Pirates on Rocks' Ship 996

Rayleigh then told Ace about his impression of Roger, and told him that Roger was a very great pirate.

“You might feel distant from Roger, or not as close as Newgate, but you’ve probably asked Newgate, haven’t you? Our captain… is truly a charismatic fellow! He might be an irresponsible father, and to you, an idiot, a idiot who created you for his own selfish desires! But… in my opinion, he’s still quite great!” Rayleigh said with a smile.

Ace nodded and said, "If you had said this to me a few years ago, I probably wouldn't have understood your feelings at all! To me... just like you said, he was more like a jerk than a father! But over the years... I think I've come to understand! So even if I can't accept him, I don't hate him anymore!"

"Hahaha... Is that so? If that's the case, then that's wonderful! Roger would be overjoyed if he knew! It's a pity you didn't inherit his will; it seems his wish will be in vain!" Rayleigh laughed as he replied to Ace's answer.

He could tell that, compared to Roger, Ace's personality and thoughts were probably closer to Whitebeard's, which was why he said that.

"His wish?" Ace asked, puzzled.

“That’s right, I told that guy before he even arrived in Laugh Tale that it was too early! But he didn’t believe me and insisted on going anyway! As a result, he found that he was indeed too early, so he was unwilling to give up and decided to have a child and let his child grow up before going! Obviously... his plan failed!” Reina said with a slight smile.

“Hahaha… Reina’s words were a bit blunt… but that’s roughly the gist of it! He was so certain back then that his child would become that person’s…” Reilly said with a hearty laugh.

Ace's face darkened. Was this something to be happy about? Why were Reina and Rayleigh so happy?

“Ace, have some water! Don’t pay attention to those two… they’re just jealous… Captain Roger already accomplished the feat of circumnavigating the globe. If you, who inherited his bloodline, were to reach Laugh Tale, it would be a huge embarrassment for these heroes of the sea! It would prove that they are not only inferior to Roger, but even inferior to Roger’s children!” Shakky brought Ace a glass of water and explained with a smile.

Seeing the slightly embarrassed Reina and Rayleigh, Ace suddenly realized.

Chapter 313 Reina's Suspicion

"So, Mr. Rayleigh, do you think it's appropriate for Ace to stay here?" Rayleigh asked after Rayleigh explained the current situation to him.

"I never expected such a troublesome figure to appear on the high seas. Are you even so wary of him?" Rayleigh asked, his smile fading as he frowned.

“That’s right, that guy is not to be underestimated! If we’re not careful… our entire Whitebeard Pirates will be in danger, so I absolutely cannot allow that to happen!” Reina nodded and said.

“Although I really want to ask Ace to stay with me… but as you said, no one in this world can withstand the erosion of time… I’m afraid I no longer have the ability to protect Ace!” Rayleigh shook his head and said.

It's not that his strength has declined, but rather that he's now alone, and his strength has diminished, so he can't guarantee that he can still protect Ace's safety 100%.

But if Ace really stays here, he has a solution: take Ace to a deserted island so that no one will threaten them.

However, Rayleigh wasn't really willing. He had finally settled into a peaceful life and didn't want to be involved in such troublesome matters again.

Secondly, this is essentially a matter within the Whitebeard Pirates' own affairs, and he is, after all, an outsider, so it's not convenient for him to interfere.

"Alright then! I'll take Ace with me. I'll have him come see you again when he has time!" Reina understood Rayleigh's meaning when he heard Rayleigh's reply, so he nodded and replied.

After bidding farewell to Rayleigh, Reina led Ace and the Frank Pirates toward Crescent Moon Island. He now had a preliminary plan to deal with Teach, but some details still needed to be perfected. So, along the way, Reina was thinking about how to make the plan work even better.

When Reina and the others returned to Crescent Island, they discovered that the Moby Dick had not returned to Crescent Island. Whitebeard now preferred to wander and adventure on the high seas and did not particularly like staying on Crescent Island.

Therefore, only Hansen and his guards remained on Crescent Island, along with Dr. Asie, who was conducting various strange experiments in the laboratory on the Sky Island.

