Starting as a Roger Pirates Apprentice-Chapter 441: The Game Begins, the Buster Call Siege

Chapter 441: Chapter 441: The Game Begins, the Buster Call Siege

After a long time,

In a daze, Luffy slowly opened his eyes. Beside him were Nami and the others, their faces filled with joy.

"Luffy!!!"

"You’re finally awake!!!"

"This is..."

Struggling to sit up, Luffy—his body wrapped in bandages—was momentarily confused. Then the memories of what had happened came flooding back, and his eyes turned dangerous.

"Right!!! That huge guy!!!"

"He’s already gone."

At the doorway of the palace chamber, an incomparably massive figure walked in. King Neptune’s face was dark and grim, and beside him stood Queen Otohime, her cheeks still streaked with tears.

Looking at the Straw Hat Pirates, he let out a sigh, his eyes brimming with sorrow... and confusion.

The future of Fish-Man Island—

Where would it go?

"Luffy-kun, you’re awake."

After greeting him, Luffy immediately asked about what had happened earlier.

Neptune sighed and replied,

"If you’re asking about Sadgeo’s whereabouts, they’ve already left Fish-Man Island and headed for the New World."

As he said this, bloodshot veins filled Neptune’s eyes, and Queen Otohime beside him couldn’t hold back her tears.

"Ah... he already left?!"

"What exactly happened?!"

Luffy froze for a moment, then angrily pressed for answers.

"Sadgeo... no, next time we meet, we may have to call him Sadgeo-sama. With Orin-san no longer governing, Fish-Man Island is now effectively bound to the warship of his..."

Neptune’s gaze dimmed.

"I don’t know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for Fish-Man Island. Sadgeo-sama took Shirahoshi and a portion of the Fish-Man warriors and departed Fish-Man Island aboard Noah, heading for the New World!!!"

"What?!"

Luffy’s pupils trembled.

"Shirahoshi, she was taken by that huge guy..."

At this moment, Zoro had more or less fully regained consciousness. He frowned and looked at Neptune.

"Noah? That’s the ship that the Sea Kings lifted, right? Even if that Sadgeo is a giant, piloting an island-sized ship like that by himself..."

It felt strange to him. Not to mention that Noah was already damaged—even if it were intact, it didn’t seem like something a single giant could sail.

"The reason Noah can move across the sea is because of the Sea Kings."

"The Sea Kings?"

Zoro and Luffy were both confused, until Nami spoke up to explain,

"The Sea Kings that pulled Noah to Fish-Man Island—they’re the ones towing Noah away now."

"Huh?!"

Luffy gaped in disbelief, mouth wide open, feeling like he’d lost yet another round.

"That Sadgeo can even control the Sea Kings?!"

"It’s not Sadgeo-sama. It’s my daughter, Shirahoshi."

Queen Otohime wiped away her tears and spoke sorrowfully,

"She is the only among mermaids, a once-in-a-century existence with the power to command the Sea Kings. [Dark Sun] may have set his sights on this."

"And also..."

As someone who often communicated with humans and was well-informed among the merfolk—combined with messages passed on by creatures of the sea—Queen Otohime had learned something.

Thinking of it, she covered her face and burst into tears, nearly collapsing.

"And also... the World Government... has launched a Buster Call against Sadgeo and the others!!!"

Buster Call!!!

Hearing those words, the one who reacted most strongly among the Straw Hat crew was Robin.

She staggered back several steps, as if painful memories had been dredged up, her pupils trembling uncontrollably.

"Robin!!!"

"Robin-chan!!!"

"What’s wrong?!"

Robin merely waved her hand, indicating she was fine, though her face remained pale.

"It’s nothing. I just remembered... some things about the [Buster Call]."

"What is that?" Luffy asked with a frown.

Robin swallowed, closed her eyes, and recalled,

"It was a tragedy that once played out in my homeland, Ohara. A military operation launched by the World Government that annihilates everything within a set coordinate—led by at least five Vice Admirals or even Admirals, with ten warships and tens of thousands of Marines providing overwhelming firepower!!!"

"What?!"

The faces of all the Straw Hat Pirates changed. They hadn’t expected something so extreme.

Luffy struggled to stand up, his expression terrifyingly grim.

"Doesn’t that mean Shirahoshi is in danger right now?!"

"Calm down, Luffy!!!"

The others hurriedly restrained the highly agitated Luffy.

Neptune was a king, someone who had seen great storms before.

Compared to the others, he remained relatively composed.

"Although the Buster Call is terrifying, it depends on who it’s aimed at. Behind Sadgeo-sama stands a truly great figure."

This was also one of the main reasons Neptune hadn’t desperately tried to keep Shirahoshi.

Because this involved a game between the world’s topmost powers—one that, to Orin, might have been nothing more than a game.

"You mean Orin-san, right?" Robin said.

"Exactly."

Neptune looked at Robin, affirmation in his eyes.

Robin continued,

"As the World Government’s ultimate instrument of violence, the Buster Call has indeed successfully wiped out countless rebellious nations and great pirates. But it is not absolutely invincible. Back in Ohara, the Navy’s Buster Call fleet once had to retreat because of a single man."

"That’s right. And Orin-san will never allow such a journey to end so easily."

Only after Sadgeo left did Neptune belatedly realize it.

A giant whose appearance and abilities closely resembled Joy Boy, Noah, the Sea Kings...

Such a combination—if it matched that man’s personality—would absolutely capture his interest.

A team like that would never fall at the starting line of the New World.

It wasn’t confidence in Sadgeo—

It was absolute trust in Orin’s overwhelming strength.

...

Meanwhile,

At the starting point of the New World.

On the sea not far from the Red Line, a region that had once been calm and frequently traversed by World Government vessels,

Now lay in solemn silence.

A Navy fleet stretching as far as the horizon filled the sea, densely packed—far more than a mere ten ships.

At the bow of the lead vessel stood two figures, gazing out at the distant ocean. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

One of them, a middle-aged man with sightless eyes, raised his head as if sensing something, his brows knitting slightly. Beside him stood a man dressed in white robes and a white cap.

"What’s wrong, Fujitora?"

The man called Fujitora slowly drew his cane sword. Rings of purple light coiled around the blade as he spoke hoarsely,

"Something enormous... Is coming."