Pirates on Rocks' Ship 996

This time it was quite a coincidence.

"By the way, why were you a few days late coming back this time?" Marco asked with a curious look.

“Hehe…” Upon hearing Marco’s question, Vista chuckled strangely and said, “You’d never guess who I met in the North Sea this time!”

"Oh? Could it be that some important figure has gone to the North Sea? Is the Navy finally planning to make a move?" Marco asked in surprise.

Reina had already told him about the Navy's plan to secretly enjoy a feast, and that the Navy had deployed the most troops in the North Blue, almost as many as all the pirate forces combined.

Therefore, Marco immediately thought that the navy had once again reinforced its forces in the North Sea.

Although those extraterrestrial visitors haven't been around for long, things should have changed for the naval soldiers who have been fighting on the front lines.

According to news from Whitebeard's pirate crews, those who had been fighting alongside Reina on the front lines from the very beginning had all seen their strength improve to varying degrees.

Unlike the captains of Whitebeard's main crew, Whitebeard only informed his subordinate pirate crews, leaving the decision of whether or not to go to the North Blue to them.

The first batch of pirate crews that followed Reina to the North Blue numbered only a dozen or so, definitely no more than twenty. But now, the number of pirate crews that have been stationed there for a long time has exceeded twenty and is close to thirty.

Besides enhancing their strength, many pirate crews who were passionate about battle also followed.

It can be said that the Whitebeard Pirates have deployed more than half of their total strength in the North Blue. If the New World hadn't been relatively peaceful, they probably wouldn't have been able to hold onto that vast territory.

"Navy? Hmph, those guys wouldn't share intelligence! But lately, World Government people have been coming and going over there frequently, seemingly using the battlefield as a training ground for new recruits. I've seen quite a few CP newbies there!" Vista said with a disdainful look.

“Indeed, the battlefield is always the best training ground!” Marco nodded and said, “There haven’t been many pirates coming to the New World lately, so we need to absorb more fresh blood!”

Although their pirate crews have grown stronger in the North Blue, they have also suffered losses. While no entire pirate crew has been wiped out yet, many have suffered heavy losses there and retreated to the New World to recuperate.

"Oh? Haven't any new people come to challenge us lately?" Vista asked in surprise.

In his memory, many new pirate crews enter the New World every year, and the Whitebeard Pirates, as the world's number one pirate crew, inevitably have to accept challenges from those arrogant young guys.

This is also the best way for the Whitebeard Pirates to absorb fresh blood.

In the past, if any pirate crews that challenged them failed, the crew would invite them to join the Whitebeard Pirates if they found one they liked. If the crew refused, the crew would generally not make things difficult for them. Of course, those who died in the challenge did not have the opportunity to accept the invitation.

All the Four Emperors' pirate crews do this, but some go to extremes. For example, the Big Mom Pirates operate on a family model. Unless Big Mom herself is interested, they generally don't recruit outsiders. Even if they do recruit someone, they are just ordinary officers and won't have access to the core secrets.

Therefore, newcomers who challenge the Big Mom Pirates usually end up either dead or seriously injured, with only a small percentage managing to join the Big Mom Pirates.

As for the Whitebeard Pirates, they are relatively safe. As long as they don't die in the challenge, there are generally no major problems afterward. Therefore, they have the most challengers every year. In fact, many pirate crews that want to join them will come to challenge them first, partly to show their strength and partly to make an appearance in front of the executives.

“The newcomers lately are all too arrogant. They won’t know the cruelty of the new world until they’ve been battered and bruised!” Marco smiled slightly and said, “Besides, we have no need to accept those who have no awareness of their own strength! If it weren’t for Reina’s strict rules against using excessive force over the years, more than half of the challengers here would probably be dead!”

"Hehe... It's alright, we have enough manpower now anyway, let those little guys run into some walls!" Vista said with a light laugh.

"By the way, you haven't told me who you met in the North Sea yet?" Marco asked curiously.

“BIGMOM!” Vista didn’t waste any words and said directly, “It’s BIGMOM herself! I don’t know when she arrived in the North Sea, but Reina and I met her together!”

"What?" Marco asked in surprise, "BIGMOM? What's she doing in the North Sea? With her strength, even if she kills some extraterrestrials, it shouldn't have much of an impact on her, right? Could it be..."

“That’s right, she and Reina have the same goal: to target those powerful extraterrestrial visitors! This time, we even assassinated a powerful individual who was over level 35!” Vista said proudly.

"Level 35?" Marco was unaware of the extraterrestrial visitors' classification of strength, so he was somewhat confused when he first heard Vista's words.

“That’s right. According to Reina, this is a way that extraterrestrials calculate strength, based on the total amount of energy in the body! Although it can’t completely represent combat power, it’s still very valuable as a reference!” Vista nodded and said, “Based on Reina’s guess, a level above 30 should be roughly equivalent to our captain-level combat power!”

Chapter 688 The Power of Luck

"Level 30 already possesses captain-level combat power? Then this time you killed a level 35 powerhouse, doesn't that mean you're considered quite strong among captains?" Marco asked in surprise.

