Encountering Rayleigh

So that's who it is, Rockstar...

Upon seeing this face, Buggy vaguely recognized him. Wasn't this the 94 million bounty "newcomer" sent by the Red Hair Pirates to deliver a message to Whitebeard in the original story...?

Because the envelope was torn up by Whitebeard, he felt very embarrassed and ended up being scolded by Shanks. Is face more important or life?

However, the fact that he dared to board Whitebeard's ship alone without panicking shows that he has quite a bit of courage.

"You bastard..."

Rockstar was slightly surprised that someone had blocked his punch. Then, taking a closer look at the other person's profile, backlit by the light, his brow furrowed. "Buggy the Clown?! We've always kept to ourselves... why are you stopping me?"

"Aren't you talking too much nonsense...?"

"You're making me lose face!"

With that, Rockstar threw another punch straight at Buggy.

Buggy remained calm, covering his other hand with Armament Haki, and clashed with Rockstar's punch!

Instantly, the force of the exchanging punches blew the playing cards and chips off the surrounding gambling tables, and the young woman and female customer hurriedly covered their skirts, screaming in surprise.

Rockstar felt a powerful force surge through his fist, causing him to stagger back five or six steps before regaining his footing. He directly experienced Buggy's strength, subtly clenching his slightly numb fist and gritting his teeth, "Is this the strength of a pirate with a bounty of over 100 million...?"

Buggy withdrew his fist. "I don't have time to cause trouble for you right now. You can leave."

Rockstar's expression shifted, and he finally spoke, "Alright, I'll remember you... Buggy the Clown, see you in the New World!!"

Having said that, he decisively turned and left.

"He knows when to advance and retreat; no wonder he got on Shanks' ship..."

Buggy watched Kuro's retreating figure and muttered to himself, then coldly surveyed the surrounding crowd. "Don't just stand there, get back to what you were doing!"

The surrounding crowd immediately scattered. This pirate in front of them was said to be even more terrifying than the one from before. Even the casino manager secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not approach him. He could only pray in his heart that this pirate would not cause trouble here like Rockstar.

Buggy... come with me.

A very faint, familiar voice came from behind... After all these years, Rayleigh's voice really hadn't changed at all.

Buggy turned around and followed closely behind Rayleigh, who had white hair. The two deliberately kept a distance from each other, and then walked out of the casino one after the other.

Once they were outside the casino and the crowd had thinned out considerably, Rayleigh turned to Buggy and laughed heartily, "Buggy, it's been so many years, you haven't changed a bit! Good thing you intervened just now, or I would have been in real trouble, haha!"

Buggy knew that when Rayleigh said "terrible," he meant the terrible consequences of his identity being exposed. If his identity were exposed, the Navy would likely take action, making it difficult to live a peaceful life. That was why he deliberately kept his distance.

He laughed and said, "You too, Mr. Rayleigh, you still look as carefree as when you were young!"

"What's this about being young or not? I just want to retire peacefully on this island and enjoy my old age. I can't compare to you young people who are free to roam the seas!" Rayleigh said. "By the way, Buggy, I haven't heard from you before. Why have you become so active lately?"

Buggy pondered for a moment, a hint of ambition flashing in his eyes. "I sense the arrival of a new era, and I... have the right to be a pioneer of this era!"

Rayleigh glanced at Buggy in surprise upon hearing his words, then said with a hint of understanding, "That's true... So many years have passed, everyone changes. If I were to still treat you as immature juniors, it would be wrong of me. The old men on Roger's ship have all retired, only you and Shanks are still young. The next era... will be under your protection."

Buggy and Rayleigh walked and talked. When Shanks came up, Rayleigh reminisced about their time on the ship. "I remember you and Shanks discussing whether Antarctica or the Arctic was colder. Do you have an answer now?"

Buggy SMILE: "The coldest feeling is when your heart is cold, but as long as you are with your partners, with mutual trust and a belief in protecting each other, you won't feel cold, whether in the South Pole or the North Pole."

"Ha ha!" Rayleigh laughed heartily. "You've grown a lot, Buggy. I underestimated you!"

"No, Mr. Rayleigh's judgment has always been very accurate."

