" Great Swordsman ' Hawk Eyes ' Mihawk "
' The Demon Heir ' Douglas Bullet, ' Thunder God ' Tesoro...
"Your morale has improved considerably!"
Rayleigh then looked at Kyros and Scarlet.
"Are these two newcomers?"
Kyros stood up and bowed respectfully.
" Kyros, former champion of the Dressrosa Colosseum, has just joined the Roy Pirates."
" Dressrosa?"
Rayleigh seemed to be deep in thought.
"How is King Riku?"
"Your Majesty is well."
Rayleigh nodded, then looked at Yamato, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes when he saw her pair of small red horns.
" Oni? This horn... is pink..."
"Her name is Yamato, Kaido's daughter," Roy stated bluntly.
The atmosphere in the bar instantly froze.
Shakky stopped pouring the wine, and Rayleigh's expression turned serious.
Kaido's daughter... is on your ship?
Rayleigh looked on incredulously.
"Hmm, so you could say... a 'hostage'? Or perhaps an exchange student?"
Roy smiled.
" The Roy Pirates and the Beasts Pirates are now allies."
"Alliance..."
Rayleigh put down his glass, his eyes sharpening.
" Roy, do you know what kind of person Kaido is? To ally with him is like asking a tiger for its skin."
"I know."
Roy calmly met Rayleigh's gaze.
"But I have my own plans. Wano Country has the resources I need, and Kaido still has value to me."
" Wano Country..."
Rayleigh's voice lowered.
"What about Oden? How is he?"
Roy paused for a moment, then slowly said:
" Kozuki Oden has returned to Wano Country, intending to open the country to foreign trade and reclaim his position as Shogun."
Rayleigh gripped his glass tighter. "And then?"
"And now he dances naked in the Flower Capital every day, and is known as ' Your Lord Fool '."
Roy's tone was calm, but his words caused Rayleigh's pupils to shrink sharply.
"What did you say?"
" Kaido used the people who supported Oden as hostages, forcing Oden to dance in the Flower Capital every day for three years."
Three years later, Kurozumi Orochi promised to release the hostages and allow Oden to succeed him as shogun and open the country.
Seeing Rayleigh's increasingly grim expression, Roy continued,
"Of course, we all know that's a lie. Three years later, Oden will only find a trap."
Rayleigh suddenly stood up, his Conqueror's Haki overflowing uncontrollably, causing the tables and chairs in the bar to tremble slightly.
" Kaido... he dares!"
Why doesn't he dare?
Roy countered,
" Rayleigh, this is Wano Country's internal affair, and also a struggle between pirates."
"Your Roger Pirates have already disbanded, are you still going to interfere?"
Rayleigh stared intently at Roy: "You were involved?"
"I was just offering advice."
Roy readily admitted,
I will not directly Kozuki Oden--
The prerequisite is that he abandons Wano Country or goes into seclusion.
But if he insists on taking back Wano Country and ruins my plans...
Roy's eyes turned cold.
"Then I wouldn't mind personally sending him on his way."
The atmosphere instantly plummeted to freezing point.
The members of the Roy Pirates all stood up, their hands on their weapons.
Behind Rayleigh, Shakky also put down what she was holding, her eyes serious.
The Hancock Sisters huddled together, trembling with fear.
Just as tensions were about to rise, Shakky sighed and stepped between the two.
That's enough.
She looked at Rayleigh,
" Rayleigh, the Roger Pirates have disbanded. Oden should have foreseen everything that might happen when he chose to return to Wano Country."
This was his choice, his fight.
She then looked at Roy.
" Roy, Oden was Roger's brother and our friend."
"Isn't it going too far to say these things in front of Rayleigh?"
Roy remained silent for a moment, then slowly sat down.
"I'm sorry, I was rude."
He also realized that he had been too blunt, after all, Oden was Rayleigh's partner.
Rayleigh slowly sat back down, but his expression remained grim.
Roy, what in Wano Country do you absolutely need?
"You're willing to go to such lengths?"
Roy looked at Rayleigh, knowing that some things needed to be made clear.
"First, the Seastone resources of Wano Country are crucial to my development."
"Secondly, Wano Country's easily defensible and difficult-to-attack environment can provide us with a stable rear base."
"As for the third..."
Roy took a small sip of his drink and whispered,
"I am determined to obtain the Ancient Weapon ' Pluton,' which lies dormant beneath the surface of Wano Country."
Rayleigh's pupils contracted sharply.
"You know about ' Pluton '? And you know about the Void Century?"
"I've always known more than you think."
Roy stared directly at Rayleigh.
"Isn't that right?!"
" Rayleigh, what did Roger see in Laugh Tale?"
What is Will of D.?
What is the truth about Ancient Weapon? You all know this, but you won't tell.
He stood up, his tone firm.
"You choose to remain silent and wait for the so-called ' Joy Boy.' But I don't intend to wait."
"I will uncover the truth of this world in my own way, and then... change it."
"In this process, anyone who stands in my way is an enemy."
Including Kozuki Oden, including the World Government, and even...
Roy paused,
"Including the former Roger Pirates."
Silence fell over the bar once again.
Rayleigh stared intently at Roy, at the young man's eyes...
It possesses flames similar to Roger's, but Roger hotter and more... dangerous.
After a long while, Rayleigh suddenly smiled.
"Hahaha! Good! Good lad!"
He took a big gulp of wine.
" Roger was right about you! You have much more guts than us old guys!"
The atmosphere suddenly eased.
Shakky breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the rag again to wipe the bar counter.
Roy smiled and sat back down in his chair.
"So, Rayleigh, what exactly did Roger see in Laugh Tale? Can you tell me now?"
Rayleigh's smile vanished, and he spread his hands in a shameless manner:
"That was Roger's promise to you, not mine. If you want to know, go find Roger."
Roy was furious. "You! Is the Roger Pirates really that untrustworthy?"
"Hehehe, the Roger Pirates have disbanded. I'm just a retired old drunkard now."
Want to know the secret? Go find Laugh Tale yourself.
Roy gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.
He knew Rayleigh wouldn't say it, at least not so easily.
"Fine, I won't say then."
Roy changed the subject.
"Sister Shakky, what are the current moves of the World Government and the Navy?"
"They must have been incredibly busy after the Roger Pirates disbanded, right?"
When serious matters were mentioned, Shakky's expression turned serious.
"Really.
All Three Admirals candidates were mobilized to search the world for members of the Roger Pirates.
Sengoku is stationed at the G-1 Branch in the New World, Garp has also returned from the East Blue.
"There's one more thing..."
She looked at Roy,
" Master Tom, who built ships for the Roger Pirates and your crew, has been arrested by the World Government."
He is currently imprisoned on Enies Lobby, on charges of 'building a ship for the Pirate King '.
"What?!"