Ryuji chuckled as he watched Roger being dragged back into his room by the ear—courtesy of his furious wife.
All in all, Ryuji actually got along pretty well with Roger.
If you ignored the fact that Roger was the Pirate King, he was, at heart, the kind of guy who could easily become friends with almost anyone. Warm, passionate, generous, and a little childish—it was hard not to enjoy being around him.
Of course, some people preferred serious, composed types too. Different strokes for different folks.
Ryuji liked both kinds. But with someone like Roger, hanging out never got boring. He was always ready to joke or spar just blow off steam together.
"Maybe... that's why guys like them can endure loneliness so well."
Reflecting on the solitude and emptiness he'd felt during his time at sea, he began to understand why captains like Roger—and even Luffy—were so beloved. They had this uncanny ability to bring joy when others were down. And when things got serious, they were the first to step up, take the lead, and bear the burden.
Who wouldn't want a leader like that?
"…But from the viewpoint of a civilian or even from a historical perspective, Roger's a far more complicated figure."
That thought came to Ryuji suddenly.
If he were just a regular civilian in this world, he'd probably want to kill Roger. After all, it was Roger's one declaration that had plunged the world into chaos.
But if you looked at it from a broader historical perspective—Roger hadn't really done anything wrong. The World Government in this world wasn't exactly what you'd call benevolent.
They had robots and advanced tech, sure. But socially? They were still stuck in a slave-based system. They hadn't even reached the feudal stage properly.
Naturally, in a world like that, rebel figures and anti-establishment outlaws would emerge in waves. So was it fair to blame Roger entirely for the age of pirates?
Probably not.
At the end of the day, it wasn't the leader of the beggars who decided how many beggars existed. It was the emperor.
Whether it was the Four Emperors of the sea, or the infamous Supernovas, most of them had some kind of unresolved grudge against the World Government. Some of them had been driven to piracy by trauma and injustice. Given that, Roger urging people to chase freedom wasn't just a coincidence—it was perhaps the most noble thing he'd ever done.
But still... he was a pirate.
And even if pirates were the most dynamic and powerful force in this era, average civilians would never support someone who threw the world into chaos. Because Roger's proclamation had unleashed the Great Pirate Era.
No matter how oppressive the World Government was, it was Roger who'd turned piracy into a global movement—who'd made it seem noble. So yes, he was a criminal. But he was also a pivotal figure in the world's history.
History, Ryuji mused, was always full of contradictions.
"Eh, whatever. I'm just here to sleep with girls."
He tossed his deep philosophical thoughts aside.
They say that after a guy releases the urges of his lower body, blood rushes back to the brain and thoughts become clearer. Maybe that was true. But Ryuji was still a little… unsatisfied.
He glanced at his status screen. Only a bit over 1,000 energy points gained.
Most of that came from when Robin was still conscious. Once she'd passed out, the clone-based interactions barely gave him anything. The system clearly preferred... active participation.
"So, basically… I have to get Nami."
Stretching lazily, Ryuji stepped outside into the inn's backyard and resumed his training.
His waterbending ability was far too shocking for this world, so he wasn't planning on revealing it just yet. But flame manipulation? That was fair game.
After all, just about everyone in this world could use fire attacks in some form, especially Devil Fruit users. So manipulating fire wouldn't raise too many eyebrows.
Of course, he meant no disrespect to the Mera Mera no Mi. Its power was incredible. But basic flame control? That wasn't suspicious.
In his palm, flames danced and curled like flowing water. Fire wasn't meant to move this way—this was a water bending technique, but he had adjusted his understanding.
In his eyes, flames were a form of plasma. And if plasma could flow, then so could fire. Simple as that.
In fact, according to the handwritten notes of a man named Ailo, there was a form of fire bending in the Avatar world that allowed lightning generation—by rotating fire energy within the body to create positive and negative charges, and releasing them in arcs.
If fire could flow like water, then it could become lightning.
Ryuji's training focused on exactly that: making fire flow, concentrating it within his body, and allowing it to circulate like energy.
But as he continued his practice, he started to notice something odd.
"…This doesn't feel like fire bending. It's more like I'm manipulating matter at an energetic level. Whether it's fire or lightning, it's all just a state of energy. A different expression of matter's potential…"
Ryuji couldn't help muttering to himself.
Even with his middle school-level physics, he could tell: the elemental techniques from Avatar were way beyond anything that made conventional sense.
But to manipulate matter's energy state directly? That was bordering on divine power.
At his current level, he was still just playing with fire—nothing too impressive.
Taking a short break from practice, he also glanced at his system's status panel—especially the quest tab.
He was curious. He had gained 7 Days to Die power from Robin through intimate interaction… but was there any progress?