"By the way, you're from the East Blue, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Rayleigh."

"Hmm... About ten years ago, Shanks went to the East Blue. Later, when he came to the Sabaody Archipelago, I met him by chance. At that time, his Straw Hat and left hand were missing. He told me that he had staked his arm and Straw Hat on the hope of the new era... Speaking of which, I am very interested in that 'hope'. Since you are from the East Blue, I wonder if you have met that 'hope'?"

"No," Buggy shook his head, "But I think he must be a guy with a lot of charisma."

"Haha, that's such a pity."

When old friends meet again, they naturally open their hearts and chat without any reservations. Rayleigh is a naturally cheerful guy, and Buggy is both influenced by Rayleigh's friendliness and wants to communicate more with Rayleigh to strengthen their bond.

Then, Buggy recounted his encounter with Gaban at Twin Cape. Rayleigh nodded and said, "Gaban went to Wano Country and then came here to meet me. He told me he was going to the South Blue to search for news of Roger's bloodline."

Buggy feigned surprise. "Captain Roger... does he still have descendants?"

"I don't know," Rayleigh said, his gaze deep. "I've never heard Roger mention it, but if there were no clues, Gaban wouldn't have gone to the South Blue. If Roger really did leave behind a bloodline but chose to deliberately hide it, it's probably because he didn't want to implicate us old guys, just like when he disbanded the pirate crew, letting us go our separate ways, while he went to the Marines alone to surrender. Although he's usually carefree, in fact, he's smarter than anyone else, and his judgment is more accurate than anyone else's... Perhaps he will pass on his bloodline to someone who can better protect its growth."

"Yeah..."

Buggy nodded. Rayleigh's guess was right, and Roger's choice now seemed the most correct. If Ace had been handed over to Rayleigh, not only would the two not have been able to live a peaceful life, but Rayleigh would probably have spent his entire life being hunted by the Navy, constantly on the run, instead of living such a carefree life.

Possessing the "devil's bloodline," Ace would undoubtedly become the Navy's primary target once his identity was discovered. Strategically, capturing Ace and revealing his true identity would have a powerful deterrent effect on pirates throughout the four seas and the Grand Line, as seen in the Marineford War. However, the Navy's plans were much grander: to execute Ace and wage war against the Four Emperors. Victory would have been a turning point in history. Unfortunately, Whitebeard's dying words, "One Piece is real," were transmitted worldwide via Visual Den Den Mushi, not only ruining the Navy's efforts but also causing a global uproar. This led to the even more radical actions of Akainu, who moved the Marine Headquarters to the New World.

Roger had considered many things before telling Garp about his wife and children. Dangerous places are often the safest places. No one could have imagined that the Pirate King's offspring would grow up under the protection of a legendary marine. Roger understood the principle that "the one who understands you best is often your enemy." He knew Garp, his lifelong rival, well, so he entrusted him with the responsibility. Similarly, Garp greatly admired Roger. After much hesitation, he finally agreed to his "old friend's" request.

Gaban must have gotten some clues from somewhere before he wanted to go to the South Blue to look for any traces, which led to his encounter with Buggy at Twin Cape.

Of course, Buggy wouldn't tell Rayleigh at this moment that Ace was Roger's son, currently serving the Whitebeard Pirates, and would one day become the catalyst that changes the course of the world.

The two chatted as they returned to "Shakky's Rip-off Bar." During the trip, Buggy contacted Mohji via Den Den Mushi, telling him and Shuma not to look for him anymore and that they could come back after they had had their fun.

Buggy and his companion pushed open the bar door and went inside.

"Yo~~ You're back pretty early today." Shakky sat on the sofa, looking calmly at Rayleigh as he entered through the door, and exhaled a smoke ring.

"Running into an old friend, and thinking about it, chatting here is still the most comfortable." Rayleigh was in a good mood, smiling nonchalantly, and glanced at Lilina next to Shakky, "This young lady... is she also one of your crew members, Buggy?"

"Hmm." Buggy sat down on the sofa. "I still have a few crew members on my ship who haven't arrived yet. We'd like to stay here for a while."

