Persuading Colin

Creak, creak... Smoke rose from the burning wood, drifting lazily into the sky on the breeze.

Colin's face flickered in and out of view through the smoke. After a long while, he sighed. "Reg, you're still too young."

"Teacher Colin is right... That's why I've worked so hard. These nearly six years of training should be worth ten years for most others."

Reg's expression was extremely serious... Just now, he had asked Colin for permission to leave Tower Forest Island and undergo the P9 member assessment.

As long as he passed the assessment, just like Lucci in his memories had... he would shed the title of "reserve" and become an official P9 member.

Though Reg had no intention of truly joining them... After all, he planned to use a faked death to temporarily break free.

Colin was trustworthy, but Reg could not find a suitable reason... to explain why he wanted to go to Sky Island. That was his greatest secret.

"I mean that you lack life experience... The outside world is cruel." Colin continued to persuade him... He truly cared for Reg as though he were his own child.

"Teacher Colin, I'm no genius... I've merely worked harder than others. Didn't you always say that one should bravely face difficulties? Besides..."

After pausing, Reg casually tossed another piece of dry wood onto the fire. "Golden Lion has had frequent contact with Roger these past few years... Especially this year, he's been tracking him all over the world."

The weekly Den Den Mushi screening-room lessons were Tower Forest Island's only means of contacting the outside world... There, they were exposed to all kinds of information gathered by the entire P organization.

As agents, they needed a thorough understanding of the outside world... Otherwise, they would be unable to adapt to the ever-changing variety of missions outside.

"Whether those two join forces or come to blows... I need to grow stronger faster. Teacher, you should understand."

Reg knew Colin was only looking out for him, but fledglings would one day spread their wings and fly... His memories also clearly told him that two years from now, a world-shaking battle between Golden Lion and Roger would erupt on the shores of Edd War in the New World.

That would be in the year 1495... Though this was merely an excuse for leaving, if possible, Reg wanted to personally slaughter every member of the Bernie Pirates who had joined the Golden Lion Grand Fleet.

Colin, who believed avenging his "parents" was Reg's obsession, could only smile bitterly and nod. "You see things more clearly than this old man... A young eagle must eventually spread its wings and fly."

"Teacher Colin, you're simply too worried to think straight... Thank you."

Reg adjusted his sitting posture and bowed solemnly... This bow came from the bottom of his heart. Without Colin's dedication, there would be no him today.

"Alright... You brat, promise me that no matter what happens, you'll stay alive." Colin helped Reg up and rubbed his head.

"Yes, Teacher Colin... I'll definitely survive. Definitely, no matter what happens! Please rest assured, Teacher!"

Reg's words were resolute... In the past, he had been too naive, even fantasizing about escaping Tower Forest Island years later.

Only after arriving at the Ninth Tower had he learned more secrets... Not only did Tower Forest Island not appear on maps, it was also located on the edge of the Calm Belt.

The only way to enter was by using an "Eternal Pose"... a compass that always pointed toward a specific island and never changed. Without one, it was impossible even to find this place.

Taking the official P9 member assessment was the only way he could... temporarily escape the P organization's control.

The World Government had always been resolute in eradicating traitors... Once he was discovered in the future, Reg would first face pursuit from P9. If he survived that, the strongest P0 would take action.

That organization was... filled with numerous powerhouses promoted from P9. In terms of Doriki alone, none of them had less than 000.

Add the boosts from Devil Fruits and Haki... and they would not be much weaker than Lucci at Enies Lobby in his memories. Some might even be stronger.

Naturally, exceptions like Spandam—whose Doriki was 9 and who had wormed his way in through status and connections—did not count.

"Since you've made up your mind... I'll tell you about the assessment while we eat."

Colin handed over a bear paw, and saliva naturally began to flow from Reg's mouth... He was now a genuine glutton.

"Glutton... Listen carefully. In a while, I'll submit your request to Joe."

"Once he confirms that you've mastered four of the Six Powers, he'll contact P9 headquarters at Enies Lobby through a Den Den Mushi... Your assessment mission will be decided within a month. While you wait, I'll teach you the principles of Iron Body and Finger Pistol. You can slowly comprehend them yourself in the future."

