Teach's Idea

Rune looked at Margaret and smiled faintly.

"If we get the chance in the future, let's be friends again. As for the Pirate Empress, I'll have to trouble you to explain things to her. The next time we come, we'll apologize in person."

With that, Rune grabbed Luffy and slung him onto his back. Ace ignited into flames and directly carried Rune and Luffy into the sky.

After finding the small boat docked by the shore, the three boarded Ace's boat. Leaving a brilliant trail of flame behind them, they headed away from Amazon Lily.

"What we need to consider now is how to create a major piece of news that will shock the world."

On the boat, Rune helped Luffy come up with ideas. Seeing Luffy's eager expression, Rune could not help feeling somewhat helpless.

"Don't think about finding another Celestial Dragon to beat up. We're not a match for Admirals yet."

Luffy needed at least two years of training, plus another round of instruction under Teacher Kaido, before he would have the strength to contend with an Admiral. At most, Ace could rely on the power of his Devil Fruit to exchange a few moves with Aokiji or Kizaru, but if he ran into Akainu, he would be completely crushed.

Rune was even worse off. At present, he was only about as strong as a somewhat exceptional Marine Vice Admiral. With just the Dark-Dark Fruit and his current level of the Three Types of Haki, fighting an Admiral was simply impossible.

"How about saying Straw Hat joined the Whitebeard Pirates?"

Ace considered it as well. "A Supernova joining one of the Four Emperors' pirate crews would definitely shock the world."

"Ace, if Luffy did that, his crew would be heartbroken."

Rune shook his head and rejected the idea. After a brief moment of thought, he thought of someone.

"Let's go to the Sabaody Archipelago."

Rune smiled faintly. "Seven Warlord Bartholomew Kuma should still be there. We just need to go over and fight him. Luffy, you need to come up with a signal to tell your companions to train for two years, then gather at the Sabaody Archipelago."

"I got it."

Luffy gave up thinking it over. He felt that Rune made a lot of sense. Besides, Rune had been brought along by Ace, so Luffy naturally believed what Rune said.

With Ace there, the little boat sped across the sea. It took only a few days for the three of them to reach the Sabaody Archipelago.

From far away, Luffy spotted the Thousand Sunny docked by the shore.

Near the Thousand Sunny stood Bartholomew Kuma's towering figure.

At that moment, a group of pirates from who knew where seemed to be trying to seize the Thousand Sunny. Bartholomew Kuma was fighting them.

"It's been a long time since I stretched my legs. This is the perfect chance to test my current strength."

Rune clenched his fist as Armament Haki covered it. As soon as he finished speaking, he leaped high into the air and landed in the middle of the pirate group.

Before the pirates could understand what was happening, Rune sent them flying one by one with his fists, making them cough up blood. When blazing flames lit up in the distance, the pirates finally recognized Ace.

"It's Fire Fist Ace! Run!"

The pirates scattered in every direction. Luffy also came ashore, glaring angrily at Bartholomew Kuma.

Rune felt helpless. With Luffy's intelligence, asking him to understand that Kuma was actually helping them was a little too much right now.

"You should not have returned."

Kuma looked at Luffy, raised his palm, and fired a shockwave with a casual motion. This time, however, Rune charged directly in front of Luffy.

He threw a Haki-coated punch, triggering an enormous boom. Many nearby pirates were drawn to the sight and began calling for someone to take pictures.

"Who is that? He can actually stand against a Seven Warlord..."

"What a powerful guy! He actually withstood a Seven Warlord's attack!"

Listening to the spectators' discussions, Rune felt rather embarrassed. It was true that he had blocked the attack, but Kuma had obviously held back and was not taking it seriously.

Rune, meanwhile, had needed an almost full-powered punch just to block that attack.

There was still quite a considerable gap between Rune and Kuma.

"Fire Fist!"

Ace made his move. The moment he used Fire Fist, quite a few pirates immediately recognized him.

"You dared to injure my little brother and his crew. I came here today to avenge my brother!"

Ace delivered the lines they had prepared beforehand, making sure the surrounding spectators heard every word. Then, after exchanging a few moves with Kuma using the Flame-Flame Fruit's power, he took Luffy and Rune and slipped away.

The onlookers were utterly baffled, because Ace had clearly held the upper hand during those exchanges with Kuma. Yet in the middle of the fight, the three of them had simply run away.

And this incident would become "news" after some time, spreading throughout the world.

"Fighting and running away really is thrilling."

Rune laughed heartily aboard the little boat. Although he had realized that there was still a considerable gap between himself and Kuma, he also felt that his efforts during this time had not been wasted. If he fought weaker Seven Warlords, such as Gecko Moria,

he should have a chance of winning.

But against stronger Seven Warlords like Kuma, the Pirate Empress, and Doflamingo, he was probably still no match.

As for Mihawk...

Although that guy bore the title of Seven Warlord, his individual strength was likely no weaker than that of the Four Emperors. As the world's greatest swordsman, he possessed strength at least on the level of an Admiral or a Four Emperor.

Otherwise, he would never have been able to hold that position.

"Let's head back to the Moby Dick now. Luffy, you can train peacefully on the ship for two years. After two years, go to the Sabaody Archipelago and meet up with your companions."

Before attacking Kuma, Rune had already made Luffy put on his straw hat and arrange the "signal." That way, even though Luffy had not fought, there would definitely be images of him in the news.

Training with the Whitebeard Pirates should be the safest place for Luffy.

After all, this was the pirate crew of the world's strongest man!

Marshall D. Teach had been in a terrible mood these past few days.

He had endured aboard the Whitebeard Pirates for decades, finally waiting for the Devil Fruit he wanted. Yet on the very night he was preparing to act, Rune and Vista had unexpectedly entered Thatch's room.

If only Thatch had been there, Teach was completely confident that he could kill him in a sneak attack and escape with the fruit. However, if Vista was there as well, Teach had no way to make a move.

What infuriated Teach even more was that that brat Rune had actually eaten the Dark-Dark Fruit on the spot and called it a trash fruit!

That made Teach extremely angry, but there was nothing he could do.

If he killed Rune without making preparations, there was no telling where the Dark-Dark Fruit would reincarnate.

When Rune had secretly slipped away this time, Teach had originally planned to follow and kill him. But Ace had unexpectedly been with him.

With Ace around, Teach abandoned that idea.

At present, he was still no match for Ace.

"Yo, Ace, Rune, you're back."

Marco greeted the two who had returned, then his gaze fell on Luffy.

"This is?"

"This is my little brother, Straw Hat Luffy."

Ace introduced Luffy to Marco. Quite a few members of the Whitebeard Pirates had also heard of the name Straw Hat.

The moment Teach heard that name, an idea immediately came to him.