"No matter what, since the Roger Pirates dared to kidnap a Celestial Dragon, we can't let them walk away unpunished. Once the deal is done and we ensure Floretia's safety, we'll have the Navy and CP0 move in together. I don't believe they'll be able to grow wings and fly away!"
One of the Five Elders—the bald one, known for wielding a sword—spoke coldly. He was always the blunt one.
Though Rayleigh and the others had simply kidnapped a Celestial Dragon over a treasure tree—not exactly a world-shaking matter—the mere fact that they dared touch a Celestial Dragon meant they had declared war on the World Government.
After all, how else would people remember that Celestial Dragons are untouchable?
Meanwhile, in a secret room beneath the bar, Chronos and Shanks were in a heated argument.
"You carried him here, so you take the photos! "
"You're the one who came up with this dumb idea, so you take the photos! "
"No, you do it—"
"You do it—"
That's right. At this moment, Chronos and Shanks were bickering over who should take "artistic photos" of the kidnapped Celestial Dragon.
"Do we really have to? The old man already got the treasure tree. Why don't we just forget it and leave it at that? "
"Are you an idiot? What if that fat bastard settles the score after the trade? You saw how he acted at the auction. If the Navy and CP agents attack us together, what do we do then? "
"Then you take the pictures! My stomach's been upset lately—my doctor told me not to look at anything greasy! "
"Well, my stomach's been bad too! "
"So now what? "
"How about we ask Rayleigh to take them…"
"No way. He'll kill us. What about Aunt Shakky? "
"Agreed!"
The two of them hurried out of the secret room and found Shakky, the bar's owner.
"Aunt Shakky, look, we're both guys. Being alone in a room with another man like that… it's just not right. Why don't you handle it? "
"If it was a pretty girl you'd kidnapped, you wouldn't be saying that." Shakky rolled her eyes at the two troublemakers, then grabbed a camera and headed into the secret room.
Rayleigh, sipping expensive foreign liquor that wasn't his (but was his girlfriend's), warned them seriously,
"I've already arranged for Alexander Saint to meet at the Sabaody Port tomorrow for the trade. That'll make it easier for us to retreat. But be careful—my Observation Haki already picked up several powerful presences. Those CP1 to CP9 guys aren't this strong. I'm guessing it's CP0, the so-called 'Shield of the Celestial Dragons.'"
He wasn't worried about himself; it was these two kids he feared for. They hadn't even taken their first real steps and could end up dead before they got going.
"Relax, Rayleigh. As long as we have those photos, the Navy and CP won't dare lay a hand on us. Once we're back in Water 7, we'll be safe," Chronos said confidently. He planned to get rid of the photos the moment they got the treasure tree. He didn't want to carry around something that could ward off evil spirits—it'd give him nightmares.
Once their ship was ready, they'd anonymously send the photos straight to Marine Headquarters. When the Navy got a full-body shot of their colleague's daughter, that fat Celestial Dragon would lose his mind.
Then, while the World Government and the Navy tore each other apart, the Roger Pirates could quietly slip away.
This was what you'd call "setting two tigers against each other."
"Man, I'm a genius. If I'd been born in the Three Kingdoms era, I'd have been a top strategist like Li Ru or Jia Xu! "
"But I wonder… how much will my bounty increase after this? "
Chronos couldn't help but look forward to it. What pirate didn't want their name to be feared across the seas? With such a huge event, he figured this was his best shot at fame.
"Stop dreaming," Shanks smacked him back to reality. "There's no way the World Government would publicize something this humiliating. I guarantee your bounty won't go up by even a single beli."
As one of the few crew members who actually used his brain, Shanks gave it to him straight.
Chronos thought it over. That… actually made sense. In the original story, even after the top-level prisoners escaped from Impel Down during the Marineford War, the World Government suppressed the news to save face—and didn't issue bounties for them.
"Rayleigh, what if our Roger Pirates leak the story ourselves? Won't that cause the Navy some serious trouble? Every year there are new rookies who'd risk their lives for fame."
Chronos squinted slyly, another devious idea forming in his head. He didn't really hate the World Government itself—but he had a bone-deep hatred for Kong, the Commander-in-Chief.
His first bounty had been a measly 50 beli. They'd even given him the humiliating nickname "Four-Eyed Brat."
The glasses he wore didn't even have a prescription—they were a keepsake from his father.
"Kong, you old bastard, do you think the Marshall family is powerless? "
Rayleigh's face turned serious for the first time.
"Chronos, don't. The World Government has ruled the seas for 800 years for a reason. If we leak this, we'll be burning all bridges with them—and they'll hunt us down forever."
Among the three new recruits on the Roger Pirates, Rayleigh thought carefully:
Buggy was a coward who'd probably live a long, safe life.
Shanks was smart and cautious—the one Roger and Rayleigh trusted most.
But Chronos… though more talented than Shanks, he was wild and reckless. The type who, if pushed too far, would drag the whole world down with him.
If he survived, he'd achieve great things.
But Rayleigh feared… that Chronos might not live long enough to become the pride of Marshall Village—
and instead become the first of them to die young.