One Piece: Peace Shattered By Roger (Completed)

"Marines are here!"

There's nothing like these words to jolt one awake in the morning.

Kaizen and the others snapped out of their slumber in a daze.

"Where are the Marines?!" Moriah shouted, not even fully dressed, scanning the sea with urgency.

"Captain, they're still far away; no need to worry yet," said the lookout pirate, putting down his telescope.

"Baka! I'm not worried they'll come—I'm worried they'll run away before we get a proper fight!" Moriah barked arrogantly.

"Yes, yes, Captain! Though you might want to get your pants on first," the pirate joked.

"Tch. Wake me when they get closer. Don't disturb my sleep for small matters like this," Moriah grumbled, lying back down and falling asleep in an instant.

Kaizen, already fully awake, wandered to the shore, observing the distant warship on the horizon.

"Those Marines sure move fast…" he murmured with a frown. "I just hope it's not someone troublesome."

As if summoned by Kaizen's mutterings, the lookout pirate shouted in panic, "It's Garp! The Marine hero, Garp!"

"Oh, fantastic," Kaizen sighed, exasperated.

"What?! Garp?!" Moriah shot up, wide-eyed.

"Yes, Captain. It's Garp. I can see him clearly through the telescope, standing at the bow," the lookout confirmed, rushing over.

"Captain, this is serious! Garp has cornered the Pirate King himself countless times. We can't take him lightly."

The crew looked to Moriah, anxious that he might recklessly decide to fight.

"Now is not the time to battle Garp," Moriah admitted wisely.

The crew sighed in relief.

"Hmph! You're all scared of Garp? How disappointing," sneered Crocodile, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

The pirates tensed again, nervous about another reckless leader onboard.

"Crocodile-taicho," the crew pleaded, hands clasped and eyes wide with hope.

"Tch, if not for the fact I need to save my strength to face Whitebeard, I'd crush this so-called Marine hero today!" Crocodile scoffed.

The crew's relief was palpable, although the tension lingered.

"Alright, everyone! Enough excitement for today—time to escape while we can!" Moriah ordered with a wave.

"Captain, which way should we go?" a crew member asked.

"South!"

"North!"

At once, Moriah and Crocodile each gave conflicting orders. The crew exchanged worried looks.

"Oi, Sunabōzu (Sandman), you trying to challenge me?" Moriah glared at Crocodile.

"Whitebeard's to the north, so that's where I'm going," Crocodile replied coldly.

"Who said anything about Whitebeard? We're headed to Wano to take down Kaidou!" Moriah retorted.

"Kaidou? Hah! He's not worth my time. Whitebeard is the one truly worthy of conquest," Crocodile replied firmly.

"Enough! We're heading south!" Moriah spat, pointing a finger at Crocodile.

"Don't point at me, unless you're inviting a fight. And I said, north."

"Fine, then. Let's settle this with a duel," Moriah growled, clenching his fists.

"I accept," Crocodile replied with a calm, unwavering gaze.

As the two captains squared off, the crew broke into pleas, fearing a disastrous battle with Garp looming.

At this moment, Kaizen silently observed, a hint of satisfaction in his gaze.

"I have a solution!" A sly voice, tinged with age and mischief, drifted over the crowd.

Kaizen's expression shifted to a knowing smirk.

"Fate works in mysterious ways," he muttered.

Everyone turned to see Gal Dino, trudging over with his seastone cuffs clinking, looking like a disgruntled fly.

Seeing him, the crew suppressed their groans, fearing they'd lose their breakfasts.

"I have a way out of this mess," Dino repeated, leaning closer.

Dino explained that he owned a smaller boat—not luxurious, but capable of escaping the Marines. With two boats, both sides could go their separate ways.

Crocodile and his few loyal crew members boarded Dino's ship, while Moriah led the main group aboard his own.

As Dino approached Kaizen with a grin, he reminded him, "I kept my end of the bargain, Kaizen-sama. Time to remove these seastone cuffs?"

Kaizen had indeed orchestrated this, convincing Dino to lend his boat to solve the escape dilemma.

As Moriah and Crocodile boarded their ships, they paused, exchanging a long, tense look.

"Oi, Sunabōzu, leaving without saying goodbye?" Moriah sneered.

"Next time we meet, I'll bury you," Crocodile replied evenly.

"Pfft, taking on Whitebeard with those skills? Don't go crying to me when you fail. Come find me in Wano—I'll make you an important vassal, hehehehe!"

"Hmph. We'll see," Crocodile said, dismissively boarding his ship.

In the world of pirates, there are no blessings upon departure, no farewells—only the silent acknowledgment of future clashes.