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Rojen's intentions were finally revealed. Just as they approached their destination, he boldly announced his arrival.
He was sending a signal, telling the world, telling the Marines, telling the Celestial Dragons, that no one could harm his brothers, his comrades, at will.
Slaying Spandam, destroying pirates, every move he made was bold and unprecedented, overturning his past patterns of action.
Because from this moment on, he had grown. He possessed power!
He was no longer the lonely boy, forced to hide and flee. He was now a young man with brothers at his side, comrades in his heart, and a blazing fire of passion within him.
"Hong long long!"
A storm raged across the sea, lightning crackling in bursts across the dark sky. Rain fell in sheets, scattering ripples across the waves.
In this harsh weather, [The Logan] cut through the waves. Its sails billowed, the pirate flag fluttered in the wind, and the crew raced forward at high speed.
"Sabaody Archipelago… we've arrived!"
Standing at the bow, the wind and rain whipping around him, Rojen was surrounded by a true qi barrier, keeping all water at bay.
The wind sent his stray hair flying, and his eyes shone bright and piercing.
All around, pirate ships witnessing this crew speeding through the storm fell silent. No one dared provoke them; they quietly gave way, letting Rojen's crew take the lead.
Figures appeared at the bow, standing against the storm. Their eyes were bright, fixed on the approaching island.
"Nether Soul Pirates… those are the Nether Soul Pirates! What a terrifying group!"
"Yesterday, Marine Headquarters issued a new wanted poster. That Rojen guy's bounty has reached a staggering 350 million!"
"Crocodile… bounty 200 million, and Jason is also a vicious pirate with 250 million!"
"That gunman, Trens, has a bounty of 190 million."
"This crew is ruthless. Together, their total bounty is nearly a billion! It's terrifying… what have they done?"
Watching Rojen's crew pass, the pirates behind whispered among themselves.
This group was truly terrifying. It was as if they had appeared out of nowhere. No one had ever heard their name before, but with an iron hand, they had annihilated three pirate crews, instantly earning a reputation to shake the world!
Marine Headquarters and the World Government had also taken this pirate crew extremely seriously, assigning them such staggering bounties.
As the storm subsided and [The Logan] approached the shores of Sabaody Archipelago, the skies cleared. Sunlight poured down in brilliant rays.
"Finally… we're here!" Jason stretched, his gaze sharp and focused.
They knew very well this wasn't a leisure trip, they had a critical mission.
"This island isn't exactly peaceful right now," Crocodile said, his voice calm but firm.
The end of the first half of the Grand Line was never a calm place. All pirates entering the second half converged here.
This island was the most chaotic, most crowded pirate hub of the first half!
No one knew what enemies they might encounter here.
Indeed, besides the Marines, other pirates were their greatest threat. Pirates rarely made friends, more often, they were rivals.
Just like Crocodile and Doflamingo's duel, whether probing or serious, they had to understand each other's strength.
"Let's enter the island. Keep a low profile for now. Don't reveal your identities recklessly."
"This island is complicated. Stay alert," Rojen added, folding the newspaper carefully and placing it in his pocket, his gaze growing serious.
As he had thought, Sabaody Archipelago was indeed in a very precarious state.
Almost all of this generation's Supernova pirate crews had gathered here, and these people were far from easy opponents, truly fearsome figures.
The future Yonko, Kaido, Gecko Moria, Bartholomew Kuma, Doflamingo, were all here. Beyond that, Rojen also noticed other pirates whose strength rivaled theirs, yet who would not gain fame in later generations.
"Crazed Lion Pirates, Liam, bounty 320 million, crew total bounty 500 million!"
"Black Face, Blanc, bounty 250 million, crew total bounty 600 million!"
"Fire Phoenix, Minco, a rumored Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user, bounty 300 million, entire crew female, total bounty 450 million."
Rojen's eyes were deep and thoughtful as he reviewed the information.
This was an era that had never lacked powerhouses. The current Supernova generation made that clear. But as waves sifted through the strong and weak, many capable or unlucky pirates would be washed away, forgotten by history, unrecorded by future generations.
It was foolish to judge the world purely by the original story. Rojen had already overestimated the number and quality of powerhouses in this world.
Yet, having come this far, he realized he was still wrong.
"Inside information… still isn't enough."
With a solemn gaze, Rojen acknowledged his own shortcomings.
Were the Nether Soul Pirates strong? Of course, they had a near-billion total bounty and were naturally formidable. Even among this generation of Supernova, they could rank in the top three.
Yet when Rojen compared them to other pirate crews, he realized their inside intelligence was still insufficient.
The main combat members numbered only four, and the Dragon-Elephant Six's strength still lagged far behind these figures. In the first half of the Grand Line, they might have been powerful, with bounties likely over 50 million, but here, it was far from enough.
At the dawn of the Golden Pirate Age, during this period of chaos, too many strong pirates had set sail.
In a short time, their reputations soared, giving the Marines headaches, forcing them to issue bounties recklessly.
Upon arriving at this island, Rojen suddenly realized something:
Even ignoring confrontations with the Marines, simply clashing with other pirates here would be a major headache.
"These six guys… they're too fragile. They still need time."
He sighed inwardly. Time was scarce. His pirate crew had only been formed a few days ago, and the crew was still incomplete.
After a moment of contemplation, Rojen made a decision:
"These six won't participate in this event; they'll have to handle something else instead."
Soon, the crew disembarked and stepped onto the Sabaody Archipelago.
As the endpoint of the first half of the Grand Line, the island saw tremendous daily traffic. Pirates were innumerable. Even along the port banks, the ships were so densely packed it was impossible to count them all.
Even the Marines, faced with such a strong pirate presence, dared not start a full-scale battle.
One misstep could bring immense disaster to the island.
(End Of This Chapter)