One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

In the Fleet Admiral's office, Kong frowned deeply as he read the newspaper in his hand. Suddenly, he slammed it onto the desk and roared in frustration,

"Pirate King? What nonsense is this 'Pirate King'?!"

As the Fleet Admiral, the emergence of such a title during his tenure was an indelible stain on his career.

What made it worse was that he was nearing his transfer. This turn of events meant his career would end on a sour note.

This time, Roger's fame had truly surpassed even Whitebeard's, establishing him as the sole sovereign among pirates. If Roger had any ambitions of expanding his power, it would be all too easy to recruit a massive following under his banner.

Carl, however, hadn't considered this angle at all, as these developments followed what he remembered from his previous life. Since Roger had become the Pirate King, the next step was for him to disband his crew and head to Baterilla Island to become Ace's father..

If anyone wanted to stop Roger in advance, all they needed to do was find him at Baterilla Island.

But things didn't proceed according to the original timeline this time.

Kong's worst fears came true: the Roger Pirates, who had always adhered to a "small and elite" strategy, started expanding their forces.

Roger seized a large swath of territory in the New World and began to absorb pirate crews who came to pledge allegiance. Anyone who sought him out was welcomed into his ranks.

Of course, those joining were not considered official members of the Roger Pirates. They were more akin to auxiliary forces.

The core members of the Roger Pirates remained the same familiar faces.

However, apart from Roger and Rayleigh, the rest of the crew were visibly displeased—some even outright disgusted—by the newcomers.

The crew felt that Roger's actions betrayed the crew's original ideals. After all, hadn't Roger once told Golden Lion Shiki that he had no desire to rule?

So why the sudden change? Was he contradicting himself?

Roger noticed the unease among his crew. During a feast one evening, he finally revealed the truth about his terminal illness.

Before this, only the ship's doctor, Crocus, and his first mate, Rayleigh, had known about his condition.

When the others learned the truth, Shanks and Buggy, the youngest members of the crew, were the first to break down in tears. Bullet clenched his fists, shouting in anger,

"What kind of joke is this?! I won't let you just die like this!"

Roger laughed heartily in response. Taking a long swig of sake, he declared,

"Bullet, I won't die from some trivial illness. If I'm going to die, I'll go out with a bang!"

As he spoke, an overwhelming surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him. The deck of the Oro Jackson began to crack under the sheer intensity.

Even the crewmates who had Conqueror's Haki couldn't help but tremble, while others were visibly shaken. Barrett stared at Roger in utter shock.

"What incredible Haki… It's unlike anything I've felt from him before!"

Roger suddenly burst into wild laughter, his voice echoing across the ship. His crewmates exchanged uneasy glances.

Finally, Rayleigh couldn't hold back and scolded,

"Enough, Roger! Stop this nonsense!"

Roger wiped tears from his eyes, still chuckling as he muttered,

"Sorry, sorry… I just couldn't help myself. Hahaha…"

But as his laughter reached its peak, Roger's Haki condensed into a crimson pillar of energy shooting into the sky. When it dissipated, Roger collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest and gasping for air.

Rayleigh rushed forward to support him. Looking at Roger's pale face, Rayleigh frowned deeply.

"Roger, you need to rest. Let's talk about this later."

The crew gathered around, their concern evident.

Roger forced a weak smile and reassured them,

"Don't worry. Until I fulfill my mission, I won't be going anywhere. After all, I carry the name of D…"

Except for Rayleigh and Shanks, the rest of the crew were puzzled. What mission? What did "D" mean?

Roger didn't explain further. Standing up shakily, he declared,

"As your captain, I announce: in three months, we will wage war against the Navy!"

"What?!"

The crew erupted in shock, but Roger remained calm.

"I have something to take care of in the meantime. Until then, Rayleigh will lead the crew. I'll return before the battle."

With that, Roger returned to his cabin, leaving the crew stunned.

The next morning, Roger set off alone in a small boat, disappearing into the horizon. No one knew where he went.

Even after Roger's departure, the expansion of the Roger Pirates continued. Their numbers quickly swelled to over ten thousand. The newcomers wreaked havoc across Roger's territories, embodying the worst traits of pirates.

As acting captain, Rayleigh chose to turn a blind eye. With his tacit approval, the chaos intensified. Many of these pirates, emboldened by their association with Roger, began suggesting they expand their territory or even overthrow the Navy and the World Government, proclaiming Roger as the King of the World.

Rayleigh, however, merely smiled faintly and dismissed them with cryptic remarks. Deep down, he regarded these new recruits as nothing more than pawns.

"Did they really think joining the Roger Pirates would be so easy?" Rayleigh mused. If they weren't of some use, he would have dealt with them himself.

-----------

+185 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg