Probing and Association

Before the southern forest of Jaya Island.

"Follow me... Aren't you going to be a pirate anymore?"

Reg, who was a beat slow to react, looked utterly bewildered. Since when had he gained the ability to make little brothers bow in submission just by shaking his imposing body?

"Does Sky Island really exist?" Berg answered with a question of his own.

Reg did not hesitate in the slightest. "Of course... We've been together for months now. Do I look like the kind of hot-blooded idiot who would throw everything away over a legend?"

"No... Everything you do is driven by a strong sense of purpose."

Berg was impressed... Whether it was observing ocean currents, training his body, or sleeping only a few hours a day, Reg's precise use of time was suffocating.

"Is that so? Fine, I can agree to it..." Reg said with a smile.

Berg subconsciously clenched his hand... Chirp, chirp chirp!

The South Bird, squeezed painfully in his grip, cried out in displeasure... Reg licked his lips and looked at it.

Chirp... Its cry abruptly stopped.

Sensing the intense "malice," the South Bird even began to tremble... This guy really dared to eat it!

Although the tense atmosphere had been interrupted, Reg still spoke. "Come with me to Sky Island."

"No." Berg refused cleanly, without the slightest hesitation.

"You've passed."

Reg extended his hand... Whether Berg went or not was unimportant; what mattered was his attitude.

If Berg had tried to play tricks now, hemming and hawing as he searched for excuses... then he definitely would not have been sincere.

His refusal was understandable... The Knock Up Stream was classified as a "natural disaster."

Anyone even remotely normal would not choose such a method to court death... Much less a rational middle-aged man like Berg.

"This is my most important possession. If you fail, I will take it back... If you succeed, I will pledge my loyalty to you."

After handing over the gold-rimmed monocle, Berg spoke again. "No matter what identity you hold in the future."

"After I go to Sky Island, what do you plan to do?"

After accepting the monocle, Reg began to seriously consider Berg's pledge of loyalty... This was an educated man, not one of those pirates who only knew how to fight and kill.

Although Berg had a collecting obsession, it did not involve humans... That was Reg's bottom line.

Through their conversations over the past few months, Reg had also pieced together the real Berg from the words of other pirates... He treated his collectibles like treasures, had raided quite a few towns, and had killed people, but he was not bloodthirsty.

For Reg, that was enough... Anyone who killed bore sin.

There was no such thing as innocent or not innocent... When they had first met, he had also killed several young pirates.

Those people had not yet had the chance to commit evil, nor had their hands been stained with blood... But if he had to consider even that, then he truly would not be able to move an inch in this world. This was a chaotic age.

"I'll disband the pirate crew... If any are willing to follow me, I'll take them along, then wait in Mock Town for your return, young master." Berg's tone became far more respectful... After all, he had already offered his preliminary loyalty.

"Call me by my name, or call me young master." Reg corrected him casually.

"Young master." Berg placed his right hand over his chest and bowed slightly, his etiquette impeccable.

"Berg, take these two birds back first... I need to think about what comes next."

Reg gave Berg a serious look... This was his final test.

He would stay outside for a while... During that time, Berg would have more than enough time to move his collectibles back onto the ship and flee without a trace.

Empty Number Reg was not worried... He believed that even if Berg intended to run, he would leave his ship behind.

Berg had witnessed his brutality... He would not want Reg hunting him down relentlessly.

"Yes, young master."

After taking the other South Bird, Berg bowed once more and departed... How could he possibly fail to see Reg's intentions?

"I won't run..."

As his steps grew firmer, Berg's expression tightened... In Reg, he saw broader possibilities... Besides, Reg was a man of his word.

"How should I arrange this..."

Alone, Reg began muttering to himself. Once he went to Sky Island, he had no idea how long it would take before he returned... As for failure, if he was dead, why would he need to think about so much?

Leaving Berg in Mock Town would undoubtedly be a waste... He should be assigned elsewhere.

As Reg paced slowly, his mind spun at high speed... To gain a firm foothold in this world, even the Four Emperors from his memories needed support: power, money, connections—these were all important.

"Fond of collecting... Has managerial talent... Formerly a noble, birthplace unknown..."

Reg scratched his head... Berg clearly had no intention of revealing his full background yet. After all, there was still the Knock Up Stream to overcome.

Buzz, buzz, buzz... The sound of bees beating their wings in the forest behind him made Reg's eyes light up: the "Tontatta Kingdom," located beneath Green Bit in Dressrosa.

It was a kingdom of little people, its inhabitants all a race of tiny humans... They had wings and could stand on an adult's palm.

In Dressrosa, these little people were known as "fairies." They were the "green managers," and it was said that there was no plant in the world their race could not cultivate.

They were botanists capable of cultivating even artificial Devil Fruits... Though small in stature, they possessed astonishing strength and incredible speed.

Their weaknesses were obvious as well: pure-hearted and kind, easily fooled by other people's lies... and they had deep ties with Noland, who had visited the island 400 years ago.

In his memories, they had readily believed Doflamingo's words: their tribe's princess had an infectious disease and needed to be isolated; if they obeyed, he would be responsible for treating her... Then they foolishly helped Doflamingo cultivate artificial Devil Fruits.

Later, Usopp had claimed to be Noland's descendant, and these people had easily believed him as well... Not only did they feed and house him lavishly, they firmly believed he was a hero sent from above to save their tribe.

Although the outcome had lived up to the title of "hero"... the process had been extremely convoluted.

Remembering this, Reg could not help but smile... He had an idea.

Whose money was easiest to make in this world... Women's and children's.

Women aside for now... if he wanted to make money from children, toys naturally came to mind.

Wapol, the king of Drum Kingdom, had already proven that point.

His Munch-Munch Fruit ability worked like this: a Paramecia-type power that allowed its user to eat anything and turn it into part of his body, or combine things into something new. He could even eat his own body, then spit himself back out after finishing and become thinner.

In Sea Circle Calendar 150, Luffy had sent him flying off the island. After narrowly surviving the disaster, he came alone to another island and began a life of eating everything: trees, park benches, residents' buildings, and so on. The townspeople eventually notified the Marines.

Still thinking of himself as a king, Wapol had been hunted by the Marines in a truly miserable state.

Driven to despair by the pursuit, Wapol began eating all kinds of garbage people threw away... At least that way, the Marines would not come after him.

But being alone was too lonely, so he began using his Devil Fruit power to make toys... Unexpectedly, they became popular with children. After his business grew, scientists discovered a certain alloy within them, and he went on to win a world prize with that alloy.

With fame under his belt, Wapol expanded his toy stores more and more. He not only founded several companies, but even established a conglomerate centered on his own interests. He had truly risen in a single leap.