The weather was clear and the sea lay flat as a mirror.
For once, the crew were enjoying a rare stretch of leisure. Some were patching sails, others were maintaining their weapons, and a few simply sprawled on the deck, soaking up the sun.
Bullet sat on the yardarm of the mainmast, fifteen meters above the deck. This was the "high meditation spot" Rayleigh had suggested. Training Observation Haki from a swaying height honed both his balance and the precision of his senses at the same time.
He closed his eyes and let his Observation spread outward. Within a radius of fifty meters, every detail appeared distinctly in his awareness.
Down below, Shanks was practicing sword fundamentals with a few crewmen, the crisp clack of wooden blades echoing in rhythm. At the stern, John checked the cannon barrels while smoking, humming a badly off-key tune. From the direction of the galley drifted the rich smell of stew and the sound of the head chef cursing his clumsy apprentices.
Everything felt ordinary.
Until a fragment of conversation drifted into his sensory range.
Two middle-aged crewmen were sitting by the coil of ropes along the port side, mending a fishing net as they chatted.
"…so I am telling you, that guy is one of the people you most do not want to provoke in the New World right now," a hoarse voice was saying.
"Whitebeard?" the other asked. "I heard his territory expanded again?"
"Expanded is putting it lightly," the hoarse one lowered his voice. "News that came in last month said the Whitebeard Pirates wiped out 'Giant Bear' Hailuosen. That guy had a three hundred million bounty, a real name in the New World. In the end he never even laid eyes on Whitebeard himself, the division commanders under him took care of it."
Bullet's ears twitched.
Whitebeard.
The strongest man in the world, collector of "sons."
When the Roger Pirates talked about other crews, their tone was usually joking or dismissive. Only when Whitebeard came up did there always seem to be a certain special gravity in their voices.
"Edward Newgate…" the hoarse voice continued. "That guy's Tremor-Tremor Fruit is cheating. I heard he can trigger tsunamis in the open sea and shatter islands. 'The strongest man in the world' is not an empty title."
"How does he compare to Captain Roger?" the other sailor asked.
There was a brief silence.
"No idea," the hoarse voice admitted. "Captain has crossed blades with Whitebeard a few times, all of them ended in draws. Rayleigh says the strength of those two is already beyond common sense. If they really fought to the death… it could destroy half the New World."
The conversation went on, but Bullet was no longer listening.
He opened his eyes, and a hot light flashed in his scarlet, slit pupils.
The strongest man in the world.
A man who could shatter islands and call forth tsunamis.
A being on the same level as Roger.
A powerful surge rose within him.
An urge to challenge.
An urge to devour.
Bullet dropped from the yardarm, landing lightly on the deck without a sound, then headed straight for the cabins. At this hour, Rayleigh would usually be in the captain's room, sorting through charts.
He knocked, waited for permission, then pushed the door open.
Inside, Roger and Rayleigh were indeed both there. A huge sea chart of the New World was spread out across the table, various symbols marked on it in different colors of ink.
"Oh, Bullet, good timing," Roger looked up and grinned. "We are plotting our next route. Got any suggestions?"
Bullet did not look at the map. He looked straight at Rayleigh.
"I want information on Whitebeard."
The air in the room went still for a moment.
Rayleigh set down the quill in his hand and met Bullet's gaze. After a few seconds, he smiled.
"Finally asking about him?"
"I thought you would be interested sooner."
"I had not met enough strong opponents before," Bullet stepped up to the table. "But Whitebeard is different."
Roger burst into hearty laughter, his voice booming so loudly the inkwell on the table trembled.
"Hahahaha!"
"Good kid, you have an eye for people."
"Newgate is definitely one of the hardest bones to chew in this sea."
He stood up and walked over to the window, turning his back to them as he looked out at the sea.
"Edward Newgate, known as Whitebeard. A Tremor-Tremor Fruit user, with the power to generate quakes. If he wants to, he can unleash shocks strong enough to tear continents apart."
"But he rarely takes the field himself. Most of the time he just sits on the Moby Dick drinking and hosting banquets."
Roger turned back around, his eyes sharpening.
"But don't let that fool you. When that man gets serious…"
"Heh. I have seen him sink a large island with a single full power strike, even ripping open the seabed beneath it."
Bullet listened in silence, his heartbeat gradually quickening.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
"His weakness?" he asked.
"Weakness?" Roger raised an eyebrow. "If I had to say, age. Newgate is a few years older than me. For people at our level, age does not mean much, but years of battle have left hidden damage in his body."
"However," Rayleigh took over, "do not expect to beat him by leaning on that."
"At that level, a powerhouse can end most fights long before his injuries have a chance to catch up with him."
He rose and walked up to Bullet, his expression turning serious.
"You want to challenge Whitebeard?"
"Yes."
Bullet did not hesitate.
"Reason?"
"He is called the strongest in the world." Bullet's tone was calm, but there was a fire burning in his eyes. "If I want to stand at the very top, I have to surpass him."
Rayleigh studied him for a long time, then let out a quiet sigh.