Time flows like water, always silent. After an unknown amount of time, Shakky finally turned around.
She crossed her right arm over her chest, her wrist resting on her left elbow, while her left hand rested her little finger on her glasses, and slowly extended it toward Rayleigh.
Rayleigh gently took the glasses and put them on.
Suddenly, Shakky crossed her arms and asked Rayleigh in a cold voice.
"Who did this?!"
"What?"
"I was asking about the broken lens. Who did it? Was it that blind man who summoned the meteorite the other day?"
Shakky asked in a cold voice.
Hearing Shakky's words, Rayleigh shook his head with a wry smile.
"Who else could it be? It really is him, yet another monster of the new era."
"Beat him up!"
No sooner had Rayleigh finished speaking than Shakky retorted.
Then, she silently lit a cigarette, and after the tobacco burned, she casually overturned her liquor cabinet.
With the sound of the bottle shattering, Shakky threw the still-sparking lighter to the ground.
A raging fire instantly erupted, Shakky let the flames lick her calves. She stood there in the fire, repeating a sentence heavily to Rayleigh.
"I said, let's go beat him up!"
"Hahaha!"
Rayleigh laughed, and when he heard Shakky's answer, he laughed heartily.
While laughing, he took off his glasses and carefully wiped the lenses he had just replaced.
He then said softly.
"Why beat them up? Do you want those young people to think that even when I take action, I need someone else to help me?"
"It's to let those young people know that the 73-year-old devil they're bullying is one of my people!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Shakky suddenly kicked out, her high heels sending Rayleigh flying out of the bar.
Then, Shakky strolled through the flames and slowly walked out.
Outside the shop, Rayleigh chuckled as he got up and patted his pants.
"That's really fierce. I thought tonight would be a romantic night."
"Are you so romantic that you've gone mad and want to drag me onto that pirate ship too?"
Shakky cursed irritably, then strode away into the distance. Her Observation Haki was instantly activated, and in the blink of an eye, countless people on Sabaody Island awoke.
Sensing Shakky's off-the-charts Observation Haki, Rayleigh helplessly rubbed his hair.
"Shakky, stop fooling around. That move I used that day, I actually enjoyed it very much!"
"That's perfect! I want to have some fun too!"
Shakky's attitude remained as firm as ever.
Seeing this, Rayleigh helplessly reached out and gently grabbed Shakky's wrist.
Suddenly...
They both jolted in shock, then quickly and disgustedly let go of each other.
Rayleigh awkwardly clenched his fists and shook his head helplessly.
"Something really isn't right, haha, I'm not like I used to be."
"Heh, haven't you ever heard the saying 'holding hands with an acquaintance and you'll vomit all night'? Don't you dare touch me!"
What, is it that you don't want to fight back, or that your new captain doesn't want you to do it?
Damn it, have times really changed? The principle of retaliating when attacked is no longer needed?
What are you doing now, holding a broken pair of glasses and shouting that you're acting in self-defense?
"I...?!!"
Rayleigh's old face showed a hint of embarrassment.
"When did I ever say I lost a move, that I won, that I knocked him away, you know that!"
So what if there are monsters in the new era? We monsters from the old era are not to be trifled with either!
Besides, why would my apprentice stop me from taking revenge? If I had a grudge, the whole ship would have done it together.
The problem is, did you know that he ran away after that smile?
After much helpless persuasion, Shakky finally gave up her plan to beat him up and make him laugh.
They walked slowly along the road toward the Casino Islands.
As they walked, Rayleigh whispered to Shakky, "What do you mean?"
"So, that's what you've decided?"
"So dramatic!"
Shakky cursed, then exhaled a puff of smoke expressionlessly.
"Didn't you just accept Roger's invitation with just a word?"
"But that was when I met Roger," Rayleigh said with a wry smile.
"Then I've encountered the mighty Rayleigh, hehe!"
Shakky retorted, then looked up at the sky and asked.
"How many years have we been living in seclusion in Sabaody?"
"Eighteen years," Rayleigh replied with a sigh.
"Eighteen years have passed. Time flies. Roger has been dead for so long..."
"Nineteen years," Rayleigh added.
Upon hearing this, Shakky nodded, then gave Rayleigh a disapproving look.
"From the very beginning, when you, you damned wretch, came to me asking me to take you in."
I knew you were still making some preparations.
Otherwise, how could an old ghost who truly wanted to live in seclusion continuously hone his physical abilities every day?
"We old folks train terribly. Even with ten times the effort, we're lucky if we can maintain half our strength. But what about you?!"
