Let It Shake Hands with Me

The four-deck, three-masted sailing ship was quite magnificent, slightly larger than the Thousand Sunny. After all, one deck had been set aside for Shirahoshi to move around in. While it was not enough for her to swim about in her original size, it was still spacious enough for her current form.

The ship had very little decoration overall, as if spaces had been deliberately left for Rune. If Rune wanted to decorate the ship later, he could do so however he liked.

After only a brief look around, Rune had already taken a liking to the pirate ship. This was also the first ship that belonged to him.

"Come on, let's go aboard and take a look."

Rune called his companions, along with Luffy, and boarded the still-unnamed pirate ship. He planned to raise the Whitebeard Pirates' flag once they put to sea.

For now, they were just taking a look around.

After seeing the ship's entire layout, Rune felt more and more that the one billion Beli had been well spent.

"Now we have a problem, Luffy. Are you going to sail the Thousand Sunny yourself, or leave it somewhere and come aboard my ship first?"

There was no need to ask. Luffy chose to sail the Thousand Sunny himself almost without hesitation. Rune did not say much more, only thinking that Shirahoshi might need to call over a few more Sea Kings to escort them in the future.

Otherwise, there were too few people to look after two ships.

"Communicate with Sea Kings? Can I... do that?"

When Rune found Shirahoshi and told her about it, she was clearly a little reluctant. But since it was Rune's request, and not a demand...

After hesitating for a moment, Shirahoshi decided to try in the sea.

"You're the future Sea King. These Sea Kings will listen to you very well."

Rune smiled slightly. He had not recruited Shirahoshi just because she was beautiful. The ability to make Sea Kings obey her commands was simply far too powerful on these seas.

As Shirahoshi dived into the sea, Rune waited aboard the ship. It was quite a while before Shirahoshi finally surfaced again.

"Lord Rune, I only found one Sea King on the nearby seafloor..."

Rune's eyes brightened slightly. After clearing his throat, he winked at Shirahoshi.

"Can you make it come up to the surface?"

As a Devil Fruit user, Rune had never encountered a Sea King at close range. Seeing Shirahoshi nod, he grew a little excited.

A creature resembling a giant catfish rose to the surface. Looking at the thing, which was even larger than his pirate ship, Rune could not help clicking his tongue in amazement.

With such an enormous body, even he would need to spend quite a bit of effort to take it down. That was on land. In the sea, a Devil Fruit user like Rune would only become food for a Sea King.

"Can you make it shake hands with me?"

Rune looked at Shirahoshi expectantly. After pursing her lips, she looked toward the giant catfish.

"I'll try..."

After a while, Shirahoshi shook her head.

Rune was a little disappointed. It seemed Sea Kings only listened to Shirahoshi and would not pay attention to anyone else's requests.

"Lord Rune, it says it doesn't have hands..."

"..."

Rune was speechless. "A fin will do."

This time, Shirahoshi fell silent for a moment before nodding lightly. The giant catfish then extended a fin and gently touched Rune's hand.

Achievement unlocked: Shook hands with a Sea King!

Rune smiled slightly. It was a shame he did not have some kind of "Pirate King World Achievement System." Otherwise, what he had just done would surely have earned him quite a few rewards.

"Tell it to protect our ships. And if you encounter any other Sea Kings, I'll have to trouble you as well."

"I'm happy as long as I can help you, Lord Rune."

Shirahoshi smiled. Seeing Rune happy because of her ability made her happy as well. After pursing her lips again, she went off to chat with the Sea King.

She was probably telling it how to protect the ships.

Just like that, Rune sailed his new ship toward the Sabaody Archipelago. He wanted to find Rayleigh and have his ship coated as well.

"Brring, brring, brring, brring—"

The Transponder Snail rang, and Rune opened his eyes in the captain's cabin. Looking at it, he frowned slightly.

Had someone caused trouble on one of the islands under his protection again?

But after answering the Transponder Snail, Rune relaxed. Its face turned into a pineapple head, and Marco's voice came through.

"Rune, come back when you have time. Pops wants to see you."

The message was short, and that was all. Rune blinked. Just how long was "when you have time"?

Three days? Five days? Or seven?

Or did it mean...

The sooner he could get back, the better?

Rune felt it was probably the latter. He left the captain's cabin and went to Kuma's room.

"Kuma, take me back to the Moby Dick in a bit."

After speaking to Kuma, Rune woke Yamato. "Yamato, I'm heading back to the Moby Dick. While I'm gone, protect everyone."

Yamato nodded. Then Rune and Kuma vanished inside a paw-shaped bubble. The next moment, Rune and Kuma appeared on the deck of the Moby Dick.

"Captain Marco, what does Pops want with me?"

After finding Marco, Rune saw a trace of worry on his face. But when Marco saw Rune, he still smiled.

"Go to the captain's cabin. Pops and Ace are both there."

Hearing Marco's words, Rune could not help frowning.

Had Ace gone and gotten himself killed again?

Looks like he needed another beating.

After so many battles and so much growth, Rune could easily handle Ace now.

After all, his Devil Fruit ability completely countered Ace's, and Rune's Haki was stronger too.

"Rune, you're back."

The moment he entered the captain's cabin, Rune saw Whitebeard and Ace sitting there. But as he looked at Whitebeard, Rune frowned slightly.

Why did Whitebeard's condition seem even worse after only a few days apart?

"I intend to make one of you two the new captain of the Whitebeard Pirates."

They were all his own people, so Whitebeard did not beat around the bush. He looked at Rune, then at Ace.

In Whitebeard's eyes, Rune was more outstanding than Ace and more like him as well. But Ace had joined earlier, and he was the son of an old friend.

He did not want to treat either of them unfairly.

Both of them had what it took to become kings. If they remained only his sons forever, it would only limit their growth.

"The other one will leave the Whitebeard Pirates and establish his own pirate crew."

Hearing Whitebeard say this, Rune frowned slightly.

"Is something big about to happen?"

Whitebeard's condition was rather unusual. Even if his health had worsened again, he would not be acting like this. On these seas, he was a king at all times.

Yet Whitebeard's current actions made it seem as though he had reached some kind of "understanding" with certain people.