“Hehe…” Vista chuckled mysteriously and said, “The strength they displayed back then was already no less than mine, and since they weren’t afraid of death, the combat power they could unleash was even greater! And…”

"And what?" Marco asked curiously.

“And do you know who ultimately killed that enemy?” Vista’s smile grew even more smug.

Marco knew there must be a reason behind this.

"It's Ace!" Vista didn't delay any longer and said to Marco with a smile, "After Ace killed that enemy, a visible energy entered Ace's body. Although Ace's strength didn't increase, did you know? His Devil Fruit ability actually improved!"

"Huh? Enhancement? How?" Marco exclaimed in surprise and quickly asked.

“His abilities haven’t changed, but seawater, seastone, and even Armament Haki have reduced their effectiveness against Ace’s abilities. He can now activate his abilities even while standing in the seawater!” Vista said excitedly.

"Could it be..." A thought flashed through Marco's mind, and he said in disbelief, "That's the power of destiny that Reina mentioned!"

“That should be right! Ace absorbed that energy back then. Although there were no changes at the time, we only found out after we got back. But we think it was the energy that brought Ace this way! You didn’t see the look in Big Mom’s eyes when she saw that energy being absorbed by Ace! I estimate that for a considerable period of time, the Big Mom Pirates will be focusing their main efforts on the North Blue!” Vista nodded and said.

"Then what are we waiting for? Tell Reina, let's go hunt down those strong ones!" Marco said excitedly.

Among the top-tier powerhouses, those who haven't eaten a Devil Fruit have far greater potential than those who have, and they are also more perfect, without any flaws.

While Devil Fruits grant immense power, their potential and combat strength are even greater if one can contend with them using their own abilities; Garp of the Navy is the best example of this.

In the original work, when Marco, who possessed near-royal-level combat power, was focused on the war, wasn't his strength limited by a small Seastone handcuff?

If he weren't a Devil Fruit user, then Seastone wouldn't have such a strong restraining effect on him.

This is also why those powerful individuals try their best not to let their exceptionally talented offspring eat Devil Fruits.

However, if this power of fortune can change this state, then the side effects or limitations of possessing a Devil Fruit will be greatly reduced.

Could the side effects of the Devil Fruit be completely eliminated after absorbing even more luck and fortune?

Even Marco couldn't help but feel a wavering after hearing Vista's words.

"Wait...you just said that Big Mom also knows about the power of destiny?" Suddenly, Marco thought of something, looked at Vista, and asked.

“She must know something, otherwise she wouldn’t have gone to the North Sea herself. But she probably just has some guesses, just like us! The appearance of that visible power of fortune this time will definitely confirm some of her guesses. But she certainly doesn’t know as much as we do, since that power of fortune was absorbed by Ace!” Vista nodded and said.

"This is very important, I need to contact Dad immediately!" Marco said with a serious expression.

But Vista shook his head and said, "Don't worry, Reina said that the power of luck won't always be like this! The so-called power of luck is the luck bonus that this world gives to people like us. Maybe the bonus is different for each person, and maybe even different each time!"

"What's Reina's next move?" Marco asked after a moment of thought.

This kind of information should only be known to them and the Big Mom Pirates. Perhaps even the Navy doesn't know it as well as they do. The best thing for them is to hunt down some of the enemy's strongest members while no one else knows.

“It won’t work. We’ve tried before, but even with Big Mom with us, they didn’t give us a chance. Their strong fighters always act in groups. Even if we can defeat them, it’s hard to kill them. And even if we do kill them, we’ll probably be dragged down with them!” Vista shook his head and said.

“That’s right. They’re all experts above level 30, so they’re not easy to kill. Besides, they’re not afraid of death. Even if they fall into our trap and can’t escape, they’ll still fight to the death!” Marco nodded and said, “Has Reina sent any further messages?”

“That’s all. He doesn’t even know that his dad secretly went out to play!” Vista said with a light laugh. “But could we do this? The captains who come back in turns can take their teammates out for a stroll, partly to relax, and partly to digest the gains from the battle in the North Sea!”

Each time their captain rotated, he would bring his own combat squad members with him. Although they hadn't been involved in the North Sea battle for long, their squads had suffered losses to varying degrees. Going out not only allowed them to relax, but they could also recruit some suitable people.

Marco nodded and said, "Let's discuss it with Dad when he gets back! The New World has been relatively peaceful lately, so there shouldn't be any problems!"

Big Mom has gone to the North Sea, and the New World has entered a relatively peaceful period. The most important thing is the Navy, which is now gradually focusing its attention on the North Sea.

Given the strong defenses and mobility of Crescent Moon Island, there's generally no need to leave too many captains behind; otherwise, Whitebeard wouldn't be so bored as to go out for a stroll.

“Why don’t we go out and find Dad too? I’ve never been to Liliana Island before!” Vista said with a light laugh.

