When it came to Roger, whatever else people said about him, among the top pirates of the seas, he was easily the most approachable.
So when Chronos tearfully told him that his dream was to sail the seas—and then clung to Roger's leg, crying for three days straight—He was welcomed aboard the Roger Pirates and left behind the little hometown where he was born and raised.
After all, in Captain Roger's own words:
"What could possibly stop a man from setting sail for the sea? "
Chronos was eight when he left with the Roger Pirates.After two years of scrubbing decks, two other kids his age finally joined the crew.
One had red hair. The other, a red nose. And honestly? They both smiled like complete fools.
But as a die-hard pirate fan, Chronos knew exactly who they were.
Shanks—future master of Conqueror's Haki and the Face-Face Fruit.And Buggy—the King of Luck, destined to rise from East Blue and eventually put bounties on the Marines' heads.
From the day they boarded, their fates became intertwined with Chronos'.
What? Shanks and Buggy aren't buddies?Come on, try reading their names backward.
After two years stuck with a bunch of middle-aged men, Chronos was thrilled to finally have peers aboard.He unilaterally declared the formation of the "Roger Pirates' Three Bros."
Every morning, Chronos' first ritual was to pat Shanks' left hand—After all, in about ten years, that hand would be sacrificed to usher in a new era.One pat less each day.
———
"Everything I just taught you, remember it well. This people-reading technique is a Marshall family secret. If you two weren't my sworn brothers, I'd never share it," Chronos boasted.
"Wow! That makes perfect sense. Chronos, you're truly my lifelong best friend! "Buggy said sincerely.
That's what a true brother is! Sharing family secrets.Unlike Shanks—that cheapskate who wouldn't even cover Buggy's water-meat stew last time,just because Buggy had blown his savings on a fake treasure map.
Life on Roger's ship was laid-back.Roger's iconic chest mole hadn't even appeared yet.He spent his days sailing the world, stirring up trouble wherever he went.
The World Government and Marines barely paid them any mind.Only Roger's lifelong nemesis—the mad dog, Garp—kept chasing them down.
They fished in the morning, slacked off in the afternoon, and that's how the days passed.
After Rocks was slain by Roger and Garp, pirate crews sprouted like mushrooms after rain.
The four most powerful pirates of the era, besides Roger, were
Whitebeard Edward Newgate, the man whose presence made everyone call him "Uncle";Golden Lion Shiki, constantly recruiting new followers;and the wandering Red Count, Baloric Ledfield, drifting the seas with a broken ship.
These four were the early prototypes of what would later become the Four Emperors.As for Charlotte Linlin and Kaido of the Beasts—though already feared pirates, they were still building their legacies.Shanks? He was still mopping the decks.
Despite spending years on Roger's ship, Chronos hadn't yet met these legends.Not even Shiki—the man who, after Roger's death, would solo Marineford and leave behind a legendary 0–0–0 win-loss record.
But Chronos wasn't discouraged.He was the future star of the seas—and Roger hadn't even helped him shine yet.
As a transmigrator, he didn't get a cheat system.but instead was blessed with a body that grew tougher and stronger the more damage it took.Of course, if the damage went too far, he'd still die.
He had spent countless nights stabbing his own fingers to test this ability.
If Golden Lion really threw tens of thousands of underlings at them,With the Roger Pirates' small numbers, Chronos figured he'd have to take on a few hundred henchmen himself.If each one slashed him once… well, he wasn't an MMORPG tank. He could practically hear his death theme playing.
———
Just as Chronos was pondering his future, a strong arm suddenly locked around his neck.
"Chronos! Why are you daydreaming? Drink up! "
"Ahhh—I'm dying, I'm dying, I'm dying! "
"Captain Roger, could you please take care of your personal hygiene? You stink! "
Plugging his nose, Chronos struggled out from under Roger's armpit.In his past life, people had called Roger the "Nose Hair King," but after joining his crew, Chronos learned the bitter truth—Roger had body odor.
He couldn't imagine how Rouge, Roger's future wife—whom he hadn't even met yet—would put up with this.
But complaints were just that—complaints.If the captain offered you a drink, you drank. Otherwise, how could you survive on this ship?
Looking around, Chronos saw the entire crew passed out drunk on the deck.
On this ship, whenever trouble came knocking, their first reaction was simple: throw a party.
This time, they were celebrating yet another escape from Garp's relentless pursuit.
"Rayleigh! Fill this kid up with three big cups! He's not going back to his room until he finishes them! "