Pirates on Rocks' Ship 996

Since the Whitebeard Pirates' complete conquest of the North Blue, these captains haven't returned to Xuan Yue Island for a long time. Now that Xuan Yue Island has come to the North Blue, they are extremely happy, after all, the island's residents are like family.

After arriving at the Whitebeard Pirates' rear base in the North Blue, together with Xuan Yue Island, Xuan Yue Island's thrusters could finally rest.

Reina did not intend to send Xuan Yue Island to the front line. Keeping it in the rear was a good option. The island's defense system could not only ensure the safety of Xuan Yue Island itself, but also protect the Whitebeard Pirates' rear in the North Blue. If they encountered the enemy, it would be enough as long as it could hold out until the front-line troops came to their rescue.

In the North Blue, although the Whitebeard Pirates' territory is large, it would take no more than two days to send reinforcements back. In fact, if Hard Shell were to advance at full speed, he could return from the front lines in less than two days.

"Huh? Our captain hasn't returned from the front lines?" Reina said in surprise when he saw Dr. Assie waiting at the base but didn't see Whitebeard.

"The fighting on the front lines has been quite frequent. Recently, it seems that the extraterrestrials are planning a strong offensive. Not only on our side, but also on the front lines of various forces, we are often fighting the enemy. That's why Newgate hasn't returned!" Dr. Asie replied casually.

These weren't his concerns at all. After being away for so long, his research on the teleporter had made no progress, and now he had to return to the lab to continue his research.

Reina nodded to indicate that he understood; he had previously heard about the unusual behavior of the extraterrestrial visitors from Izang.

“Then, Mr. Judge, the safety of Moon Island and our rear is in your hands. If we encounter the enemy, you only need to cooperate with the Doctor to defend Moon Island. We will return from the front line as soon as possible!” Reina said to Judge beside him.

As a researcher, Judge's strength is quite good. At least without the captain participating in the battle, only Señor Piqué on Crescent Island can pose a threat to him.

"Don't worry, I'm a member of the Whitebeard Pirates now!" Judge nodded and replied.

Upon hearing this, Reina smiled but didn't say anything more.

Only Dr. Asie and Frank have the authority to operate the core defensive fortifications of Crescent Moon Island. Even if Judge rebels, with Pike's help, the two of them are enough to use those defensive weapons to kill Judge.

Moreover, as the true core of the Whitebeard Pirates, Xuan Yue Island is not just about defensive weapons.

Chapter 970 Starting Again

As Reina left Crescent Island and headed towards the Straw Hat crew's base, he couldn't help but recall his conversation with Dragon.

Before going to find Robin, Reina didn't know the exact location of Future Island, and since he still had some questions, he contacted Dragon of the Revolutionary Army.

Dragon didn't say much to him, but simply arranged for someone to deliver a permanent pointer to Future Island to him, and told him that the answers he wanted were there, and Vegapunk would explain everything to him.

Reina wasn't worried that this was a trap for him. If the invitation had come from the Navy, he would have needed to consider it, but since it was Vegapunk who sent it to him through Dragon, the possibility that it was a trap was very small.

Vegapunk and Dragon's relationship is very delicate. Vegapunk would never take the initiative to contact Dragon for anything, and Reina doesn't think a scientist could pose any danger to him.

Moreover, once the World Government finds out that Vegapunk is connected with the Revolutionary Army, they will probably deal with this traitor first, even before Reyna does anything.

However, when Reina arrived at the Straw Hat crew's front-line base, he was still somewhat surprised.

"Are you all planning to come together?" Reina asked, puzzled, looking at the Straw Hat crew who seemed to have been prepared all along. "The extraterrestrial attacks have been quite frequent lately, haven't they? Are you all sure it's okay for you to leave?"

"Hehehe... Don't worry, they're pretty strong too!" Luffy said with a grin, pointing at his crew of pirates.

Bartolomeo and the others acted as if they were very reliable, which made Reina want to laugh.

"Father...does that you don't want Luffy and the others to go with us?" Robin hesitated for a moment before asking, "Does Father have any information about Vegapunk's side?"

“I don’t know either. Dr. Vegapunk is the world’s number one scientist, and he’s quite mysterious. Or rather, the World Government has always protected him very well. Ordinary people can’t even get in touch with him!” Reina shrugged and said, “So when he asked to see you, I was quite shocked! I was wondering if you had ever been in contact with him before?”

Robin shook his head and replied, "No, I haven't had any contact with Dr. Becky Punch! So... is this a trap?"

“Not at all!” Reina said with a smile. “Drag was the one who started this, and it must have been Dr. Vegapunk who contacted Dragon! If it were a trap, then Vegapunk’s contact with the Revolutionary Army would definitely be exposed afterward. If he, a high-ranking official of this world government, had contact with the Revolutionary Army, he probably wouldn’t even be able to protect himself. There’s absolutely no need for him to use something like this to set us up!”

