Lind kept smiling. Rather than dwell on Rayleigh's answer, he continued, "After this battle, the Rocks Pirates and the World Government-or rather, the Celestial Dragons-have completely burned their bridges!"
"The two sides will probably plunge the whole world into war again soon, until one of them is wiped out. Would you be interested in getting involved, Captain Rayleigh?"
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow, an uneasy feeling stirring inside him. He had no idea what Lind was planning.
"As the strongest pirate force outside the Rocks Pirates, the Roger Pirates will have a hard time staying out of this war."
"At the very least, knowing Rocks, he certainly won't let unpredictable elements like you carry on in peace."
Lind paid no attention to the change in Rayleigh's expression and continued speaking.
"At the same time, being pirates means the Roger Pirates are bound to be targeted by the World Government and the Marines."
"Captain Roger might not care about that, given his bold spirit, but as the brains of the Roger Pirates, you must have considered it, Captain Rayleigh!"
"Think about it. If you keep fighting both sides, how many of the dozens of people at tonight's banquet will fall in one battle after another?"
"Now there's an opportunity for the Roger Pirates to avoid being targeted by the Rocks Pirates, while also earning a favor from me and a substantial amount of Beli."
"Would you be interested, Captain Rayleigh? Don't worry, it definitely won't have too much of an impact on the Roger Pirates."
"If you decide it isn't right for you when the time comes, you can still refuse."
"And believe me, having me owe you a favor will absolutely be worth your while. You'll get far more than you bargained for."
Rayleigh felt his scalp prickle. Whatever Lind was