"Hahaha... The New World! We're back!"
After the Oro Jackson passed through the Red Line Archipelago, the Roger Pirates returned to the second half of the Grand Line.
"Rayleigh!" Roger turned his head and looked at Rayleigh, asking in a soft voice, "Did Shakky send you any news?"
"Roger..." Rayleigh looked at Roger with a helpless expression and replied, "We just got to the New World. I haven't talked to Shakky yet! Can you chill out? This ain't like you!"
"Sorry, buddy!" Roger was taken aback for a moment, then said with a bitter smile, "I'm in a bit of an odd state of mind!"
Rayleigh remained silent, but a flash of regret passed through his eyes.
"Captain! An enemy ship is spotted ahead!" Just then, the lookout, Golan, suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.
The cheering crew members froze for a second. They all rushed to the deck and looked forward. There, not far ahead, was a pirate ship flying a flag with a top - hat, a furry - collared coat, and a lipstick - smeared, waving skull.
"It's the BIG MOM Pirates of Charlotte Linlin!" Fang Yi recognized them immediately upon seeing their flag.
"Why is the BIG MOM Pirates here?" Jabba frowned and said.
The BIG MOM Pirates of Charlotte Linlin and Kaidou's Beasts Pirates are both recent super rookies. Usually, they don't come to the entrance of the New World.
"Captain, what should we do?" Everyone looked at Roger and asked.
"Boom~~ Boom~~"
Roger hesitated and was about to say they'd take a detour. But the enemy suddenly opened fire on them.
"Hehe... Since they've made the first move, then let's not hold back! Teach them a lesson so they know rookies gotta respect the veterans!" Rayleigh had been holding back his anger because of Roger's situation. Now that the BIG MOM Pirates dared to provoke them, he wasn't going to let it go.
Roger, who originally wanted to leave, didn't object after hearing Rayleigh's words. So, a great battle was about to break out.
"Rowan, steer the ship closer. Peterum, Fang Yi, show them your might!" Roger said with a big laugh.
"Sure, Captain!" Fang Yi replied with a faint smile.
Upon receiving Roger's order, Fang Yi climbed up the mast and took the bow and arrows from his back.
"Then let's start with you!" Fang Yi aimed directly at the singing, funny - looking face at the bow of the enemy ship.
Originally, he wanted to aim at the enemy's pirate flag, but after thinking about it, he gave up. Normally, you don't attack the enemy's pirate flag without a real grudge.
So, Fang Yi went for the next best option and directly chose the singing bow of the enemy ship.
Power - Charged Fire Arrow!
"Whoosh~"
"Ah~~ Mom, save me!"
The fire arrow, carrying a fiery energy, headed straight for the funny - looking face at the bow of the ship and hit it. That funny big face immediately cried out for help from Charlotte Linlin.
And Fang Yi's attack was like a signal. The two sides started to exchange long - range attacks.
However, as the two sides got closer, all the combatants had prepared for battle.
"Captain!" Just as Roger was about to launch an attack, Fang Yi, who was on the mast, suddenly shouted at Roger.
"Hmm? What's up, Xiao Yi!" Roger looked at Fang Yi in surprise because at this moment, Fang Yi seemed quite excited, even more excited than when he saw treasures.
Fang Yi didn't say a word. Instead, he waved at Roger, indicating that he should come up.
Although Roger was puzzled, out of trust in Fang Yi, he immediately went up to the mast.
"Captain... Look! What's that? I can feel it calling to me. It must be a historical text, and not an ordinary one at that, because this feeling is quite strange!" Fang Yi said with an excited look on his face.
Hearing Fang Yi's words, Roger was stunned for a moment, and then used his ability to sense what was covered by a black cloth on the BIG MOM Pirates' ship.
"How about it, Captain!" Fang Yi asked anxiously.
He was sure that it was one of the four Road - Poneglyphs, because the feeling it gave him was completely different from that of ordinary historical texts. Most importantly, he knew that BIG MOM had a Road - Poneglyph in her possession. As for when she obtained it, he wasn't clear, but since he had seen it, he definitely wouldn't mistake it.
After using his ability to listen to the voices of all things to sense it for a while, Roger's eyes shone with a sharp light. He looked at Fang Yi and said, "We have to get that!"
"But Captain, Charlotte Linlin isn't easy to deal with! If we launch a direct attack... even if we get that historical text, we'll probably suffer heavy losses. How about... doing it like this... then this... and then this... What do you think?" Fang Yi rolled his eyes and said to Roger with a smile.
After thinking for a while, Roger nodded and said, "Okay. Although there may still be a battle that can't be avoided at that time, our chances of success are greater! After all, our goal isn't to fight but that text!"
"Alright, then it's up to you, Captain!" Seeing Roger nod in agreement, Fang Yi covered his mouth and let out a little snicker.
Roger's face darkened. He really wasn't good at this kind of deceiving thing.
"How about... letting Rayleigh do it?" Roger hesitated for a moment and said tentatively.
"That definitely won't work. At the beginning, it still needs to be you who speaks. Otherwise, the other side might get suspicious!" Fang Yi shook his head and said, "But after you start, it should be no problem to leave the rest to Mr. Rayleigh!"
