Chapter 247: The Teachings of Pluton! The Farewell Under the Night Sky and the Paths Ahead
"Splash—"
Accompanied by the sound of dripping water.
"Pluton" Silvers Rayleigh walked onto the wide deck of the Moby Dick, his body dripping wet.
As soon as the legendary right hand of the Pirate King appeared, the previously boisterous post-battle banquet fell abruptly silent.
All the crew members of the Whitebeard Pirates looked at this uninvited guest with a hint of vigilance.
Whitebeard, sitting in the main seat, lowered his head to look at the Vice Captain of his old rival and let out a dull, cold snort from his nose:
"Gurararara! Rayleigh!"
"Why are you running all the way to my ship instead of properly tending to your coating business on the Sabaody Archipelago, you old bag of bones?"
Rayleigh didn't mind the guarded gazes around him at all.
He smiled freely, raised his hand to wring the seawater dripping from his cloak, and said in a relaxed yet profound tone:
"Nothing much, just passing by to see the seedlings of the new era."
Saying this, Rayleigh walked straight to Luffy and Tatsuya.
This legendary pirate, who had experienced countless storms, first praised the two for their stunning performance in the Marineford War without stint.
Whether it was Luffy's reckless courage as he rushed toward the execution platform, or Tatsuya's terrifying strength in severing the Gates of Justice and clashing head-on with an Admiral.
Both made the old men of the old era see the unstoppable tide of the new era.
But then, Rayleigh's tone changed abruptly.
He put away the smile on his face, and through his round-framed glasses, his gaze became incredibly serious and sharp:
"Straw Hat, although you successfully rescued Ace today, there are some cruel realities you must recognize."
"If Whitebeard and Tatsuya hadn't been there to clear the thorns and forge a path for you during the Marineford War."
"With your current body, you would already be a cold corpse."
Rayleigh's voice was not loud, but every word struck deep, hammering heavily into Luffy's heart:
"With your current strength, if you rashly lead your companions into the New World, where monsters gather, you will only repeat the tragedy of the Sabaody Archipelago."
"By then, you still won't be able to protect anyone."
Hearing this ruthless analysis, Luffy's already downcast face instantly turned gloomy.
He knew Rayleigh was right.
He couldn't help but clench his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.
In his mind, like a slideshow, flashed the helplessness he felt when facing Kizaru's light-speed kick at Marineford.
The near-death despair when facing Akainu's lethal magma.
And the despair and helplessness he felt when he watched his partners being mercilessly swatted away by "Kuma" one by one at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Luffy bit his lower lip hard until a trace of blood seeped out.
He lowered his head powerlessly, his large Straw Hat covering his eyes, and the whole person fell into deep self-reproach and long silence.
Seeing Luffy caught in intense internal struggle, Rayleigh sighed slightly.
Then he pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose and smiled as he threw out his proposal:
"Stop your blind forward march, Luffy."
"Give me two years, and I will forge you into a powerhouse truly qualified to stand in the New World."
Hearing this proposal, Tatsuya, who was standing on the side, also stepped forward.
He stretched out his thick palm and patted Luffy's trembling shoulder heavily:
"Luffy, I agree with Rayleigh."
"It's not just you, Luffy, our entire pirate crew needs time."
"To achieve our respective dreams, we are still far from qualified as we are now."
"Sharpening your claws before heading out to hunt—that is the discipline a hunter should have."
Ace also took a big step forward. He didn't say any grand words of comfort, but just rubbed Luffy's messy black hair vigorously.
In those unyielding eyes, there was now only the tenderness and unreserved encouragement of an older brother:
"After this battle, Old Man is also going to take us back to the New World to regroup."
"Luffy, do as your Vice Captain says."
"Lying dormant is to better erupt. We'll see you in the New World in two years!"
Sabo watched this scene quietly from the side, feeling the deep bond between brothers that needed no words, and then couldn't help but look up and let out a hearty, joyful laugh.
"The foolish little brother in my memory isn't like this!"
