After a full day's journey, the warship finally passed through the Navy's exclusive route and crossed the Red Line, officially entering the New World.
As night fell, Garp's warship docked at an unknown port somewhere in the New World.
A gentle evening breeze stirred the air, and countless stars twinkled in the sky above.
Yorichi Tsugikuni lay in a hammock, gazing out at the night sky through the cabin's small window. The cabin he occupied had been specially arranged by Garp as a single room, though tonight it was hosting two people.
On the bed, Kuzan lay half-covered by a blanket, his mouth slightly open, emitting soft, rhythmic breaths.
Yorichi, however, didn't enjoy quite the same level of comfort. He was sleeping in the hammock. According to Garp, Yorichi wasn't officially on the ship's roster, so there had been no bunk reserved for him. He simply had to share a room with Kuzan.
Not that Yorichi minded. Kuzan had actually offered to give up the bed for him, but Yorichi had declined not out of shyness, but purely because he wanted to try sleeping in a ship's hammock at least once.
And honestly, he had to admit…
The hammock was surprisingly comfortable.
"Sailing life is actually pretty interesting."
With that thought in his mind, Yorichi closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
In his dreams, Yorichi found himself in a familiar setting.
There was the sea, warm sunlight, golden beaches, and a small coastal town. The townsfolk were simple and kind, living peaceful, self-sufficient lives. They weren't rich, but their days were calm and tranquil.
Yorichi, too, had become one of them, living in quiet contentment.
The next day arrived.
Even before Yorichi was fully awake, the sound of the ship's anchor being raised echoed through the cabin. He opened his eyes as the first pale light of dawn spilled through the window, illuminating the dim interior.
Turning his head, Yorichi noticed that Kuzan was already gone. The neatly folded blanket on the bed showed that he'd left some time earlier. Stretching, Yorichi hopped down from the hammock and headed outside.
After a quick wash, Yorichi made his way to the warship's mess hall. The moment he stepped in, he heard Kuzan calling out to him.
"Hey! Yorichi, over here!"
Still in his early twenties, Kuzan carried the boundless energy of youth. At that moment, he was enthusiastically waving Yorichi over.
Picking up some bread and milk, Yorichi carried his tray over to Kuzan's table and plopped down beside him. Kuzan gave him a quick once-over, then grinned and asked:
"How'd you sleep?"
"Getting used to life at sea yet?"
"Not feeling seasick, are you?"
Kuzan seemed genuinely concerned about his new friend, bombarding him with questions.
"Not bad at all. I'm getting used to it."
"I've never really had trouble with seasickness anyway. On a ship this big, it's actually pretty hard to get queasy."
Yorichi chuckled, stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth. After washing it down with a gulp of milk, he glanced around at the bustling mess hall and asked:
"Kuzan, is it true that this voyage is about pursuing the Roger Pirates?"
"Who exactly are these people? What crimes have they committed to warrant a manhunt?"
At the mention of the Roger Pirates, Kuzan's interest was instantly piqued. He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, then launched into an explanation:
"The Roger Pirates, huh? Man, they've done plenty."
"Back in the East Blue, they attacked two Marine branch bases. Their captain, Gol D. Roger, even killed a branch captain."
"After that, while evading the Marines, they hopped between more than a dozen countries, raiding and killing quite a few nobles along the way."
"They became the crew with the highest bounty in the East Blue. Then the Roger Pirates set out for the New World, defeated plenty of rival crews from their era, and managed to escape Marine pursuit multiple times, eventually earning a reputation as infamous pirates."
"A few years back, the Roger Pirates returned to the East Blue. Everyone thought they might be planning to retire quietly. But…"
"Starting last year, they've been traveling back and forth between the New World and the Four Seas."
"And just recently, for reasons nobody's quite sure about, the Roger Pirates suddenly entered the New World again."
"Vice Admiral Garp has been chasing the Roger Pirates for quite a while. Now that new intelligence has surfaced, we sailed here to track them down."
Yorichi listened carefully, merely nodding as Kuzan spoke.
Those crimes were certainly heinous attacking the Marines, plundering nations allied with the World Government, killing nobles from those countries.
Each of these acts, taken alone, was enough to make the Navy treat them as a major threat.
But… it still wasn't enough.
Just those crimes alone couldn't explain the legendary reputation the Roger Pirates currently held.
There were surely details that even Kuzan didn't know.
"What about the crew members of the Roger Pirates? Who are they, and how strong are they?"
Yorichi pressed on with his questions. Since Kuzan had already spent quite a few years in the Navy, he ought to have decent knowledge about the Roger Pirates' crew.
"Well, the captain, Gol D. Roger, has a bounty of 2.6 billion Berries."
"As for his strength… he's gone toe-to-toe with Vice Admiral Garp several times. Every time, he managed to slip away."
"He's incredibly powerful."
"The Roger Pirates' first mate is Silvers Rayleigh. He's a pirate with a bounty of 1.1 billion Berries."
"There's also a samurai from Wano Country named Kozuki Oden. Rumor has it he used to sail with Whitebeard before joining Roger's crew."
"Then there's the Mink Tribe duo Inuarashi and Nekomamushi."
"Oh! And there are two kids on Roger's ship, around your age!"
As he reached this point, Kuzan suddenly slapped Yorichi on the shoulder, eyes lighting up with excitement.
"About my age?" Yorichi turned to Kuzan, puzzled.
"Yeah, I think one kid's name is Shanks… and the other one… Bugg Buggie? Or was it Buggy?" Kuzan scratched his chin, looking unsure.
"So that's it… No wonder Vice Admiral Garp brought you along!" Kuzan said with sudden understanding, grinning at Yorichi.
Right then, Yorichi's mind flashed back to the conversation he'd overheard between Garp and Zephyr before this voyage. He vaguely remembered Garp mentioning that there were two kids on Roger's ship roughly his own age.
So it was Shanks and Buggy!
Previously, Yorichi had only been speculating and hadn't been sure. But now, having confirmed this piece of information, he was able to pinpoint the timeline he'd landed in.
Yorichi had always had a somewhat fuzzy sense of the One Piece world's chronology. Since joining the Navy, he'd deliberately avoided asking too many questions about Garp's past exploits or his age, not wanting to draw attention.
But now, knowing Shanks' age, Yorichi could more or less foresee what monumental events lay ahead.
In just a few short years, the entire world was destined for upheaval!
Yorichi and Kuzan continued chatting as they ate their breakfast. Just as they were about to leave and start their training for the day, Garp's adjutant, Bogard, stepped forward, sword tucked under his arm, blocking their path.
"Commander Bogard, do you need something?"
"Good morning, Commander Bogard."
Both Kuzan and Yorichi greeted him politely.
"Captain Kuzan, Vice Admiral Garp has instructed me to take over Yorichi Tsugikuni's training."
"The Vice Admiral has decided that Yorichi no longer needs to keep practicing the Navy's Rokushiki. He's ready to begin learning Haki."
"From today onward, Captain Kuzan, you'll resume your duties as Vice Admiral Garp's adjutant. The responsibility for training Yorichi now falls to me."
Bogard explained calmly. Upon hearing this, Yorichi's eyes lit up with excitement. Kuzan nodded in agreement and turned to Yorichi with a smile.
"Well then, Yorichi, I'll leave you to Commander Bogard. You're already moving on to Haki training, huh? I didn't expect you'd reach that point so fast."
"That stuff… it's gonna put you through the wringer."
A shadow passed over Kuzan's face as if recalling some unpleasant memories. He gave Yorichi a sympathetic wave before turning and leaving the mess hall.
"Yorichi, come with me. We'll start on the deck."