Chapter 234 » I Will Slaughter All the Celestial Dragons!

"Perhaps the admirals at Marine Headquarters overestimated me. I don't think I'm worth that much money either. But ever since that bounty came out, it's caused me quite a bit of trouble."

Yusuke's gaze shifted. He no longer looked down at the doll with dismissive eyes.

This fellow was truly extraordinary.

"I need to hear your full story." He said with conviction, "What remarkable feats have you achieved? What path led you to inhabit Gol D. Roger's body? Did your original form become compromised, or were the Marines pursuing you?"

His eyes shone with genuine interest, eager to uncover the extraordinary tale behind Katchu's journey.

"Do you really want to hear? It's been so long since anyone wanted to hear my stories, so long since I've talked to humans. Meeting you here today makes me truly happy." Katchu's excitement was evident.

The past events remained vivid in his mind, even though one or two hundred years had passed. For him, the memories were crystal clear.

Yusuke carried Katchu toward the cave entrance. Though a storm still raged outside, they could find shelter from the wind and rain while having enough light to see.

He could clearly see Katchu's small face now. The creature had a fully autonomous body that could even fly through the sky, resembling something akin to a giant insect.

Finding a clean rock to sit on at the cave entrance, Yusuke eagerly anticipated hearing stories from Katchu's youth. This was truly an extraordinary being — one who even surpassed Gol D. Roger.

"What kind of story would you like to hear? I have many tales, though I'm not sure where to begin." Katchu sat cross-legged in Yusuke's palm.

"Tell me whatever comes to mind — any memory you wish to share. I'm interested in hearing all your stories." Yusuke now regarded the doll with newfound respect.

An incredible figure sat right in his palm, and they had become companions. He would be spending time with this remarkable character from now on.

"Let me tell you about what happened when I was forty-eight years old."

"I must say, for someone who claimed not to remember their age, you seem quite certain about being forty-eight then. What makes that year stand out so clearly?"

"That was when I first ate the Devil Fruit, of course I remember it clearly. After I lived to be a hundred years old, I stopped keeping track of my age."

"Let's focus on the important part — tell me about your remarkable achievements from that year." Yusuke said decisively, leaning forward with interest.

He was eager to learn what grand achievements Katchu had accomplished that year.

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Time passed as they continued their conversation.

"Of course, my companions were too kind. They chose me as their captain. To be honest, I never wanted to be one, but with everyone putting their trust in me, I couldn't refuse."

"With an ฿8,000,000,000 bounty, you were clearly the strongest candidate for captain." Yusuke said, "I'm eager to hear about that pivotal battle. Did you emerge victorious against the Marines, or did they manage to overpower you?"

His eyes gleamed with anticipation to learn how such an epic clash concluded.

It was no small matter — even the Marine Fleet Admiral had taken action personally, deploying more than a dozen warships, a force worthy of a general order.

Such a momentous battle — he yearned to have witnessed it firsthand.

"Indeed, it was the most unforgettable battle of my life. The Fleet Admiral himself led the campaign, with more than a dozen warships surrounding our vessel completely. There was no escape from their blockade. We had no choice but to fight with everything we had."

"The battle raged for three days and three nights. Everyone fought until exhaustion. The Marine ships bombarded us constantly with their advanced weapons — guns and cannons of all kinds. In the end, we were defeated, and I lost all members of my crew."

"Were there no survivors at all?" Yusuke asked firmly, determined to understand the full scope of the battle.

Katchu remained immersed in memories.

"Not completely, but in the end, I was the only survivor, and even I suffered fatal injuries." It let out a long sigh, "I should have died there, not lived on like this."

Yusuke noticed the hint of sadness in its eyes — clear evidence that Katchu deeply valued loyalty and friendship.

The loss still weighed heavily.

"All my companions left me. I was left alone in this world." Katchu said with deep emotion.

"But now you have us, don't worry. You'll have many companions again. We have many companions too, and our Captain Luffy will definitely like you." Yusuke consoled it.

{T/N: Confirmed, he is in Luffy's crew. Possibly during the Arabasta Arc.}

"If I can become your companion this time, I won't be alone anymore. Even if I stay in this body forever, I'm willing to accept that." Confidence gradually returned to Kachu's face, "I once made a vow: when I obtain another capable body, I will slaughter all the Celestial Dragons in this world."

"They hunted down your crew and sent them to their deaths at sea — is that what drives your vendetta?" Yusuke asked directly, intrigued by this unexpected declaration.

After all, the Celestial Dragons were protected by the World Government and Marine Headquarters, with elite CP0 and CP9 agents as their guardians. No matter how powerful a pirate was, they couldn't possibly reach them.

Perhaps they could eliminate one or two, but talking about killing all of them was far-fetched — simply a delusion.

"I understand your resolve, but targeting the Celestial Dragons would be extremely dangerous." Yusuke cautioned.

"Yusuke, you've completely misunderstood me. The reason I want to kill all the Celestial Dragons is because they've done many heartless things to me."

"Isn't it just because they hunted you down?"

"Not just that. When I was just born, they destroyed my homeland. Then my parents took me and my sister and fled our home."

"Tell me what drove the Celestial Dragons to such destruction. Was it retaliation against your people? Or perhaps your homeland refused to submit to the Heavenly Tribute?"

"Not at all — the people of my homeland paid their full Heavenly Tribute every year."