Unfortunately, no special response. Only a small boost: +5 to World Power.
It seemed Robin also carried some leftover world force fragments. But that was it.
If he wanted to fully retrieve the corrupted "7 Days to Die" world energy, he'd probably need to summon a trader from that world.
Still, that could wait.
This was just a small frontier town, not Cocoyashi Village. He had no plans to summon a trader here.
He wanted to test summoning one aboard a ship instead. Maybe that way, the trader could move around with him, rather than being rooted in one location.
Once he finished his training—using the fire nation's royal secret breathing techniques and martial arts that Azula had taught him—he made sure his body was properly warmed up and functioning normally.
Then, he returned to the inn.
Grabbing two plates of food, he headed back to his room and knocked on the door.
Robin opened the door with a cold expression, but when she saw him holding a tray of breakfast, she sighed and let him in. The two sat down at the small table and began eating the simple breakfast provided by the inn.
Although the taste was average, he could tell the ingredients were exceptionally fresh. Honestly, even the world of Food Wars rarely served up meat this rich and flavorful.
Just the taste of the meat alone was leagues above what he'd experienced in that gourmet world. There was a deeper, more primal richness to it—and the aroma was incredibly appetizing. Ryuji figured it had to be because of the way this world worked: here, even regular people could split mountains with a sword after a bit of training. The nutritional content of the food must be off the charts.
He'd noticed it most while training at sea. He'd never paid much attention to taste before, but every time Roger cooked up a chunk of Sea King meat, his body would crave it—so intensely that even without knowing how it tasted, he still thought it was delicious.
That primal hunger... it reminded him of the time right after he left the 7 Days to Die world. Back then, he'd been starving for real food. But here, every bite of Sea King meat brought that same satisfaction.
Sadly, after leaving the Calm Belt, Sea Kings became much rarer. He no longer had access to that kind of meal now that he had time to sit and savor it.
"A shame, really…" Ryuji mused between bites of a giant cartoonish meat drumstick.
"Before I leave, I should bring some Sea King meat for Erina. She'd probably love it."
He chewed thoughtfully as he made a mental note. Robin noticed his distracted look and raised an eyebrow.
"What are you thinking about? A woman?"
"Of course."
He nodded without hesitation, earning a long sigh from Robin.
"Most people set sail in search of the One Piece... But you? You're out here chasing girls, despite being taught by the Pirate King himself."
Roger's image was practically legendary, so Ryuji didn't expect Robin to not recognize him. Especially since she already knew Ryuji could resurrect the dead.
"Everyone has their own reason for traveling. For me, my treasure is beautiful women. If Roger had left the world's most beautiful woman at the end of the Grand Line, I'd probably be out there chasing her right now. But if it's just treasure or some world-shaking secret... I'm not that interested. I won't deny the One Piece exists—but everyone has their own version of what the One Piece is. Robin... you're part of my treasure."
Ryuji gently took her hand in his, a warm grin tugging at his lips. Robin's clone technique really was something else—when she became fully proficient in it, she'd be the perfect companion in every sense.
"You're only saying that because you like my body, my face... and the convenience of my powers," Robin muttered, rolling her eyes. "Still, I appreciate the sentiment."
She sighed and glanced away.
"Besides, you've already absorbed my power, haven't you? I could feel something leave my body while we had sex."
She waved her hand lazily, then tried opening her inventory out of habit—and to her surprise, it still worked.
"Sorry. I didn't take that from you," Ryuji replied, shaking his head. "What I gained was something else, and it doesn't affect you directly."
So far, World Power had only ever caused negative consequences—like rendering Toph and Elsa powerless in his world, or dragging in monsters from 7 Days to Die. So Ryuji didn't feel too guilty about it.
"Still... I don't want to give up this power. I'm not ready to bring my mother back yet," Robin said firmly.
She and her mother had only been reunited briefly before tragedy struck. She didn't want her mother to suffer through the same hardships she had.
From what they'd talked about, Robin knew her mother was just like her—stubborn, relentless in her pursuit of truth. If she were resurrected, she'd likely resume her quest to uncover the world's hidden history, just like Robin.
But her mother was weak—far weaker than Robin was now. In this brutal age, she wouldn't survive. Even if she did, the pain would be immense.
Robin didn't want that for her.
Not yet.
She'd wait—at least until her own notoriety as the "Devil Child" faded. Only then would she ask him to bring her mother back, when it was safer. When the World Government wouldn't immediately recognize her.
After all...
They looked way too alike.
To the World Government, that resemblance was a flashing red warning.
"I see…"
Ryuji chuckled softly.
"All right. I won't take it. But... there's a price."
Robin glanced at him, wary. "Name it."
