After a full day's journey, the warship traversed the Navy's dedicated shipping lanes, crossed the Red Continent, and officially entered the New World.
As night fell, Garp's warship docked at an unnamed port in the New World.
A gentle breeze blew, and the stars twinkled in the sky.
Yoriichi lay in a hammock, gazing at the night sky through the cabin window. His cabin was a single room specially arranged by Garp, but tonight there were two people sharing it.
On the bed, Aokiji was half-covered by a blanket, his mouth slightly open, emitting soft breathing sounds.
Yoriichi didn't have such good treatment; he slept in a hammock. According to Garp, Yoriichi was an unofficial member, and there was no designated place for him on the ship, so he had to share a room with Aokiji.
Fortunately, Aokiji didn't mind; he had even intended to give up his bed for Yoriichi, but Yoriichi refused. It wasn't because Yoriichi was shy; he simply wanted to try out the hammock on the ship.
And surprisingly,
the hammock was quite comfortable.
"Life at sea is quite interesting," Yoriichi
thought, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.
In his dream, Yoriichi had a familiar dream.
The sea, sunshine, a beach, and a small seaside town. The townspeople were simple and kind, living a self-sufficient life. They weren't wealthy, but peaceful and tranquil.
And Yoriichi became a member of the town, living a peaceful and tranquil life.
The next day.
Before Yoriichi even woke up, the sound of the anchor rising filled the cabin. Opening his eyes, the faint light of dawn shone through the window, illuminating the dim cabin slightly.
Turning his head to look at the ship, Yoriichi realized that Aokiji was no longer in the cabin. Glancing at the neatly piled blankets, Yoriichi got up, jumped out of the hammock, and walked towards the door.
After a quick wash, Yoriichi went to the ship's mess hall. He had barely entered when he heard Aokiji call out to him,
"Hey! Yoriichi, over here!"
Aokiji, barely in his twenties, still had the enthusiasm of a young man, and was waving at Yoriichi.
After getting some bread and milk, Yoriichi carried the tray to Aokiji's side and plopped down. Aokiji looked at Yoriichi's face and asked with a smile,
"How did you sleep?" "
Are you settling in?" "
Are you seasick?"
Aokiji was quite concerned about his newly acquainted younger brother, asking with concern.
"Not bad, I'm settling in quite well."
"I don't get seasick. With a ship this big, it's not easy to get seasick,"
Yoriichi said with a smile, casually stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth. Taking a sip of milk, Yoriichi looked at the bustling restaurant and asked,
"Kuzan, I heard we're setting sail to hunt down the Roger Pirates?"
"What's their background? What did they do to deserve this?"
Aokiji, upon hearing about the Roger Pirates, immediately became interested in conversation. After a quick mental review, he said,
"The Roger Pirates! They've done a lot."
"In the East Blue, they attacked two Marine branches, and Captain Roger even killed a branch captain."
"Afterwards, while evading the Marines, they traveled through more than a dozen countries, robbing and killing many nobles."
"They became the highest-bounty pirate crew in the East Blue. Later, the Roger Pirates ventured into the New World, defeating many of their contemporaries and repeatedly escaping the Marines' pursuit, becoming famous pirates." "
A few years ago, the Roger Pirates returned to the East Blue. We thought they were planning to retire gracefully, but..."
"Starting last year, the Roger Pirates frequently traveled between the New World and the other four seas."
"And just recently, for some unknown reason, the Roger Pirates suddenly entered the New World."
"Vice Admiral Garp had been pursuing the Roger Pirates, and now that he has news of them, he has come after them."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni simply nodded slightly upon hearing this. These crimes certainly sounded heinous: attacking the Navy, plundering member states of the World Government, and killing nobles of those member states.
These heinous acts, along with their unexplained movements, were enough to warrant the Navy's attention.
However, it wasn't enough.
These incidents alone couldn't sustain the Roger Pirates' current "reputation."
Perhaps even Aokiji didn't know some of the details.
"So, what about the Roger Pirates' crew? Who are they, and what are their strengths?"
Yoriichi continued to ask. Aokiji had been a member of the Navy for quite some time, and he should have a fairly clear understanding of the current situation of the Roger Pirates' crew.
"Gol D. Roger is a great pirate with a bounty of 2.6 billion."
"As for strength, he clashed with Vice Admiral Garp several times, and he always escaped."
"Very powerful."
"The first mate of the Roger Pirates is Silvers Rayleigh, a great pirate with a bounty of 1.1 billion."
"There is also a samurai from Wano Country named Kozuki Oden, who I heard came from Whitebeard's ship."
"And the Mink Tribe, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi."
"Oh! By the way, there are two kids on Roger's ship, about your age!"
At this point, Aokiji suddenly slapped Yoriichi's shoulder excitedly.
"About my age?" Yoriichi turned to look at Aokiji, somewhat puzzled.
"I think one of them was named Shanks, and the other... Buggy?" Aokiji stroked his chin, replying uncertainly.
"I see. Vice Admiral Garp brought you along for that reason, right?"
Aokiji smiled knowingly at Yoriichi.
Meanwhile, Yoriichi recalled what Garp had said to Zephyr before taking him to sea. Yoriichi vaguely remembered that Garp had mentioned two people on Roger's ship who were about his age.
So, it was Shanks and Buggy!
Previously, Yoriichi had only guessed, not being certain, but now, knowing this, he could roughly determine his current timeline.
Yoriichi's understanding of the One Piece world's timeline was rather vague, and after joining the Navy, he deliberately avoided inquiring about Garp and the others' deeds and ages to avoid attracting attention.
Now, knowing Shanks' age, Yoriichi knew that some major events were about to occur;
in just a few years, the world would likely undergo a massive transformation!
Yoriichi and Aokiji chatted while eating breakfast. Just as they were about to leave for their day's "training," Garp's first mate, Bogart, blocked their path, sword in hand.
"Lieutenant Commander Bogart, what are your orders?"
"Hello, Lieutenant Commander Bogart,"
Aokiji and Yoriichi greeted Bogart one after the other.
"Captain Kuzan, Vice Admiral Garp has assigned me to teach Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
"The Vice Admiral means that Yoriichi no longer needs to practice the Six Powers; he can start practicing Haki."
"From now on, Captain Kuzan, you will be Vice Admiral Garp's adjutant. I'll take over the task of teaching Yoriichi."
Bogart explained to the two. Yoriichi's eyes lit up upon hearing this, somewhat excited. Aokiji nodded and said to Yoriichi,
"Then, Yoriichi, I'll go find Vice Admiral Garp first. You'll follow Lieutenant Colonel Bogart. Haki! I didn't expect you to be getting into this so soon."
"Training this thing will be quite arduous."
Aokiji seemed to recall some unpleasant memory, shuddering involuntarily. He then beckoned to Yoriichi and left the dining hall first.
"Yoriichi, come with me, let's go to the deck."