Pirates on Rocks' Ship 996

Reina shook his head and said, "It's nothing difficult, just a suggestion... Whether His Majesty the King agrees or not, it's fine!"

"Oh? I'd like to hear more!" After inviting Reina and Ace to sit down, King Cobra formally asked.

"I wish to form an alliance between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Kingdom of Alabasta on behalf of the Whitebeard Pirates!" Reina's words shocked Cobra and the others.

“Wait… Lord Reina…” Cobra hadn’t spoken when Icarum interrupted Reina, saying directly, “Has Your Excellency forgotten? We are a member state of the World Government. We can never ally with pirates!”

"And who is this...?" Reina asked, feigning ignorance of the other person.

“This is the captain of the Kingdom Guard, one of my most trusted men!” Cobra immediately introduced. “Although it was somewhat impolite to interrupt you, Icarum is right, we will not ally with any pirates!”

Reina shrugged, saying with a slightly relaxed tone, "Alright! After what you've said, I shouldn't say anything more... but I still hope you can listen to me. If you still refuse after I've finished speaking... then just pretend I never said anything, okay?"

"Please speak!" King Cobra and Icarum exchanged a glance, then nodded and spoke.

"I know that your Nefertari family is one of the twenty royal families that founded the World Government eight hundred years ago, so we don't really intend for you to announce any alliance with our Whitebeard Pirates! It's just... how should I put it? There are some things we also hope to raise at the World Government Summit... so we hope you can be our representatives!"

"Of course, it's not that you have to agree to all our demands! If we have any suggestions... first of all, we want to let you know that if you feel it's necessary, or if it doesn't harm your Alabasta's interests and position, we hope you can speak up for us!"

Reina spoke quite calmly, but his words stirred up a huge uproar in the hearts of Cobra and the others.

"I wonder what your purpose is, sir... or rather, what is the purpose of your Whitebeard Pirates?" Cobra remained silent for a long time, digesting Reina's words, before swallowing hard and asking.

"Although I really want to say that we really didn't mean anything by it... I know you won't believe me! Actually, this was just a spur-of-the-moment idea of ​​mine, even my older brother doesn't know about it! When I met King Cobra, this idea suddenly popped into my head. Maybe our Whitebeard Pirates... should also make our voices heard!"

Reina shook his head and said, "That's why I said... it's okay if you refuse! Because this really isn't part of our plan!"

"So what does Your Excellency wish us to convey to the World Government?" Cobra asked after a moment's thought.

Reina shrugged and replied, "I don't know! Didn't I already say? I just felt it should be this way. It wasn't planned in advance, so there's nothing I hope you can convey right now! I just hope that if there are any such requests in the future, King Cobra can help!"

"Phew~" King Cobra breathed a sigh of relief and said, "If it is truly as Your Excellency says, something that benefits the world, then I will not hesitate to do it!"

"Don't worry, as I just said, if we have anything we want to express, we'll naturally tell you first. If you're willing, we'll help us convey it; if not... we absolutely won't force you!" Reina nodded and said:

"In return... I'll arrange for someone to set up a contact point in Albana. If you encounter any trouble... like Crocodile... we'll send someone over to handle it!"

“If it were just this, you wouldn’t have gone to such lengths, would you? I believe that with the power of your Whitebeard Pirates, finding a representative from a World Government member state wouldn’t be difficult at all!” Icarus spoke up after a moment of silence.

After the Crocodile incident, Icarus no longer believed in free lunches.

"You're right! We're pirates... To be honest... we're not really interested in politics or nations. Besides, my suggestion was just a spur-of-the-moment thought, but there's another reason behind it! That is, we hope to obtain some intelligence through Alabasta..."

"For example, if there's anything concerning our Whitebeard Pirates, I hope you can inform us immediately, or share any decisions made at the World Government Summit with us!" Reina said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Cobra and Ikaram simultaneously showed expressions of sudden realization.

Although the issues discussed at each world conference are made public, some sensitive matters are kept secret, and some truly confidential topics are beyond the reach of smaller countries.

As an ancient nation with a history spanning thousands of years, and one of the twenty royal families that founded the World Government eight hundred years ago, Alabasta basically has the right and qualification to participate in any meeting, and the information they receive is absolutely firsthand.

After listening to Reina's words, Cobra was certain that Alabasta had exchanged intelligence for the Whitebeard Pirates' protection, and not just direct protection, but covert support.

“Lord Reina… I can’t give an answer to this matter right now. Perhaps… I should think about it!” King Cobra said after a moment’s thought.

“Absolutely no problem. As I said, Your Majesty need not feel troubled. If you disagree, that’s fine too. Given my relationship with Mr. Bell, I will not stand idly by if you ask me for help! It’s just that we are in the New World after all. By the time we get the news and come over, it may be too late!” Reina nodded and said with a smile.

Cobra smiled slightly, not taking it seriously, and said to Bell, "Then you should take your two distinguished guests to rest!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Bell nodded and led Reina and Ace directly to the guest room.

