That ship finally sank completely beneath the sea, beginning its voyage toward Fish-Man Island.
"Has the farewell ended?"
A voice sounded from behind him.
Rayleigh did not turn around. Slowly, he took his flask from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, and lightly sipped the liquor inside. Then, an irrepressible smile bloomed at the corners of his mouth.
"It felt like I was seeing us back then."
"Is that so?"
Shakky propped her left hand under her right elbow, a cigarette held between the fingers of her right hand, and spoke lazily.
Rayleigh smiled as he watched the sea, yet it was as though he were looking back several decades. Back then, they had thrown their arms around one another's shoulders and sung loudly as they first descended into the deep sea, setting out on a journey to the Fish-Man Island beneath the ocean.
Thinking about it now, that had been so very long ago. So long that he was almost beginning to forget what everyone had looked like back then.
"But is little Ace really Roger's son?"
Shakky blew out a smoke ring and said mildly, "He doesn't really look like him."
"There can be no mistake."
Rayleigh smiled. "That guy said so himself. He said he would not die. He said that the one who would inherit our will and bear the history from eight hundred years ago would be his son."
"Is that so?"
Shakky smoked without much interest. "That said, how did Bright learn about this?"
"Who knows?"
Rayleigh laughed heartily. "That guy always knows so many things. Who knows what he knows and what he doesn't?"
"By the way, are you just leaving those Marines in the forest?"
"Let them be. They were only carrying out their duties, after all. Since their ship is fine, there