"Hmph! Roger, I'll be waiting for your news. You'd better not drag this out too long."
The Den Den Mushi slowly closed its eyes.
"Old Man! I need to return to Wano right now! Lord Oden is in danger—I can't just stand by and do nothing!"
Izou gripped his flintlock tightly, his face twisted with fury.
"Yeah, Old Man! Don't just listen to Roger!" Marco also shouted, his expression grave.
"Old Man!"
"Old Man!"
"Old Man!"
...Seeing the crew's frantic worry and anger over Oden’s safety, Whitebeard closed his eyes, then reopened them. "To ensure Oden’s absolute safety, we’ll follow Roger’s advice this time."
"Lord Oden, please hold on for a few more months!" Izou prayed silently.
Rayleigh put away the Den Den Mushi, his expression heavy.
"Roger, we owe Whitebeard an explanation. After all, Oden was the one we took with us."
"I know. The fact that Whitebeard is holding back from rushing to Wano shows he’s worried about tipping off the enemy."
Roger gazed at Rouge’s belly, his heart unsettled.
Rouge’s eyes held a trace of sorrow. Though she had never met Oden, the crew’s reactions made it clear how important he was to them.
"This child has delayed Roger. Ace, you must take good care of your father in the future."
Rouge murmured inwardly.
"Brother Roger, given the situation, if we act early to stop this, everything can be resolved. The most important thing now is ensuring Sister Rouge safely gives birth to Ace. Everything else can wait."
"Reid’s right, Roger. After we rescue Oden, are we returning him to Whitebeard?"
Hearing this, Roger glanced at Rayleigh, then at the crew’s expressions.
"I know you’ve all come to see Oden as family. But don’t forget—I had to kneel before Whitebeard just to borrow Oden for a year. Now that he knows we failed to protect him, do you really think Whitebeard will let us keep Oden?"
At Roger’s words, the crew’s faces darkened with reluctance and guilt.
"I just want to get to Wano as soon as possible. That fool Oden is so naive—he’s probably getting scammed every day."
Dragon (Yanlong) suddenly spoke up, and the others nodded in agreement.
"True, Oden’s like a big kid."
Shanks chimed in.
"Red-Hair, you’re one to talk. You’re always bickering and fighting with Buggy."
"Doringo, you’re shorter than me—who are you to judge?"
"I agree with Doringo. Red-Hair’s too immature. I, Buggy, am the reliable one."
"Red-Nosed Buggy! My name is Shanks, not Red-Hair!"
"Shanks! Who are you calling red-nosed?!"
"Enough, both of you. Quiet down."
Rayleigh smacked Shanks and Buggy on the heads, leaving them with massive lumps. The two teared up in pain.
Reid, used to such scenes, thought to himself: "Dragon must be close to Oden—he understands him so well."
"By the way, Reid, you mentioned wanting Rayleigh to teach you Haki. With a few months to spare on the island, now’s a good time to train."
Roger’s reminder caught Reid off guard. He couldn’t explain why he needed training despite seemingly already possessing Haki.
"Oh? Learning Haki?"
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow, surprised by the request.
"Ah, I almost forgot."
Reid stepped forward and bowed respectfully, clasping his fists.
"Rayleigh, I’d like to learn the three types of Haki from you. I hope you can spare some time to guide me."
"Three types? Reid, you don’t know any of them?"
Rayleigh was taken aback. He had witnessed Reid’s transformation into a giant Buddha form—how could he lack Haki?
"I’m not sure how to explain it. That power wasn’t my own Haki. It’s… complicated."
Reid scratched his head awkwardly. He couldn’t reveal his secret.
Even Roger found this baffling.
"Reid is truly mysterious. He appeared out of nowhere in Loguetown to save me, predicted Rouge and Oden’s dangers, and has a Devil Fruit power identical to Sengoku’s. Everything about him is strange."
The crew found Reid’s clasped-fist salute unusual yet intriguing.
"Wait, Reid, you don’t know Haki?"
Doringo asked. Many Devil Fruit users relied solely on their abilities without mastering Haki.
"Without Haki, surviving in the New World is tough. Plenty of people possess Conqueror’s Haki. Rayleigh, you should teach him."
CB Gallant crossed his arms and nodded in agreement.
"Rayleigh, I want to learn too! I need to get stronger to protect my crew!"
Shanks raised his hand earnestly.
"If Shanks is learning, then so am I!"
Buggy quickly followed suit.
Rayleigh ignored them, studying Reid with a puzzled expression.
"Reid, Haki isn’t something you can just learn because you want to."
"It’s tied to a person’s willpower and conviction."
"I understand. Please, Rayleigh, train me rigorously."
Reid’s eyes burned with determination. Since arriving in this world and joining Roger’s crew, he refused to be dead weight. Moreover, with his divine-level system, he already held an advantage.
Though subconsciously, he already possessed Haki, it wasn’t truly his own. If Rayleigh could help him grasp even a sliver of its essence—the sensation of wielding it—he could gradually master it himself. If he could develop his own unique Haki while leveraging his system, it would be the ultimate enhancement.
"Rayleigh, spend these next few months training Reid properly. Consider it a way to pass the time. I believe that with Reid’s Human-Human Fruit: Buddha Form, combined with mastery of Haki and his unparalleled medical skills, our Roger Pirates will be invincible. That day might come sooner than expected."
Roger grinned widely, his eyes alight with anticipation.
"Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you—I’m merciless."
Rayleigh smirked, flashing Reid a knowing look.
"Oh! Thank you, Rayleigh! Don’t worry—I can endure any hardship."
Reid’s voice was steel.
(To be continued...)