Although everyone was used to Carl's extensive knowledge , they couldn't help but wonder how he knew so much about the past. After telling the story of Fisher Tiger, Carl simply remained silent and continued eating.
Boa Hancock wiped her tears and said emotionally, "I didn't expect Fisher Tiger to have such a tragic end. Why did he have to die instead of those damned Celestial Dragons?".
The weeping of the beautiful woman broke the heart of Sanji, who prided himself on being a gentleman. He immediately knelt on one knee in front of Boa Hancock and said affectionately, "Beautiful Ms. Hancock, you don't have to cry. If I can be of any service, your knight would be happy to oblige!".
Brook also leaned in. "Yohohohoho! That's right, I'm willing to serve beautiful women. But, although it is presumptuous, may I take a look at your panties?".
Bang! Brook was kicked away by Sanji.
Sanji growled, "Bone bastard! What kind of rude thing did you say to a peerless beauty?".
Nami stepped forward and punched Sanji down. "Both of you are being disrespectful! Just eat quietly; don't cause trouble right now!".
With Nami keeping order, the scene quieted down. Luffy continued to eat, appearing as if the emotion from moments ago had been fake, but no one knew exactly what he was thinking.
Boa Hancock continued, "Fisher Tiger may be gone, but there are still people who resist the Celestial Dragons, just like your Straw Hats. You dared to beat a Celestial Dragon to death on the Sabaody Archipelago. I have to admire that!".
Luffy waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing. Those guys are annoying. If you kill them, you kill them".
However, the more casual Luffy acted, the more Boa Hancock looked at him with admiration. Boa Hancock seemed to view Luffy through a special filter, finding him more and more pleasing the longer she looked. Seeing this, Carl simply shrugged.
The fundamental rules of the plot in this world seemed to remain active. Even though the overall timeline had been completely rearranged, certain interaction rules were still being followed. For example, the Straw Hats meeting the Pirate Empress happened right after Luffy killed a Celestial Dragon, suggesting the world's underlying mechanics pushed Boa Hancock to favor Luffy. Fortunately, these were not major issues, and Carl didn't bother to worry about them.
The sad atmosphere of the bar, caused by Carl's story, was growing heavy, so Carl decided to change the subject.
"Uncle Rayleigh, do you remember Crocus from Twin Capes? He was your ship's doctor, right?".
"Oh?" Rayleigh's eyes showed nostalgia. "So you met Crocus. It's been so many years. Is Crocus doing well now?"
"You mean Uncle Flower? He's still very tough!" Luffy rushed to answer.
"Oh, that's good! Back then, we knew Crocus had superb medical skills, so we asked him to join our crew. Crocus was looking to go to sea to find a certain pirate group, so we came to an agreement". The memories in Rayleigh's eyes deepened.
Brook felt tears welling up when he heard this, because he knew that Crocus had been waiting for the Rumba Pirates.
Sanji lit a cigarette and asked, "But the Pirate King was executed twenty-two years ago. Why are you, the Vice-Captain, still here? Shouldn't the Pirate King's crew have been caught?".
All eyes were on Rayleigh, waiting for his answer.
Rayleigh smiled slightly. "We weren't caught. Roger turned himself in!".
Eh?!!! The Straw Hat Crew was completely shocked.
"The Government, in a show of force, claimed they had captured Roger.".
"But why would the Pirate King turn himself in?!" Nami asked in disbelief.
"Because he saw the end of our journey! At that time, just four years before his public execution, Roger contracted an incurable disease. He was in great pain from the sickness that no one could cure, so we sought out Crocus, who had the best medical skills at the time. He was the only one who could relieve Roger's pain. Finally, three years later, Roger achieved the grand feat of dominating the Grand Line, something everyone thought was impossible."
Rayleigh whispered about Roger's final days: how Roger became the Pirate King, quietly disbanded his pirate group, surrendered to the Marines, and then, during his public execution, opened the Great Pirate Era in the most unexpected way. It could be said that the Pirate King's life was full of energy and vitality!
Luffy, who had been eating, couldn't help but tremble as his blood boiled with excitement. The others were lost in thought, realizing that there was so much more to the story than they had known.
Tashigi was shocked yet again. She had thought the Marines had captured Roger, but the truth was quite different. She wanted to question Rayleigh, but an inner voice told her that what Rayleigh said was true. Even Boa Hancock, who had known Rayleigh for years, was hearing these details for the first time and couldn't recover for a moment.
At this point, Robin asked, "So, what about the message on Sky Island? Did the Pirate King understand Ancient Characters? Do you know all of history?!".
Robin was extremely nervous as she asked this question. She was hoping for an answer but feared disappointment.
"Roger didn't have the ability to read the characters like the scholars of Ohara," Rayleigh explained. "He simply could hear the Voice of All Things!".
Rayleigh continued, "And yes, we know everything. If you want to know, I can tell you. Or, if you want to find out for yourself, I think the answers you seek might not be the same as ours."
Robin was stunned, and she subconsciously glanced at Carl, who met her eyes with an encouraging look. It was clear that Carl would support any decision she made.
Robin took a deep breath, shook her head, and said, "Forget it. I think I want to find the answer myself."
Rayleigh smiled when he heard her decision.
Usopp and the others wanted to say something, but Carl stopped them with a look. This was Robin's decision, and no one should doubt it; they should only support her.
As for the so-called "everything," that referred to everything Roger and his crew knew, which wasn't necessarily everything the Straw Hats would eventually know. If the Straw Hats wanted to discover something, they had to find it for themselves. This was the necessary process Luffy had to go through to sail the seas and become the Pirate King.
After this topic was settled, Rayleigh found time to ask Boa Hancock about her situation. Boa Hancock immediately told him about Byrnndi World, which made Rayleigh a little uneasy. Although dealing with Byrnndi World wasn't a huge problem for him, he couldn't afford to fight casually now, or the Marines would target him. He just wanted to watch the new generation usher in a new era; he didn't want to get involved in trouble himself.
So, Rayleigh turned his attention to the Straw Hat Crew. Luffy immediately looked into Rayleigh's eyes, as if he had an internal radar for attention.
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