Hearing Meiser's words, a trace of emotion surfaced on Rayleigh's face.
This was also why he felt Ace couldn't compare to Luffy.
"But Whitebeard is already dead," Nami said. "Would that still affect Ace in this situation?"
"Whitebeard is indeed dead, but the influence he had on Ace isn't something that can disappear so easily," Rayleigh explained.
Some beliefs, once planted, aren't that simple to remove.
Seeing the confusion reappear in Nami's eyes, Rayleigh could only set down his wine gourd and continue: "Although Whitebeard died in battle, his influence over the Whitebeard Pirates still remains!"
"So... Ace will inherit Whitebeard's will and continue to protect the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates!!"
"And this... is what he did before the Whitebeard Pirates disbanded."
Ace was now like a child who had suddenly lost their parent. Although he was trying hard to carry the family's banner, he ultimately fell short compared to those who had been fighting their way up from the beginning.
As for whether he could overcome that mental barrier... that would depend on his own choices.
If he could never develop the ambition to surpass Whitebeard, then he would remain like that for the rest of his life.
"So that's how it is..."
Nami nodded, then fell into deep thought.
It seemed Luffy's older brother was having a tough time too.
"Then why did he disband the Whitebeard Pirates?" Perona asked curiously.
"It was a form of protection for the members of his pirate crew," Shakky said.
"Protection?"
"Yes."
Shakky nodded, then selected some information and pushed it in front of them. "After Whitebeard's death, numerous pirate crews began attacking the Whitebeard Pirates' territory."
"Among them were many silver-ranked fighters and members of Four Emperors Crews!"
"In such circumstances, it was difficult for the Whitebeard Pirates to protect everyone."
"So after holding out for a year and a half, the Whitebeard Pirates announced their dissolution."
By the end, a hint of melancholy appeared on Shakky's face.
To be honest, the fact that the Whitebeard Pirates could hold out for a year and a half under those conditions was beyond her expectations.
It had to be said, this pirate crew truly had profound foundations.
"I see..."
Perona nodded, then said with a grave expression, "It seems the New World is much more dangerous than I imagined."
If even a behemoth like the Whitebeard Pirates was forced to disband, then...
Noticing Perona's expression, Rayleigh said, "Otherwise, why do you think I said those things earlier?"
The danger level of the New World was far greater than what these youngsters imagined!
"I understand now."
Rayleigh smiled upon hearing this. It was good that she was willing to listen.
"And after the Whitebeard Pirates disbanded?" Meiser said. "Without the shackles of the Whitebeard Pirates, Ace should be able to regain his conviction, right?"
Just like Moria, once certain conditions are met, one can regain their faith!
"Faith isn't something that can be changed so easily," Rayleigh shook his head helplessly. "Besides... even if he could regain his faith, it's impossible for him to become as strong as one of the Four Emperors within half a year."
If given a few more years, it might be possible, but half a year was out of the question.
Meiser fell silent for a moment before nodding. "You're right."
Once faith is established, it truly isn't something that can be easily altered.
"Perhaps one day he'll reach that level," Shakky said. "But at least not now."
According to the intelligence they had gathered, Ace's current strength was about on par with Marco's.
But he still wasn't qualified to face opponents like Kaido or Big Mom.
This time, Meiser simply nodded without saying anything else.
After pondering for a moment, Meiser seemed to recall something and asked, "By the way, what's the current situation with that Blackbeard?"
Since Uncle Whitebeard died at Blackbeard's hands, the two pirate crews should frequently have clashes.
"You want to know if the Blackbeard Pirates have clashed with Little Ace and the others, right?" Shakky said.
"More or less."
"There have indeed been conflicts."
With that, Shakky extinguished her cigarette, took out a piece of intelligence, and slid it over to Meiser, indicating for him to take a look.
Without wasting words, Meiser immediately picked up the intelligence and glanced at it.
