Dier: "..."
This guy really holds a grudge.
Seeing Dier's speechless expression, Shanks burst out laughing instead.
"Hahaha~"
"Actually, all you need to do is fight people. Getting hit trains your Armament Haki, dodging trains your Observation Haki—simple, right?"
"How is that any different from saying nothing?!"
"Well, it's a party now, and parties are for enjoying yourself wholeheartedly."
Shanks clinked his glass of wine against a glass of milk, slinging an arm around Dier's shoulders with a grin.
"To meeting Dier—cheers~"
The rotund Lucky Roo reminded him:
"Boss, you already used that reason earlier."
"Did I? Then to my mistake—cheers~"
"Cheers~"
The crew cheered quietly, downing their drinks in one go.
The lowered volume did nothing to dampen the festive mood—if anything, it made things even more amusing.
Yasopp gestured wildly in rough sign language, first pointing at Dier and shaking his head, then pulling out a baby photo and giving a thumbs-up, before finally slapping his chest with pride.
Dier's no good, but Usopp is—because Usopp is my son!
"Chitter-chatter~"
Across from him, the monkey Monster scratched its head, clearly not understanding the meaning, and could only mimic with random gestures and funny faces.
Yasopp's competitive spirit flared instantly, and he began making increasingly exaggerated expressions, as if locked in a face-pulling contest with Monster.
More and more people joined in, with Shanks even sticking two chopsticks up his nose before jumping into the fray.
Dier simply watched silently from the side, no longer bringing up Haki. Bringing it up now would only be asking for trouble.
After all, this was his first time meeting Shanks.
A bit of lighthearted banter was fine, but expecting Shanks to pour his heart out and teach him earnestly? He wasn't that important.
He stood up and walked over to Robin.
She was sitting quietly by the ship's railing, reading a book.
"Where's that smoking guy?"
Dier glanced around but didn't see Beckman. The whereabouts of that wild scientist were still unclear.
"He went back to his room to take care of the little girl, I think."
Snap.
Robin closed her book and pulled out a small note from her pocket.
"Before he left, he gave me this—Seagull Island. Is that our next destination?"
"Yep. Apparently, there's a wild scientist there."
Dier took the note and nodded in satisfaction.
It had a simple route to Seagull Island drawn on it.
Beckman had even marked a few well-known islands along the way.
That way, even if they got lost due to unexpected circumstances, they could use those islands as reference points to get back on track.
"How thoughtful."
Dier couldn't help but sigh. Compared to the unreliable Shanks, Beckman was far too dependable.
"Let's go. We're setting sail for Seagull Island."
He scooped Robin up and jumped down.
The Red Hair Pirates' ship was much larger than the merchant vessel, so there was a noticeable height difference.
After landing steadily on the merchant ship's deck, Dier ordered the sailors to raise the sails and set off.
The Three-color Haki might be slow to acquire, but it wasn't like he was making zero progress.
He didn't need Shanks to teach him—he could master the Three-color Haki through his own efforts.
"You're leaving already?"
Dier turned toward the voice and saw Beckman in the captain's cabin on the second floor, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips.
"Yeah. Thanks for everything!"
Dier waved the note in thanks while bidding farewell to Beckman with a hand gesture.
Though he hadn't obtained direct information about the submarine, the wild scientist was still a promising lead. After all, anyone specifically noted by Beckman must have some exceptional qualities.
As the sails billowed, the cargo ship gradually distanced itself from the pirate vessel. Their next step was to head to a nearby island first, then switch ships. The journey to Petrel Island was extremely far—even taking a direct route would take about a month, far beyond the capacity of this cargo ship.
Returning to the room, Dier found Hina still curled up in bed reading comics.
His forehead darkened with exasperation as he snatched the comic book from her hands. "Didn't you already wash up? Why are you back in bed?"
"Because lying under the blankets is really comfortable, Hina sighs."
What about your dream of becoming the greatest pirate?!
"Enough lazing around—Perona too." Dier yanked the covers open, dragging out Perona who had been hiding under them. The girl was already awake but simply unwilling to get up and wash.
"Both of you go wash up. We'll reach the port in about an hour."
After the two girls finished washing, Dier explained their next plan: switching to a passenger ship and traveling leisurely toward Petrel Island.
"Flevance is really close to the route," Hina said, pointing to an island on the nautical chart Beckman had drawn. "Let's visit. I heard it's all white there, like a fairyland. Hina is curious."
Perona, who had been drowsy, instantly perked up. "I want beautiful platinum lead tableware!"
"No!"
Smack!
Perona blinked her watery eyes, clasping her hands together pleadingly. "Brother Dier, I promise I'll wake up early from now on, no more staying up late, and I won't skip Robin's literacy classes anymore. Just buy me one set, please~ Those platinum lead tableware pieces are so pretty."
"Going to bed early, waking up early, and studying hard are things you should be doing anyway." Dier crouched down, pinching Perona's cheeks sternly. "Platinum lead is poisonous."
Flevance, the White City.
The hometown of Trafalgar Law.
The region was rich in a type of lead ore called "platinum lead."
Platinum lead wasn't just used for tableware—it was also used to produce paint, cosmetics, sweeteners, and even weapons. High-quality platinum lead products had buyers worldwide, and the "platinum lead industry" naturally became Flevance's primary trade.
The citizens there were exceedingly wealthy, with nearly the entire country adorned in platinum lead, creating a pristine white landscape that resembled a paradise on earth.
But platinum lead was toxic—and hereditary.
The grandfathers fell ill at 60, the fathers at 40, and the children at 20.
In the future, nearly the entire population of Flevance would fall ill simultaneously.
The higher-ups knew the truth about platinum lead but couldn't bear to part with the profits it brought, so they continued mining operations while keeping the citizens in the dark.
Before the outbreak of Platinum Lead Disease, they fled aboard World Government ships.
Neighboring countries, believing the disease to be contagious, immediately blockaded Flevance.
The gravely ill citizens, desperate for medical treatment, took up arms to break through the blockade—only to give the neighboring nations an excuse to send troops for slaughter.
Dier didn't know the exact timeline of this tragedy, but he was well aware that platinum lead was poisonous.
"Then just take a look for now. How about we have someone make a set of pure silver or gold tableware later?"
"Yay!"
Perona, who had been feeling a bit down, immediately cheered up.
She wasn't fixated on Platinum Lead—she just liked pretty things.
"Don't celebrate yet. You missed yesterday's reading lesson, so you'll have to make it up today, plus an extra half hour."
"Eh~ Why?"
"Interest, of course."
With a pout, Perona was dragged off by Robin to make up her lesson.
An hour later, the cargo ship arrived at the port of an island.
The four of them didn't linger long. After a quick meal, they boarded another passenger ship.
Since they now had a destination in mind, Dier didn't bother with Hypnosis to take control of the local authorities. Instead, they simply spent a day or two sightseeing before boarding a passenger ship to leave.
They didn't even go near Flevance—he had no intention of getting trapped there during their travels.
Moving on like this, stopping and going, two months later, they arrived at the island Beckman had mentioned—Seagull Island.