Chapter 204: The Blank History, The Blank Debt
"Setting sail, huh... what a distant topic. In the blink of an eye, decades have passed."
The phrase "setting sail" felt incredibly distant to Roger. Even though he had set sail anew countless times, it could never bring him the exact same feeling as that very first time.
The long-time companions on his ship rarely discussed this topic either. Nereus's words, however, plunged Roger into reminiscence.
Back then, he was just a straw-hat-wearing boy in Loguetown. Now, he had dozens of companions, and even the straw hat had found its inheritor.
"When I first set out to sea, I wanted to turn the world upside down. It wasn't long before I met Rayleigh.
"At the time, Rayleigh's house had burned down. He had stolen a small boat and had been living on it ever since.
"The first time I laid eyes on him, I felt he was my destined partner. And so, we set sail on that little boat...
"Speaking of which, don't tell me a massive royal palace like yours doesn't even have a drop of booze? We might not be best friends, but we are old acquaintances. Are you really going to let me talk with a dry throat?"
As he spoke, Roger's craving for alcohol seemed to act up, and he straightforwardly demanded a drink from Nereus.
"Give him some."
Nereus waved a hand to the side. A moment later, Hermes returned carrying several differently styled bottles of liquor.
Nereus himself wasn't much of a connoisseur. These were gifts from passing merchants—extra offerings on top of the standard transit taxes.
According to one of the merchants, giving a gift might not make you remembered, but if you were remembered for not giving a gift, you'd be completely doomed.
Compared to a whole ship full of cargo, these little things weren't even a drop in the bucket. Only by greasing the wheels here could they pass through with peace of mind.
"Oh, this bottle will do. East Blue liquor might not be as strong, but it has the taste of home... Thanks. Crocus has been keeping me on a tighter and tighter leash lately. It's been a long time since I drank like this."
Roger chugged half the bottle in one breath, then let out a long, seemingly satisfied sigh.
"If he hadn't been keeping you on a leash, you probably wouldn't have lasted until this year," Nereus remarked.
"Maybe. But since I'm at the very end of my time, just let me be a bit comfortable... A long time ago, I reached Lodestar Island. After realizing something was wrong there, I began searching for that final island.
"But not long after that, the God Valley Incident happened...
"That mysterious monster of the World Government... even a guy like Rocks fell for its trick.
"To be honest, I hate those bastards in the World Government. Quite a few of the crewmates on my ship were forced out to sea because of them.
"But an ability that even a monster like Rocks couldn't evade... going up against them... is not going to be easy.
"I heard from Oden that you can read the ancient text too?"
He started by talking about setting sail, but as he spoke, Roger ended up recounting almost his entire voyage. He gave off the distinct vibe of someone chatting casually with an old friend.
Roger only looked relaxed on the surface. Despite appearing slightly tipsy, his physical condition was still well-maintained.
The illness ravaging his body affected his stamina. While he could no longer fight continuous battles of attrition lasting days and nights, unleashing his full power in short bursts was still no problem at all.
"Is that important?" Nereus asked.
"It's not. I just wanted to say that during the time I've been sailing with Oden, I've been searching for the Road Poneglyphs. In the process, I've also come across some ordinary Poneglyphs.
"The history recorded on them is the exact truth the World Government has been hiding. Even though they are just fragmented words and phrases, a lot of things happened during that Blank Century.
"And it has left me with many questions.
"Perhaps, the answers I'm looking for are on that final island.
"It's not just about a dream anymore; these are also the reasons I must complete this voyage.
"I've said so much... what about you? What did you set out to sea for back then?"
"To change things," Nereus replied calmly. "I hated the way Fish-man Island was back then. Rather than drifting with the current, I wanted to prune it and shape it into the form I desired."
"And what if you couldn't prune it evenly?"
"Do you even need to ask? Naturally, I would uproot the whole thing and plant a new one."
"Hahaha! You sound like a tyrant."
"If kindness could buy peace, Fish-man Island wouldn't have suffered through hundreds of years of dark history. Only hardline militants can change everything."
After a moment of silence, Roger cracked open another bottle of liquor and brought up a new word.
"Poseidon."
"Oh? Let me think... the Poneglyph on Skypiea?"
"You really do know. So, are you waiting for the awakening of the Sea King?"
"That is not something you need to concern yourself with. Take what you came for, and go complete your final voyage."
Catching the Poneglyph rubbing that Nereus tossed over, Roger suddenly shivered, abruptly feeling as if he were being stared down by a ferocious beast.
"You're just... giving it to me? Just like that?"
Roger originally thought that obtaining a rubbing of this Poneglyph would require paying a massive price. Having it handed to him so easily made the whole thing feel far too smooth.
"Aren't you a pirate? What's wrong with taking things for free?" Nereus countered.
"When I feel I should pay, I still pay."
"Then you don't need to worry. When it's time to collect my compensation, I will come find you. No one defaults on my tabs."
"Hey, hey, hey! Didn't I keep saying I wanted to pay the compensation?! You're the one not saying what you want right now!"
Running his fingers over the ink of the text in his hand, Roger noticed it didn't look like a fresh rubbing, but rather something that had been prepared long ago.
Nereus knew he would come, so he had prepared all of this well in advance. That was the distinct feeling Roger had at this moment.
He felt as though Nereus was playing a massive game of chess, and he himself had voluntarily stepped onto the board, becoming a pawn in the King's hands.
He had wanted to pay the full price upfront, but as the seller, Nereus had forcibly shoved a blank installment contract into his hands without even specifying what the cost would be. The feeling was far from pleasant.
"You can choose not to take it. As for the rest, we'll talk about it the next time we meet."
Staring at the Poneglyph rubbing in his hands, Roger didn't hand it back. Even with Crocus's medical skills, Roger's remaining time was running out.
There was no paper agreement, but Roger knew perfectly well that he had just signed an invisible IOU of potentially limitless value.
The moment Roger returned to the ship, his first order was to fetch Oden. Soon after, the translation of the text began.
The moment the translation was completed, everyone urgently set to work. Scopper Gaban began charting a new navigational map based on Oden's translation. Crocus carefully monitored Roger's physical condition.
Rayleigh was reapplying the ship's coating. The shipwright Bulmarin began thoroughly inspecting the vessel. Even the ordinary crew members were busy scrubbing the decks and checking the sails.
At this moment, everyone's goal was united like never before—everything was to ensure Roger could smoothly complete this final voyage...
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