Speaking of Dr. Assie, although he has made some inventions over the years, he no longer has the same obsession with the laboratory as before. Instead, he has focused more of his energy on Olga, and his research direction has become quite strange.

Besides improving Den Den Mushi, he also invented a weight-loss drug, a hot air balloon-like vehicle that could travel between the sky island and ships after the sky island took off, and some very strange things that did not help in battle.

For example, there are industries that accelerate growth, such as feed production and equipment improvements in liquor factories.

This caused even Reina to forget that this was the super doctor who had researched and developed pure gold back then.

However, Dr. Asie is quite satisfied with his current life. After Olga goes to sea with the Moby Dick, he will be completely immersed in the experiment, but once Olga returns, he will immediately break free, even if it interrupts his experiment.

The Whitebeard Pirates have gotten used to this kind of doctor. If he were to come up with a super weapon one day, they might not believe it.

Meanwhile, in the sky above a certain sea area along the Grand Line.

"Indigo... what were the results of the experiment?" Shiki the Golden Lion asked with a hint of excitement.

"It's a complete success... those enormous beasts have been bred and we're ready to go at any time!" Indigo, the Golden Lion's second-in-command, said excitedly.

"Is that so? It's finally done... How many years has it been? Has the world almost forgotten me? Let's go... Let the world remember the fear of being dominated by me! Hehehehehe..." Shiki the Golden Lion rose from his seat and said with a maniacal laugh.

"So, Captain... do we need to summon our former subordinates now? Is it time for our Golden Lion Fleet to be resurrected?" Indigo asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"The Golden Lion Fleet? No... I don't need those useless people at all... I'll go find someone first. If he joins us... our plan will be much simpler!" Golden Lion Shiki slowly walked out of the hall. The sunlight was a bit dazzling, but after looking at the floating islands around him, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up. He was quite satisfied with his masterpiece.

Watching Shiki leave, Indigo shook his head and said softly, "Captain... haven't given up yet? That guy isn't one to change his mind so easily!"

However, he didn't dare say this to Shiki the Golden Lion to his face, because Shiki was the kind of person who wouldn't allow anyone to go against his wishes; all you had to do was follow his orders.

His abandonment of the Golden Lion Fleet shows that he doesn't value his so-called subordinates much. He only values ​​those who are capable, and he only values ​​their abilities, just like Indigo himself. Once they are no longer of use, the Golden Lion may quickly abandon them.

So even though Indigo is the Golden Lion's confidant, there are some things he knows he can't say, otherwise he'll be abandoned by the Golden Lion sooner or later.

Meanwhile, after returning to Crescent Moon Island, he discovered that Whitebeard was not there. So he immediately contacted Whitebeard through a Den Den Mushi and asked him to come back, as he had some important matters to discuss with him.

After Whitebeard agreed, the Moby Dick began its return journey. At the same time, Marco, who had been following behind the Moby Dick, also appeared. Although Whitebeard had noticed him long ago, he had not revealed it.

Moreover, thanks to the comprehensive equipment on his hard shell, Marco has been living quite comfortably during this period.

“That kid Reina seems to have obtained some important intelligence in Alabasta, so he’s in a hurry for me to come back, and he told me not to tell anyone except you, including the captain! Tell me, what secret did that kid discover?” Whitebeard asked Marco, who had returned to the team.

“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me much, he just told us to hurry back!” Marco shook his head, hesitated for a moment, and said, “But since he asked for it to be kept secret… he must have his reasons!”

"You also think that what that kid said... is implying that there's a traitor within our ranks? And it even includes the captains other than you. This is no small matter!" Whitebeard said worriedly.

“Reina hasn’t said anything explicitly, probably because he’s afraid we’ll alert him! Besides, he’s not a reckless person. Maybe he’s planning to wait until Dad goes back and discuss it before announcing it!” Marco had a lot of confidence in Reina.

"I have a bad feeling... I order the navigator to speed up and return directly to Xuan Yue Island!" Whitebeard looked up at the sea outside the window and said softly.

“Yes, Father!” Marco nodded and replied.

