I agreed to win with Roger, but the guy I met was too young Chapter 017

Brush

The year is 1477 of the Sea Calendar, three years before the Battle of God Valley.

Roger, now thirty-two, had happily spent his days in a playful game of cat and mouse with Garp. Thirteen years had passed since Rhett boarded Roger’s ship, and he had grown into a handsome sixteen-year-old.

An update on their bounties: Roger’s bounty is 1.5 billion, Rayleigh’s is 1.2 billion, Jabba’s is 1.1 billion, and Rhett’s is 900 million. This is based on the Roger Pirates not having committed any earth-shattering deeds, and bounties generally being lower during that period.

Roger and Rayleigh undoubtedly possess Admiral-level strength. Rhett even felt that Roger was far beyond Admiral-level, as his captain could fight Garp to a standstill. As their strengths gradually increased, the scale of their battles grew larger and larger.

Rhett had also mastered the advanced applications of all three types of Haki: Conqueror’s Coating and Ryuo, both of which he wielded with practiced ease. Rhett, too, had reached the strength of an Admiral.

Rhett felt he was truly disgracing his fellow transmigrators. For others, thirteen years would have been enough to reach the grand finale. But Rhett couldn’t help it; the Dead River God hadn’t granted him extraordinary talent. He didn’t possess the kind of talent that allowed him to master something with just a glance. Now, without exaggeration, Rhett could exhaust an Admiral to death in a one-on-one fight, thanks to his monstrous stamina, which was simply a bug.

As his strength grew, his body gradually matured, and he now barely felt tired. When he was younger, he worried about muscle strains affecting his future foundation. Now, he had no such concerns.

Most notably, his Devil Fruit still hadn’t awakened after thirteen years!

Rhett manipulated the red mist in his hand. Of course, it could be other colors, but Rhett thought red looked cooler. The most important point was that, in addition to the previously mastered corrosion, refraction, and enhanced shielding, he had developed many new techniques in conjunction with Black Tide.

Rhett smiled, “It seems I’m still very much looking forward to future adventures.”

Rhett still maintained his habit of long, straight black hair, and a gentle, jade-like smile always graced his face. Black Tide was strapped to his back, and blood mist surged around him. He was all about that contrast.

Of course, during this time, many new companions had joined Roger’s ship, including some characters from the manga. Among them, the one who impressed Rhett the most was an older brother named Elio, with a white top hat, a pink and green patterned Hawaiian shirt, and a head of beautiful blue hair.

The more Rhett looked, the more he resembled the mayor of Windmill Village. The resemblance was uncanny.

There was Sanbell, a fish-man, Bulmarrine, and others. Their strength was significantly inferior to that of Roger and the original three, but they were still not weak. After all, you couldn’t compare ordinary people to monsters.

Just now, after finishing his training, Rhett lay on the deck of the Oro Jackson. A news seagull delivered several wanted posters. “Rookie Pirate ‘Thug’ Rocks, bounty 1 billion, dead or alive.”

Rhett was instantly wide awake. Rocks was out at sea! Rhett knew that Rocks debuted at his peak; the Battle of God Valley erupted just a few years after he set sail.

Rhett truly felt that Rocks must be the Child of the World. He had toiled bitterly on the sea for over a decade to reach the Admiral level, while Rocks could overturn the world in two or three years. You can be this transmigrator!

Rhett lay on the deck, lazily basking in the sun, his greatsword Black Tide casually resting beside him. Suddenly, his eyebrows twitched. His Observation Haki sensed a formidable presence approaching.

“Hmm?” He sat up slightly, looking towards the bow.

“Boom—!”

A tall figure landed heavily on the deck, causing the entire Oro Jackson to tremble slightly.

Golden whiskers shimmered in the sunlight. A young Edward Newgate, carrying Murakumogiri with one hand, scanned the people on the deck, his gaze finally settling on Roger.

“You’re Roger?”

Roger grinned, his eyes beneath his straw hat glinting with excitement: “Kuhahaha! That’s me! And you are…”

“Edward Newgate.” Newgate said gravely, “I’ve heard of your reputation. I’ve come to test you.”

