P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 130+ at patreon.com/Emik01.
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"Rayleigh, what is it?"
Shakky answered the Den Den Mushi, her tone far from friendly.
She was clearly upset with Rayleigh. In Shakky's eyes, Rayleigh had messed everything up by failing to notice the Navy's conspiracy on the Sabaody Archipelago. Because of that, her beloved captain had been ambushed and surrounded.
Had Shakky been there, no matter how deeply the Navy concealed their plot, she believed she would have spotted some clues.
On the other side of the line, Rayleigh fell silent.
Just making this call had already required all the courage he could muster.
He felt a heavy guilt in his heart.
Why hadn't he noticed anything unusual?
"If you've got something to say, say it. Otherwise, don't waste my time," Shakky snapped. "We're having a banquet right now, so I don't have time to play guessing games with you."
Hearing Shakky's harsh tone only deepened Rayleigh's sorrow.
What was he supposed to say?
How would they react when they found out Kuke had already died? How heartbroken would they be?
But there was no avoiding it now.
With a heavy, raspy voice, Rayleigh finally spoke, "Shakky, Kuke has fallen on Sabaody Archipelago."
"Oh."
Rayleigh's heart sank as he ruffled his hair in pain. Instinctively, he reached for his flask, only to remember it was already empty.
He had never encountered such a reaction from Shakky before.
"Rayleigh!"
"Yes, Shakky?" Rayleigh straightened up, ready to listen attentively.
"All right, Shakky, stop messing with Rayleigh already," Kuke interrupted, taking the Den Den Mushi from her hand.
On the other side of the line, Rayleigh was completely dumbfounded.
What?
He must have misheard.
There's no way I just heard Kuke's voice... I must have misheard.
Holding the Den Den Mushi, Kuke said to Rayleigh, "Rayleigh, I'm not dead."
Rayleigh, who still hadn't wiped the tears from his eyes, was utterly stunned.
He didn't respond for a long time, his eyes vacant as he tried to make sense of what he'd just heard.
"K-K-Ku…"
Rayleigh stammered, unable to get the words out.
He felt like he'd just seen a ghost.
"It's me," Kuke's voice repeated.
Rayleigh stared dumbly at the Den Den Mushi, its mimicry of Kuke's facial features confirming what he was hearing.
But… how was this possible?
"Kuke, how are you on the Radiant Eclipse?" Rayleigh asked, still in disbelief.
Rayleigh had lived through so much—he'd traveled to the last island, stood at the top of the world with Roger, and even fought against the once king of the world, Rocks.
But none of that compared to the shock he was experiencing now.
"To make a long story short, you can think of it as part of my special ability," Kuke replied, avoiding a detailed explanation.
Especially concerning his resurrection ability.
Only the crew members needed to know about it.
It wasn't unlimited, and it had weaknesses that could be exploited.
It wasn't that Kuke didn't trust Rayleigh, but it was better to avoid unnecessary risks.
"I see," Rayleigh responded, not pressing the matter.
Still, the shock in his heart only grew. He couldn't fathom how Kuke had managed to survive and return to the Radiant Eclipse so quickly.
Space manipulation?
While it was possible, Rayleigh couldn't believe that Akainu and the others wouldn't have noticed. They wouldn't be foolish enough to think they had killed Kuke if he had simply used spatial abilities.
Even under the power of Observation Haki, you couldn't deceive someone like that.
"Kuke, you even managed to fool me," Rayleigh muttered, feeling both exasperated and relieved.
His eyes were still wet with tears.
He had been distressed all this time, only to realize now how pointless it had been.
"I'm sorry, Rayleigh. I couldn't explain earlier with enemies nearby," Kuke apologized.
Rayleigh wasn't really blaming him.
Muttering to himself, he repeated, "As long as you're alive. That's all that matters."
He muttered this for several minutes.
Finally, he calmed down, quietly wiping away the tears that shouldn't have been shed, realizing how much emotion he had wasted.
"Kuke, while the Navy still thinks you're dead, you should head to the New World as soon as possible. Once they realize, it won't be easy for them to chase you," Rayleigh urged.
Though Rayleigh didn't fully understand Kuke's resurrection ability, he believed there had to be limits to it.
If the Navy found out, they would be much more cautious next time.
"I know," Kuke reassured him. "But what about you, Rayleigh? What are you going to do now? You won't be able to return to Sabaody anytime soon."
"Me?" Rayleigh looked out at the sea.
With Kuke still alive, the heaviness in his heart had lifted. As he gazed out over the waves, he felt lighter and happier.
Where to next?
It didn't really matter.
"By the way, where is Shakky planning to go?" Rayleigh asked, thinking of his long-time companion who had also been in hiding on Sabaody.
"I'm going with the captain to the New World. From now on, I'm part of the Sun and Moon Pirates," Shakky happily chimed in, leaning close to Kuke and boasting to Rayleigh over the Den Den Mushi.
"So, you've finally made your decision? You've finally taken that step forward," Rayleigh was genuinely surprised.
He knew of Shakky's struggles, but he hadn't expected her to make such a firm decision.
"Well done, Shakky. Congratulations."
Rayleigh was truly happy for her.
"And what about you, Rayleigh?" Kuke asked, concerned. "Your whereabouts have been exposed too. It's possible the Navy might send forces to hunt you down."
Rayleigh didn't have resurrection abilities like Kuke. Though he was strong, being pursued by powerful Marines could be dangerous.
Kuke didn't want to hear that Rayleigh had been captured or killed because of what had happened.
"Me…" Rayleigh muttered thoughtfully.
He was a bit confused.
Kuke had been asking about his plans and had even convinced Shakky to join. Did Kuke also want him to join his crew?
Feeling a bit awkward, Rayleigh apologized, "Kuke, you don't need to worry about me. I was just thinking of traveling to other seas to visit some old friends. You don't have to keep me in mind—this era doesn't need an old relic like me on any ship."
Kuke: "??"
That thought had never crossed my mind.
"Rayleigh, what nonsense are you talking about? The captain never asked you to join the crew," Shakky teased.
Rayleigh blinked in confusion. "Wait, isn't that what this was all about?"
"Stop assuming things. We're already almost at Fish-Man Island. Who has time to wait around for you?" Shakky retorted.
Rayleigh: "..."
Now this was awkward.