"Oh...?" Rayleigh keenly sensed something and said, "You've talked to this old man so much along the way, it seems your purpose isn't so simple. I'm not a stingy person, so if there's anything you need my help with, just say so."

"Mr. Rayleigh, I would like to practice here for a while."

Seeing that the time was almost ripe, Buggy finally spoke up, saying, "With your guidance, things will definitely be much easier!"

Rayleigh looked at Buggy. "You should have mastered both types of Haki by now, right?"

Buggy said seriously, "Yes, but I want to pursue a deeper level of training!"

Rayleigh narrowed his eyes slightly, a glint of light flashing in his glasses, and a smile appeared on his lips, "Buggy, I'm quite pleased that you have this ambition. If you want to train with me, of course I won't refuse, but once you start training, you won't have the chance to quit halfway!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Rayleigh!"

Before Rayleigh spoke, Buggy was a little uneasy, afraid that the other party would refuse. But after receiving the other party's agreement, he was overjoyed. Rayleigh was indeed as generous as he remembered, without any change!

Ultimately, it was probably because he and Rayleigh had been companions for three years. If it were just an ordinary person's request, Rayleigh would have refused without hesitation.

"Alright, alright, if you want to cultivate, please wait until tomorrow. Buggy Bucky, you can stay here and rest tonight." Shakky came up and poured a cup of hot tea for each of them.

Buggy said happily, "Thank you, Sister Xia."

The situation is exactly as I expected. With Rayleigh's guidance, my strength should improve further in the next year, giving me a greater chance of facing the Marineford War. As long as I follow my plan, I will be able to establish a foothold in the New World in the future.

Then, Shakky leaned closer to Rayleigh and sniffed his clothes. "You smell really good. Looks like you've been out with some young girl again lately?"

Hearing Shakky's teasing, even Rayleigh seemed a little embarrassed in front of everyone, and quickly waved his hands and chuckled, "No, no, it's all from Buggy's scent."

"Ahem..." Buggy coughed, turned his head away, and mumbled, "I'm not really sure either..."

"Alright, I was just kidding. Rayleigh, you haven't been back for so many days, you smell pretty bad. Go take a bath at the public bathhouse." Shakky then looked at Buggy, "Buggy, you should come too. The public bathhouse is the best place for men to be honest with each other and strengthen their bond."

"Huh...?" Buggy was somewhat stunned. "I see... I understand..."

So, the two of them took off their clothes in the changing room at the back, wrapped themselves in bath towels, and went into the bathhouse where hot water had been prepared. After washing up, they lay comfortably in the bathtub and started chatting casually.

"Mr. Rayleigh, with such a considerate wife as Sister Xia, life must be very comfortable, right?"

Rayleigh rested his hands behind his head, thinking as he answered, "I still prefer a free and easy life. Although Shakky and I have been together for so many years, I would feel uncomfortable if she were to manage me and arrange this and that every day. However, she is not a submissive woman and has always been very understanding and trusting of me, so I really like this kind of lifestyle."

Buggy thought to himself, "The lifestyle of losing money at the casino, selling yourself to an auction house to steal some small change, and then going back to the casino...?" But he said aloud, "That's probably your unique charm!"

"Really...? Haha!" Rayleigh laughed, somewhat uncertainly himself.

The bathhouse was large, and the water in the pool was very warm. The comfortable environment allowed the two to open up and share their past experiences.

After cleaning up, the two got dressed and returned to the bar. Mohji and Shuma were already back, and Shakky had prepared dinner.

Buggy briefly introduced his companions to Rayleigh, and then everyone began to enjoy dinner.

Regarding why Rayleigh didn't appear to rescue Ace Marineford War, the only speculation is that Rayleigh didn't know Ace's true identity at the time. He rescued the Straw Hat crew who had spent time together on Sabaody Archipelago, let alone Ace being Roger's son. Another possibility is that Roger told everyone he had a son, but didn't reveal who or where he was. If that's the case, Shanks' return to the East Blue ten years ago was likely to return the Straw Hat Roger gave him to Roger's son, fulfilling his role as an intermediary. However, after a year, he couldn't find him. At that moment, Shanks was moved by Luffy's spirit and gave him the Straw Hat. The above represents only my personal speculation.