Feeling Rayleigh's guidance, Tatsuya's support, and the expectant gazes of his two brothers, the confusion in Luffy's heart was finally completely swept away.
He suddenly raised his head, and in those originally dim, clear big eyes, a fiercely determined and burning light ignited once again.
He looked at Rayleigh, nodded heavily, and declared loudly:
"Okay! Thank you! Uncle Rayleigh!"
...
Night fell quietly, and stars dotted the deep night sky.
The Whitebeard Pirates' grand and crazy post-battle banquet finally gradually came to an end.
The deck was strewn with pirates who had drunk themselves into a stupor, and the snoring sound, one after another, accompanied by the lapping of the waves, seemed exceptionally peaceful.
Luffy, Ace, Sabo, and Tatsuya sat casually on the edge of the high ship's rail.
They blew the cool and comfortable sea breeze, enjoying this incredibly rare moment of tranquility after going through a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Just then, a dark sailing ship flying the Dragon flag of the Revolutionary Army quietly cut through the waves under the night.
It sailed slowly and finally docked steadily near the Moby Dick.
"Ivankov" and Inazuma stood on the bow of the Dragon-headed ship and waved hard at Sabo, who was sitting on the ship's rail.
Seeing the ship from the Revolutionary Army arrive to pick him up, the relaxed and happy smile on Sabo's face gradually faded.
He knew very well that the full-scale outbreak of the Marineford War was like a hurricane sweeping the globe, having completely broken the balance maintained by the three major forces for many years and changed the entire world pattern.
At such a critical moment of turmoil, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, urgently needed him to go back to preside over the overall situation and coordinate intelligence on uprisings in various places.
As the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, he shouldered the mission of liberating the world and had an inescapable responsibility.
The short reunion was finally coming to an end; it was time to leave.
Sabo stood up and reached out to pat the dust on his trench coat.
Then, he turned his head to look at Tatsuya, who was drinking wine on the side:
"Tatsuya, do you want to come back with me?"
Facing Sabo's invitation, Tatsuya just waved his hand with a smile and firmly refused:
"Forget it."
"Before formal seclusion training, I have to accompany our reckless Captain to Marineford to cause a big scene again."
"However..."
Tatsuya paused, a meaningful smile flashing in his deep eyes.
"After handling all the trivial matters here, I will make time to go back and find you."
"After all, our Straw Hat Archaeologist is still a guest on your Revolutionary Army's territory."
"I'll leave Robin to you."
Hearing this half-joking, half-serious promise from Tatsuya, Sabo smiled knowingly.
He understood what Tatsuya meant and understood the unbreakable bond among the Straw Hat crew.
Sabo turned around and looked at Luffy and Ace sitting side by side.
This usually calm and composed second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army could not help but feel his eyes redden at this moment.
There was no extra politeness or nonsense between the three brothers.
They opened their arms at the same time and hugged each other tightly on the deck under the night.
Feeling each other's vivid heartbeats and body temperatures, they carved this joy of reunion deep into their souls.
"See you later, Luffy, Ace!"
Sabo let go first, stepped back, and adjusted the wind goggles on his head.
Then, he exerted force on his legs and leaped lightly into the air like a bird spreading its wings.
"Sabo!!! You must take care!"
Luffy and Ace leaned half their bodies out of the ship's rail, shouting loudly at the retreating figure in the night sky, waving their arms hard, as if they wanted to melt all their reluctance into the wind.
Under the quiet witness of the brilliant stars in the sky, Sabo landed steadily on the deck of the Revolutionary Army warship.
He turned around, faced the gusty sea breeze, and waved goodbye to his brothers on the Moby Dick with a smile.
As the sails filled, the Revolutionary Army ship gradually sailed into the thick night, disappearing at the end of the horizon.
Luffy, Ace, and Sabo, the three brothers who swore brotherhood in the East Sea, after experiencing the blood, fire, life, and death of the Marineford War.
Their first reunion finally came to a perfect full stop.
And the brand-new, magnificent paths belonging to each of them had just begun.
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