"Sea Circle Calendar, X Year, X Month, X Day.
Early this morning, I watched Rayleigh toss another ruined bed into the sea after it got smashed through again. That makes six this month already. Roger was squatting beneath the mast crying his eyes out, and Shakky never came out for breakfast today. I think everyone knows why the beds keep breaking."
...
"Sea Circle Calendar, X Year, X Month, X Day.
That Gambling Freak lost at cards and refused to pay up, so Rayleigh, Gaban, and I unanimously decided to lock him in a cage and throw him into the ocean as bait.
Turns out Roger's meat is surprisingly attractive to sea beasts. We caught a huge one because of it."
...
"Sea Circle Calendar, X Year, X Month, X Day.
I seriously can't stay in this trash pirate crew any longer.
That bastard Roger actually dipped balloon octopus in wasabi and ate it.
As a result, we ended up free-falling from an altitude of ten thousand meters. If not for my powers, the Oro Jackson would've been completely finished.
Though when we hit the ocean, I think we crashed into something?
We were moving too fast to see clearly. Whatever. Maybe it was just a speed bump."
...
"Sea Circle Calendar, X Year, X Month, X Day.
Ever since returning from Mary Geoise, Gaban and the others have started calling me 'Lord.'
Sigh. Money really does move people's hearts. A bunch of backwater pirates with no taste.
After finally drinking real high-quality alcohol, they dumped all the cheap stockpile liquor on the ship straight into the sea."
...
"Sea Circle Calendar, X Year, X Month, X Day.
Fish-Man Island was actually pretty nice. Beautiful scenery.
Gaban truly deserves his title as the master of romance. He spent the entire night fooling around with a giant mermaid girl next door, and because of that I barely slept.
Next time we stay at an inn, I'm never taking the room beside Gaban again.
This morning he looked weak-kneed and completely drained, but he still had the most satisfied grin on his face.
I wonder how many days it'll take him to recover.
Hopefully it won't affect the upcoming battle at Linderland Island."
...
Shanks, Buggy, and Bullet continued flipping through the logbook, the expressions on their faces growing increasingly bizarre.
There were no grand adventures recorded inside. None of the legendary tales Captain Roger and the others always bragged about over drinks had been written down at all.
Instead, the entire thing read more like a personal diary filled with Valthior mercilessly roasting every single member of the crew.
"Is… this normal?" Shanks asked blankly, staring at Buggy in confusion. "Is a proper logbook supposed to be written like this?
Buggy scratched his head helplessly and tilted it to one side.
"How should I know? I've never seen another logbook..."
"I'm the same as you two," Bullet added calmly. "This is my first time being a pirate too."
...
Meanwhile, out on the deck, Valthior and the others hadn't even noticed the three kids had disappeared. They were still drinking, smoking, and chatting aimlessly beneath the evening sky.
Valthior casually lit Gaban's cigarette before taking a puff from his own cigar. Smoke drifted away with the sea breeze as he tapped ash over the side of the ship and suddenly asked,
"By the way… once we finally reach the last island, what are you all planning to do afterward?"
As the journey drew closer and closer to its end, everyone seemed to have been unconsciously avoiding this topic.
Gaban stared quietly at the glowing tip of his cigarette while the wind carried the smoke away into the night. After a long pause, he grinned.
"I'm thinking of settling down in Elbaf. Build a happy family there."
Across from him, Rayleigh took a sip of wine and sighed with a nostalgic smile.
"Shakky and I already agreed on it a long time ago. Once this journey ends, we're going to retire together in the Sabaody Archipelago."
"I'm gonna go find my true love too!" Roger declared loudly. "Then I'll live such a blissful life that even you and Shakky will be jealous!"
After a brief pause, the grin on his face suddenly widened mischievously.
"And when that time comes, I'm definitely having a son so he can go after Valthior's daughter!"
"If you dare do that, I'll kill you myself, you bastard!" Valthior barked instantly.
"Hahahahaha! Come on, just imagining it is hilarious, isn't it?" Roger laughed wildly.
Rayleigh, clearly enjoying the chaos, immediately joined in as well.
"In that case, maybe I should have a son too?"
Laughter and curses echoed endlessly across the deck, blending together beneath the night sky.
After a while, Valthior finally spoke again.
"Roger said from the very beginning that once we reached the final island, this pirate crew would disband. But honestly… can you all really bear to do that? After finding the last island, are you just going to leave Imu alone? We all see him as an enemy, don't we?"
Roger's expression dimmed slightly as he swirled the liquor in his cup.
"Even though we haven't reached the Final Island yet, based on the information we have now, it might be a bit too early. Only when Poseidon is born will the so-called 'Dawn of the World' truly arrive..."
