On Roger's ship, the crew quietly listened to Shanks' report without interruption. Once Shanks finished, even though they hadn't encountered the enemy yet, they already had a general idea of what was happening.
After all, only a handful of forces on the seas had the ability to confront the Roger Pirates: the Whitebeard Pirates, the World Government Marines, and the Flying Sky Pirates. These were the only powers that could stand on equal footing with them.
As for the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, future emperors of the New World, they were still considered small fry by Roger and his crew.
Whitebeard wouldn't resort to such sneaky tactics. If he wanted to challenge them, he'd do so openly. Likewise, after the battle at Edd War, Golden Lion Shiki had been keeping a low profile and wouldn't stir up trouble at this time.
That left the Marines, which had both the time and motive to act. Considering that the Roger Pirates had just returned from Laugh Tale, it made perfect sense for the World Government to send the Marines to intercept them.
Roger, after a moment of silence, analyzed the situation:
"We've just come back from Laugh Tale. The Marines are the only force that would immediately make a move against us. It has to be the World Government's lackeys."
Rayleigh nodded, adding,
"They've mobilized enough ships to encircle an entire island. There are only a few factions capable of such a feat. Right now, the Marines are the only ones with the time and motive. There's no point in guessing further; instead, we should focus on how many of their elites they'll send and figure out how to rescue Shanks and Buggy."
Kozuki Oden's face darkened as he interjected:
"The Marines have surrounded Blue Star Island completely. If we want to rescue them, we'll have to break through the encirclement. While it might be easy to get inside, breaking out again will be a completely different story."
Everyone understood that the Marines weren't targeting Shanks and Buggy but rather the Roger Pirates as a whole. They were laying a trap, and while entering the encirclement might be allowed, leaving it would be the real challenge.
Reno, standing quietly at the side, immediately recognized the tactic as a blatant ploy—much like the eventual Summit War of Marineford. The Marines were setting a trap to lure the pirates into a kill zone, undoubtedly orchestrated by Sengoku, the Grand Strategist himself.
As the crew debated and struggled to come up with a viable plan, Scopper Gaban spoke up boldly:
"If we can't think of a solution, then stop overthinking it. Let's just charge straight in and take the fight to them!"
Rayleigh agreed, though with a sigh:
"The Marines' strategy is straightforward, and there's no avoiding it. We'll have to go in and fight our way out. Instead of overcomplicating it, let's focus on crafting a solid battle plan."
Ultimately, despite lengthy discussions, the crew couldn't come up with any alternatives and had to settle on brute force as their only option.
However, while the others saw no way around it, Reno knew he had a solution: his telekinesis. With his infinite mental energy, he could use his abilities to lift the ship and fly it over the encirclement. He could easily keep the ship airborne for a day if needed.
If not for the physical limitations of needing sleep, he could theoretically keep the ship in the air indefinitely.
Reno's abilities had turned him into a long-range powerhouse. In a direct confrontation, he could stand toe-to-toe with top-tier fighters. However, his lack of close-combat prowess made him virtually helpless if the enemy got too close.
This was a temporary issue, though. Once he gained finer control over his telekinesis, he'd no longer have this glaring weakness. For now, however, he remained vulnerable at close range.
Lost in his thoughts, Reno didn't notice the others continuing to debate their strategy. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he spoke up:
"Um… can I say something?"
The crew turned to look at him, seeing his small figure standing among them.
Rayleigh, annoyed, scolded him:
"Now's not the time for your training questions. We're busy with real issues. Go back to your room and rest—don't cause trouble."
Rayleigh assumed Reno wanted to discuss the half-finished training advice from earlier and promptly tried to shoo him away.
However, Reno replied innocently,
"I'm not here to ask about training. I'm just saying I have a way to get us out of the encirclement safely. But if you don't want to know, I'll just go back to rest."
He pretended to turn away, though his raised foot remained planted, waiting for their reaction.
The crew, hearing his claim, collectively displayed skeptical expressions.
Even though Reno often behaved like a little adult, he was still only a five-year-old child. If they, with all their experience, couldn't come up with a solution, how could he?
Kozuki Oden sneered:
"None of us can figure out a way after all this time. What could a five-year-old brat possibly have up his sleeve?"
The others seemed to share Oden's sentiment, their gazes filled with doubt.
Ignoring their disbelief, Reno turned to Oden and challenged him:
"If you don't believe me, why don't we make a bet?"
Oden scoffed,
"A bet? Sure, who's afraid of that? Say it—what do you want to bet on?"
Reno paused, pretending to think before replying,
"We'll bet on whether I can get everyone out of the encirclement safely. The loser owes the winner a favor. How about it?"
Initially, Reno had considered betting on Oden's daughter's hand in marriage. However, realizing he didn't have enough leverage—and fearing Oden might beat him senseless—he opted for a safer wager.
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T/N:
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