Then, he showed a surprised expression and said, "The Blackbeard Pirates clashed with the Whitebeard Pirates just half a year ago?!"
"Correct."
Shakky took a sip of coffee from the table and said, "Exactly half a year ago."
Hearing this, Meiser fell silent for a moment before sighing with emotion. "They really have patience..."
Meiser had originally thought the Blackbeard Pirates would join other pirate crews in encroaching on the Whitebeard Pirates' territory, but they hadn't done so. Instead, they had gone into hiding?
This... what was this guy thinking?
Shaking his head, Meiser asked, "So, who won?"
"Blackbeard won."
Meiser: ???
Meiser looked at Shakky with a face full of question marks, clearly not expecting that answer.
"Is Blackbeard that powerful?"
"Otherwise?" Shakky retorted. "You didn't really think Blackbeard was weak, did you?"
"This is the man who left a permanent scar on Shanks' face!"
Hearing Shakky's words, Meiser was rendered speechless.
If that was the case... this Blackbeard's strength was indeed formidable.
Shaking his head again, Meiser asked, "Did Blackbeard attack Ace and the others to seize the Whitebeard Pirates' territory?"
"Not at all."
At this point, Shakky's expression turned serious.
Noticing Shakky's reaction, a trace of confusion appeared in Meiser's eyes.
Why was Shakky reacting like this?
Taking in Meiser's reaction, Shakky lit another cigarette for herself.
Then, with a complex expression, she said, "Blackbeard clashed with the Whitebeard Pirates over a Devil Fruit."
Meiser: ???
Meiser: !!
As if struck by a possibility, Meiser widened his eyes and said, "Could you be talking about... the Tremor-Tremor Fruit?!"
"Exactly, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"
Hearing this, Meiser fell completely silent.
After a moment, Meiser looked up at Shakky and asked, "Was this Devil Fruit stolen by Blackbeard?"
Since Shakky had said Blackbeard won, it must mean the fruit was taken.
"Yes, it was indeed stolen by Blackbeard," Shakky confirmed.
"Who obtained this ability?" Meiser pressed.
As he spoke, he mentally reviewed the members of Blackbeard's pirate crew, wondering which one had consumed the Devil Fruit.
"It was Blackbeard himself!"
Meiser: ???
Meiser stared at Shakky with a face full of disbelief. "Blackbeard himself?"
"How is that possible!"
Wasn't Blackbeard already a Devil Fruit Ability User? How could he consume a second Devil Fruit?
Does that make any sense?
Luffy also looked at Shakky with confusion. "How could anyone eat two Devil Fruits?"
Doesn't eating two at once make you explode?
"When I heard about this, I reacted the same way you did," Shakky said with a complicated expression. "But this is the truth!"
"Blackbeard used some unknown method to forcibly acquire the power of a second Devil Fruit!"
"This is also why he was able to defeat Little Ace and the others."
After gaining the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Blackbeard has become absurdly strong!
"Such a thing actually exists in this world..." Meiser frowned. "This really broadens my horizons."
At that moment, a thought surfaced in Meiser's mind.
'Could it be because of Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit?' Meiser wondered inwardly.
Recalling Blackbeard's previous explanation about the Dark-Dark Fruit, Meiser fell into deep thought.
Though the idea seemed far-fetched, it wasn't impossible.
"Blackbeard's physical constitution is truly special," Rayleigh commented. "Perhaps he belongs to some unique race."
As he spoke, Rayleigh remembered what Buggy had told him before.
This monstrous individual likely possesses a body different from ordinary people.
"A special race, huh," Meiser said. "That would explain it."
That would explain how Blackbeard could consume two Devil Fruits simultaneously.
"What happened to Ace and the others afterward?" Luffy inquired.
Though he wouldn't interfere with his brother's path, he still wanted to know if Ace was safe.
"Didn't we just say? The Whitebeard Pirates disbanded, and Ace formed his own pirate crew," Nami said helplessly. "So you don't need to worry about his safety."