After the two of them finished discussing, they climbed down from the mast and found Rayleigh to tell him what had happened.
"Xiao Yi, are you sure that historical text will be of great help to us?" Rayleigh asked with a frown.
Having a fight with the BIG MOM Pirates was one thing, but trying to snatch someone else's treasure was another matter.
Fang Yi shook his head and said, "I'm not sure, but that text gives me a very different feeling! It's different from ordinary historical texts! That's why I called the captain to confirm just now!"
"Yes, I can feel it too. That stele doesn't have the previous sense of the weight of history and the cruelty of war!" Roger nodded and said, "And when that black cloth covering it was lifted a bit just now, I saw that the stele is red!"
"In that case, then let's do it according to Fang Yi's plan!" Hearing this, Rayleigh nodded and said.
Roger grinned and smiled, then walked directly to the bow of the ship and shouted loudly towards the BIG MOM Pirates, "Charlotte Linlin! Long time no see. Are you attacking me as soon as we meet? Did I offend you somewhere?"
"Ma~ Mama~" Sure enough, after Roger spoke, Charlotte Linlin on the opposite side also stepped forward and said with a big laugh, "Roger! Your appearance here isn't a coincidence, is it?"
Roger grinned and smiled. His appearance here was really a coincidence. But now that he had encountered this, whether it was a coincidence or not, he was determined to get that thing.
After chatting casually with Charlotte Linlin for a couple of sentences, Roger stopped talking, and it was Rayleigh's turn instead. Anyway, it was all the same meaning, that this battle was meaningless. Of course, if you BIG MOM Pirates want to fight, then our Roger Pirates will accompany you.
And Charlotte Linlin had just obtained the treasure, so naturally she didn't want any trouble at this time. Originally, she thought that the Roger Pirates had heard some news and came here specifically to intercept them. Now it seems that it should really just be a coincidence.
So after the two sides exchanged some words, they separated.
However, after the ship of the BIG MOM Pirates left, Rayleigh immediately gave Fang Yi a look. Fang Yi nodded and directly disappeared from the stern of the ship with Wangzai.
After entering the sea from the ship with Wangzai, Fang Yi followed the ship of the BIG MOM Pirates from afar. Because he knew that BIG MOM was a user of the Soul Soul Devil Fruit Ability, so Fang Yi didn't dare to get close at all.
When night fell, Fang Yi quietly returned to the Oro Jackson.
"How was it?" As soon as Fang Yi got on the ship, Rayleigh and the others immediately surrounded him and asked.
"No problem. Now Sambel is keeping an eye on them. I've already told him not to get too close. Charlotte Linlin is a user of the Soul Soul Devil Fruit Ability. She can give souls to those inanimate objects. Whether it's ships or swords, they are all her eyes!" Fang Yi nodded and said with a smile, "But it's not okay now. It seems that they are having a banquet over there. It will be the time for us to act after they are all drunk."
"Okay. You take a rest first and then get ready for the things needed for making a rubbing. Wait until a little later, and we'll directly sneak onto their ship!" Rayleigh nodded and said.
"Mr. Rayleigh, I'm going too!" Buggy beside them seemed quite enthusiastic about such things. Hearing that they were going to steal things from the enemy ship, he immediately said to Rayleigh.
"No. This isn't for fun. If you mess up the plan, we'll have to launch a frontal attack!" Rayleigh shook his head and refused.
"Mr. Rayleigh, I actually think Buggy can go!"
Fang Yi smiled mysteriously and said, "Buggy has a really strong sense of smell for treasures. Let him go find the other side's treasure vault later. Maybe there'll be some unexpected surprises!"
Rayleigh looked at Buggy. Seeing Buggy looking serious, it seemed that Buggy was telling Rayleigh that he could do it.
"Buggy, we have a purpose this time. It has nothing to do with treasures. If you go to steal the other side's treasures, you might become their target. Then you'll be in great danger. Are you still willing to go?" Rayleigh thought for a while and then said directly.
His words were obvious. He was telling Buggy that he could go, but if he did, he'd be the bait and it would be very dangerous.
Sure enough, Buggy hesitated right away after hearing that. Although he loved treasures, he also valued his own life quite a lot. Normally, he definitely wouldn't do something like being the bait.
Seeing this, Fang Yi opened his mouth but didn't say anything.
Originally, he wanted to say that if Buggy went, all the treasures he got would belong to him. But then it would seem like he was egging Buggy on to do it. If something went wrong later, he'd regret it himself.
But just because Fang Yi didn't say it didn't mean Buggy couldn't think of it.
"Mr. Rayleigh, I can go, but the earnings from this... will they all be mine?" Buggy gritted his teeth and said directly.
"Sure!" Rayleigh nodded and replied.
"Okay, then I'll do it!" Buggy made up his mind and agreed right away.
"Buggy, it's too dangerous for you to go alone. Shanks, please go with Buggy. Remember to abandon the treasures and prioritize saving your lives at critical moments. The captain and Mr. Rayleigh will definitely go there too. As long as you run out, it'll be okay!" Fang Yi saw that Buggy had agreed and quickly interjected.