehe, I'm the child of fate. That sword followed you and inherited your will. You hoped your son Ace would one day carry that same will, didn't you?"
Reid grinned smugly. Having watched all of One Piece, he now flaunted his knowledge openly—Roger already knew he had some kind of foresight ability.
"Your power is amazing. Even I'm not a match. If you could master all three types of Haki, and even advanced Ryou, hardly anyone would be able to beat you."
Roger suddenly said, which made Reid's heart race.
"Yeah, Roger is right…
"Not bad, I should be able to do it now too. But earlier, when I was releasing Haki, I was still pretty inexperienced. Although I could use it, it was only because I had help from the system."
Thinking of this, Reid said firmly:
"I'll work hard. Roger, you can also teach me."
"Hahahaha, I'm not very good at that. Hmm… that guy Rayleigh would be a better teacher. Once you two meet, I'll have him teach you."
"Rayleigh—right, he was the one who trained Luffy. Just as I was thinking about how Rayleigh trained Luffy for two years, Roger mentioned him."
Thinking of Luffy's progress, Reid couldn't help but imagine that one day, he too could awaken his Devil Fruit abilities.
"Brother Roger, where did you put your sword? I'm just curious. Don't tell me you left it on the Final Island?"
"Hahahaha, I entrusted it to someone."
"Oh? Who?"
"Not telling you. Hahahaha!"
Reid pouted. He hadn't expected Roger to be so secretive.
"Brother Roger, second question—can every kind of Devil Fruit develop multiple abilities? Like upgrades or something?"
"Reid, you've reached that kind of insight?"
Roger looked at Reid with a sense of surprise and newfound appreciation.