After Bell left, Ace asked, puzzled, "First mate... why did you choose Alabasta?"

"Hehe... This is called being prepared... It seems like they've gained an advantage, but think about it carefully... Even if they don't give us any intelligence, are we at a disadvantage? Actually, we haven't given anything either! What kind of country is Alabasta? Not only is its military powerful, but its background is also powerful, and even the World Government has to give them face!"

Even Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, could only resort to underhanded tactics to deal with them! Was it because he wasn't strong enough? In the Alabasta Kingdom... Crocodile was practically invincible, so why didn't he just wipe out the royal family here? "Reina said with a light laugh.

Ace was stunned, completely unexpected that there were so many twists and turns involved.

"As expected... it's better to leave this kind of thing to the first mate!" Ace said, his face full of exasperation.

Within the Whitebeard Pirates, everyone had reached a consensus: any troublesome or difficult-to-solve matters could be handled by Reiner.

After the two tidied up and washed up a bit, Reina said to Ace, "Your brother is here too, aren't you going to see him?"

Ace hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "That kid seems to be seriously injured. It would be good to go and check on him!"

“Go ahead, and if you meet a little girl named Nami, tell her I’m waiting for it here!” Reina waved his hand and said.

Ace nodded, left the room, found a guard, and asked him to take him to the Straw Hat crew's resting place.

Chapter 309 Reuniting with an Old Friend

After Ace found Luffy and his crew, he told Nami that Reina was waiting for her in his room.

After finding Reina, Nami was overjoyed. The two then talked about the changes in Cocoyasi Village after Reina left.

"Those fishmen really did go to the East Sea!" Reina exclaimed after hearing this.

"Huh!? You know about those fishmen?" Nami asked with a hint of surprise.

Reina nodded and said, "I've known Arlong since he was a child! Later, when Fisher Tiger, the first captain of the Fishman Pirates, died, the Fishman Pirates fell apart and split into two groups. One was the New Fishman Pirates led by Jinbe, the second captain of the Fishman Pirates, and the other was the remaining fishmen led by Arlong!"

"Their biggest point of disagreement lies in their attitude towards humans! Jinbe and his group believe that they should heed Tiger's last wishes and live peacefully with humans! Arlong and his group, on the other hand, believe that Tiger's death is related to humans and that humans should not be let off easily!"

"Ah~~ I see! But Arlong seems quite wary of us after he learned we know you, is that why?" Nami immediately understood Reina's meaning when she thought of Arlong's attitude towards humans.

"When Jinbe led the New Fishman Pirates to join our Whitebeard Pirates, Arlong had just been arrested by Kizaru. Jinbe used his status as a Shichibukai to rescue Arlong, but Arlong was ungrateful and left with his subordinates!"

“Because I heard them say before that they seemed to be planning to go to the East Blue. Although their strength is not great, they are enough to dominate the East Blue. I was afraid they would do something reckless. I just thought of the gold I left for Nojiko, so I specially asked Jinbe to pass on a message to Arlong: if he dares to attack the holder of any gold engraved with my name, I will kill him!” Reina explained with a smile.

"No wonder~ After Arlong saw Nojiko's gold, he didn't dare to mess with the villagers anymore. Although he still bullied us, he never killed anyone! I thought he was just using us as a long-term money bag, but it turns out there was another reason behind it!" Nami said with sudden realization.

"Hahaha... That guy got a few scoldings from me when he was a kid because of his foul mouth! And the person he respects most is Fisher Tiger, and Tiger and I are very close! So that guy is a little afraid of me!" Reina said with a smile. "But speaking of which, how good are your navigation skills now?"

When Reina asked about navigation, Nami immediately felt like a teacher asking about her grades, and quickly perked up to answer.

"That's amazing... Your navigation skills are already better than mine! The only thing you lack is experience... But I can't help you with that; you'll have to learn it yourself through sailing!" After chatting for a while, Reina exclaimed, "Truly a guy with a talent for navigation!"

"No... I still know too little about the Grand Line!" Nami replied shyly, shaking her head.

"Actually, with your navigation skills, you're already perfectly capable of navigating the first half of the Grand Line! But have you decided on the route to the Sabaody Archipelago?" Reina asked with a smile.

"Hmm! Although it's confirmed... but our captain..." Nami said with a hint of helplessness, "might not follow the route!"

“Hahaha…” Reina knew Luffy’s personality and that he probably wouldn’t follow the route quietly, so he said, “There shouldn’t be any problems with the first half of the Grand Line, since it’s not as dangerous as the New World.”

"The New World?" Nami was taken aback. It seemed like this wasn't the first time she'd heard the term, but she didn't understand what it meant.

"Ah~ The New World! That's the second half of the Grand Line! This point is divided by the Sabaody Archipelago! In the first half of the Grand Line, as you should know, there are seven different routes, but they all end at the Sabaody Archipelago!"

And the latter half of the Grand Line, after the Sabaody Archipelago, is called the New World! In that world, the first half of the Grand Line is paradise! What you see as incredibly dangerous, the first half of the Grand Line, is, in our eyes, simply a joyful paradise!

