NOVEL NEXT Chapter 319: I Understand—You're Afraid of Him.
Crocus froze for a moment at Daren's words, then turned to look at Roger.
Roger frowned, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at Daren.
"So you're saying... you want my ship's doctor to treat your teacher?"
"That's right. That's my condition," Daren replied with a nod.
"No way! That old guy's a former Marine Admiral!"
Buggy suddenly jumped forward, blurting out anxiously,
"If we save him, he'll probably come after us again—"
His protest was silenced by Daren's calm, unwavering stare.
"Buggy has a point."
Gaban stepped forward, gripping his battle axe tightly, his tone cold.
"Have you forgotten? We're enemies."
"Black Arm" Zephyr—former Admiral of Marine Headquarters. He caused us plenty of trouble back in the day."
Rayleigh added coolly,
"Even though we all respect Zephyr's ideals and character, there's no real need to go so far as to heal him."
With both first mates voicing their concerns, the rest of the Roger Pirates started chiming in.
"Yeah, he's our enemy."
"Who knows what he'll do after he recovers?"
"..."
Daren didn't even glance their way. He simply turned and looked quietly at Roger.
"Well? What's your take?"
Roger scratched his head, visibly irritated and conflicted.
"Buggy and the others kind of have a point. Zephyr really is a handful... I can't help thinking that once he's healed, he'll just keep causing us trouble..."
"Oh, I get it now."
Daren nodded as if suddenly enlightened, muttering with feigned disappointment,
"I thought you'd be something special after becoming the Pirate King... but turns out you're just a coward."
Crap!
Rayleigh, Gaban, and the others all felt a sudden chill run through them.
No way... Is he really gonna fall for that?
"What did you just say, you brat!?"
Roger's eyes bulged, and his nose hairs shot up like antennae.
"I'm Gol D. Roger! The Pirate King who conquered the Grand Line! How the hell am I a coward!?"
As he lunged forward, Buggy and several crew members quickly grabbed him, faces red with panic.
"Don't lose your cool, Captain Roger!"
"He's baiting you on purpose!"
"Don't fall for it!"
"..."
"Let go of me!"
Roger glared daggers at Daren, steam snorting from his nostrils.
"Daren, you'd better explain yourself! What the hell do you mean I'm a coward!?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Daren shot him a lazy glance, his voice infuriatingly calm.
"You're just scared that once Crocus heals Zephyr, he'll knock you flat without breaking a sweat."
He shrugged, spreading his hands with a sigh.
"'Pirate King'? In the end, it's just a title blown up by the newspapers."
"You don't even have the guts to heal your enemy. Tsk, tsk..."
"But I get it. After all, the Roger Pirates have spent years being hunted across the seas by Vice Admiral Garp, running like stray dogs."
That casual tone, paired with Daren's indifferent expression, made every word stab deep into Roger's heart like a dagger.
His face flushed red, inch by inch.
Daren let out a sigh.
"If he were up against Zephyr—the 'Black Arm,' rival to Garp the Fist—even with one arm missing, he could still beat the so-called Pirate King into the ground."
"—Bullshit!"
Roger suddenly roared and broke free from Buggy and the others with a violent shrug.
"When have I ever been afraid of that bastard Garp!? I've never lost to him all these years!"
Daren looked at him with a faint, mocking smile.
"Really? I don't buy it."
Damn it!
Hearing that, the corners of Rayleigh and Gaban's mouths twitched, and an ominous feeling crept into their hearts.
And sure enough—
"Crocus!!"
Roger suddenly spun around, veins bulging on his forehead. Pointing at the unconscious Zephyr, he gritted his teeth.
"Treat him!"
"Use the best methods, the best medicine—bring him back to full strength!"
"I'm going to show this brat just how scared I am of Black Arm Zephyr!"
Bang. Bang. Bang...
Buggy and the others nearly blacked out, toppling to the ground in despair.
Rayleigh and Gaban buried their faces in their hands.
Crocus's head was full of stress lines.
He really fell for it!
Watching Roger storm off in a fury, Daren laughed inwardly, finally letting out a quiet breath of relief.
...
The bare earth was once again lit by a roaring bonfire.
Not far away, Zephyr still lay unconscious, flat on the ground.
Crocus hovered over him, sweating profusely as he worked with scalpels and various medicines on the wounds.
Around the fire, the division was clear.
On one side sat Daren, calmly puffing on a cigar. On the other, the Roger Pirates huddled together.
Buggy and Shanks crouched behind Rayleigh and Gaban, cautiously peeking at the dark-haired young man across the flames. Their eyes were filled with a mix of curiosity and fear.
The rest of the crew were visibly tense, gripping their weapons tightly. No one dared to eat or drink.
Even with sweat dripping down their faces, they didn't dare lift a hand to wipe it away.
Suddenly, Daren bit down on his cigar and slowly raised a hand.
Swish!
Aside from Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban, everyone else jumped to their feet in alarm, immediately assuming battle stances.
Buggy and Shanks, trembling, each pulled out a tiny knife.
Roger: "..."
Rayleigh: "..."
Gaban: "..."
Daren casually reached out, grabbed a piece of roast meat, and stuffed it into his mouth without a hint of restraint.
"Mmm. Tastes good. Who cooked this?"
He chewed a few times, then smiled with satisfaction.
Silence.
"M-Me."
Shanks raised his hand, face pale.
Daren glanced at him, then slowly swept his gaze across the rest of the crew.
Each person he looked at immediately stiffened.
Then, Daren chuckled.
"No need to be so on edge. I'm not a Marine anymore. I'm now the 'most dangerous criminal' on the seas."
"—Second most dangerous! Second!" Roger cut in angrily. "I'm number one now, got it?!"
"...Fine, fine. I'm second, you're first," Daren said, raising both hands in mock surrender, looking helpless.
"So yeah, I'm also wanted by the World Government. Honestly, I'm not that different from you lot."
"At least for now, I don't have any particular urge to wipe you all out."
Roger scowled.
"Hey, hey, hey—what's that supposed to mean?"
"You saying you could take us out anytime you felt like it?"
Daren grinned.
"Not exactly. What I mean is…"
"Right now, I'm a lot more interested in making trouble for the World Government than for the Roger Pirates."
...
For more chapters, feel free to follow me on P@treon.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
[email protected]/PinkSnake