Chapter 351: Starting Point!
"Perururu..."
Ryuunosuke, who was casually sipping sake, picked up the Den Den Mushi.
"What's going on, Najenda?"
"Mr. Rayleigh has returned," Najenda replied calmly. "And so has Luffy. Right now, he's locked in a meat-eating contest with Ace."
She paused. "Captain, should we expect you soon?"
"So they're back already..." Ryuunosuke muttered, setting down his drink. He turned to the people around him. "Doflamingo, I'll leave the rest to you. I'm going to see Uncle Rayleigh."
Then his eyes turned to the brooding man beside him. "And Kidd, now that you've chosen to sail the seas, don't stay quiet like a coward. Speak through your actions."
With those words, Ryuunosuke vanished in a flash, his presence like a whisper swallowed by the wind.
Doflamingo chuckled. "Law, come on. I'll take you there."
The two departed together, leaving only Kidd behind at the table where just moments ago the four of them had been laughing over drinks.
Kidd stared at the empty spot where Ryuunosuke had been.
"Captain Ryuunosuke… did you see the future of the seas in me just now?"
He suddenly burst out laughing, the kind that rattles from the chest and echoes with wild ambition.
"Hahaha… HAHAHAHA!"
His eyes blazed. "New World—I'm coming!"
As Kidd stepped outside, something had shifted within him. The air around him seemed to tremble.
His aura surged—his entire presence transformed.
And then it happened.
One by one, the bystanders nearby dropped like flies, collapsing unconscious.
His Conqueror's Haki had erupted uncontrollably—leaking out like invisible, suffocating gas.
---
Meanwhile, Ryuunosuke had already found Rayleigh.
With his advanced Observation Haki, tracking down the old legend was a walk in the park.
In truth, Ryuunosuke suspected the Navy knew exactly where Rayleigh was too—
But they hadn't acted. Not because they couldn't, but because they shouldn't.
Stirring up one of the Pirate King's remnants might provoke others.
Their silence was a form of balance.
"Uncle Rayleigh!" Ryuunosuke called out as he approached the beach. Rayleigh sat there, fishing pole in hand, looking out over the water.
"How's Luffy doing?"
Rayleigh grinned. "He's improving fast. That boy's got the same reckless fire the Captain used to have."
His tone was warm, proud—even amused.
"Uncle Rayleigh, I came to ask you something... about the past."
Rayleigh's gaze sharpened slightly. "Raftel?"
Ryuunosuke nodded.
Even now, Raftel remained a mystery—even to him, a pirate whose crew rivaled the Roger Pirates in strength.
Why had Roger chosen to disband his crew after reaching Raftel?
Why surrender? Why silence?
Something didn't add up.
"You should know..." Rayleigh began slowly, eyes still on the sea.
"The so-called Raftel isn't the end. In fact, it's the beginning."
Ryuunosuke's eyes narrowed. "The starting point?"
"Yeah. Other than the Captain, none of us went all the way in. He went alone."
The words struck Ryuunosuke like thunder. That wasn't what the world believed.
Suddenly, memories clicked into place.
Back then—at sea near Raftel—Kozuki Toki had fallen sick with a fever.
Buggy, the only other person with a unique ability onboard, collapsed the same way.
Two special ability users.
Both struck with inexplicable illness.
"Was it something Captain Roger said? That it was the starting point?"
Rayleigh nodded. "After coming back, he told us that. Then he disbanded the crew. Never said why."
Ryuunosuke's expression darkened. "What about people with special abilities? Are they unable to set foot on Raftel?"
"I don't have a solid answer," Rayleigh admitted. "But I do know this—Bullet forced his way onto the island and was bedridden for days. That man's built like a war machine. Illness shouldn't even be possible for someone at his level."
He took a long drink from his flask. "That sickness wasn't natural."
Suddenly, the pieces aligned in Ryuunosuke's mind.
Bullet had obtained Raftel's Eternal Pointer… yet never went.
Instead, he staged a massive war feast, drawing pirates, Marines, and even World Government agents.
He wasn't just testing the new generation—he couldn't go to Raftel himself.
"Ryuunosuke," Rayleigh said, glancing at him with interest, "if anyone could uncover Raftel's truth… it might be you. If that day comes, share the tale with me."
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I'm curious—where did you find such terrifying and loyal monsters for your crew?"
Ryuunosuke chuckled and scratched his head sheepishly. "Heh… yeah, let's just say it wasn't exactly conventional."
"Perururu..."
The Den Den Mushi buzzed again.
"Captain, Ace and Luffy are asking for you," Najenda voice reported.
"Also, the World Government sent someone over. Should we wait?"
"No need," Ryuunosuke replied. "Gather everyone. And bring the Straw Hat crew aboard too. Kun will handle navigation—we're heading to Fishman Island."
He paused, voice sharp and dismissive.
"As for the World Government's lackeys, they won't send anyone worth fighting."
"Understood, Captain," Najenda replied before the call ended.
Ryuunosuke stood. "Uncle Rayleigh, I'll be off then."
With a flash, he vanished once more.
---
Not long after, Shakky emerged from the shadows nearby.
She had been there all along, listening.
"Rayleigh," she said softly, "do you think the Dragon Hunter Pirates can really uncover the truth buried for centuries?"
"If he does," she hesitated, "then maybe..."
But she didn't finish the thought.
Rayleigh watched the horizon, a nostalgic gleam in his eye.
"That boy doesn't care about being Pirate King. But the fire in his eyes... that's the thirst for truth."
He chuckled. "And those monsters following him... yeah, the Captain made the right call."
Shakky didn't say more. She turned and left silently.
Rayleigh remained by the sea, lost in memories of the past.
Once, he too had sailed freely across these waters.
Then, from his coat, he drew a small object—smooth and glowing faintly.
The Eternal Pointer.
"The Captain told us not to hold onto this," Rayleigh murmured.
"But maybe it's finally time."
The pointer Roger had once thrown into the sea… Rayleigh had made a new one.
The time for it to re-emerge had come.
Pirates. The World Government. Nations. All would soon be drawn into its orbit.
"Let's speed this all up," Rayleigh muttered.
He lifted the Den Den Mushi and dialed.
"Beru Beru..."
A voice snapped from the other side, irritated and impatient.
"Rayleigh? What the hell do you want now?"
Rayleigh smirked.
"Bullet. I've got the Eternal Pointer. Come and get it."
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