"And if it's just you and me going... I don't think he can stop me! He might have some trump card that can defeat me, but killing me is absolutely impossible! If his plan fails, he will face retaliation from the Whitebeard Pirates. I don't believe someone as smart as him wouldn't see through this!"

Robin nodded. She had thought about it during this time and believed that the possibility of it being a trap was very small.

"So, Father means... it shouldn't be a problem for us to go together?" Robin asked, looking at his companions.

“Going together is definitely not a problem. The person he wants to see is you. As long as you go, it shouldn’t matter if there are a few more or fewer people. But if you all leave, is there really no problem in the North Blue? What if some territory is taken away by extraterrestrials? You’ve only just acquired the title of Yonko, and you might not be able to keep it!” Reina said to Luffy.

"Of course! We're partners, we'll definitely stick together, and I trust them too!" Luffy nodded and replied earnestly.

However, his words put a lot of pressure on Bartolomeo and the others standing nearby. If they lost their territory because Luffy wasn't there, it would be a fatal blow to the reputation of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

“Alright then, since you’re all ready, let’s go!” Reina nodded and replied.

However, when it was time to set off, they disagreed again. Reina suggested that everyone squeeze in and take the hard-shell ship directly to Future Island in the New World, but Luffy and the others wanted to take the Sunny.

Reina wouldn't have minded hitching a ride on the Sunny to the New World, but the situation in the North Sea didn't allow him to waste too much time on the road, so he suggested taking a hard-shell ship.

Although the hard shell's back area isn't very large, there aren't many of them, so there shouldn't be any problem. Therefore, there's absolutely no need for them to travel on the slower Sunny.

Luffy, however, believed that the Sunny was also their comrade, and since Cao Mao and his crew were going together, they shouldn't leave their comrade, the Sunny, behind.

Left with no other choice, Reina had to agree to Luffy's request and travel to Whole Cake Island aboard their Thousand Sunny.

Anyway, he had already made up his mind that he would return on his own in the hard-shell vehicle, and he couldn't be bothered with Luffy and the others.

Although there were occasional minor troubles along the way, they weren't serious. It was just that Luffy and his crew were quite rowdy, which made Reina a little uncomfortable.

“Sorry, Father, Luffy and the others got a little too excited! We’ve been in the North Blue for too long, and it’s been a long time since we’ve been out to sea, so…” Robin said softly, standing beside Reiner as she watched her crew playing around on the deck.

“It is indeed a bit noisy, but it’s okay. Back when my older brother and I first went to sea, the ship was just as lively. I don’t even remember when this kind of noise stopped being my thing!” Reina said with a laugh.

"Hehehe... Uncle Reina, that's because you guys are too old! Want to come and play with us?" Usopp seemed to have heard Reina's words and shouted loudly in their direction.

“But…I don’t seem to be as old as him, do I?” Reina pointed at Brooke and replied seriously.

Everyone was stunned, especially Brooke, who seemed somewhat incredulous.

"Hahahaha..." This was followed by a burst of laughter from the crowd, and Brooke, who was introverted, squatted to the side drawing circles.

From the moment they set off, Reina seemed to be somewhat out of place with them, but through what just happened, the Straw Hat crew realized that Reina wasn't rejecting them; he simply had his own preferences.

After the Sunny crossed the Calm Belt and arrived in the New World, the atmosphere on the Sunny was no longer as lively as it had been at the beginning. Just as Robin said, Luffy and the others were only excited at first because they hadn't been at sea for a long time. After that initial excitement wore off, they began to find life on the ship a bit boring, because they hadn't even encountered a small island while sailing in the Calm Belt.

Now that they've left the Calm Belt, they'll soon encounter small islands, go ashore to replenish their supplies, and make their lives more lively.

Chapter 971 The New World

"Well, we're finally back, New World!" After entering the seas of the New World, Usopp stood at the bow of the ship and shouted excitedly.

For them, the New World held a unique significance.

Even Reina, let alone the Straw Hat crew, felt a bit emotional in this situation.

But when they arrived at the first island, they found that the atmosphere there seemed completely different from when they sailed through the New World.

"That's... a branch of the Navy?" After landing at the port, Zoro looked at the Navy and World Government flags flying on the island with a surprised expression and asked.

"Are we still in the North Blue? Haven't we entered the New World yet?" Usopp was also a little puzzled. There are no islands controlled by the Navy or the World Government in the New World. Most of the islands here belong to pirates, and others are countries controlled by pirates. Only the very small islands are considered free islands.

"Don't you know? The pirates of the New World have all gone to the North Blue, so the Navy took the opportunity to occupy many islands in the New World. This should be one of them! I just didn't expect that even a remote island like this near the Calm Belt has been noticed by the Navy!" Reina said with a light laugh.

