When it came to Roger, no matter what else people said about him, among the top pirates of the seas, he was arguably the most approachable and easygoing.
So when Chronos tearfully declared that his dream was to sail the seas—and proceeded to cling to Roger's leg, crying for three days straight—He was smoothly welcomed aboard the Roger Pirates and left behind the small town where he was born and raised.
After all, in Captain Roger's own words:"What could possibly stop a man from setting sail for the sea? "
Chronos was eight years old when he left with the Roger Pirates. After two years of scrubbing the decks, two other kids about his age finally joined the crew.
One had red hair, the other a red nose—and honestly, they both smiled like complete idiots.
But as a die-hard pirate fan, Chronos knew exactly who they were:
Shanks, the future master of Conqueror's Haki and wielder of the Face-Face Fruit,and Buggy, the future King of Luck, who would rise from East Blue to challenge even the Navy's bounty system in reverse.
From the moment those two boarded the ship, their fates became intertwined with Chronos'.
What? Shanks and Buggy aren't best buddies?Come on, just try reading their names backward.
Having spent two whole years working alongside a bunch of middle-aged men, Chronos was thrilled to finally have peers aboard.
And so, he unilaterally declared the formation of the "Roger Pirates' Big Three Bros."
Of course, the first thing Chronos did every morning was pat Shanks' left hand—After all, in a decade or so, this hand would be the price paid for a new era.One pat less each day.
"Everything I just taught you—remember it well. This technique for reading people is a secret passed down in the Marshall family. If you two weren't my sworn brothers, I'd never tell you," Chronos said proudly.
"Yeah! Makes perfect sense! Chronos, you're truly my lifelong best friend! "
Buggy looked at him with sincere gratitude.This is what a true brother is!
He even shared his family's secret technique, unlike that jerk Shanks, who wouldn't even spot him a few Berries for a bowl of sea-meat stew last time—just because he'd spent all of Shanks' savings buying a treasure map. What a cheapskate…
Life on the Roger Pirates' ship was pretty laid-back.Captain Roger didn't even have that famous mole on his chest yet.He spent his days taking the crew all over the world, stirring up trouble wherever they went.
The World Government and Navy barely paid them any mind—except for Roger's lifelong rival, the mad dog Garp. No one else really bothered them.
They spent mornings fishing and afternoons loafing around—and just like that, the days drifted by.
After Rocks was slain by Roger and Garp's combined efforts, pirate crews sprouted up like weeds after rain.
The four most powerful pirates recognized today, besides Captain Roger himself, were
Whitebeard Edward Newgate, the man whose mere presence made everyone call him "Uncle" out of respect;
Golden Lion Shiki, who spent every day gathering new followers;
And the lone wanderer with a broken ship, Red Count Baloric Ledfield, drifting from land to land.
These four were the early prototypes of what would later become the Four Emperors.
As for Charlotte Linlin and Kaido of the Beasts—while already feared pirates, they were still building their reputations.And Shanks? Well, he was still just hanging out with a mop every day.
Despite spending several years on Roger's ship, Chronos hadn't crossed paths with any of these big shots yet.Not even Shiki—who, in the future, would single-handedly storm Marineford after Roger's death and achieve a legendary 0-0-0 win-loss record.
But Chronos wasn't discouraged. He, the future star of the seas, hadn't even reached his full potential yet.
As a transmigrator, it was disappointing that he didn't get a system.But instead, he was gifted with a body that grew tougher and stronger the more damage it took.Of course, if the damage exceeded his limit, no amount of toughness could save him.
He had spent countless nights stabbing his own fingers with a knife to test this ability.
If Golden Lion really threw tens of thousands of henchmen at them, given the Roger Pirates' small crew size, Chronos would probably have to take on at least a few hundred grunts himself.
If each one slashed him once… well, he wasn't exactly a tank in an MMORPG. He could practically hear his death theme music playing.
Just as Chronos was pondering his future, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around his neck, locking him in a chokehold.
"Chronos! Why are you daydreaming? Drink up! "
"Ahhh—I'm dying, I'm dying, I'm dying! "
"Captain Roger, could you please pay some attention to personal hygiene? You reek! "
Plugging his nose, Chronos struggled to escape from under Roger's armpit.
In his previous life, he'd only heard people call Roger "the Nose Hair King."But after joining the Roger Pirates, he discovered a darker truth—Captain Roger had body odor!
He couldn't help but wonder how Rouge, Roger's future wife whom he hadn't even met yet, ever endured living with this man.
Still, complaints were one thing—if the captain offered you a drink, you drank. Otherwise, how could you survive on this ship?
Chronos glanced around and saw the rest of the Roger Pirates passed out drunk all over the deck.
On this ship, whenever they ran into trouble, their first reaction was always the same: throw a party.
This time, the celebration was for successfully escaping Garp's pursuit once again.
"Rayleigh! Fill this kid up with three big cups. He's not going back to his room until he finishes them! "