"I contacted Shakky earlier. She said that Rayleigh felt that the recent changes in the World Government and the source that ended Captain Roger's planned Age of Great Pirates could be found in someone or something on Mary Geoise."
"That's why Rayleigh risked infiltrating Mary Geoise to investigate." Gaban said.
"It is indeed very possible." Crocus thought about it and agreed with this conjecture.
"But Rayleigh still didn't pass on the information he found in the end, so we want to complete the matter on his behalf!" Gaban said with firm eyes.
"It's too dangerous. If Rayleigh couldn't do it, you guys could..."
"I know that Rayleigh is stronger than me, and even better than a few of us, but we still want to try while we are still in good condition, otherwise we will really be powerless when we get older."
As he spoke, Gaban looked at the other four people and continued: "Even if we die, we want to die knowing the truth and pass it on to our companions before we die."
"Well, I guess it's not just you, right?" Crocus asked.
"Yes, other crew members are also participating in this mission, but they are not in the Four Blues, so we agreed to meet on an island on the Grand Line." Gaban explained.
Crocus asked strangely: "How many crew members will participate? Also, it's Spencer who is going to make the action plan for you?"
Spencer was the strategist of the Roger Pirates, often even Rayleigh followed his plans.
"He is married, so he doesn't want to take risks with us, but he is willing to receive the information we have gathered, and then deal with it based on the situation." Gaban sighed helplessly, rubbing the back of his head.
"And Sunbell also refused. He is worried that, amidst the recent friendly cooperation between Fishman Island and the World Government, if it were to happen that a fish-man infiltrated Mary Geoise, it would be a disaster for the entire race."
"Others have their own problems too, and I don't want to force them." Gaban added.
Crocus nodded in understanding. "Yes, I understand. But now they don't even have a clear goal, just like Rayleigh didn't have before."
"Going to Mary Geoise without knowing what to look for can be dangerous, and I'm sure they've stepped up security there."
"To be honest, I don't recommend you go, because you will most likely die without finding anything."
"But..." Just when Gaban was about to say something, the door behind him was pushed open with a bang, which shocked several people in the room.
"Yes, they are looking for their own death, and they will only die without any meaning." Said the unknown figure who opened the door.
They immediately drew out their weapons and turned around to be on guard. Especially Gaban, who instantly pulled out his two axes from his belt, his eyes flashing fiercely. However, upon seeing who entered, the momentum and hostility instantly disappeared.
"Shakky!"
This woman's personality seemed to have changed; She was no longer the same calm and kind woman who ran the bar.
"Rayleigh's purpose in infiltrating Mary Geoise was to understand the origin of the changes in the World Government, not to go looking for idle death and rush to meet Roger."
"..." Gaban and the other five remained silent, knowing that Shakky must have something to say.
"I want to avenge that bastard Rayleigh, and find out what he wants to know, so that I can tell him in the land of hell after death."
"But I need manpower and experts. Do you want to come together?"
After saying this, Shakky took the cigarette out of her mouth, held it between her fingers, and let the smoke rise. She kept her gaze fixed on the eyes of these people, while Gaban and the others looked at each other.
"Can you explain to us how you plan to do it?"
"Regarding the recent changes in the World Government, I have looked into them. Basically, they have abandoned their high-pressure politics of the last few hundred years and are leaning towards a softer, low-pressure policy."
"This shows that they have noticed that people around the world have reached a certain level of tolerance for tyranny, so they want to loosen the rope around their necks and at the same time improve the impression of the world government outside."
"Freeing the slaves is just a tactic to improve their image. According to the information I have, the World Government has already begun to reform the Heavenly Tribute system, and it will likely be a topic in the next Levely."
After hearing Shakky's words, someone asked in surprise: "That all sounds like a good thing, right?"
"For the rest of the world, it's certainly great news." Shakky looked at him and said: "But do you really think that the dark World Government of over eight hundred years will suddenly become so compassionate? I don't think so."
"It is said that one's nature is hard to change, and this is not just true for people, but also for an organization. There must be a conspiracy hidden deep inside, and Rayleigh died for this!"
"What are you really planning to do?" Gaban asked again.
Shakky's eyes flashed with hatred, but her face maintained an indifferent expression.
"Quite simply, disrupt and thwart what they want to do."
"Taking advantage of the beginning of the change in the World Government, gather those extremely oppressed by the World Government and by the nobles of each country, lead them to take up arms and overthrow the kings on their heads."
"Extend revolutionary thought to poor nations, small nations and every island in difficulty, completely mix the waters of this ocean!"
Gaban and the others were shocked by this woman's frightening idea but remembering her previous identity as a member of the Rocks Pirates, it no longer seemed so strange.
"Do you want to start a head-on war with the World Government?" Gaban shook his head helplessly and said: "Although our strength is not bad, it is difficult to stop the navy's highest combat power."
The others reluctantly nodded and admitted that this was true.