"Oh... that's good."
Hearing Nami's words, Luffy immediately relaxed.
As long as Ace was okay.
"Ace is indeed still alive, so you can rest assured," Shakky told Luffy.
This time, Luffy simply nodded without saying anything more.
At that moment, Meiser spoke up: "Speaking of which... could the reason for the Whitebeard Pirates' disbandment be this very battle?"
"You're not wrong," Shakky nodded. "It is indeed closely related to a certain battle."
"Tell me more."
"After Blackbeard obtained the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, his strength increased dramatically," Shakky said. "He then used that power to defeat Little Ace and the others."
"That battle was extremely brutal—it nearly wiped out half of the remaining members of the Whitebeard Pirates."
It was precisely because of this that Ace and Marco made the decision to disband the pirate crew.
"That doesn't make sense," Perona said. "Even if Blackbeard consumed Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he shouldn't have been able to defeat the Whitebeard Pirates."
After all, they were one of the Four Emperors Crews!
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse!
"If it were two years ago, the Whitebeard Pirates wouldn't have suffered so badly," Shakky explained. "But the problem is... the Whitebeard Pirates had already endured a year and a half of bloody warfare, so their strength was undoubtedly not what it used to be."
"Moreover... the members of the Blackbeard Pirates are no weaklings either."
Recalling the intelligence on the Blackbeard Pirates' members, Shakky's expression grew solemn.
"So that's how it is..."
Listening to Shakky's explanation, Perona fell into deep thought.
Meanwhile, Meiser looked at Shakky with confusion and asked, "The members of the Blackbeard Pirates?"
"Are they really that strong?"
Recalling the individuals he had seen during the Summit War, Meiser furrowed his brow.
He hadn't sensed anything particularly impressive about them.
Or perhaps... those guys hadn't intended to show their true strength and were merely putting on an act?
Thinking carefully, it seemed that aside from firing a few shots at Uncle Whitebeard, they hadn't actually taken any action.
At this thought, Meiser also sank into contemplation.
"I know what you're thinking," Shakky said. "Those guys didn't have any standout performances during the Summit War."
"But I can tell you with certainty—none of them are weak!"
"Especially those individuals Blackbeard recruited from Impel Down. Their strength is formidable, one after another!"
Otherwise, Blackbeard wouldn't have risked his life to break them out.
"I see..."
After a moment of thought, Meiser continued, "So, in that case... Blackbeard relied on these guys to seize the Devil Fruit and defeat the Whitebeard Pirates, right?"
"Yes and no."
Meiser: ???
Wait, since when does Shakky like speaking in riddles too?
Seeing Meiser's exasperated expression, a smile appeared on Shakky's face.
Then, she explained, "There's a reason why I said that."
"Then tell me your reason," Meiser said, rolling his eyes.
"Blackbeard didn't rely on those escapees from Impel Down to seize the Devil Fruit," Shakky stated.
Meiser: ???
"What do you mean?"
What does she mean, he didn't rely on them?
Did those guys betray him or something?
"Are you under the impression that those who escaped from Impel Down with Blackbeard have been by his side all along?" Shakky asked.
"Aren't they?" Meiser asked, puzzled.
"If they didn't want to follow Blackbeard, why would they go to Marine Headquarters with him?"
"That makes no sense at all."
"Not exactly."
Shakky shook her head and said, "Three months after the Summit War ended, these powerful pirates who had been with Blackbeard reappeared on the seas."
"These guys formed their own pirate crews and started doing whatever they wanted."
"As for Blackbeard himself, he went into hiding with the original members of the Blackbeard Pirates and hasn't shown his face since."
Hearing Shakky's words, Meiser was completely stunned.
Then he said with some surprise, "So you mean Blackbeard obtained the Tremor-Tremor Fruit entirely on his own?"
"Yes," Shakky nodded in confirmation.
Hearing this, Meiser fell into deep thought.
Why did he feel... something was off about this?