Plan to Seize the Heavenly Tribute

After a long while.

Aboard the Saber of Xebec.

Key members of the Kuja Pirates and the Rocks Pirates had gathered together, seemingly discussing something important. Arguments occasionally leaked through the crack in the door, mixed with the sound of hands slamming on the table.

Outside, Kaido and Ron, both apprentices, had no chance to speak and could only linger boredly on the deck.

"Didn't you say you weren't interested?" Kaido turned to look at Ron, who sat cross-legged atop the ship's railing, propping up his head with one hand as he stared blankly at the sea.

Ron glanced at Kaido from the corner of his eye and sighed softly. He had wanted to go back to sleep, but the racket inside was too much. Before long, all sleepiness had left him.

"What are they talking about in there?" Ron asked lazily.

At the question, Kaido fell silent for a moment, as though arranging his words, before explaining, "It seems they're planning to seize the 'Heavenly Tribute.'"

"The Heavenly Tribute?" Ron murmured, his mind racing.

The Kuja Pirates had come to the Rocks Pirates for cooperation just to seize the Heavenly Tribute?

With the sort of monsters in the Rocks Pirates, shouldn't the Roger Pirates have been a more suitable partner?

They were pirates too, but at least those guys had some rules...

Could there be some hidden reason behind this?

With that thought, Ron's interest was suddenly piqued, and the drowsiness in his eyes faded somewhat.

"Hey, Kaido, go snoop around some more," Ron said.

Kaido looked at him suspiciously. "Why? We're just apprentices. We can't change their decision. What difference does it make whether we investigate or not? Once they decide, we'll know anyway."

"Do you still want that Devil Fruit capable of 'destroying heaven and earth'?" Ron asked in return.

Kaido froze and hesitated for several seconds. "What do you mean?"

Unhurriedly, Ron analyzed the situation for Kaido from the beginning. The Heavenly Tribute's shipping route might conceal an even greater secret; the World Government often transported Devil Fruits together with the Heavenly Tribute; and so on. Kaido was left thoroughly bewildered, before finally showing an enlightened expression.

The apprentice alliance had gained its brains, perfectly making up for his weakness in that area.

"Hey, Ron." Kaido suddenly spoke in a serious tone.

Ron looked at him, feeling a little uneasy. Did this guy see through the fact that I was fooling him into gathering intelligence?

"Forget it. I'll tell you after I've found out more," Kaido said, then turned and headed into the ship.

"Whew..." Ron let out a soft breath. Kaido already had plenty of combat experience, but he still lacked seasoning in the "lessons of society."

Not long after Kaido left, a soft voice drifted into Ron's ears.

"The sea is beautiful during the day, isn't it?"

Faced with the unfamiliar voice, Ron glanced back. It was Shakky. He then naturally turned back around, returning his gaze to the sea.

Wasn't she inside planning to seize the Heavenly Tribute? Had they already finished planning?

As for whether the sea was beautiful... Ron couldn't really say. He had been thinking the entire time. Now that he actually looked at the scenery before him, all he saw was an endless expanse of blue. Beautiful or not, he couldn't tell.

"It's just the damn sea. What's beautiful about it?"

"Huh? What a flat reaction."

Shakky was clearly surprised. With her beauty, she caused a stir wherever she went. Even if not everyone lost their composure, they would at least look at her a few more times.

Yet this young man's reaction was far too calm.

Had he not gotten a good look at her?

Unwilling to accept that, Shakky curled her lips into a smile and naturally walked to Ron's side. Resting both hands on the railing, she tilted her head, a faint smile on her face. "Are you new here? I've never seen you before."

Ron switched hands supporting his head and turned to look at her as well, his tone lazy yet distant. "You... need something? Well, even if you do, I can't help. You should find Rocks or someone else."

Shakky paused, blinked, and suddenly laughed. As she laughed, she waved to reassure Ron. "I'm not here to trouble you. It's just that those guys inside can't behave themselves, so I came out on my own."

"Oh." Ron answered, once again looking into the distance. He was now hoping with all his heart that Kaido would uncover some explosive information—especially that what the World Government was transporting was not the Heavenly Tribute, but Devil Fruits.

After all, if he wanted to obtain "rewards" from his system, he had to use Devil Fruits as materials.

And the Devil Fruits that were consumed would reappear somewhere in the world, endlessly cycling on.

"You know," Shakky said in a teasing tone, her eyes fixed on Ron's profile with an ambiguous smile, "men usually look at me at least a few extra times when they see me."

Ron suddenly turned to face Shakky. At that moment, a trace of a smile finally appeared on his face.

"Uh." Shakky was mildly surprised. Since earlier, this was the greatest change in Ron's expression.

"Do you have a Devil Fruit?" Ron asked bluntly.

"Uh." Shakky pretended to think, tapping her chin with a fingertip before shaking her head. "No."

Ron's smile receded like the tide. He turned back toward the vast sea.

"..." Shakky was completely speechless. So that smile earlier had only been because he wanted to get something out of her?

The moment he heard she had no fruit, he could not even be bothered to humor her anymore?

"Hey, Ron!"

Suddenly, Kaido burst out of the cabin after gathering intelligence, wearing an expression that screamed something huge had happened. His eyes shone with excitement.

But when he saw Shakky standing beside Ron, his expression instantly froze.

Then his steps grew slower and slower until he came to a complete stop.

Shakky reacted first. With a faint smile, she raised a hand and greeted Kaido. "Hi, Kaido. You seem a little more mature than the last time we met."

The moment Kaido heard that, his cheeks flushed red. His eyes wandered, and he did not dare meet Shakky's gaze. "W-Where? I'm still the same."

Ron silently walked over, inwardly roasting him hard. Kaido... you're practically getting reeled in like a fish.

He threw an arm around Kaido's shoulders and decisively dragged him toward the other side as he asked, "You look excited. Did you find out something explosive?"

"Bye-bye~"

Shakky spoke again from behind them.

Kaido forcibly twisted his head around and answered like a puppet pulled by strings, "S-See you next time."

"Hey, hey, hey, can you stop acting lovestruck? I'm asking you a question." Ron helplessly tightened his grip.

"No, I was just being polite."

"What the hell? We're pirates, Kaido. The next time we meet, we might be enemies!"

"Forget that," Kaido finally pulled his gaze away. The blush had not completely faded from his face, but his eyes were excited again. "I'm telling you, this operation is definitely going to be thrilling."

"Tell me everything."