Shakky frowned and continued to curse.
"That day, Divine Departure, you almost displayed Roger's prowess. Is this your attitude towards seclusion?"
"I'm not... cough cough, I'm just working out."
"Heh, nobody believes your explanation about working out. If you're not working out to do something big, are you just trying to mess with me?"
Old man, I knew from the beginning that you weren't reconciled, but I understand. If I were you, I wouldn't be reconciled either!
Just as you were at the peak of your strength, the most glorious period of your life, your captain was diagnosed with a terminal illness!
After you disband, we'll be just a bunch of wanderers, scattered and hard to part ways with.
Can you still find Gaban now? Impossible, right? Haha!
The feeling of being remembered is as enjoyable as the feeling of being forgotten. As for you, when you were whispering sweet nothings in my ear, I could see the fire burning in your eyes!!!
"Huh? My fire was because...?" Rayleigh was startled.
"Why?!"
Shakky interrupted Rayleigh directly.
"You mean it's because of me? You old devil, you have no shame at all!"
If it were truly for my sake, you wouldn't have dragged me into this mess!
Even if you set sail again, if you die in a foreign land, I might still have the chance to collect your body and bury you!
But now, things are much better, we..."
"I know, I know everything, I know we're in this together now."
But so what, Shakky!
Rayleigh suddenly interrupted Shakky, continuing, "..."
"Over the years, I've seen countless young people leave their hometowns, carrying their dreams as they bid farewell to their families and board ships bound for New World!"
But what I saw was not their dreams, but their families.
What kind of pain must the families of every young person who dies far from home endure!
I know that by bringing you along, we both lose our safe environment.
So what if I'm selfish? I don't want to make you wait for me for decades anymore!
I'm old, no longer young. Even though I still cling to the ridiculous dream of going to sea, I can no longer easily make the decision to say goodbye to my family like a young person!
Now, you are my only family!
Just like you said, that little brat with the Whitebeard is only sixty-nine years old.
But I'm already seventy-three, and you are too..."
"Shut up!"
Shakky interrupted Rayleigh without any politeness.
"A girl's age is a secret, you bastard!"
"Aba aba, anyway, you understand me, I don't want to leave you here alone!"
If the road ahead is truly difficult, let's go together. With you, I can make things a little easier.
As soon as he finished speaking, Rayleigh stood there nonchalantly, waiting for Shakky's reply.
Listening to Rayleigh's words, Shakky sighed softly.
"How selfish!"
Despite uttering words of dissatisfaction, Shakky suddenly revealed a satisfied smile, clenching her fist and punching Rayleigh's shoulder.
"Just this once, I like your selfishness."
After saying that, Shakky gently smoothed her hair, looked at the sea, and said with emotion.
"Do you know that your new captain is doing something very dangerous?"
You've been following him for three months, so have you figured out what he really wants to do? Is he trying to overthrow his own social class?
At this point, Shakky revealed a disdainful smile.
"Don't tell me you don't know that the most foolish thing in the world is for someone in a position of power to lead the lower classes to overthrow their own class!"
Because if he fails on that day, he will be swallowed up by his original class!
And once he succeeds...
Those who were once led by him will remember his former class as a leader!
Is that what he thinks, or has he already gone down the wrong path?
At this point, Shakky looked expectantly into Rayleigh's eyes.
Noticing Shakky's gaze, Rayleigh couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.
"Don't think of my new captain as so foolish. He's not the idealistic type. He may have ideals, but he's more realistic than anyone else. He's not the kind of guy who would burn himself out to give light to the earth!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Rayleigh glanced at Shakky with interest. Seeing that Shakky seemed somewhat disappointed, Rayleigh laughed heartily.
"As expected, haha, actually you'd rather Gawain was the kind of person you described, because that kind of person is Roger, is Joy Boy, and the opposite of that kind of person is your former captain Rocks!"
Back when you were with the Rocks Pirates, you were not only their intelligence officer, but also the only strategist under Rocks who could rival Tsuru!
Unfortunately, you probably won't have the chance to fight the crane now.
While Gawain certainly lacks advisors, I think what he lacks more is someone who can help him grasp the details.
As for his direction and goals, and his pursuit of them.
I always felt that in this respect, he had long surpassed us old guys!
"So what?"
Shakky pouted unhappily.
"You mean, he has his own ideas?"
"You can ask him yourself!" Rayleigh said with absolute certainty.
Hearing Rayleigh's words, Shakky frowned in displeasure.
