Is it really the Roger Pirates? The future Pirate King himself? Are we really about to meet one of the most legendary figures in the world of pirates—Gol D. Roger?
Shakky and Antonio immediately followed their captain, eager to witness what could be a duel between the future greatest marksman in the world. The anticipation was palpable.
"Haha! Peterm, are you nervous? Don't be fooled by his age—he's already been recognized by the president of the Sniper Guild as the most promising sharpshooter of the future."
A deep, charismatic voice rang in Brook's ears. The speaker was a young pirate in a red captain's coat, a straw hat perched atop his head, teasing one of his crew members.
Strong…
The sheer vitality radiating from this man was overwhelming. His powerful aura surpassed even that of the Golden Lion, Shiki.
"Hmm?"
Roger suddenly felt a gaze upon him. He turned his head and locked eyes with the cold and distant Brook. His aura—why did it feel so strange? It was as if it wasn't the aura of a living being at all.
Brook met Roger's gaze, stunned. Such incredible Observation Haki… Had he already awakened the advanced ability to hear the voice of all things?
But then again, it made sense. Roger was a true child of destiny. At 25, he was still wandering around the Grand Line, lagging far behind someone like Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy had set sail at 17, defeated two of the Seven Warlords of the Sea within a year, traveled the entire Grand Line, and reached Sabaody Archipelago. By 19, he had become an Emperor of the Sea, stormed Big Mom's territory, and invaded Wano to challenge Kaido. At this rate, his defeat of Kaido was practically inevitable.
Gol D. Roger was also a prodigy of his era, but at 25, he was still aimlessly exploring the Grand Line. Compared to Luffy, he had a long way to go. Awakening the ability to hear the voice of all things was probably just a consolation prize.
And Whitebeard? Big Mom? They had spent their thirties as part of the Rocks Pirates. When the Rocks Pirates fell, Kaido was already 21. How could any of them possibly compare to Luffy?
"The rising Supernova, the vengeful Brook, with a bounty of 160 million Belly—the same musician you idolize, Brook."
Silvers Rayleigh clearly recognized Brook as a veteran pirate and knew well that Roger was too careless to remember people.
The Marines sure moved fast. Brook had only just defeated Mist Etsumi, who had a 150-million Belly bounty, and his own bounty had already been updated. He must have missed the latest news while staying aboard the Yellow Springs.
"Ah! So he's the one who sings 'Binks' Sake'? That's amazing! I have to meet him!"
For the Roger Pirates—who lived for grand feasts—there was no way they wouldn't know that song.
"Hold on. I heard that the Rumbar Pirates were completely wiped out. He's changed. He's not the 'Humming Swordsman' Brook you remember."
Rayleigh quickly stopped Roger from acting on impulse. Their sniper was still in the middle of a duel, and one wrong move could mean his demise.
"Alright, then! We'll go meet him after Peterm wins!"
Roger laughed carefreely. He sensed no hostility from Brook, so there was nothing to worry about.
"And what makes you so sure Peterm will win? Where's that confidence coming from? That guy is an elite marksman who might become the best in the world."
Rayleigh couldn't help but complain, baffled by Roger's blind faith.
"I've already 'heard' it. That young genius—his heart is drowning in vanity. He's going to lose this fight. But his talent surpasses Peterm's by far. If he can truly steel his resolve, then maybe… just maybe… he really will become the world's greatest marksman one day."
Roger couldn't help but admire Silva's talent, but he valued his own crewmates even more.
Seeing that Rayleigh had stopped Roger from making a move, Brook wasn't bothered. Instead, he took the initiative to walk over toward Roger, his gaze shifting to the two skilled snipers standing apart, ready for a duel.
Silva—the name uttered by the old bartender in Loguetown when Luffy arrived, claiming he was the world's greatest marksman. It seemed he had indeed lived up to that title. But later, he sought revenge against Roger, only to be taken down in a single strike. Just like that, the so-called world's greatest marksman met his end at the hands of the future Pirate King.
(T/N: I honestly searched for a long time and found nothing, if you know anything about this character write it, if there is no info then it's a new non-canon character.)
He was undoubtedly gifted, with boundless potential. But right now, he was merely a young sniper with aspirations of becoming the best in the world. What qualifications did a pirate like Brook have to recruit someone as proud as him?
...
As the atmosphere grew tense, a suffocating silence filled the air. The two snipers stood fifty meters apart, neither daring to blink. This was an unrestricted duel—pistols, sniper rifles, anything was fair game.
Both carried sniper rifles on their backs, and each had a revolver and a flintlock pistol strapped to their waists. The weight of the standoff pressed down on them, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads. Neither had revealed a single opening.
But in the end, youth brought impatience. Silva was the first to act. He swiftly drew his revolver and fired three shots in quick succession—aiming straight for Peterm's forehead, heart, and throat.
Firing a gun meant momentarily locking into position, and Peterm had anticipated Silva's movements. The moment he caught a flicker in his opponent's eyes, he knew exactly where the shots would land. Instantly dropping to the ground, he pulled out his sniper rifle and fired, his bullet striking Silva's shoulder.
This was the experience Peterm had gained from years as a pirate. While Silva had incredible talent—capable of shooting down a seagull from thousands of meters away or clipping the wings of a fly mid-flight—he had never fought a true life-and-death battle. And that inexperience was his greatest weakness.
Peterm, drenched in cold sweat, knew that a single miscalculation would have sent him to the afterlife. In the end, it was his battlefield experience that triumphed over the genius.
Silva clutched his wounded shoulder, his face pale. He had lost. The pain in his heart was a hundred times worse than the pain from his wound.
...
"That's it? This is supposed to be the future world's greatest marksman? Pfft. He couldn't even beat an unknown sniper from a rookie pirate crew."
"Damn it, I bet ten thousand Belly on him! What a waste!"
"Peterm's bounty is only sixty million Belly. Silva, you worthless trash, you don't deserve to be called a genius of Sniper Island."
One by one, the pirates tossed their betting slips onto the ground, spitting in disgust before turning to leave, grumbling curses under their breath.
Each insult and sneer was like a blade to Silva's pride. His hands trembled as he picked up his rifle. Without a word, he pushed through the jeering crowd and staggered away.
Brook glanced at Roger, who was laughing and celebrating with Peterm and the others. There was no need to disturb him now. He could check on Silva later.
With that thought, Brook followed after the young sniper, while Shakky and Antonio silently trailed behind their captain.
-----------
+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg