"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"What are you saving that last sip for—raising fish in your cup?"
"Again, again! Whoever drops first is the grandson!"
"In a drinking contest, you'll never beat me!"
"You're the one who's going to lose!"
On the deck of the Revenge, the excited voices of two men rang out again and again.
Jar after jar disappeared, and time rolled from day into night… then night back into day.
Another full day and night passed, and Rono's stash was almost gone.
"You still aren't drunk?" Roger's cheeks were faintly red as he stared at Rono, who somehow remained clear-eyed. "Are you sure you're only seventeen?"
When Roger was seventeen, he hadn't even touched alcohol.
But this guy had been drinking nonstop for a day and a night and still looked fine?
Monstrous combat talent would be one thing—his tolerance was just as outrageous.
And on top of that… Rono's brew was genuinely good.
"What a waste!" Roger pounded his chest in frustration. "You really should be on my ship!"
"Give me another jar and neither of us will get drunk anyway," Rono said, lifting a jar and draining it in one go.
The System could pick up anything.
So naturally, it could pick up alcohol tolerance, too.
That was the real reason Rono could drink with Roger for a full day and night.
Otherwise, with his original tolerance, one jar would've knocked him out for three days.
"You're full of it," Roger scoffed. "I can't compete with you on this."
"Hah. Don't believe me? I'll let you witness it properly another day." Rono tore into a roasted chicken leg, then grabbed another jar and downed it.
"Damn it—he's going to drink it all!" Seeing the remaining liquor dwindling, Roger panicked. He tossed away his chicken leg, grabbed a jar in each hand, and started chugging like a madman.
"You're trying to ambush me? You bastard!" Rono refused to back down. He started drinking with both hands, too.
This was a matter of a man's dignity. Losing wasn't an option.
Glug, glug… glug, glug…
To the two of them, the liquor might as well have been plain water. In no time at all, over a hundred jars vanished.
"Hahahaha! That was satisfying!" Roger laughed loudly. "The sea really is beautiful!"
With the stockpile finally drained, both men collapsed on the deck, sprawled out like starfish—still smiling as they started snoring.
...
"How long was I out?"
Roger woke up as the snot bubble at his nose popped.
"Three days," Rono replied from the helm, hands steady on the wheel in the control room.
"We're moving?" Roger blinked, realizing the ship was already underway. "Where are we going?"
"Heh. Somewhere interesting—something you'll definitely like." A faint smile tugged at Rono's mouth.
"Oh?"
Roger's interest flared. He jumped up and activated Observation Haki, scanning ahead.
Not far away: multiple ships—Marine warships, World Government escort vessels, and a huge transport ship.
And on that transport ship…
a staggering amount of gold, jewels, and Beli.
"The Heavenly Tribute?" Roger's grin split wide.
"Exactly. Interesting, right?" Rono nodded.
His strength had just undergone a huge leap—and immediately running into a Heavenly Tribute convoy?
Could there be a more perfect coincidence?
After gaining Observation Haki, Rono could sense far more clearly.
And he'd sensed something "interesting":
The World Government was collecting Heavenly Tribute.
Every World Government member nation had to pay it—essentially a tax.
And where did it go?
To fund the Celestial Dragons' lavish lives: food, comfort, luxury, entertainment.
Pay the Tribute, and the World Government would "protect" the nation from outside threats.
Refuse, and the nation's survival became none of the World Government's business.
But the Tribute was enormous. Even with the full strength of a nation behind it, the burden could be crushing.
Over time, some kingdoms squeezed their people dry with brutal taxes until ordinary citizens couldn't survive—so they went out to sea and became pirates.
Some poor countries even went bankrupt. Their people were bullied by pirates, and the Marines wouldn't bother helping, leaving the land to rot in misery.
In the original story, Roger's final words helped ignite the Great Age of Piracy…
…but the Heavenly Tribute—driving nations into ruin, pushing countless people to the sea—was also part of what made that era inevitable.
