“You’re a new member of the Roger Pirates? How come I didn’t know about this?”
Sunbell didn’t retract his tongue. Instead, he grew even more excited, wagging it in front of Reid, spraying saliva everywhere.
Reid quickly stepped back to distance himself from Sunbell—the smell was way too strong for his taste.
“I’ll explain it to you later.”
Reid pinched his nose as he spoke.
“Roger, when did you trick another person into joining?” Rayleigh eyed him suspiciously. After all, he himself had been conned onto the ship by Roger.
“Yeah, Roger, how come we didn’t know about any new recruits?” Jabba also looked at Roger in confusion. Judging by Roger’s smug expression, he must have known about this for a while.
“Hahaha, I’ll explain that later.” Roger waved at Reid, grinning widely.
“Brother Reid, it really is you!”
“Brother Roger, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Help me take care of Old Sun for now.” Roger winked at Reid, who immediately understood.
“Got it.”
Reid maneuvered around the tongue and approached Sunbell, lightly touching his body.
Sunbell felt a sudden surge of energy. Though he still appeared bloodied on the surface, his body had completely recovered, as if he’d never been injured.
“I… I… What just happened?”
“Old Sun, keep it low-key. Don’t let anyone know.” Reid gave him a meaningful look, and Sunbell immediately caught on, his face lighting up with joy.
“Hahaha, I got it, Brother Reid. This time, we’re definitely not losing to these Marines.”
Sunbell’s spirits were fully restored, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Reid’s arrival had undoubtedly shifted the tide of battle—now, they stood a real chance of winning.
“Who are you? Are you also a user of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu?” Sengoku was visibly shocked and couldn’t help but ask.
Reid turned to face him.
“Yes, just like you, Sengoku.”
“That’s impossible. There’s only one Devil Fruit of its kind. I consumed mine years ago—where did you get yours?”
Sengoku’s mind was racing with questions. The man before him seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
“That’s none of your concern. I’m here today to help my brothers. I suggest you Marines leave.”
This feels amazing. I’m actually threatening Sengoku…
Reid couldn’t help but revel inwardly at how badass this moment was.
Everyone who heard his words was stunned. How could there be another user of the Mythical Zoan-type Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu? While it wasn’t unheard of for multiple people to possess the same Devil Fruit ability, Sengoku’s Daibutsu was supposed to be unique—no one had ever heard of a second one.
“Neeee~ How terrifying. This feels really bizarre.”
Even Kizaru’s usual nonchalance gave way to a rare seriousness. Ignoring Rayleigh, his body dissolved into golden light, and in the next instant, he reappeared beside Sengoku.
Zephyr and Akainu also moved to flank Sengoku.
“Rayleigh, Jabba, let’s regroup with Reid. There’s a surprise waiting.”
“Roger, what are you hiding?”
“Hahaha, Rayleigh, you’ll find out soon enough. Let’s go.”
“You’re impossible.”
As Roger and the others joined Reid, the two sides faced off once more.
Reid casually touched each of them in passing, and in an instant, Roger and his crew felt their stamina and injuries fully restored.
“Heh, Rayleigh, do you feel it now?”
“Ah… this… yeah. It’s incredible.”
“Hahaha, Brother Reid, you’re amazing!”
Jabba was overjoyed. Roger’s so-called “surprise” was beyond anything he’d expected. On the battlefield, this ability would be a game-changer.
“Sengoku, something’s off here.”
Zephyr eyed Reid and the others uneasily.
“Look at Roger and his crew—they’re brimming with confidence. We need to end this quickly. Dragging it out is dangerous.”
“This guy’s a pirate too. At worst, we’ll just arrest one more.”
Akainu’s eyes burned with fury. His hatred for pirates was already well-known, and now, with Reid’s sudden appearance, he was itching to reduce him to ash.
“We’ll take him in for interrogation. It seems there’s much about this world we still don’t know. Everyone, prepare to move.”
Sengoku had made up his mind. Reid clearly held many secrets. The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu was supposed to be one-of-a-kind—he needed to find out where Reid had obtained his Devil Fruit. This was critical intel for the World Government.
“Reid, just stay back and provide support, got it?”
Roger grinned and winked.
“Yeah, I got it, Brother Roger. Don’t worry about me—my defenses are solid.”
Reid couldn’t help but smirk. He hadn’t grinned like this in a long time, but around Roger and the others, it just came naturally.
“Heh, with you here, Reid, we can definitely take them down.”
Rayleigh and the others also smiled, their confidence in the coming battle renewed.
Garp walked up beside Sengoku, studying Reid.
“What’s your name? I don’t recall ever seeing you before.”
“So, you’re Senior Garp. My name is Reid—”
Reid. Nice to meet you. By the way, Senior Garp, I'm your fan—could I get your autograph later?"
"Whaaat?!" The moment Reid said this, Roger and the others were so shocked their jaws practically hit the floor.
Even Sengoku and his group froze for a second.
"Garp, do you know him?" Sengoku asked suspiciously.
"Nope, but this kid's got manners."
Garp nodded approvingly at Reid.
"Ever thought about joining the Marines? I could put in a word with Fleet Admiral Kong—get you a Vice Admiral position. How's that sound?"
"Wha—?!" Everyone had just been stunned by Reid's words, but now Garp's offer left them completely speechless.
"Oi, Garp! What the hell are you saying?!"
Sengoku punched Garp on the head, instantly raising a massive lump. But Garp didn't even flinch and kept talking.
"So? What do you say? I am the 'Hero of the Marines'—I’ve got some pull around here."
"Ah... Garp’s offering me a Vice Admiral position... That’s kinda tempting..."
Seeing Reid’s visibly intrigued expression, Roger facepalmed and bonked him on the head.
"Brother Reid, what’s with that look?"
The rest of the crew also closed in, glaring at him with utter disdain.