Chapter 260: Straw Hat Support, Invincible Shield

About thirty nautical miles away from Roman's 211 Fleet, a peculiar ship was slowly sailing, several white pigeons resting on its mast. The bird-like face of the captain, rubbing his temples, looked utterly hopeless.

"This..."

No wonder Nami looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't—because Nami could also share Roman's white dove's view through the *Thieves' Ultimate Skill*. Although it wasn't as powerful as Roman's "fruit radar," it was still enough to monitor the area for several dozen miles. So:

How should we describe this ship?

The first thing that stands out is the figurehead. Usually, people carve the figurehead to represent their team's symbol or an animal. But the figurehead here is of a goofy-looking young man with a straw hat, a red vest, and a scar below his left eye.

That's Luffy!

Anyone who has seen Luffy would recognize the figurehead immediately. 

Especially with that ridiculous, clueless expression—it's almost too real. At the same time: the white knight armor on the front deck, the fierce Merry-like figurehead on the ship's cabin, the orange tree on the back deck, and the antlers on both sides of the ship..."If you didn't know better, you'd think this was the Straw Hat Pirates' ship."

Seeing Roman rub his temples in silence, Nami nodded repeatedly.

"That's exactly why I can't make up my mind. This ship really looks like the 'Straw Hat' ship. But—"

The Straw Hat Pirates' navigator and strategist are right here with us, and the others are training all over the world. There's no way this ship, which seems like a 'Straw Hat Pirates-themed ship,' could be theirs. The key point is:

"Bartolomeo, bounty 120 million Berries—this is the wanted poster for the captain of this ship."

Nami, now more accustomed to being Roman's secretary, handed over a wanted poster. 

It showed a man with grass-green spiky hair, a tattoo under his right eye, a nose ring, and a cocky expression, proudly flipping the bird, like a man full of defiance.

It's definitely him!

"This... never mind, I'll take care of it."

Roman thought for a moment and decided to check it out himself. 

Why would this guy, who could have stayed in his position as a powerful underworld leader, decide to become a pirate? And didn't he become a die-hard fan of the Straw Hat Pirates because he witnessed Luffy being struck by lightning and saved in Loguetown?

Back then in Loguetown, because Roman suddenly used Satoru's "elementalization" ability to save Luffy, there was no lightning strike. How did he still..."Captain, look!" 

"Hm?"

With the sound of wings flapping, white doves flew over, circling the bizarre pirate ship named 'Going Forward · Luffy-senpai Ship,' with a giant 'BARTOCLUB' support logo on its main sail.

Amid the cautious eyes of those on deck, the doves flew to the 'The White Knight' statue at the front of the deck. Then:

Whoosh~~ "Wait, it's made of paper?"

The doves crashed into the cardboard statue, which then transformed into the real 'The White Knight'!

"Well then," 

The White Knight lifted his helmet, only to be met with:

"Whoa!!!"

"This... This is the spirit of 'Straw Hat Pirates' strategist The White Knight!"

"Ahhhh, we are truly fortunate, truly fortunate!!"

..."Hey, stop bowing."

Seeing Bartolomeo and his crew bowing and tearing up in excitement, The White Knight's helmet had a row of black lines.

"You guys... never mind."

Watching the crew of pirates, eager to approach but afraid to disturb their 'idol,' The White Knight looked up at the sky. This world sure has some strange people. But:

"Turn your ship around."

This is the future 'Straw Hat Grand Fleet's' second division. If they crash into Roman's Marine fleet, it would be a disaster.

"Turn around, now!" 

Under the trembling, excited hands of the crazy pirates, the bizarre 'Straw Hat Pirates support ship' quickly turned away from the Marine fleet, avoiding an unnecessary conflict.

"Big Brother White Knight, are the other big shots of the Straw Hat Pirates nearby?"

Looking at Bartolomeo and his crew, who were rubbing their hands excitedly, The White Knight signed the 'Torkovich-Roman' Daimyo document while shattering their illusion.

"No, the others are scattered across the world, training to prepare for the New World."

"Waaaaah!!!"

The odd pirates sobbed uncontrollably."I knew it, the Straw Hat Pirates' big shots are fine, they're just dealing with some Admiral..."

"Ugh, finally, I can get some sleep. I've been worried about you guys running into trouble in Sabaody..."

"Shut up, Luffy's gonna be the Pirate King! The Summit War and The White Knight's bravery at Marine HQ will always be in my heart. There's no way the Marines could defeat him!"

...You guys really have a big fan filter on, don't you? The White Knight thought.

If it weren't for all the factors back then during the Summit War, Luffy and Roman wouldn't have had enough lives to survive!

Of course, even knowing they would die, Luffy wouldn't abandon Ace, just like Roman wouldn't abandon Luffy. A miracle isn't something that happens by chance — it's about giving everything you've got to turn the impossible into possible.

"Anyway, there's a Marine fleet over there." 