"How about a bedtime story tonight?" he whispered into her ear with a smirk.
She gave him a sharp side-eye. Yeah, sure—a "story." She wasn't fooled for a second.
Still, after thinking it over, she nodded.
"Fine. But don't cum inside. I'm not ready to have kids yet."
She was still planning to go on adventures—there was no way she could have a child this early!
"Of course. So… how about a kiss?"
Ryuji nodded, pretending to listen with his left ear, while Robin's voice slipped right out the right. Smooth as ever.
"Bastard," Robin muttered with a sigh.
She closed her eyes, allowing him to kiss her gently on the lips. But the next moment, with a yelp, she was swept into his arms and carried to the bed.
When it was over, Ryuji stood satisfied, pulling up his pants while checking his stats—+140 energy points.
Not quite as much as he got from Erina, but considering the short time he'd spent with Robin and the lingering effects of the previous night's intensity, 140 was actually a pleasant surprise.
Soon, the four of them regrouped in town to restock supplies and buy a new map. Their next destination: Cocoyashi Village—just as he had planned.
Despite being relatively well-known in East Blue—even the locals here had heard of it for its top-quality oranges—recent news about the village was oddly scarce.
"Strange," Ryuji thought, "they've got oranges from Cocoyashi here, but no one knows what's going on over there. Or maybe… anyone who does know isn't allowed to talk."
If even Garp hadn't heard about it, then that meant someone had deliberately kept him in the dark too.
Because let's be real—Arlong's strength wasn't anything worth hiding. Not by Garp's standards.
As the group prepared to set sail, a large naval vessel approached the port, its bow adorned with a very familiar dog-head figurehead.
Standing proudly at the front, with a matching dog-head cap, was none other than—
"Garp?!" Robin shrieked in disbelief. "What is he doing here?!"
Ryuji turned and immediately recognized him. He looked exactly like in the manga and anime: a spry, energetic old man, brimming with vitality.
Just as they were about to depart, Garp's ship arrived—and Roger just happened to be standing out on deck.
And so, the inevitable happened.
Roger and Garp locked eyes across the water.
Ryuji instantly broke into a cold sweat. He figured Garp must've returned home to visit family—but this?! Running into him here of all places?!
"Man… this bastard really is cursed," Roger muttered. "Even back in the day, he'd always show up in the most unexpected places…"
"It's fate," Ryuji whispered. "Whatever you do—don't expose yourself."
"Relax, relax," Roger grinned. "No one understands better than me what kind of chaos would break out if the world thought the Pirate King had returned!"
…And then he drew his sword.
Standing tall and proud, Roger shouted in a booming voice that echoed like thunder across the port:
"AFTER ALL, I AM THE PIRATE KING!!!"
For a moment, air in the port seemed quiet.
Everyone in the port turned, mouths agape, to stare at the man with the unmistakable aura and presence of Gol D. Roger, sword raised high.
"…"
Ryuji looked down at his clenched fist.
In 0.66 seconds, it would collide with Roger's dumbass face.
But just before the punch landed, Roger seemed to realize his mistake. He quickly laughed, waving to a group of passing marines.
"Haha! Sorry, sorry! What's that thing the young folks are into these days? Cos… cosplay, right? Yeah! I was just doing a bit of Pirate King cosplay!"
Unfortunately, his face was identical to the one in textbooks and execution videos.
The marines weren't buying it.
"That's the Pirate King!!"
"Battle stations, now!!"
"Somebody wake up Vice Admiral Garp!!"
That last line made Ryuji blink in disbelief.
He glanced toward the bow of the ship, where Garp had been standing in a dramatic pose this entire time. Turns out… he'd been asleep the whole time.
But just as the marines began to move in, Garp stirred at last.
"Oi, oi, what're you lot yelling about?" he grumbled, scratching his head and—yep—digging in his nose.
He squinted down at Roger and Rouge, who was now calmly sipping tea beside her husband.
Garp shrugged. "That's not Roger. How could that be Roger? He's dead."
He flicked his booger.
Straight onto Roger's forehead.
"And besides—look at this guy," Garp continued, sneering. "You think that bastard could ever be this responsible and loving toward his wife?"
"Roger was a deadbeat drunk, a loudmouth, a nose-picking slob who wiped his snot on people, stiffed brothels, skipped tabs, snored like a pig, ground his teeth, and had zero sense of what it meant to be a real man. Total idiot. Complete bastard. A dumbass. Right?"
He turned to Roger with mock cheer.
"You're just a cosplayer, right? No way you're that irresponsible piece of trash."
Ryuji watched Roger's hand twitch ever so slightly.
It was shaking.
~~~~~~~~
Bonus chapter every 200 Power Stones.