Chapter 354: The Year 1495 of the Sea Calendar
The calendar turned—
It was now January, Year 1495 of the Sea Calendar.
Two and a half years had passed since the Battle of Karmei Island.
In those two and a half years, the New World had been mostly calm.
Only the Roger Pirates were making waves.
Their fame skyrocketed.
Bounties for Roger and his crew were raised seemingly without end, leaving even Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Charlotte far behind.
They had even sailed all the way to the New World's final island—Water Star Island.
Yet after reaching it, they seemingly did nothing.
Instead, they returned to the Grand Line and briefly stopped at Reverse Mountain, before setting off for the New World once more.
During this period, something major happened with Whitebeard's crew.
Someone had infiltrated the Whitebeard Pirates' territory and fought Edward Newgate himself.
The battle had been fierce.
Whitebeard had been wounded—
A massive gash across his chest had left a lasting impression on everyone who saw it.
The newspapers reported the event only briefly, mentioning a "samurai" named Kozuki Oden, second division commander under Whitebeard.
They didn't go into detail about the battle.
But Charlotte had his own intelligence network inside the New World.
Before long, he received detailed reports.
A secret agent of the World Government had apparently attempted to assassinate Kozuki Oden.
Whitebeard discovered the intruder, and a brutal battle broke out.
Though Whitebeard ultimately repelled the attacker, he suffered a deep, bone-revealing wound.
It was clear that whoever the attacker was, they possessed power on par with the New World's strongest.
"A hidden powerhouse from the World Government, huh? Their foundation runs deeper than we thought…"
Charlotte muttered.
"And it seems Roger's illness is worsening too. Their stop at Reverse Mountain must have been to find Crocus, the ship doctor.
Which means—once Roger reenters the New World, the famous Battle of Edd War is not far off."
Charlotte analyzed the situation while reading the newspaper.
Meanwhile—
Golden Lion Shiki had fully understood the cost of being a "standout" target.
Since Roger returned to the New World, Whitebeard's territories acted as a buffer.
The Marines couldn't break through easily.
Admiral Sengoku was forced to retreat to the New World's front half, leaving Garp to pursue Roger alone.
And this was when Shiki made his move:
Leading his invincible flying fleet, he clashed head-on with Big Mom's forces.
A bloody battle ensued for an entire month.
During that time, however—
Shiki's own territory was stolen.
His lands were close to Marine-controlled areas.
The Marines launched a tentative invasion into the New World, seizing several strongholds.
Facing Admiral Sengoku's forces, Shiki's territories quickly fell.
The Golden Lion's rule had always been tenuous at best—relying solely on overwhelming strength rather than governance.
Now with Sengoku leading the charge, many New World islands gladly surrendered and pledged loyalty to the World Government.
Facing such setbacks, Shiki could only return to the New World's front half, scrambling to reclaim lost ground.
At that moment—
He realized that if he had a strong enough partner, he might have already conquered the world.
Three people came to Shiki's mind…
---
As for Charlotte—
After finishing his journey through the West Blue,
he had now arrived in the South Blue.
He had already traversed most of it.
He even encountered Portgas D. Rouge—Roger's lover.
Charlotte, however, held no lecherous intentions.
He merely observed from a distance, drank a glass of wine at the tavern where she worked,
found the taste mediocre,
and left.
He had no wish to disturb her.
In his heart, she was simply a respectable mother.
---
Over the past two and a half years:
Aside from traveling from island to island, Charlotte had immersed himself in studying the martial arts he collected from the Land of Flowers.
Through continuous research—
He made an astonishing discovery:
A concept he called "Will."
This "Will" subtly transformed his body, just like Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and Conqueror's Haki.
But it was distinct from the Three Colors of Haki.
It could fuse with them yet remained fundamentally different.
At the moment, Charlotte had only explored the surface:
When combined with Observation Haki,
it could disrupt opponents' senses and muddle their awareness.
When merged with Armament Haki,
it manifested as an unbreakable "aura of presence," further strengthening defenses.
Charlotte felt as if he was beginning to glimpse the secrets lying at the pinnacle of the world.
However, progress was painfully slow.
The path ahead was obscure.
But he wasn't discouraged.
Time was on his side.
He had patience.
---
Over the past two and a half years—
Charlotte also expanded the Rockefeller Family.
In Sea Calendar Year 1494,
he welcomed seven new children:
10th Daughter: Rachel Rockefeller
Born: May 5th, 1494
Mother: Wendy (maid)
11th Daughter: Daisy Rockefeller
Born: June 1st, 1494
Mother: Monica (head maid)
14th Son: Sara Rockefeller
Born: July 1st, 1494
Mother: Toki Amatsuki
15th Son: Kofi Rockefeller
Born: August 1st, 1494
Mother: Nina (maid)
12th Daughter: Tina Rockefeller
Born: September 1st, 1494
Mother: Elena
16th Son: Powell Rockefeller
Born: October 1st, 1494
Mother: Karina (maid)
17th Son: Foster Rockefeller
Born: November 11th, 1494
Mother: Sophie (maid)
Even though Charlotte hadn't actively sought to expand his family, accidents kept happening.
And once the pregnancies occurred—
He naturally took responsibility.
Aside from Elena, who had deliberately planned for a child, the others were all "happy accidents."
---
Thus, the Rockefeller Family now boasted twenty-nine children.
It had truly become a "big family."
Charlotte thought it might be time to slow things down.
If this pace continued,
who knew how many children he would end up with?
Maybe it was time to develop some contraceptive measures.
Charlotte sighed at the thought.
Standing on the deck,
he gazed up at the endlessly blue sky.
The seas were still tranquil—
But he knew—
The raging tides of a new era were already on their way.
---
Read up to 20 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin
[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]
*Thank you*