When the Moby Dick returned to Crescent Moon Island, Reyner personally greeted Whitebeard at the port. Seeing Reyner's smiling face, it seemed that nothing had happened, and Whitebeard secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Even the banquet that night was held as usual, and Reina didn't speak to Whitebeard alone. It seemed to be just like when they returned to Crescent Moon Island. The only difference was that Reina personally invited a pirate crew to join Whitebeard's crew, which made people think a lot.

However, at the banquet, after Ace said that they would fight to the death against powerful enemies in Alabasta and would protect the honor of the Whitebeard Pirates even if they were wiped out, everyone became closer to them.

"This guy... was on the verge of death when he arrived in Albana. But the first thing he did after regaining consciousness was to look for the Whitebeard Pirates' flag that he had hidden. When he found it missing, he almost committed suicide to atone for his sins!" Ace boasted, pointing to the Frank Pirates member he had saved.

"Not bad~ You're a real man! If anyone bullies you in the future, just say my name, Lakuyo. I'm the captain of the Seventh Division!" Lakuyo said with a smile, raising his wine glass.

He likes tough guys like that.

"Captain Rakuyo is joking!" the member said somewhat embarrassedly. "That flag not only represents the glory of the Whitebeard Pirates, but also the hope of all of us. If I had dropped it, I really wouldn't know how to explain it to the captain, so I was really terrified! Fortunately, Captain Ace took it away, otherwise I would have had to atone with my death!"

"Hahaha... Don't bring up death! We, the Whitebeard Pirates, aren't like those weird pirate crews. We're all family, so people are the most important thing! Reina must be unhappy with your behavior, right? He's always thought those things are all nonsense! He'll protect them when he has the ability, but compared to life, they're nothing!" Vista said with a loud laugh.

"Yeah, when the first mate found out, he not only scolded him, but he also gave me a good dressing down. He said that since he liked that flag so much, he would be in charge of it on the ship from now on, and if it got even a little dirty, we would all be punished! But that flag is the symbol of our Whitebeard Pirates' spirit, so even if the first mate hadn't said anything, we wouldn't have let it get dirty!" Frank said with a grin.

"Hahaha..." Everyone burst into laughter when they found Falak's words amusing.

After the banquet ended that day, Whitebeard returned to his room but did not go to sleep. Sure enough, Reina came in a little while later.

"Big brother hasn't rested yet?" Reina asked with a smile.

"Do you think I don't know what kind of person you are? Now that such a big thing has happened, you think you can just let me sleep peacefully?" the white-bearded man said with a look of dissatisfaction.

Reina slowly put away his smile, first giving a general account of what happened in Alabasta, and then focusing on Blackbeard Teach's situation in detail, including his speculations.

"You mean... only a few people know Ace's identity, so you suspect that one of the captains leaked it?" Whitebeard asked, frowning.

Reina shook his head and said, "It's not that the captain is a spy. They don't really guard against their own team members, so it's possible that they accidentally let something slip and it was overheard by an inside agent! Besides our side, there's also the possibility of leaks from the places where Garp and Ace lived as children. I'm just doing this as a precaution!"

As for the fact that Gamenho and the others did not die, Reina only thought about what methods they used back then, and did not think it had anything to do with the traitor.

"So what do you plan to do this time?" Whitebeard asked after a moment of contemplation.

Chapter 314 Dark-Dark Fruit

"Hey~ Reina, what brings you here? Have a seat!" Sachi, who was studying recipes at home, said with a smile when he saw Reina come in.

"I've come to see you about something!" Reina plopped down on the sofa and asked, "Have you acquired any Devil Fruits lately?"

"A Devil Fruit?" Sachi was taken aback, then shook his head and said, "I haven't gone out lately, I've been by Dad's side the whole time, and I haven't been assigned any Devil Fruits! What's wrong?"

"Didn't he obtain a Devil Fruit?" Reina stroked his chin and thought for a moment. According to the original plot, Sachi should have obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit before this! Why hadn't he heard Sachi mention it until now, and even when he asked, Sachi denied it?

Could it be that his appearance prevented Sachi from obtaining the Dark-Dark Fruit?