"Don't play me, Rayleigh. If Gawain isn't the kind of idealist I'm talking about, then he must be an ambitious man."
No ambitious person wants to fully disclose their purpose to others!
Different from what he told me after he cut it out, I need some more realistic judgment, that is, your judgment of him!
Only then will I know how to get along with him!
"Ha ha ha ha!!!"
Hearing this, Rayleigh laughed even harder, patting Shakky on the shoulder as he did so.
"Shakky, stop associating Gawain with your Rocks. He's not that kind of gloomy guy."
"So what kind of person is he?"
Shakky couldn't help but press for more information.
"You're telling me that Gawain isn't an idealist like Roger and Joy Boy."
But at the same time, you're telling me that Gawain isn't an ambitious man like Rocks?
So, tell me, what kind of person is Gawain?
If he's just a guy wavering between ideals and ambitions, then the two of us will leave immediately.
I don't want to die such a miserable death at sea!
Hearing Shakky's extremely serious question, Rayleigh smiled and curled his lip, making a disdainful gesture.
He looked at Shakky with disdain and replied.
"Shakky, let me tell you this first about what kind of person Gawain is."
This vast ocean doesn't require every outstanding individual to be modeled after Roger or Rocks!
Once you meet him in person and spend more time with him, you'll realize that he has perfectly balanced ideals and reality, and has made just the right plans based on those.
He ruthlessly tears apart other people's souls, yet he doesn't always abandon every soul. He won't sacrifice for others, nor will he force others to sacrifice for him!
He doesn't want to overthrow his class; what he probably wants is to become and replace his original class.
In other words, he wanted to turn the privileges of the Celestial Dragon as a whole into his own privileges; he wanted to stand in the heavens!
But in doing so, he would also free everyone else from the so-called distinction between nobles and slaves!
At that time, every child in the world, from birth, will be able to stand at the same level and look up at him!
Gawain's fairness towards us is ingrained in his very being; that kind of fair gaze has never appeared on the sea before. But while he is fair to others, he never forgets to place himself in the highest position!
He is a perfect leader, a true ruler, unlike anyone you've ever known before!
I can't even believe he's a native of this world!
Roger and I saw Joy Boy's ideal back in Laugh Tale, and I've already told you about it.
While both Joy Boy and other idealists shared the goal of abolishing slavery, the latter planned to achieve it all through a joke.
Before meeting Gawain, I thought Joy Boy had some merit.
But now, I just want to show you for myself just how special Gawain really is!
Twenty minutes later, on the Dark Bird Ship, outside Gawain's bedroom.
That large lounge that was specially prepared for Gion, but which Hancock took half of.
Rayleigh, with Shakky by his side, gave Gion and Hancock a smirk.
"We want to see Gawain!"
Hancock was extremely displeased with Rayleigh's smile, and she let out a heavy snort.
"Rayleigh!"
Hancock pointed at Rayleigh and said...
"Gawain trained until 11:40. He was slashed more than two hundred times by that damned rabbit before he could finally rest!"
He'd only been asleep for a short while, and you were already waking him up?
"Ah, don't be angry, little Hancock, this is no small matter."
Didn't Little Gawain need some advice? Look, I brought Rocks's advisors with me.
"If Rocks hadn't ignored her advice, they would have been marching on Mary Geoise by now, haha!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Rayleigh pressed his cane against Hancock's shoulder, then looked at Gion.
"So, what do you think, Gion?"
Shakky has something she wants to talk to Gawain about. Do you think that if Gawain were sober, he would choose to get up?
The moment Rayleigh finished speaking, Shakky subtly fixed her gaze on Gion, and in her eyes, Gion simply nodded.
"He will, I'll go get him right now."
"Rabbit!"
Gion's words immediately infuriated Hancock muttered a dissatisfied grumble.
"Gawain must be really tired when he sleeps. It's already 2:30 in the morning, and he'll be up at 5:50!"
Can't we... can't we just let him rest a little longer...? We only need to wait three hours!
At this point, Hancock almost cried. Gawain had always been exceptionally cruel to himself, and when Hancock saw that extreme self-discipline, she felt an unimaginable heartache for him!
But faced with Hancock's concerned gaze, Gion shook her head heavily.
"The master knows better than you what he needs; I must wake him!"
As for you, if you truly care about the adults, then please brew a pot of hot tea."
"Why?"
Hancock was taken aback.
"But Gawain likes to drink warm wine, and you're the only one here who likes to drink tea...?"