"I've never had any intention of following whatever damn plan Joy Boy left behind," Valthior replied firmly, his gaze sweeping across everyone present. "Does the sea stop making waves just because one person's gone? Once we find the final island, I'm going to challenge Imu in my own way."
Then he looked at them seriously and continued,
"When that time comes… help me out, will you? Honestly, I think we could build something even bigger and greater together."
The sudden invitation caused everyone in the Roger Pirates to react differently.
Spencer bit down on his cigarette and fell silent for a moment before speaking first.
"Sure. To be honest, I don't really know what I'm supposed to do afterward anyway. I've been a pirate for so many years that suddenly retiring somewhere quietly doesn't really suit me. When the time comes, I'll go with you, Valthior."
Not everyone answered as readily.
Nozdon hesitated awkwardly before scratching his head.
"Sorry, Valthior… I—"
"Don't apologize," Valthior interrupted immediately before he could continue. "No one owes me their entire life just because we sailed on the same ship together. Pirates are supposed to be the freest people on the sea, aren't they?"
Nozdon froze for a second, then burst out laughing.
"Alright, alright. Maybe I was being overly sentimental. But once I finish taking care of some important things in my life, if you still need me, I'll definitely come help."
"No problem," Valthior answered without hesitation.
After that, everyone else began sharing their own plans as well. Sunbell and young Doringo agreed immediately, just like Spencer, saying they were willing to continue sailing with Valthior in the future.
The others, however, mostly had their own lives already planned out, and Valthior didn't try to pressure anyone.
Roger suddenly grinned mischievously.
"Isn't it a bit too confident of you to want me, the former Captain, to be your crewman, Valthior?"
Then he laughed loudly and continued,
"But since you're our 'Lord,' I guess I don't mind. Once you've truly become someone capable of ruling these seas—and once you genuinely need my strength—I'll come."
"Exactly," Rayleigh added with a smile. "Shakky and I already made plans, but once you've become someone who can shake the entire world with your name, I doubt she'd stop me from returning to the sea again."
Gaban brushed back his hair dramatically and declared,
"I'm not like those two unreliable bastards. Elbaf is in the New World, so life there definitely won't be peaceful. And honestly, from the looks of things, the so-called strongest nation in the world is bound to become the center of attention someday anyway. Maybe I'll even need your help by then."
He grinned broadly before continuing,
"Either way, I'll still be in the New World, so we'll be close enough to support each other whenever necessary. And if I ever get bored living in Elbaf, I'll hop aboard your ship for a while and have some fun again."
With the three core figures all giving their answers, Valthior naturally accepted them with satisfaction.
Truthfully, even though this was the first time he had openly brought up the subject, he had already expected something like this in his heart.
Just as he'd predicted, Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban were never going to immediately regroup under his banner the moment the Roger Pirates disbanded.
Those three weren't just monstrously powerful—they also possessed tremendous prestige throughout the pirate world.
On one hand, Valthior genuinely wanted to continue sailing with them. Their strength alone made them invaluable companions anyone would want at their side.
But on the other hand, if they really did join him from the start, things would actually become complicated for him.
Even if he held the title of captain, his authority wouldn't truly convince others in the short term. If things were mishandled, it wouldn't just damage their friendships—it could easily create all sorts of unnecessary problems.
What Roger and the others had suggested instead was actually the best solution.
Once Valthior had earned enough fame and power to truly stand at the center of the world stage—once he had become a genuine great pirate capable of stirring the seas with his own strength—then, if he still needed their help, they would return.
After all, no great figure on the seas would truly respect a "young master" who could only survive under the constant protection and guidance of his predecessors.
That would make Valthior look like he was merely playing pirate games.
"So then," Valthior said as he raised his glass high, "it's a promise. Once I've gained enough prestige to become a true ruler of the seas, I'll invite all of you again."
Roger and the others immediately lifted their drinks as well.
"Hahahaha! Then we'll be waiting for the day Lord Valthior conquers the seas and shakes the entire world with his name!"
After draining the cup in one go, Valthior suddenly blinked as though he'd just remembered something.
"Hm? Where's Bullet? And where did Shanks and Buggy run off to?"
"No need to look for them," Gaban replied casually. "I saw the three of them sneak into the cabin earlier."
Rayleigh chuckled softly.
"You don't even need to ask. Those three are definitely going to follow you."
"Exactly," Roger agreed with a grin. "Shanks, Buggy, and Bullet are just getting started as pirates. There's no way they'd want their journey to end alongside us old geezers."
Valthior burst out laughing at that.
"You're not even fifty yet and you're already calling yourselves old geezers."