Reina gave Nami a simple explanation of some basic facts.

Nami swallowed hard, asking incredulously, "This... and it's just Paradise? How terrifying is your so-called New World?"

"Hahaha... Don't worry, your strength will have increased by the time you arrive!" Reina said with a laugh.

"What... what if our strength doesn't increase?" Nami asked curiously.

“Then you definitely won’t make it… because you’ll be done for halfway there!” Reina replied sinisterly.

Nami froze on the spot, as if petrified; she really hadn't thought of any of this.

"Hahaha... Don't worry, there won't be any problems. With your strength, the first half... If you don't do anything reckless, there shouldn't be any issues. There are only two regions worth paying attention to: Alabasta and the Devil's Triangle!" Reina laughed happily when he saw Nami's expression.

"Alabasta and the Devil's Triangle? If Alabasta is because of Crocodile... then is the Devil's Triangle also...?" Nami asked instinctively, startled.

“That’s right, there’s also one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea there. The rest of the Seven Warlords rarely come to the first half of the Grand Line, even though they live in the New World! But you can rest assured, based on your current route, you shouldn’t reach the Devil’s Triangle! As long as you don’t change your route, there shouldn’t be any problems!” Reina nodded and replied.

"Phew~ that's good!" Nami quietly breathed a sigh of relief and said.

Dealing with Crocodile was already extremely dangerous; if she had to face another Shichibukai, she really didn't know if she could defeat him.

While Nami and Reina were chatting, Sanji, who was in his room, was anxiously pacing around in circles.

"Sanji, why are you so worried? Nami said that Mr. Reina is a very nice person and was her mentor in navigation. There shouldn't be any need to worry about her safety, right? They have a teacher-student relationship!" Chopper asked, looking puzzled.

"Teacher and student?" Upon hearing Chopper's words, Sanji seemed to think of something indescribable, and his expression immediately turned even more grim. He gritted his teeth and said, "Teacher and student... is the most dangerous relationship!"

The naive Chopper didn't understand the deeper meaning in Sanji's words, but Usopp and Zoro did, and their faces darkened as they cursed Sanji inwardly as a perverted chef.

As for Ace, he wasn't in the room at the time. After arriving, he found Luffy still asleep, so he left after relaying a message to Nami.

He also didn't want to interrupt Reina and Nami's conversation, so he simply went to explore downtown Albana to see if there were any local specialties he could bring back as gifts for everyone.

However, when he got to the street, he found that the entire Albana was severely damaged due to the war, and there were even some places that he had destroyed himself. So, feeling guilty, Ace quickly took a detour to a less crowded place to avoid being recognized and embarrassed.

But just as he approached the west gate, he encountered a man lying on the ground, seriously injured.

"Hmm? Are they refugees? Or... victims of war...?" Ace glanced at the other person. Because of the country's previous internal strife, Ace wasn't surprised to see such a person.

But as he was about to leave, he noticed some tattoos peeking out from under his tattered clothes.

"Tear~"

Ace ripped open the other man's clothes, revealing the tattoos underneath. He was immediately startled, patted the man's face, and asked, "Hey...hey...can you hear me? Can you hear me? Who are you? Why do you have the Whitebeard Pirates' logo on your clothes?"

However, the other party seemed to be seriously injured and dehydrated, and had already passed out. No matter how Ace called out, the other party did not respond.

Just as Ace was about to take the person for treatment, something fell off the person.

"This is...our flag?" Picking up the item from the ground, Ace opened it and was surprised to find that it was actually the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates. Moreover, it wasn't a counterfeit, but the real flag of the Whitebeard Pirates. Their flags were all made by Reina using special fabric, which outsiders could not imitate at all.

Upon seeing the flag, Ace knew that the person was either a member of the Whitebeard Pirates or someone with some connection to them; otherwise, it would be impossible for them to possess their pirate flag.

So Ace carried the other person directly to the palace. He needed to tell Reina about this, and the palace also had the best doctors who could treat the other person.

When Ace returned to the palace, he found that the once quiet palace had become lively, because Luffy had woken up.

Luffy had regained consciousness and should have gone to check on him, but he had more important things to do, so he carried the injured man directly to Reiner's room.

By this time, Nami had already gone back, and only Reina was left here.

"Where did you find him?" Reina asked, his face darkening as he saw the injured man's face.

"It's over at the cemetery in the west of the city. There are very few people there. I saw his tattoos when I passed by, so I took a closer look!" Ace replied.

“He’s the pirate I met on the road before…” Reina recognized him as soon as he saw him and told Ace about his identity.

“Since he is indeed one of ours… then how did he become like this? Shouldn’t they be waiting for the first mate to return on the Santo River shore?” Ace asked, puzzled.

“I don’t know! If we want to know… it seems we’ll have to wait until he’s fully awake!” Reina shook his head and said.

Just then, a doctor carrying a medical kit walked in and asked, "Where is the injured person?"