Chapter 151: First Meeting with Sabo

With the Mumei now in his possession, Rolan no longer felt the thrill he had experienced when first laying eyes on the Nara.

It was merely a Grade Wazamono sword; to him at this stage, it could not even be considered icing on the cake.

The enemies he was likely to encounter now—whether it was Laffitte whom he had just met, or the Sand Crocodile he would soon face—required nothing more than a one-sword-style swordsmanship, completely eliminating the need for him to fight at full strength.

Even if the Sand Crocodile proved a bit troublesome, did he not still possess his fourth-form devil transformation? He could simply transform into Basha and drown the Sand Crocodile, rendering two-sword-style swordsmanship entirely unnecessary.

Had this sword not been a gift from Yutaka Echizen, Rolan would have been tempted to spend a hefty sum to buy the Mumei and gift it to Porges.

Since that fellow was now part of his inner circle, he could not afford to play favorites—having prepared two famous blades for Zoro and a Devil Fruit for Koby, while leaving Porges empty-handed.

Stowing the Mumei away safely into his system inventory, Rolan suddenly asked, "Mr. Echizen, since you've given me this sword, how do you plan to make a living from now on?"

"As for that? I've already thought it through."

Yutaka Echizen reached out to pull his wife close and smiled gently. "The petty thief my wife caught and brought back earlier actually gave me some inspiration."

"Even if I cannot forge blades meant for combat, I can craft replicas of those famous swords as decorative collectibles. I imagine quite a few people would be willing to pay for those."

"While it may not make us immensely wealthy, it should at least guarantee that we never have to worry about food or clothing."

"Crafting decorative collectibles specifically?" Rolan stroked his chin, genuinely feeling that this was a rather good idea.

While it might not work here on Salvador Island, that did not mean other islands lacked pretentious show-offs.

As long as Yutaka Echizen made it clear what they were, there was a massive market waiting to be tapped.

After all, not everyone in this world used swords to fight.

Just like that weapon shop owner in Loguetown who sold Zoro two famous swords—aside from the blades meant for actual combat, weren't the majority of items in the shop simply pure decorative pieces?

If Yutaka Echizen were to mass-produce replicas of famous swords and put them up for sale, countless young nobles and wealthy second-generation heirs would undoubtedly flock to purchase them. After all, while the opportunity to touch a legendary blade was rare, fondling a replica to scratch that itch was a decent alternative.

"Then I wish you great prosperity in your business, Mr. Echizen. We have official navy duties to attend to, so we won't linger here any longer."

After offering a sincere blessing, Rolan turned and departed, accompanied by Porges and a companion who had remained silent the entire time.

There was still plenty of time before nightfall, and he had no idea whether Gin had managed to notify Sabo yet; otherwise, he would be forced to spend yet another day here.

Once Sabo's matter was concluded, he would formally report to the Charmant Fortress to assume his new post, and after that, set off for Alabasta to deal with that Sand Crocodile.

Co-opting an ancient, powerful nation as an ally would undoubtedly be a tremendous boost to his grand plan.

Stepping out of the desolate district, Rolan caught sight of a peculiar mark on a nearby wall and silently gave Gin a mental thumbs-up.

As expected of the very first subordinate he had ever recruited, he handled matters with admirable promptness.

He had only mentioned wanting to see Sabo that very morning, and here it was, barely noon, yet Gin had already seen it done.

Judging by the meaning of the mark, Gin had likely arranged for Sabo to wait for him at a tavern located not too far from here.

Glancing back at Porges, Rolan carefully weighed his options and decided against bringing him along for the time being.

After all, he hadn't even mentioned this matter to Zoro or Nami, so how could he possibly confide in Porges, someone he had only recently met?

Fabricating a casual excuse to dismiss Porges, Rolan activated his Observation Haki and walked step by step toward that tavern.

Upon approaching the tavern arranged by Gin, Rolan nodded with satisfaction, for this area was exceedingly remote—at least when compared to the bustling, lively streets surrounding it, this place stood out in stark contrast.

Hidden locations were always better for clandestine meetings.

Rolan strode into the tavern, pushed open the heavy wooden doors, and instantly spotted Sabo and Koala waiting in a corner, alongside Haku the Fishman sitting in another corner of the room.

Noticing that they were putting on an act of complete strangers, Rolan did not expose them.

After scanning the surroundings meticulously with his Observation Haki to ensure there were no malicious presences nearby, Rolan walked straight toward Sabo, pulled out a chair, and sat down opposite him.

"Hello there, Mr. Sabo."

Rolan smiled.

He had looked forward to meeting Sabo for a long time.

Initially, he had imagined he might feel a flutter of excitement upon seeing Sabo in the flesh, but now, he realized there was none.

Perhaps having fully integrated into this world's reality, Rolan found that aside from a trace of lingering shock and excitement when he laid eyes on Golden Lion a decade ago, he no longer felt that childlike thrill of seeing anime characters leap out into the real world—whether it was Nami or Zoro.

The same applied to Sabo now; Rolan felt entirely calm, as if he were simply meeting any ordinary business partner, devoid of any emotional ripples.

"I've heard a great deal about you, Rear Admiral 'Devil', Mr. Rolan."

Sabo nodded in return, offering a polite smile.

Before figuring out Rolan's true intentions, Sabo was hardly the type to strike a smiling face, especially since he was not a naturally cruel or tyrannical person by nature.

When that fellow Gin had first approached him with this proposition, Sabo had assumed the guy was joking. After all, Rolan was currently a rising star within the Navy; how could a man like that harbor such an organization beneath him?

It was with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity that Sabo had come here to wait and see whether that fellow's words held any truth.

To his genuine surprise, the wait had actually brought Rolan right to his doorstep.

Now facing him in person, Sabo found himself developing a rather favorable impression of Rolan; at the very least, this man bore no resemblance to the ruthless demon portrayed in the rumors.

At least, that was how it appeared to him.

"A mere naval rear admiral—how could I possibly compare to you, the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army?"

Rolan chuckled and shook his head.

In terms of status and standing, aside from his position as Commander-in-Chief of the G-10 Branch, his identity as a naval rear admiral fell woefully short.

Therefore, he had no intention of speaking with Sabo under the guise of a naval rear admiral, but rather as the Commander-in-Chief of the G-10 Branch.

After all, if one's status was too low, it could no longer be called cooperation; it would simply be begging.

"My, Mr. Rolan, rumor has it that you are a profoundly wicked man who shows absolutely no mercy toward pirates. Why is it that you seem somewhat different from the stories?"

Koala ignored the deeper implications hidden in Rolan's words, instead studying him with unconcealed curiosity.

Unlike their distant glance at the docks, observing him up close made it even more evident that Rolan looked nothing like a legendary demon; rather, he resembled a friendly, charismatic celebrity—handsome and possessed of an effortless grace.

"Miss Koala, I understand what you mean, but once you have witnessed with your own eyes the lands pillaged by pirates, once you have seen bustling streets that ought to have been as lively as these reduced to scorched ruins and ashes, you will understand that pirates are hardly worthy of our mercy," Rolan said calmly.

Those who trampled upon the lives of others simply deserved no right to continue drawing breath in this world; that had been his steadfast creed all along.

Back when he was merely an attorney, he had no choice but to hand criminals over to the enforcers of the law.

But now, he was the law himself; hence, there was no longer any need to turn criminals over to anyone else—he could handle them directly.

"Koala, you can put your curiosity aside for the moment. Let's get down to business, Mr. Rolan."

"Your subordinate mentioned that you wish to cooperate with us. However, Rear Admiral Rolan, I fail to see what the Navy could possibly offer to cooperate with us on."