"Hahaha! Heavenly Tribute—now that's interesting!" Roger thundered, eyes shining. "Hurry up! Let's start the adventure!"
Even Roger—who normally wouldn't rob after becoming a pirate—would make an exception…
if the target was Celestial Dragons.
"I wonder if there are Celestial Dragons on this shipment," Rono said. Just the thought made his fists tighten. He increased their speed.
Soon, the World Government's Heavenly Tribute convoy filled their view.
"Report! A sailboat ahead—no pirate flag. Unknown intent."
At the same time, the convoy spotted them as well.
A Marine hurried to report to the highest-ranking officer of the East Blue branch: Vice Admiral Hanke.
Vice Admiral—the East Blue's top commander.
"Sink them—"
Hanke hadn't even finished the order when several tall men in masks appeared at his side. One of them—clearly the leader—spoke in a voice as calm as still water:
"Sink them."
From their dress and presence, it was obvious who they were:
CP0, the covert agency directly under the Celestial Dragons.
CP0—known as the Celestial Dragons' strongest shield. Some of them even possessed strength comparable to Emperor-class monsters.
"But…" Hanke hesitated. "They aren't flying a pirate flag. What if it's a merchant ship—or civilians?"
Even as a Marine, Hanke still had some sense of justice.
"Vice Admiral Hanke," the masked man replied indifferently, as if discussing something trivial. "This is a Heavenly Tribute transport fleet. Anyone who appears nearby is committing a capital crime."
"But—" Hanke's face tightened.
"The Heavenly Tribute is what the gods value most," CP0's voice turned colder. "If it's lost… can you, a mere Vice Admiral, bear the responsibility?"
Before Hanke could speak again—
"Shigan: Yellow Lotus!"
CP0 attacked without warning—launching a Finger Pistol.
Slash!
The strike pierced straight through Hanke's left shoulder, and blood burst out like a fountain.
"AAAH!!"
Hanke collapsed, clutching his shoulder, face twisted in agony.
"Vice Admiral Hanke!"
The surrounding Marines were stunned.
That was a Vice Admiral—East Blue's highest commander.
And CP0 had just attacked him.
CP0 was beyond arrogant.
This wasn't even disguised contempt. They weren't pretending to respect the Marines at all.
"Damn it! You CP0 are nothing but the Celestial Dragons' lapdogs—what right do you have to attack Vice Admiral Hanke?!"
"Yeah! We're Marines—CP0 doesn't get to order us around!"
"Aren't you afraid of Marine retaliation?!"
Some young recruits—still naive, still hungry for justice—couldn't hold it back and shouted.
A few older soldiers tried to stop them—too late.
"Interesting…" The CP0 leader gave a cold snort. "So you want to rebel?"
And in the next instant—
"Shigan: Ten-Finger Gun!""Rankyaku: Ring Sever!""Rokushiki: Lotus!"
Several CP0 agents attacked without hesitation.
Those recruits were nowhere near their level. Screams ripped through the air.
In less than a minute, more than a dozen of the young Marines who had spoken up were nothing but corpses.
Splash. Splash.
Their bodies were tossed into the sea.
Watching that horrifying scene, the remaining Marines didn't dare to breathe.
CP0's methods were too terrifying.
Even against Marines—their own "allies"—they killed without the slightest mercy.
So this was the Celestial Dragons' strongest shield…
...
The atmosphere within the convoy solidified into ice.
The remaining Marines didn't dare make a sound. Some of the more timid ones even shut their eyes, terrified CP0 might turn on them next.
"This is the consequence of disobeying orders."
"Remember this: you Marines are nothing more than the World Government's outer face. The gods are the true rulers of this world."
The CP0 leader looked at the frightened soldiers with open contempt.
"We need loyal Marines. Notify Marine Headquarters immediately: Vice Admiral Hanke disobeyed military orders. Effective today, he is to be escorted to Impel Down."
"Have the Fleet Admiral assign a new Vice Admiral to serve as commander of the East Blue branch."