Rhett’s mouth twitched: He had thought Rocks would come looking for them, but he never expected Newgate to be the first.

Before Roger could speak, Rhett had already stood up, his greatsword Black Tide “clang”-ing as it embedded itself in the deck, blood mist slowly swirling around him.

“Hey, Newgate.” Rhett chuckled, “If you want to challenge our captain, you’ll have to go through me first.”

Newgate glanced at him, a slight smirk on his lips: “Kid, are you sure?”

“Wouldn’t you know if you tried? Besides, you don’t seem much older than me.”

At this time, Newgate was probably only in his early twenties.

Before his words even faded, Rhett’s figure vanished abruptly. Blood mist filled the surroundings, obscuring Newgate’s vision, and the greatsword Black Tide swept across with a dull whoosh!

“Clang—!”

Murakumogiri steadily parried Black Tide. The moment the two weapons collided, a wave of air exploded outwards, and the wooden planks on the deck shattered inch by inch.

A hint of surprise flashed in Newgate’s eyes: “Impressive strength.”

Rhett grinned: “It’s not over yet!”

“Mist God Style: Blood Tide!”

The blood mist on Black Tide’s blade suddenly erupted, transforming into countless fine blood blades, piercing towards Newgate like a torrential rain!

Newgate snorted, Murakumogiri shook violently, and the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit instantly erupted!

“Crack—!”

Space shattered like a mirror, the blood blades were pulverized, and a terrifying shockwave swept over!

Rhett’s pupils constricted. He held Black Tide horizontally, his Armament Haki fully unleashed!

“Boom—!”

He was forced back several steps, deep cracks appearing in the deck beneath his feet, but the smile on his face grew even more excited.

“Again!”

The two instantly engaged in battle. The clashing sounds of Black Tide and Murakumogiri echoed like thunder across the sea, and the hull of the Oro Jackson swayed slightly.

The blood mist gradually dissipated. Rhett realized that if he truly wanted the mist to harm Newgate, he had ways to damage his organs, but there was no need to go to that extent in a spar, so there was no need to maintain the mist.

Roger, Rayleigh, and Jabba stood by, watching with interest.

“This kid Rhett, he’s made quite a bit of progress,” Jabba said, stroking his chin.

“It’s hard to say, both of them are holding back,” Rayleigh pushed up his glasses. “Their Devil Fruit abilities haven’t been fully unleashed yet.”

Indeed, after the battle had lasted for more than ten minutes, Newgate suddenly shook both arms, and the tremor power entwined around Murakumogiri erupted instantly!

“Quake!”

“Boom—!”

Rhett’s Black Tide was forcefully shaken open, and he himself was sent flying backward, doing a flip in the air before landing steadily.

He shook his numb arm and chuckled, “Impressive, I lost.”

Newgate put away Murakumogiri and said indifferently, “You’re not bad either, Ghost in the Mist, yet not in the mist. I heard your mist is quite insidious.”

Roger laughed heartily and walked forward: “Kuhahaha! Newgate, want to join my pirate crew?”

Newgate glanced at him and shook his head: “No, I have my own goal.”

“Oh?” Roger raised an eyebrow, “What goal?”

“A place to belong.” Newgate said calmly, “In these four years since I set sail, I haven’t found my own place to belong. I don’t even know what a ‘place to belong’ is.”

Roger was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: “Interesting! Then next time we meet, we’ll be opponents!”

Newgate’s mouth curved slightly: “At that time, don’t lose too badly.”

With that, he leaped, jumping back to his small boat, and sailed away.

Jabba walked to the side of the ship, watching Newgate’s receding figure, and murmured, “This guy… will definitely be a monster in the future.”

Roger patted his shoulder: “Kuhahaha! That’s what makes it interesting, isn’t it?”

Rhett smiled and nodded: “Yes, Captain.”

The sea breeze blew, and the Oro Jackson continued its voyage.

Rhett gazed at the distant horizon, a burning fighting spirit igniting within him.

“Rocks, Newgate… this era is truly getting more and more interesting.”