One Piece: The user of the Nen-Nen Fruit, who overturned the sea.

Rayleigh snorted but didn't reply.

He knew, of course, that Roy wasn't just there to watch the show.

The appearance of Kuma, Kizaru's "cooperation," and the direction in which the Straw Hat crew was sent flying—none of these were coincidences.

Everyone has their own secrets, and Roy's secrets are more numerous and deeper than most people's.

Rayleigh didn't want to know those secrets; he only wanted to confirm one thing—

Roy has no ill intentions towards Luffy.

Judging from today's scene, Roy not only had no ill intentions, but was actually paving the way for Luffy.

By pushing Luffy to the brink of despair in the Sabaody Archipelago, he experienced the pain of losing his crewmates and realized that there were countless enemies on the sea that he could not defeat.

Then he sent his companions to the most suitable place for cultivation.

When they reunite, each of them will be much stronger than they are now.

Rayleigh has lived for so many years and seen countless pirates, but Roy is the first one who can scheme to this extent.

"You little rascal, if you had been born in the era of Rocks, there would be no Rocks at all."

Roy smiled but didn't reply.

Shakky peeked out from behind the bar and looked at Rayleigh:

"How much did you drink before you started talking nonsense?"

"I'm not drunk."

Rayleigh picked up his glass and took another swig.

"I was just expressing my feelings."

Xia Qi rolled her eyes, put the cigarette back in her mouth, and continued wiping the cup.

The tavern fell silent again.

Roy put down his glass and took out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket.

A golden Den Den Mushi, its shell emblazoned with the symbol of Beehive Island.

He pressed a few keys, and the Den Den Mushi's eyes blinked twice, then transformed into the appearance of a woman—long eyelashes, red lips, and two rosy cheeks.

"Hancock".

Roy's voice was calm, but the reaction on the other end of the Den Den Mushi was anything but calm.

"Lord Roy—!!!"

The Den Den Mushi's simulated expression instantly became incredibly shy, its eyes turned into hearts, and its voice was so sweet it could melt hearts.

"You finally called me!"

I think of you so much every day that I can't sleep—"

"Alright, alright."

Roy interrupted her, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"Let's get down to business."

Hancock's voice immediately became more serious, but the Den Den Mushi's expression still featured heart-shaped eyes.

"Please speak."

"Straw Hat Luffy is currently flying towards Amazon Lily."

It will land on your island in about half a day.

"Straw Hat Luffy?"

Hancock's tone held a hint of doubt.

"Is that the supernova who's become so famous lately?"

"right."

"What should I do with him?"

"Don't hurt him."

Roy's tone was very serious.

"After he wakes up, tell him that Ace is going to be publicly executed."

Then—you take him to Impel Down.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

Then Hancock's voice rang out again, tinged with hesitation:

"Lord Roy, bringing a pirate into Impel Down... that's a serious crime."

Although I am a Shichibukai, if things are exposed—"

"It can't be exposed."

Roy interrupted her.

"Just follow my instructions."

Once you get to Impel Down, just hide him inside your clothes and take him in; he'll handle the rest.

Hancock paused for a few seconds, then her voice became firm:

"I understand."

"As long as it's Lord Roy's order, I will go through fire and water to carry it out."

"No need to go through fire and water, just lead the way."

After saying that, Roy added,

"By the way, if Luffy says or does anything strange, don't take it personally."

He's not very bright.

Hancock chuckled softly on the other end of the Den Den Mushi:

"I'd like to see what kind of person is being protected like this by Lord Roy."

"Alright, I'm hanging up."

"Lord Roy—I have one more request—"

"explain."

"Next time you come to Daughter Island, could you stay a few more days? I would like to—"

The voice on the other end of the Den Den Mushi grew softer and softer until it became a series of indistinct murmurs.

Roy hung up the phone immediately.

He put the Den Den Mushi back in his pocket, and when he looked up, he found Rayleigh looking at him with a strange expression.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Rayleigh raised his glass.

"I never expected that you would even manage to win over the Empress of Daughter Island."

"What does 'got it done' mean?"

Roy rolled his eyes.

That's called normal interpersonal communication.

"Normal interpersonal communication?"

Rayleigh almost choked on his drink.

"You call that kind of way of speaking normal interpersonal communication?"

Roy didn't bother to explain, picked up his glass and took a sip.

Rayleigh put down his glass, his expression changing from teasing to serious.

"Roy, I have a question for you."

"ask."

Why are you helping Luffy?

Roy paused for a moment, his hand holding the wine glass still.

He didn't answer immediately, but put down his glass and looked into Riley's eyes.

"Mr. Raleigh, I also have a question for you."

"Go ahead and ask."

"You are Roger's first mate, and Roger's son Ace is about to be publicly executed."

"You old men of the Roger Pirates—"

Roy's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.

"Are you really not planning to make a move?"

The air in the tavern seemed to freeze.

Xia Qi stopped wiping the glass, and a cigarette fell from the corner of her mouth, leaving a charred mark on the bar.

Big Bear turned to a page in the Bible and stopped at a certain page, but he didn't look up.

Rayleigh's hand, holding the wine glass, remained suspended in mid-air, motionless.

He looked into Roy's eyes, and Roy looked into his eyes.

Neither of them spoke.

The silence lasted for about ten seconds—but it felt like ten years.

Reilly put his glass on the bar and picked up the crumpled newspaper from the table.

The front page of the newspaper featured Ace's young face, an orange cowboy hat, freckles, and eyes just like Roger's.

Rayleigh stared at the photograph, his gaze becoming incredibly profound.

That profound feeling wasn't sadness or anger, but a complex emotion that defied description.

He looked at it for a long time, then folded the newspaper and put it aside.

Rayleigh picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp.

As he put down the cup, he said something:

"When Roger disbanded his pirate crew, he asked each of us to promise him one thing."

Roy didn't press further.

He knew Rayleigh wouldn't tell him what it was, and he also knew it must be related to the "Void Century" and the secret of the final island.

"Therefore you cannot intervene."

Roy spoke for Reilly what he hadn't said.

Reilly neither denied nor admitted it.

He simply poured himself another glass of wine, picked it up, and drank it.

Roy leaned back in his chair, looked at the chandelier on the ceiling, and sighed.

"Mr. Raleigh, do you know?"

"Sometimes I think you old-fashioned strongmen are quite pathetic."

"He clearly has the ability to change the world, but because of a promise, he trapped himself in a corner and watched the world be made a mess of by a bunch of bastards."

"Then I comforted myself by saying—this is Roger's choice, and we should respect his will."

Rayleigh's expression remained unchanged.

But his fingers gripped the wine glass tightly, his knuckles turning white.