"What about before? Did you still have any Devil Fruits you had eaten?" Reina asked, somewhat unwilling to give up.

"No edible ones? Then you'll have to check the warehouse!" Sachi nodded and said, "Nobody wanted the few Zoan-type Devil Fruits we got before, and we were planning to sell them, right? But then you said that Devil Fruits are strategic resources and can't be sold, so we handed over all the Devil Fruits we got to the warehouse!"

Reina was taken aback, only then remembering this matter.

In the past, the treasures they obtained through adventures were all directly distributed.

However, Reiner later built a warehouse to store some of the items he designated as strategic materials.

In other words, the harvest is first distributed, and then the warehouse collects these resources from individuals. These resources then become the strategic reserves of the Whitebeard Pirates. Some members who need them can use their contribution to the Whitebeard Pirates to exchange for items that help their own strength, including Devil Fruits.

"So... you've just thrown all the Devil Fruits you got on your adventures into the warehouse?" Reina asked Sachi, speechless.

Although he was the one who built it, only Whitebeard had the key to the warehouse, and it was also managed by Whitebeard himself, so Reina gradually forgot about it.

"No, that's not it. We mainly check if the members need it first. If they do, we give it to them directly. If not, we put it in the warehouse! We might not need it, but other teams might! This warehouse system has been praised by many people!" Sachi said with a smile.

"So have you ever seen a pale purple Devil Fruit?" After figuring it out, Reina finally understood where the problem lay.

"Light purple? You're not talking about that one... right? The one with the spiral-shaped pattern that looks like a snail, and a bit like a pineapple?" Sachi asked in surprise.

Reina's spirits lifted; Sachi indeed knew, so he immediately asked, "Yes, that one, you know it?"

"Ah~ I found it during one of my adventures. I asked the captains about it when I got back, but wasn't that when you were loudly proclaiming your Haki training? So none of them wanted it! But it looks a bit like a Logia-type Devil Fruit, so it wasn't easy to just distribute it. I just threw it in the warehouse!" Sachi nodded and replied.

"Warehouse? I see! Thanks, don't tell anyone about me looking for you today!" Reina said, already outside the door. He was hurrying to find Whitebeard; given Whitebeard's personality, he probably wouldn't care about a mere Devil Fruit. It would be terrible if someone swapped it!

When Reina finally found Whitebeard, to Reina's surprise, Whitebeard actually knew about the Devil Fruit.

"It was swapped? Who was it?" Reina asked in surprise.

"It's Hansen!" Whitebeard said with a smile. "When he came to me, I gave it to him directly! You know, his strength was greatly reduced because of what happened last time. If he had a Logia-type ability, his strength would increase a lot! It can be considered as making up for some of his losses!"

"Ah~ it's that guy! But didn't he consider himself a swordsman and not want to use a Devil Fruit? Why is he suddenly..." Reina stopped mid-sentence.

"Over the years... we have wronged him a lot... that incident injured him badly, and he couldn't even recover his strength. This was a big blow to him, which is why he chose to stay on Xuan Yue Island for a long time!" Whitebeard sighed and said.

Reina remained silent. He had brought Hansen into the Whitebeard Pirates, and after that incident, everyone had taken good care of him. In fact, there was nothing he owed them.

However, he was originally a proud person, and asking a swordsman to eat a Devil Fruit was a difficult thing to do, so it is clear that the decline in strength still made Hansen very concerned.

"Then I'll go check on Hansen!" After chatting with Whitebeard for a while, Reina left Whitebeard's place to go find Hansen.

If Hansen has already eaten the fruit, then the plan to lure Teach with the Dark-Dark Fruit will have to be abandoned.

"Is it really the only option to use Ace?" Reina still had some doubts. Firstly, Ace wasn't an object, but his partner. Using a partner as bait, not to mention him, even Whitebeard probably wouldn't agree.

"Hey! What are you thinking about standing at my door? Are you coming in or not?" Suddenly, Hansen's words interrupted Reina's thoughts. Only then did he realize that he was standing motionless at Hansen's door, while Hansen was standing to the side holding a large bag of things.