Pirates on Rocks' Ship 996

Zephyr hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's right! When I was little... I heard my father talk about it! A merman who called himself a Naga once saved him!"

"What?" Naga's expression changed. She took two steps forward and asked, "Where did your father meet Naga?"

“North Sea!” Zefa said softly.

"Impossible! Our Naga race would never go to the oceans beyond the Grand Line!" The Naga shook her head and said.

"Oh? Why?" Zefa asked in surprise.

“This…” Naga hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, “I don’t know why, but that’s what my mother told me! She said that there might be other Naga people on the Grand Line, but it’s absolutely impossible for them to be in the Four Seas, and she also instructed me not to go to the Four Seas!”

“I see!” Zepha nodded and said, “But I didn’t lie to you. My father really did say that he was saved by the Naga in the North Sea! Your Naga race is a legendary race, and very few people have even heard of them! So I don’t doubt my father’s words!”

"Hoo~" Naga took a deep breath and didn't say anything, but her eyes began to flicker.

Jinbe, who was standing nearby, seemed to have noticed something and changed the subject to change the subject.

Everyone clearly knew that this was a matter concerning their Naga race, and since they didn't want to talk about it, there was no need for them to keep pressing the issue.

Not long after, Jinbe, along with the members of the New Sun Pirates and Naga, bid farewell and left.

Once the Moby Dick was far away, Jinbe asked the Naga beside him, "Do you want to go to the North Blue?"

“That’s right!” Naga nodded and replied, “If there are still Naga people there, as the queen, I have the duty and responsibility to take care of them!”

"But have you thought about it? If the number of Naga increases, your secret will inevitably be exposed, and then... including you, you may not be able to continue to survive on Fishman Island!" Jinbe said after a moment of silence.

“I know! That’s why I’m going to the North Sea! If my people are there, I will choose to live there! But please rest assured, I will restrain them and they must never lay a hand on our compatriots!” Naga nodded and said earnestly.

“I think… you’d better talk to Prince Shark Star!” Jinbe said somewhat awkwardly.

After all, Naga is not the same as when she first arrived. Now she has another identity: the future queen of Fishman Island!

If she really leaves Fishman Island to settle in the North Sea, what will Prince Shark Star do?

Chapter 488 Clarification

"So the reason you attacked Marine Headquarters... is this?" Zephyr's lips twitched, staring at Whitebeard and Reyna in shock.

He had been on the Moby Dick for three days, and he was finally persuaded by Reina to go to Xuan Yue Island to see his two disciples before leaving.

After holding it in for three days, he finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him: Why did the Whitebeard Pirates launch such a sudden attack on the Marine Headquarters?

As it turned out, Whitebeard and Reina told him that it was just to spar with Garp.

Upon hearing this answer, Zefa really felt an urge to burst out laughing.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" This was Zephyr's truest thought.

Attacking Marine Headquarters just to spar with Garp?

He really wanted the two men in front of him to go out and ask around, to see if anyone would attack Marineford for such a reason.

If Aokiji hadn't been out of town and Kizaru hadn't been away from headquarters, their attack wouldn't have gone so smoothly. If the Moby Dick had been entangled, it would have been a fierce battle, and even the Whitebeard Pirates would have suffered heavy losses.

Although it is likely to be a lose-lose situation, the navy will not gain any advantage either.

But listen to the reasons for fighting? Are these things human beings would say?

Zefa was quite angry, even to the point of wanting to laugh.

However, Zephyr was somewhat surprised after Reina explained the reason.

"Have you reached that level yet?"

Reina rolled his eyes and replied, "Is that so strange? My strength isn't that bad, is it?"

In fact, if it weren't for the sudden appearance of the Tower of Trials, he wouldn't have reached such a level for the time being.

"Hahaha... Your abilities are too diverse. I thought you wouldn't even reach this level!" Zefa said with a loud laugh.

Whitebeard, standing to the side, nodded in agreement, seemingly agreeing with Zephyr's statement.

"My ability is very simple, okay?" Reina couldn't help but mutter in defense.

“Simple? Heh... Do you know why many powerful people don’t even eat Devil Fruits? It’s not that eating a Devil Fruit creates a weakness; that’s just one aspect!” Zephyr shook his head and said, “Because once you eat a Devil Fruit, you gain an additional type of energy within your body!”

“But isn’t my elder brother a top-tier expert?” Reina asked, frowning.

“Didn’t you just say you wanted to follow Garp’s path?” Zephyr shook his head, glanced at Whitebeard, and said, “Newgate is different. He developed his Devil Fruit ability to the extreme. His physical strength was entirely due to the need to withstand the Devil Fruit’s power! But we are different! Our physical strength is our fighting power!”

“That’s right! And no matter what kind of fruit it is, using it will put a burden on the body, and may even cause irreversible damage! So if you want to become a strong person by focusing on physical strength, not eating a Devil Fruit is the best choice!” Whitebeard nodded and said.

“That’s right! Through constant training and pushing his body’s limits time and time again, he maintains the activity of his body’s cells. That’s why Garp’s strength hasn’t declined with age!” Zephyr nodded in agreement.

“Does that mean… I have no chance of becoming that kind of strong person?” Reina said, frowning.

“Look at me… I haven’t eaten a Devil Fruit either, and I’ve trained relentlessly for years, but my strength has still declined! Do you know why?” Zephyr pointed to himself and said, “Because I can’t keep pushing my body’s limits like Garp! Can you do that?”

“This…” Reina hesitated.

His physique has always been his weakest point. It's not that he's been lazy and hasn't been exercising, but rather that his other abilities have grown too fast. It's already quite difficult for his physique to keep up with these abilities. He simply doesn't have the talent to make them as good as his other abilities!