Colin paused, handing Reg the other bear paw before continuing. "You can ask Jabra about it. If you apply together... there's a high chance the assigned mission will be a cooperative two-person one."

"Mm."

Reg nodded... A month ago, Jabra had already mastered the Six Powers. Now, he was focusing on training Iron Body.

After all, his Wolf-type Devil Fruit provided ample speed, vitality, and killing power... As long as he improved his defense, dealing with enemies would be nothing but simple, brutal instant kills.

In Colin's view, with Jabra alongside him... Reg's chances of completing the mission would rise greatly.

This was exactly what Reg wanted as well... If they received a two-person mission, Jabra would be the best witness to Reg's "death."

"Once the mission is confirmed, a warship will come pick you up... It just so happens that I haven't taken a vacation in a long time. I'll go rest in Water Seven." Colin spoke casually.

"Alright... Teacher Colin."

Reg smiled and scratched his head... Yet he felt even more guilty inside. Colin had chosen Water Seven because Reg had said he most wanted to visit that city on the water.

That was true, because he needed a ship capable of flying to Sky Island... He intended to seek out Iceburg and Franky's teacher: Tom.

He did not believe he would have Luffy's good fortune... So the necessary preparations had to be made.

Tom, the world's finest shipwright who had built the Oro Jackson for Roger, could not only satisfy Reg's requirements for quality, but would also leave little need to worry about safety... Though Tom did not yet hold the title of "world's finest shipwright," and Roger's ship did not yet bear that name.

Because of the Pluton battleship blueprints, Tom was destined never to be close to the World Government... Reg could not trust the other companies in Water Seven.

As for money, it was not much of a problem for Reg... This was the first half of the Grand Line, where wanted pirates were everywhere for the taking.

When the time came, he would only need to disguise himself to quickly gather the Beli... Reg had roughly calculated that he would need no more than 50 million Beli.

"Since this is a member assessment, the mission types won't include time-consuming work like infiltration, investigation, or gathering important intelligence... It will most likely be a short-term combat mission."

"With your current strength, factoring in the boost from Observation Haki..."

Colin pondered for a moment before giving a rough estimate. "Although bounties cannot completely represent strength, dealing with most pirates with bounties of 000 should not be a problem. In the worst-case scenario, using poison or an ambush, you might be able to handle a 40 million-Beli pirate. Any higher than that, and it won't work."

"A bounty of fifty million already makes someone a great pirate..."

Reg sighed... This was not the Great Pirate Era. Pirates' bounties had not undergone "inflation."

Their bounty amounts were all real... Bernie, the man who had killed this body's parents, had a bounty of fifty-five million: equivalent to a great pirate with a hundred million Berries during the Great Pirate Era.

"Don't rush. If you go after Bernie without enough strength, you'll only be throwing your life away... Train for another two years, and you'll still have a good chance. What you need to fear most is being assigned... a massacre-type mission."

Colin, who had brought up the subject, wore a complicated expression... P9, which believed in "Dark Justice," had carried out no small number of massacres.

Such missions were usually not especially difficult. Most involved those reckless historians or people who had learned certain secrets... Once such people were captured, they and usually their entire families would be wiped out.

This was an enormous test of the executor's character... If they wavered at any point during the mission, failure would be unavoidable.

And for P9, failure was the most intolerable thing... Failure meant eradication!

"Teacher Colin, I'm prepared."

Reg did not hesitate much, his expression resolute... He was definitely going to leave the P organization. That was also why he did not want to remain in P9.

He would not feel guilty about massacring pirates... Other than "adventure crews" like Luffy's, what pirate did not have several innocent lives on their hands?

But historians, civilians resisting the World Government, and the like were innocent.

Reg truly could not bring himself to massacre the weak... Unlike those brainwashed children, he possessed an adult's way of thinking.

"Don't treat yourself like a tool. Don't lose yourself... Your teacher doesn't want to see you become nothing but an empty shell."

"Yes."

"Alright... That's enough for today. Go back."

Colin rose to his feet and looked up at the sky... At last, the time for parting had come.