One Piece: Peace Shattered By Roger (Completed)

Everyone on the warship was stunned as they looked at Rear Admiral Dais lying on the ground, defeated!

Daz Bones had struck in an instant, his figure flashing by without a trace, not even giving Dais time to register surprise.

"An instant kill!"

"Oi, oi, oi! Isn't this guy supposed to be the defeated prisoner of Rear Admiral Dais?"

How did a criminal, tortured for three days, suddenly become so powerful?

All the Marines on the warship were incredulous. They had no idea that during those days he was strung up, Daz had thought of only one thing: how to take down Dais in a single blow.

Daz flicked the blood off his hands, looking back at everyone with a cold gaze, like a Shinigami stepping out of hell.

At that moment, the Marines on the deck snapped to their senses, raising their guns and pointing directly at Daz.

Facing the wall of guns, Daz smiled grimly. Dying now, after avenging his fallen comrades, felt like the perfect timing.

"Friends, now I can come see you without regret," Daz murmured to himself.

"Fire!" The Marines pulled their triggers.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Dozens of gunshots rang out. Daz had resigned himself to his fate. But suddenly, three figures appeared from different directions, intercepting the bullets aimed at him.

"Your fallen comrades would never approve of you throwing your life away so easily," Crocodile-san said to Daz in a calm but commanding tone.

"Since you're being protected by your friends at the risk of their lives, you should live on! Wake up, you fool!" Moria shouted.

"What you need to do now isn't to give up, but to breathe, to live happily, and to fight on for your comrades!" Kaizen said earnestly, emotions spilling from his heart.

Daz's eyes widened as he recalled the burning gazes of his crewmates as they fell before him. Each of their eyes seemed to scream at him: Live! Live on!

Yes… live on, for all of you.

"I want to live!" Daz shouted, clenching his fist tightly.

"Our objective's achieved. Retreat! If we stay, Marine reinforcements will swarm in soon," Crocodile calmly analyzed.

"Kishishishi! But I'm just getting warmed up!" Moria laughed, wielding his sword as though ready for another 300 rounds.

"Moria, listen to Crocodile-san this time. If we linger, we'll all be caught," Kaizen said sternly.

Knowing that it's best to withdraw while ahead, Moria nodded reluctantly after glancing at the scene. "Fine!"

The four of them calmly evacuated the Marine warship. Returning to their pirate ship, they turned the bow and disappeared across the waves.

"Kishishishi..."

Once back on the ship, Moria began telling the crew about the events on the warship, his words filled with enthusiasm.

The crew gathered around him eagerly, faces filled with admiration.

Meanwhile, Daz sat alone on the deck, leaning against the mast and staring up at the sky, lost in memories of his fallen crewmates.

"What will you do now?" Kaizen asked, approaching Daz and handing him a bottle of sake.

"Thank you," Daz said, accepting it. After taking a few sips, he replied, "I want to stay on these seas, to carry on the dreams my friends left behind."

"A fine choice. But you'll need partners," Kaizen reminded him.

"Partners…?" Daz whispered, almost afraid of the word, as though it were a luxury he no longer deserved.

"Someone like me… doesn't deserve comrades," he said bitterly.

"If you plan to be a pirate, discard those doubts, or stay off the seas," Crocodile-san said sternly, approaching as he left Moria to his stories.

Daz looked up at Crocodile, confusion written on his face.

Kaizen quietly stepped aside, holding his bottle. His job as a matchmaker was done; now, he watched as these two built the foundation of trust that would make them indispensable comrades.

"If you want to be a pirate, be prepared to lose your companions. No one can promise to stay with you for life. But that doesn't diminish their importance. Even if they're gone, they're always here," Crocodile said, placing a hand over his heart, his expression unusually solemn.

"You wouldn't understand this feeling," Daz muttered, looking down in despair.

"You're mistaken, my friend. I understand your pain as though it were etched into every fiber of my being."

Crocodile's face was impassive, but his words were heavy with feeling.

"Can you… understand?" Daz asked quietly.

"My dream is to conquer the seas, like the Pirate King, Roger—One Piece. So, I set out with companions who shared my ambition."

Crocodile closed his eyes, reminiscing.

"But, full of fire though we were, none of us had ever set foot on a ship before. On our first night at sea, we encountered a brutal storm."

"The storm tore our ship apart. Some of us clung to the remaining pieces, drifting alone on the sea."

"Our willpower alone couldn't save us. At that moment, harsh reality shattered our hopes. No food, no water. The memory of that despair will haunt me forever."

"Who knows how long we floated, near death. Finally, Moria-san happened to pass by and saved me. But by then, my other crewmates had either drowned or starved."

"I drowned in guilt for a long time, believing I had led them to their deaths. I thought, if only I hadn't taken them with me... But that got me nowhere. Lost and purposeless, I couldn't see the way forward."

"But then I had an epiphany: maybe I survived to carry on my comrades' dreams. Suddenly, I felt as if a heavy responsibility had been placed on me. I must live, carrying my friends' blood, to fulfill our vow."

Here, Crocodile fell silent. He spoke calmly, as though recounting trivial details. But the emotions underlying his words ran deep.

"Let me be your partner!" Daz responded, his voice filled with newfound resolve.

"Then let's carve our marks across these seas and prove we were here."

It was rare for Crocodile to speak such passionate words.

Back then, he had grand ideals, a clear heart, and unwavering resolve.

But the cruelty of the world would harden him into a different person.

And yet, more than a decade later, he'd encounter a certain kid—a funny, stubborn guy—who would inspire him to start anew.

But restoring his former ideals? That was not Kaizen's concern.