“I don’t object if you want to go. I can stay behind on Xuan Yue Island. But I’m worried that your going will upset Dad. After all, it’s his first time going out to play by himself!” Marco said with a smile.

After thinking about it, Vista also felt it was better not to bother his father.

However, Marco still needed to communicate with Whitebeard about what he learned from Vista today, so after parting ways with Vista, he contacted Izo directly.

Right now, only Izo is by Whitebeard's side. He can tell Izo the information first, and then let Izo find an opportunity to tell Whitebeard.

Marco himself won't contact Whitebeard, since it's Whitebeard's vacation time right now.

Chapter 689 Big Mom's Determination

While Marco finished communicating with Izou, Reina, far away in the North Blue, was constantly testing the changes in their bodies with Ace, trying to see if there were any other changes besides the changes in their Devil Fruit abilities.

"First mate, I can't feel any changes in my body at all. Apart from being a little more resistant to seawater, there aren't many other changes!" Ace said somewhat discouragedly.

When Ace first noticed the changes, he was quite excited. However, after continuous experimentation, he found that the changes in his body were not as significant as he had imagined. Seastone still restrained him, Armament Haki could still attack his body, and even prolonged immersion in seawater would still affect his ability to use it, only slightly better than before.

“Idiot, how much luck power have you absorbed? Think about those extraterrestrial visitors. Our world is definitely not the first world they attacked, otherwise they wouldn’t be so proficient. They conquered a world, but there are still weak ones, and the strong ones have not yet exceeded our sphere of influence. Why is that?” Reina said with some amusement.

"This..." Ace was momentarily speechless.

But if the power of destiny is only this useful, then why do those extraterrestrial visitors need to keep attacking other worlds?

"The power of destiny isn't as powerful as you think, but it's definitely not as weak as you think either! I guarantee that their true powerhouses haven't descended upon our world yet, and the true powerhouses in their world are definitely much stronger than us! Because they possess the power of destiny!" Reina's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he said, "How much of the power of destiny do you possess? But the changes are already quite obvious! What if you possessed more?"

Ace nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "I understand. What they're doing is actually accumulating. The more luck they accumulate, the greater the benefit to themselves!"

“That’s right!” Reina replied in a deep voice, “Moreover, the stronger a person is, the more luck they need! Once they accumulate a certain amount of luck, they might be able to break through to an even stronger realm!”

"Then why aren't their strongmen coming out?" Ace asked, somewhat puzzled.

“I have some guesses. It might be because they are too powerful to descend for the time being, or our world is refusing them entry in order to protect itself! But as they plunder our fortune, the world’s protection will become weaker and weaker. Once our world can no longer protect us, their powerful beings will come immediately and plunder all our fortune!” Reina said, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

"Then why don't we take advantage of the fact that their strongmen can't come over yet and just drive them back?" Ace frowned and said.

"Do you think the Whitebeard Pirates alone can do it?" Reina said helplessly.

"But this world doesn't just belong to us, it belongs to everyone! Don't they care?" Ace was even more puzzled.

“The problem is that these are all just our guesses. They simply won’t believe it. Look at the situation now… there aren’t many forces capable of waging war against the North Sea. If it weren’t for the Navy’s inherent sense of justice, they probably wouldn’t have come here to invite trouble. After all, the enemy has the ability to resurrect itself. Coming here will only lead to their deaths and they won’t gain anything!” Reina said, shrugging.

Ace knew he was being naive; the world's major powers were not a place where the Whitebeard Pirates could have absolute power.

"Is there really no other way?" Ace asked after a moment of silence.

“It’s not entirely hopeless!” Reina smiled and said, “What we’re doing now is looking for a solution, isn’t it? As long as we find something that can attract the world’s attention, we can let them fight over it, right? Isn’t Bigmoon coming to us on its own now?”

Ace nodded. He trusted Reina completely, and Big Mom was indeed starting to shift her focus to the North Sea.

"So... First mate, should we pass on what's happening here?" Ace hesitated for a moment before asking.

“Of course not!” Reina grinned and said, “They won’t believe what we tell them; they’ll only believe what they find out for themselves!”

"Huh?" Ace was taken aback, not quite understanding what Reina was saying.

"Don't worry, leave this to me. You should focus on killing enemies and accumulating luck! Although those ordinary extraterrestrial visitors don't give much, every little bit counts!" Reina patted Ace on the shoulder and said with a light laugh.

Ace nodded as if he understood, and then left with Reina.

On the other side, after seeing Ace absorb the visible power of destiny, Big Mom's last doubts were completely dispelled.

"Brûlée!" Big Mom, seated at the head of the table, instructed her daughter Charlotte Brûlée, who resembled a witch: "Send the message back to Katakuri, ordering him to guard Whole Cake Island. Except for the necessary guards, all other personnel should be transferred to the North Blue!"

“Yes, Mom!” Brulee immediately stepped forward and replied respectfully.

"Wait a minute..." Just then, Smoothie, one of the three Sweet Commanders, suddenly stood up and said, "Mom, wouldn't it be too conspicuous if all of our people came?"