The Roger Pirates are not the Rocks Pirates after all. They are not like the latter, where any member is a high-level fighter.
"No! You don't have to go head to head with them. You just need to secretly instigate and lead through the intelligence network I have built over the past decades."
"Once the large navy forces or main combat forces are dispatched, we can receive the news in advance and retreat. They will not be able to catch us."
Saying this, Shakky's face was full of confidence. In the world, the only organization that could compete with her in intelligence gathering was the Cipher Pol.
"Speaking of high-level fighters, we can train them over the years or look for strong people that we can use. I don't think that overthrowing the World Government is something that can be achieved in the short term."
"The important thing is the ideas. Pass on Roger's ideas and Rayleigh's ideas, so that the organization we founded can continue."
Simply put, Shakky wanted to spend the remaining half of his life creating a force that would displease the World Government. That was his current purpose.
Gaban and the others were the first backbones she used to build her power.
Gaban was the first to speak. "I see, well, consider me on your team. Instead of growing old doing nothing, I might as well squeeze out all the courage I have left. If it's for Captain Roger and Rayleigh, I'm willing!"
"I do too!"
"This is much more exciting than opening a boxing gym in my hometown. Let me teach the young members how to box in the future!"
"Then I'll teach shooting."
"Leave the fencing in my hands, after all, I am a master of the sword!"
"Good." Shakky had anticipated this result, so it didn't surprise him. She actively contacted Gaban and told him Rayleigh's story. She then looked at Crocus, who had not spoken.
"Crocus-sama, what about you? We really need your superb medical skills."
Crocus pondered for a moment, shook his head, and rejected her. "I'm sorry, but even if I don't mind, I have to try and take care of Laboon."
"It's an agreement I have with the Rumbar Pirates. If he continues crashing like this, he will soon sink to the bottom of the sea."
"But if you have serious patients or complicated medical cases in the future, you can send them, I will try my best to treat them, even as a favor from the past."
Shakky thought about it and felt it was okay. She could use this place as a safe house. Twin Cape was right below Reverse Mountain, and she could completely monitor the ships coming and going.
As for whether she would divulge the information, she was not very worried. She had already fully investigated Crocus' situation. The reason he gave before was true, and after so long here, the World Government didn't care about him either.
"Well, in that case, let's say goodbye first."
"Okay, go ahead and be safe." Crocus didn't want them to stay either. It was really too dangerous what these people were doing. He didn't have that many thoughts, he just wanted to spend his old age here with Laboon.
"By the way, as far as I know, the Rumbar Pirates you mentioned were disbanded a long time ago. They may have been eliminated by another pirate group or may have fled the Grand Line. In short, they will never return." Said Shakky
"Ah, I already know this."
Shakky didn't say more and immediately left with Gaban and the others. They were going to meet up with other members of the Roger Pirates and see if they could gather more companions.
This time they were not planning to break into Mary Geoise. They thought that there would be many people willing to join or help secretly.
When they left, Crocus breathed a sigh of relief, sat down with a somewhat tired mind, massaged his temples, and said with a sigh: "Isn't a quiet life better?"
"Why live every day in a situation where we could die at any moment for an idea?"
He felt that Roger disbanded the pirate group instead of letting Rayleigh take over as captain and continue to lead the crew on adventures because he wanted them to have a happy ending in the rest of their lives.
But now, Rayleigh's unexplained death made these crew members uneasy, especially Shakky, whose cold gaze was very uncomfortable.
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. Go to sleep, go to sleep. I'm just a middle-aged guy with some medical skills guarding the lighthouse." He watched Laboon outside the window as he lay down on the bed, finally falling asleep.
But when he opened his eyes again, under the warm sunlight outside the window, he suddenly heard the sound of familiar music in his ears.
It seems to come from outside the house.
And there was also Laboon's familiar screech. But this time, in that sound there was no longer sadness and loneliness, but an emotion full of joy.
Crocus quickly got out of bed, threw open the door and walked out. But the moment the door opened, the sound of the music suddenly became louder, and he could better hear the cheerful music that echoed throughout Twin Cape.
Listening carefully, he found that this was not the singing of one person, but the singing of many people!
"That is..." Crocus's gaze swept towards a man in black with a slim figure, standing on the edge of the cliff in front of Laboon.
Laboon swung his tail excitedly and swam back and forth, chirping at the man from time to time, causing a lot of waves to turn into raindrops and fall down, and then turned into a beautiful rainbow under the bright sunshine.
The man seemed familiar to him.
But just as Crocus was preparing to go down and take a closer look, he turned around and saw three people dressed in black walking towards him from the stone staircase. The leader had a gentle and comfortable smile on his face.
"Hello, Doctor Crocus, I am Coulson, a high official of the Department of Administration directly subordinate to the World Government. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"World Government!" Crocus's expression changed drastically, his body instantly tensed, and he thought to himself: 'Did they find out about yesterday? This is bad!'
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---