Outside Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
Ryan and the others appeared one after another.
Knock, knock! Knock, knock! Kid stepped forward and rapped on the door.
Rayleigh had just finished dinner and was about to spend some time alone with Shakuyaku. The irritating knocking made him shout, "Who is it? We're closed today! Come back tomorrow!"
"Teacher Rayleigh, it's me!"
At the sound of Ryan's voice, Rayleigh's irritation eased. If Ryan had come this late, it had to be important.
"Give me a minute!" Rayleigh called back.
Sure enough, a minute later, Rayleigh opened the door as promised and found Kid standing there.
"Well?"
"Coating!"
Seeing Rayleigh's displeased expression, Ryan told him what he had heard at Marineford.
"That information's worth a fortune, little Ryan. We could make a killing!" Shakuyaku said, emerging in her pajamas.
"So Whitebeard's time has come too?" Rayleigh's eyes dimmed. For someone from his era, watching an old rival leave the stage stirred up complicated feelings.
Besides, Whitebeard and Roger had been both rivals and friends, and their crews had gotten along well enough.
To Rayleigh, the scale of the Navy's mobilization made its intention clear: it wanted to wipe out the Whitebeard Pirates in one fell swoop. Unlike most pirates, he knew how strong the Navy was. Judging by the forces it had deployed, the Whitebeard Pirates had no chance of winning.
With that in mind, Rayleigh gave Ryan a curious look. "Are you going to help Whitebeard?"
"Uh..."
The question caught Ryan off guard. He had only planned to watch the spectacle, not help either side. But now that Rayleigh had asked, he began to think it over.
He had a score to settle with Sengoku. Whitebeard had saved his life, and he knew Marco, Vista, and Jozu fairly well.
Fish-Man Island was Tiger's home,