"If the Marines have any complaints… tell them to come to Mary Geoise and find me."
The CP0 leader spoke slowly, his tone dripping with disdain for the Navy.
In his eyes, the Marines were the Celestial Dragons' dogs—dogs not even as "close" to the gods as CP0.
After all, CP0 were the direct dogs.
Their status was on an entirely different level.
Just like that—because of a single disagreement—they replaced the branch commander and sent Hanke to Impel Down.
The remaining Marines were left stunned by CP0's overwhelming authority.
Could the Marines truly represent justice?
Or was it all just a façade?
Were the Marines… nothing more than the World Government's hunting dogs?
More than a few Marines felt doubt bloom in their hearts.
One young Marine clenched his teeth so hard his jaw trembled—like his entire worldview had collapsed.
At that moment, CP0 turned to the Marines at the side.
"What are you standing around for? Sink that ship. I don't want to repeat myself a second time."
"Y-yes!"
After what they'd just witnessed, the Marines knew CP0 wasn't something they could afford to offend. They hurriedly organized.
Four or five warships swung their cannons toward the Revenge.
"Everyone—listen up!"
"Aim!"
"Fire!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Dozens of cannonballs roared out, all targeting the Revenge.
If even a dozen of those shells landed cleanly, the Revenge would be blown into splinters.
"CP0 attacking Marines… aren't they supposed to be allies?" Roger said, genuinely surprised as the cannonballs screamed toward them.
"Heh. Isn't this just how the World Government always operates?" Rono's voice carried a sharp, mocking edge.
A moment earlier, both Rono and Roger's Observation Haki had already sensed everything.
CP0 striking a Vice Admiral… slaughtering Marine recruits without restraint…
These Celestial Dragons' dogs were no different from the Celestial Dragons themselves.
Like master, like dog.
"CP0 really are a bunch of cold-blooded bastards," Roger muttered.
Even though the Marines and he stood on opposite sides, Roger simply believed one thing: anyone who turned on their own "partners" was garbage.
As he spoke, the cannonballs reached them.
HUM—!
An invisible force burst outward from Rono's body, shoving the cannonballs dozens of meters off-course—then detonating them in midair.
"Tch—damn it! You beat me to it!" Roger clicked his tongue, annoyed he'd been too slow.
Rono didn't answer.
"Soru!"
His figure vanished from the Revenge's deck.
"R-report…! Th-the… cannonballs… didn't hit the target!"
At the same time, aboard the convoy, a Marine stammered his report to CP0.
"A bunch of trash. You can't even hit a ship?" The masked leader's expression couldn't be seen, but his tone made his ridicule unmistakable. "Keep firing."
"Y-yes!"
The Marines, shaking, loaded shells again—but the expected thunder of cannons never came.
"What are these trash Marines doing? Don't they even know how to fire?" CP0 grumbled, irritated.
"N-no… something's wrong!" Another CP0 agent suddenly sensed something off.
"Th-this… what is going on?"
"Who's there?!"
"When did it happen?!"
The CP0 agents reacted—and then froze in shock.
At some point, without anyone noticing…
the enormous decks of the convoy ships were now covered with bodies—Marines and accompanying crewmen alike.
All of them lay sprawled on the ground, eyes rolled white, foam at their mouths.
Knocked unconscious.
"Doing it silently right under my nose…" The CP0 leader felt chills crawl up his spine. "Conqueror's Haki?"
"In the East Blue… there's someone with Conqueror's Haki?" The other CP0 agents felt pressure settle over them as well.
They knew what Conqueror's Haki meant.
Those who possessed it carried the qualifications of a king.
Don't joke around.
This was Heavenly Tribute—if it was seized, their lives wouldn't just be forfeit.
A quick death would be the lucky outcome.
The terrifying part was that as CP0, they knew exactly what Celestial Dragons did to "incompetent" subordinates.
Calling it hell on earth wouldn't be exaggeration.
Still—CP0 were CP0.
The instant they realized they were under attack, they formed up.
