The so-called wavering of people's hearts was nothing more than the swelling arrogance that comes when some people gain power.

Every person harbored the potential to bully the weak; it was hidden deep within their hearts..

But once they realized their folly, they would fall back in line.

The two rows of men bowed their heads in reflection as Roy walked up to Whitebeard and the others.

"Big bro."

Marco and the others called out one after another.

"You really stirred things up this time," Whitebeard said with a laugh.

"It's all just the World Government making trouble. Nothing really big happened," Roy replied, shaking his head.

"All right then, since you're back, boys!!!" Whitebeard raised his voice. The pirates, still deep in contemplation, looked up at once.

"Stop overthinking it. I'm still alive, damn it! You bastards have been getting more and more unruly. Now listen to my orders, the captain's orders!"

"Pops!!!"

"Get the party ready! Let's celebrate your Big bro stirring up trouble again," Whitebeard said with a smile.

"RAHHH!!!"

Everyone cheered wildly. They were men, and men have their own kind of romance.

"Newgate, you…" Buckin's eyes sparkled beside them. There was a clear affection in her gaze.

Back when she was young, this woman had truly loved Whitebeard. Adored him even. Her eyes didn't lie.

Though she loved money and knew the value of clinging to the strong, it was clear she had loved Whitebeard, at least once.

"Old woman, what are you here for?" Roy said to Buckin.

"Who are you calling old, you brat? I even protected you back in the day!" Buckin snapped.

"Hah, you were the one who ran off scared. God Valley had nothing to do with you. If you've got something to say, spit it out. Otherwise, toss her out," Roy said to Jozu and the others.

They'd clearly had enough of her for a while now. Ever since she arrived, she'd been barking orders, complaining about everything, and even suggesting she manage the Whitebeard Pirates' treasure vault.

Whitebeard, out of old sentiment, hadn't said anything; after all, they had been lovers.

"You brat! Is that how you speak to me? I went through hell with Newgate back in the day! I was even his lover! Technically, I'm your, mmph!!"

Whitebeard stepped forward and kicked her mid-sentence, cutting her off.

Everyone looked at him. The old guy actually blushed.

Ah, the follies of youth. Still, this world seems to harbor boundless cruelty toward women who were once beautiful.

Vice Admiral Tsuru, Buckin, and even Gloriossa, all women of Rocks era, had all once been charming and alluring.

Back in the day, Miss Buckingham had a presence as captivating as Boa Hancock, the current Empress of Amazon Lily.

But now… of the three, only Tsuru still carried herself gracefully. The other two had... shrunk.

Just compare them to Dr. Kureha, at over 140 years old and still the same as ever.

Seeing Whitebeard's awkward expression, Roy thought, 'Heh, definitely fooled around a lot back then.'

"You're here about Weevil, aren't you?" Roy asked.

"That's right," Buckin said, stepping out from behind Whitebeard.

"What happened to him?"

"He was captured by Admiral Ryokugyu! He's my only son… Without him, I…"

"Shut it," Roy said coldly. "If you hadn't been running your mouth, our allied crews wouldn't have been attacked. That was your doing."

Buckin flinched under Roy's cold stare.

Over the past year, during the Whitebeard Pirates' disappearance, Buckin had been approaching their allied crews. Doma and others had come to Whitebeard with complaints.

Whitebeard hadn't acted on it, as the conflicts hadn't been serious, and only some property had been lost.

But now that Weevil was in trouble, she came begging for help? Ridiculous.

"But Weevil is still Newgate's son. As brothers, how can you just let him rot? If you rescue him from the Marines, he'll be a powerful asset! I'll even agree to let him join your crew, just give me 10 billion berries in return," Buckin said.

Roy snorted. "Heh. We save him, and pay you 10 billion? How the hell does that math work?"

"If things were that easy, that'd be great. Rescue someone and pay them?" Jozu scoffed, spreading his arms to throw Buckin out.

"This deal's even bolder than Big Bro's," Vista laughed.

"Sure, inflation's out of control and the berry's value has tanked, but even Pops and Big Bro's bounties combined aren't worth 10 billion," Thatch added with a grin.

The world was in chaos. Food shortages, skyrocketing prices, and berries were rapidly losing value.

The wealthy were spending like mad, trying to secure their safety in the turbulent times.

But amid war, they realized even money couldn't buy food anymore.

Prices kept rising, and so did bounties.

Even with inflation, 10 billion berries was still an absurd amount. Enough for someone to live luxuriously for several lifetimes.

"Stop dreaming. We're not saving him. And you're not getting a single berry," Roy said.

"Then I'll trade you information and tech," Buckin said, surprised by Roy's bluntness. Realizing no one cared about Weevil's strength, she changed tactics.

"Information? Tech? What kind?" Roy asked. "If it's useful, I'll grant one of your demands. Ten billion is out of the question, but one billion might be doable."

"I have valuable intel on the whereabouts of the red Poneglyph. I know where the 'burn-scarred man' is. And as for tech, I can offer my cloning technology," Buckin said.

Roy waved dismissively. "Forget the tech. You're nowhere near Vegapunk's level. As for the man with burn scars and the Poneglyph he holds, that one used to be on Fishman Island. But I got it thirty years ago. The rubbing is framed in my room if you'd like to see it."

"You… You have a Poneglyph rubbing?!"

"At present, I have two rubbings. I also know where the other two are. But what's the point? Only the right person, at the right time, can unlock their secret. My goal isn't to become the Pirate King."

"If I wanted to be Pirate King, Roger wouldn't have even had the chance. Thirty years ago, we could've reached Laugh Tale already. Don't underestimate us."

"Why… Why did the Roger Pirates get to do it, and not you?" Buckin grabbed Roy's shirt, her voice trembling.

"Because…"

...

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

[email protected]/DaoistJinzu