The White Knight pointed to where he was. "I saw your ship, so I came over to check on you."

"Ugh, thank you, The White Knight!"·······

"You're our savior!"

...Forget it, if a regular Marine met Bartolomeo, it would still be hard to say who would win. — Don't just look at how Bartolomeo and his crew seem like brainless 'Straw Hat fanboys,' their strength isn't weak at all!

Before setting out to sea, Bartolomeo was the leader of a criminal gang with 150 towns under his control! His power already surpassed that of most kingdoms, and if he wanted, he could easily start his own nation and become a king.

So, his crew members are all skilled pirates, many of whom are worth a bounty in the millions.

Bartolomeo himself was already strong, and after eating the so-called "Barrier Fruit," his power reached a whole new level. It's no exaggeration to say that he's as strong as an emperor-level fighter. After a little over a year, he was able to single-handedly defeat Marine Vice Admiral Maynard without breaking a sweat.

And don't be fooled by his fanboy behavior around the Straw Hats; as someone who controlled 150 towns, his intelligence, skills, and strategies are top-tier. Unfortunately:

If he didn't meet Luffy, his life could have gone smoothly, but meeting Luffy means his life would be messed up!

"Alright, go ahead and head to the New World."

After making sure Bartolomeo and his crew were safe, Roman sent them off as a gift, leaving behind 'The White Knight.' The altar they had set up and the incense burner at his feet seemed to...Well, Roman quietly sent them off without trying to get their 'shielding ability' since:

For Roman, Bartolomeo and his crew were neither enemies nor friends, so there was no reason to take action or demand anything from them.

"Let them wander the New World for now."

Sitting on the warship, Roman opened his eyes and gave Nami a look that said 'I've taken care of it.'

With Bartolomeo around, as long as they didn't run into someone at the Four Emperors level, the safety of the pirate crew, known as the 'Bartolomeo Club,' wouldn't be a problem. In fact, with the 'Barrier Fruit' in their hands, even the Four Emperors wouldn't be able to touch them for a while because:

The previous user of the Barrier Fruit, Black Maru of Wano Country, used it to block an attack from Oden without injury. That fool had to dance for years.

Idiot!

Thinking about Wano Country made Roman feel speechless.

You train your body, but your brain becomes muscle? The barrier's invincible? You think the conqueror's haki can't break through it?

As a world-class swordsman, why couldn't you just slice the floor apart? Throw the person, the barrier, and the floor into the sea and let them show off their invincibility at the bottom of the ocean! It's such a simple solution, how could you not think of it?

And the whole idea of taking hostages is ridiculous. Every 'king' should understand the principle that kindness doesn't mix with leading an army. If you hesitate and don't make decisions, the chaos will come.

Anyone who's studied history knows that armies fighting in foreign lands love to take local as hostages. They can be used for labor or as shields during battle, or even to fill the moats.

If taking hostages could stop a war, then wars would be too easy! — Take a hostage, win. Ridiculous! And this person calls themselves one of the world's greatest fighters?

Even that idiot Edward Weevil is smarter than him!

Death in war is a natural thing.Even Luffy know about that!

And because the enemy threatened with hostages, even abandoning the 'king's' dignity to dance while naked and save them—this is beyond foolish!

Even when Vivi's father thanked the Straw Hat crew, he specifically chose to do it in the large bathhouse.

At that moment, he was just a father worried about his daughter, because there was no king who would neglect their appearance.

The dignity of a king isn't about petty personal pride, but about being a symbol of the country, its unity, and the trust of its people. Oden, that fool, gave up the entire nation's dignity, spirit, and trust for a few hostages, and in the end, when he decided to make a final stand after waking up to his mistakes, only nine people followed him...It's important to note that Wano Country has a fairly high rate of Armament Haki users, and some even control advanced Haki. If Oden had the right resolve and kingly mindset, forget about Orochi, the Four Emperors Kaido would have long been reduced to ash.

Aside from combat ability, Oden had no kingly demeanor at all: he didn't consult his subordinates when making decisions, acted alone even with allies by his side, lost the people's trust, and didn't regret it…As a certain chancellor would put it, he was 'a reckless fool with no plans, worried about the people but forgetful of the country: not a hero.'If he could wield Conqueror's Haki, it must really be something he was born with!

"Ah, Wano Country... forget it, it's too far back to think about now."

Roman can say that there are not many people he dislikes in this world. Whether it's Crocodile, Enel, Blackbeard, or even Ace (who almost caused Luffy's death), Roman doesn't dislike them. But Oden? That's another story..."Hero's name? You don't deserve it."

Just a reckless idiot!

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PS: This is just my personal opinion. If someone with a normal IQ had Oden's power, Wano Country wouldn't have turned out like this. I really don't understand Oden's actions. Before he showed up, the other characters were fine, but once Oden appeared, everyone started praising him non-stop, like he was their real father. Especially that one big filial daughter...--- ————— ----You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu