The sea is mysterious. Vast.
Upon these waters exist rare treasures like Devil Fruits, as well as countless extraordinary races. The former require immense luck to obtain; the latter are born with their gifts. For ordinary humans, the path to power is exceedingly difficult.
But the sea has not abandoned them.
Haki grants everyone the qualification to grow stronger.
Naturally, a powerhouse on the level of Golden Lion Shiki possesses Haki—and his mastery of it is exceptionally high. With a single glance, he recognized the black substance coating Roldy's arm.
It was unmistakable.
One of the three forms of Haki—
Armament Haki.
Interest sparked in Shiki's eyes.
Talented youngsters were valuable. With the right resources, they could grow into formidable subordinates. And within the Rocks Pirates, strength reigned supreme. Though Shiki served as the Second Division Commander, he did not actually have many truly powerful men under him.
In truth, aside from Whitebeard of the First Division and Charlotte Linlin of the Third Division, none of the division commanders had particularly noteworthy right-hand men.
That was precisely why Shiki felt a stir of appreciation.
Especially as he watched the boy, relying solely on Armament Haki, trading blows evenly with his opponent—at times even gaining the upper hand and driving the brute into a sorry state.
The thought of "bringing him under my command" rose swiftly to its peak.
That fist of his was like the embodiment of fearless advance.
He had created a miracle—defeating someone stronger than himself.
"Jahahaha! What an interesting brat!"
Shiki's booming laughter halted the bloodthirsty pirates around them. Within the Second Division, his authority was absolute.
The figure that had been hovering high above slowly descended onto the deck before Roldy.
Roldy was drenched in blood. The battle had not been easy. Wounds covered his body, and the Armament Haki coating his arm had thinned to the point of nearly disappearing.
Yet his eyes had not lost their intensity.
They locked onto Shiki with unwavering vigilance.
Shiki grinned.
Then—
A terrifying aura, like that of a demon emerging from the abyss, erupted outward.
The blue sky seemed to lose its color. Crimson-black lightning crackled through the air. Centered on Shiki, the pressure engulfed the entire merchant ship in an instant.
One by one, the hired fighters aboard rolled their eyes back and collapsed unconscious.
Even "Bear Claw" Barr, with his 17,000,000 Berry bounty, broke into a cold sweat. The color drained from his face. With a heavy thud, he dropped to one knee.
"T-This is… the legendary… Conqueror's Haki!"
Barr's voice trembled with disbelief.
Having long sailed the Grand Line, he knew of Haki. He had witnessed powerful fighters wield it before. But this—
This was the rarest of the three types. It was said that only one in a million possessed it.
Those who carried Conqueror's Haki were destined to become kings.
Golden Lion Shiki—
Truly monstrous.
Roldy's vision blurred; he nearly lost consciousness.
Yet something in his chest refused to yield.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to remain standing, refusing to kneel.
The smile on Shiki's face widened further.
The more he looked at the boy, the more satisfied he became.
"Brat, judging by that getup… were you being sold as a slave?"
Roldy froze.
He was no beast. After venting his fury, his mind had begun to clear. He suddenly realized these men did not seem to be allied with the slave traders.
Of course—
From Shiki's grin alone, it was obvious he was no good man either.
"W-Who are you?"
Roldy did not deny it.
The man before him radiated danger. With the instincts of a Mink, his senses were sharp as a wild animal's. Even if he fought with everything he had—even if he risked his life—he would not be able to wound this man.
"Jahahaha! So you really are a slave? Then remember this well—the name of the man who rescued you from those slave traders!"
Shiki stepped forward slowly. The thick scent of tobacco from his cigar drifted into Roldy's nose, making him frown slightly.
"My name is Shiki. Golden Lion Shiki! Unlike those foolish slave traders—"
He bared his teeth.
"I am a pirate!"
Roldy said nothing, but he etched the name "Shiki" into his heart.
He was someone who repaid both grudges and kindness.
No matter the man's motives—intentional or not—today, he had benefited from Shiki's actions. With his own strength, he could never have slaughtered all the slave traders.
Shiki's appearance had given him a chance at freedom.
That was enough.
"Even if you don't look like a good person, Uncle… I'll remember this favor!"
"Uncle?"
Shiki reacted as if someone had stepped on his tail. His voice rose several octaves. Eyes wide, he pointed at Roldy, then at himself.
"You're calling me 'uncle'? I'm only twenty-eight!"
"But I'm eight. That's a twenty-year difference. Calling you uncle doesn't seem unreasonable, does it?"
"…That almost makes sense—but don't you dare call me uncle, you brat! I'm not even married yet!"
The exchange felt like a clash between generations—one insisting he was still young, the other bluntly stating the merciless truth.
Dark lines crept across Shiki's forehead.
Then suddenly—
His eyes widened.