Four of them stood back-to-back to prevent an ambush while scanning for the attacker.
"There!"
It didn't take long for them to find a lone figure standing on the deck.
With everyone else unconscious, the only person still standing couldn't possibly be subtle.
"A kid…?" One of them swallowed. "I-it's a kid!"
After seeing him clearly, even the four CP0 agents went still.
Rono looked sixteen or seventeen at most. He wasn't some giant or special race—just around 1.9 meters tall.
And a kid like that had already awakened Conqueror's Haki?
"You Celestial Dragons' dogs—tell me." Rono's eyes were bloodshot as he spoke, nothing like his usual self. "Where are the Celestial Dragons in the East Blue? Answer, and I might consider sparing your lives."
The moment Rono saw CP0, his parents' deaths flashed in his mind—and rage surged so hard it blurred his vision.
The Celestial Dragon who'd murdered them… even if he'd left the East Blue, he couldn't have gone far.
"Rono…" Roger, arriving behind him, sensed the change as well.
This guy… it was like he'd become a different person.
Did he have a grudge with CP0?
"Commoner." The CP0 leader's voice turned vicious. "You think you're worthy to ask where the gods are?"
"Kneel and surrender obediently. Spend a few years as a slave in the Holy Land—maybe then your sins can be washed away."
Rono had called the Celestial Dragons by name.
That alone was enough to enrage CP0.
The leader lifted his hand and fired a Finger Pistol straight at Rono.
"Commoner."
That word stabbed into Rono's mind like a blade.
In an instant, he looked like a beast.
"Soru!"
He flashed in front of the CP0 leader.
"Armament—Coating!"
Advanced Armament Haki wrapped around his arm, and he swung—hard—straight at the leader's head.
"Tekkai: Steel!"
The CP0 leader instantly activated Iron Body.
"Die."
Rono poured every last drop of strength and Haki into that punch.
BOOM!
In the next instant, the CP0 leader was blasted backward. His chest caved in, the crack of shattered bone clear even over the wind.
As his organs shifted inside him in a sickening wave of pain, he spat a huge mouthful of blood—and died on the spot.
The other three CP0 agents felt their scalps go numb.
He… he just killed him?!
RAW ARTEFAKT (steht so mitten im Kapitel): "第8章 神级见闻色——倾听万物之声"(Das ist offensichtlich ein verrutschter Kapitel-Teaser; der Text läuft danach normal weiter.)
"Carter… h-he got Carter killed!!" one of them choked out, voice trembling.
They stared at their dead teammate—and their brains buzzed.
That man had been the strongest among the four. At minimum, he'd had Vice Admiral-level strength.
And he'd been… instantly killed?
In truth, after Roger's "guidance," Rono now possessed power comparable to Roger's—on top of a full-force strike coated in advanced Armament Haki.
Without Warlord-tier strength, you simply couldn't block a blow like that.
A Vice Admiral—unless you were someone like Garp or Tsuru—was still a step below the Warlords.
Even the elite Vice Admirals of Marine Headquarters were often not there yet.
So why was someone this terrifying in the weakest sea—the East Blue?
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
And from his momentum… it was obvious he was aiming straight for the Celestial Dragons.
A kid with the power to one-punch a Vice Admiral, who specifically hunted Celestial Dragons—this news had to be reported to Mary Geoise.
"And you three?" Rono said slowly, each word landing like a threat. "Do you want the same ending… or are you going to tell me where the Celestial Dragons are?"
"Heh." Even terrified, the remaining three CP0 didn't dare expose the gods' whereabouts. "Commoner—don't even dream of it."
These CP0 had been orphans since childhood, selected by the World Government and brainwashed day after day.
Their loyalty to the Celestial Dragons was absolute.
If a Celestial Dragon told them to kill themselves, they would do it on the spot—without hesitation.
In a twisted way… they really were "loyal dogs."
"Then die," Rono said coldly—and attacked.
"Split up!" one of them shouted. "Don't let him catch us all at once!"