Unlike the four seas, the islands in the New World require a Log Pose to reach. Many of these islands are so difficult that even pirates, let alone the Navy, cannot find them. Without a Log Pose, it is normal to get lost at sea, so these islands are extremely difficult to manage.

For example, the Revolutionary Army headquarters and Future Island where Vegapunk lives are places where you wouldn't be able to find your way without guidance.

"Luffy, let's just treat this as a normal island. Our target isn't the Navy, so let's not cause trouble!" Jinbe glanced at Reina and whispered to Luffy.

He was very familiar with his captain's abilities; it would be abnormal if he didn't cause trouble wherever he went.

However, this time they were going out with Reina, and their destination was Future Island, so they couldn't waste too much time on the road.

"Don't worry, am I the kind of person who causes trouble? You should keep an eye on Zoro and Sanji!" Luffy nodded and said with a serious expression.

Zoro and Sanji were both speechless. They couldn't understand how Luffy had the nerve to say such a thing.

"You brat... you're the biggest source of chaos!" Zoro said angrily, tapping Luffy's head with the hilt of his sword.

“That’s right, when has it not been you who caused trouble?” Sanji said with a look of agreement.

Nami grabbed Luffy's cheek and said seriously, "Don't run around later. Stay behind us and move together, understand?"

"I understand..." Luffy replied, but his eyes kept scanning the surrounding stalls, as if he was looking for something interesting.

"Sanji, what kind of food do we need to replenish?" After scolding Luffy, Nami turned to Sanji and asked.

"As for food, I'll go to the market later to check. There's still some food left on the ship, but we mainly need to replenish our vegetables! We also need some seasonings!" Sanji replied after thinking for a moment.

The reason Sanji told Nami what he wanted at this time was not only because Nami asked him, but also because he wanted to tell Nami the shopping list he needed so that Nami would give him enough money to buy these necessities.

"Nami, we need to replenish our fuel as well!" Franky said.

Like Sanji, he always made the same decision: after they landed, Nami would distribute money to everyone so they could buy whatever they wanted.

"Nami, give me some pocket money!" Luffy chimed in as Nami was distributing money to everyone.

He has seen many interesting items and wants to go over and buy them.

"Didn't I already tell you? You're traveling with us, so you don't need pocket money!" Nami glanced at Luffy expressionlessly and replied softly.

"Huh?" Luffy looked at Nami with a puzzled expression and asked, "Then, will you buy me the thing I want to buy? I want to eat that, it looks so delicious!"

Before Nami could even agree, Reina burst out laughing. At this moment, Luffy truly seemed to be the least prestigious of the Four Emperors.

Nami seemed a little embarrassed, took out a handful of Berries and tossed them to Luffy, saying, "If you dare to cause any trouble, you won't get any pocket money anymore!"

"Yay!" Luffy didn't care at all. He took the pocket money Nami gave him and happily ran with Chopper, Usopp and the others to the food stall next to him.

"It's not that I don't want to give them pocket money, it's just that Luffy is too mischievous. If he causes any trouble, it might delay our trip!" Nami explained to Reina, blushing.

"Hehe... This is just a small island, it should be fine! Everyone has something they need to buy, let's arrange a time to meet at the port!" Reina said with a smile.

“Alright, let’s meet at the port at noon. Half a day is enough time for us to buy supplies!” Nami nodded and said.

So the Straw Hat Pirates scattered and headed off to their favorite shops.

Although there may not be many goods here, after staying in Beihai for so long, it's still a very nice feeling to be able to go shopping.

However, not long after everyone parted ways, the navy on the island received news that Cao Mao and his group had arrived there.

"Colonel, what should we do? That's... a Yonko pirate crew!" a Marine soldier asked with a worried expression.

"Don't make a fuss, just pretend you don't know. We haven't even established a foothold in the New World yet. The message from headquarters is just to set up a branch here and not to pay any attention to the pirates!" The Marine Captain shook his head and replied.

Normally, a branch in the Grand Line would need at least an Admiral-level powerhouse to oversee it, but due to the special nature of the New World, Sakazuki had already given orders that the branches established in the New World should not concern themselves with anything else; their only responsibility was to protect the branches.

He planned to use subtle methods to make the New World acknowledge the arrival of the navy.

So let alone a great pirate like the Straw Hat Pirates, even slightly famous pirates are ignored by these naval bases.

Ordinary pirates would not provoke the Navy.

"But...but should we report the Straw Hat Pirates' presence here to headquarters?" the soldier asked hesitantly.

"We definitely need to report, but... let's wait until they leave before we do!" The naval captain stroked his chin and said softly.

He didn't want to report to headquarters at this time. If headquarters asked him to do something, he didn't think he could survive the Four Emperors!