At this moment, Reina looked at Whitebeard, who nodded helplessly and said, "That's right, that's exactly it! I can't do it either, but I've developed my Devil Fruit ability to its fullest potential! So my physical abilities have naturally improved as well!"

Reina blinked, not quite understanding what Whitebeard meant.

Fortunately, Zephyr was there. As the chief instructor of the Navy and the one who trained three admirals, he gave Reina a proper explanation.

To put it simply, when Whitebeard first set sail and hadn't yet obtained the Devil Fruit, his physical attributes were 10, and his growth rate was also 10!

Later, he obtained a Devil Fruit. The initial power of the fruit was 10, but the growth coefficient was 20. Therefore, it was more worthwhile for him to develop the fruit's power, and his combat power increased faster.

However, simply developing the Devil Fruit's power is not enough, because the body cannot withstand it!

Therefore, it is essential to exercise.

Then at this time, you train your body, but the power of the fruit will also become stronger as your body gets stronger, and because of the higher growth coefficient, it will grow faster than your physical fitness.

The stronger the Devil Fruit's power, the stronger the host's body needs to be; otherwise, you simply cannot fully unleash the Devil Fruit's powerful abilities.

Trafalgar Law is the best example. Isn't his Devil Fruit ability strong? It's very strong!

But why isn't his fighting ability as exaggerated? Because his body can't keep up!

This also means that he can't use his abilities much in battle. If you can't use your abilities, then what's the use of having strong abilities?

Actually, Reina is the same in this respect. Isn't his ability strong? Whether it's the Sharingan, Hyōrinmaru, or even the Black Emperor's ability, they are all incredibly powerful.

But why can't he beat these top experts?

It's very simple; he simply doesn't have enough stamina to sustain him in the fight.

If he had Whitebeard's physique, he could easily take on the three admirals, let alone Garp.

If I had Garp's physique, I could take on all three admirals at once without any problem!

That's why Zefa always emphasizes that the body is the foundation of everything.

Of course, this applies to those who are talented enough to challenge the top experts; it doesn't matter to those who don't have such talent.

Why was Whitebeard so powerful?

It's not just because his Devil Fruit ability has been developed to its fullest potential, but also because he has a sufficiently powerful physical talent to use this ability that has been developed to its fullest potential.

Without such a strong physical talent as a foundation, he would not have been able to develop his Devil Fruit ability to the current level.

After fully understanding, Reina could only manage a wry smile.

Because his weakest point is his physical talent.

Seeing Reina's lack of enthusiasm, Whitebeard chuckled and said, "You idiot! Your physical abilities aren't up to par, but now you have a great teacher, right? This guy may not be strong right now, but his teaching skills are still there! As long as he can teach you, even if he doesn't break through to the level of that freak Garp, he can at least help you take your strength to another level. Then, combined with your own abilities, you can reach the level of a top-tier powerhouse!"

As soon as Whitebeard finished speaking, Reina's eyes lit up.

That's right! I'm not trying to turn my body into Garp's level. If I improve a little more, I can go further in the Tower of Trials and get more points. Then I can not only break through my Sharingan, but I might also get more points to improve my other abilities.

By then, my overall strength will definitely have increased by several levels, and I might actually succeed.

“Don’t look at me like that! I told you, after I get to Crescent Moon Island and meet Binz and Ain, I’ll find a small island to live in seclusion and won’t care about these things anymore!” Zefa shook his head and said when he saw Reina’s eyes shining.

“Alright, I won’t say much else, but at least you can teach me a thing or two before you leave, right? We’ve been friends for years, after all!” Reina raised an eyebrow and said.

However, that's not what he really thought. Once they arrived at Xuan Yue Island, it would be his territory, and what he did then would probably be beyond Zefa's control.

However, before arriving at Crescent Island, Zephyr had already begun teaching Reina on the Moby Dick. For no other reason than that he and Reina had been rivals and old friends over the years, and he wanted to help him out if he could!

After Zephyr's guidance, Reina spent more time training every day. Before, although he trained every day, it was mostly to complete missions. But now it's different; he's now training to become stronger.

With the training specially designed for him by Zefa, Reina felt that even with his terrible physical abilities, he was constantly getting stronger.

This feeling usually only comes when physical skills are upgraded.

Chapter 489 Master and Disciple Meet

"Ah~ We're finally back! The air in the waters around Xuan Yue Island is so captivating!" Looking at Xuan Yue Island not far away, many members of the Whitebeard Pirates began to get excited.

Meanwhile, at the port of Xuan Yue Island, Binz and Ain looked anxiously out to sea.

"Don't worry, Dad and the others have already sent word, right? It can't be wrong!" Frank said with a relaxed smile.

"Phew~" Ai Yin took a deep breath and said, "I really didn't expect that my mentor would actually... This is wonderful! It's just that I'm still a little worried because I didn't get to see my mentor in person!"

“That’s right, even though I know my dad and the others wouldn’t lie to me! But… but…” Binz’s tears were about to fall as he spoke.

Frank patted him on the shoulder; this was indeed a somewhat poignant situation.

Before long, the Moby Dick came into view.

"They're here!" the three exclaimed simultaneously.

Binz and Ain suppressed their excitement; if it weren't inappropriate, they would have loved to sail over and greet them right now.

However, before the Moby Dick could even dock, the Doctor arrived with Olga and Perona.

"Doctor, what brings you here?" Upon seeing Dr. Assie, Binz and Ain quickly stepped forward and asked.

"Haha... After all, my captain is back, so it's only natural for me to come and greet him!" Dr. Assie said with a smile.

But Binz and Ein knew that this wasn't their father's first voyage, and the Doctor hadn't always greeted him upon his return.

Soon, the Moby Dick arrived at the port, and Whitebeard was the first to disembark.

"Dad!" Frank and the others rushed forward at the same time.