Chapter 78: Making Plans
Summary: Back to the crew's view!
Chapter 78: Making Plans
“So, that’s the basics of it. Killing the Celestial Dragons will get pinned on you, but it’s unlikely they’ll mention the death of one of the Elders. You’re going to have a hell of a target on your back though, kid. You and the Oni-girl are at least close to ready for that level of heat, but if the rest of your crew aren’t on the same level, you need to lie low for a while.”
Luffy mulled that over, nodding as he processed everything Silvers Rayliegh had just told him. The last place he’d expected to find himself, less than three days after the battle of Marineford, was back at the Sabaody Archipelago. Yet, when they’d called Shakky’s bar to ask about the monster they’d fought, Rayliegh hadn’t been willing to speak about it even with a White Den Den Mushi to secure the line. He’d insisted on an in-person meeting, and Vivi’s Fruit allowed that. The Marines were also a bit…preoccupied.
The initial hunt for them here in the Archipelago hadn’t lasted long, not with so few Marines left here and not much available in the way of immediate reinforcements. In truth, the Archipelago was nearly lawless at the moment, with even the normally well-patrolled higher-number groves effectively outlaw territory for the moment. Sabaody was too important, and too close to the ‘Holy Land,’ for that to remain the case for long. But with the Marines still reeling for the moment, it remained the case for now.
Which didn’t make what Rayliegh had told them any easier to swallow, or keep Luffy from feeling more out of his depth than he had at any point since arriving in this world. The things he didn’t know about this reality were coming back to firmly bite him on the ass now, it seemed. Which, he supposed, had probably been inevitable. At least the timing he’d chosen for his accidental leap into the deep end had worked out in his favor. The World Government and Marines were both going to be a bit too busy to concentrate on hunting down a crew that could vanish as easily as his now could.
“Rayliegh, sir…you know how unbelievable this sounds, right? I have heard of the Gorōsei, of course. But they are supposed to be just the highest-ranking council of Celestial Dragons. Not the…monsters that you described. That I saw Captain Luffy fight.”
Vivi had, of course, come along. She wasn’t just their ride to and from Shakky’s bar, but also easily their most knowledgeable member as far as the political side of the world went. She’d actually dealt with Celestial Dragons when she and her father had the ‘honor’ to attend Levelys when she was younger. Not many, honestly, as even that august council was mostly made up of Kings, Queens and other rulers from various islands, not Celestial Dragons. But the entire event was hosted at Pangaea Castle in Mary Geoise, meaning some contact with the residents of that place was inevitable.
“You’re not supposed to know, Princess. No one is supposed to know. Not even the Marines, except at the highest ranks. The fact that the Gorōsei are so personally powerful is a secret no one below the rank of Marine Commodore is allowed to know. Any Marines below that rank that witness their true powers are executed outright for the knowledge. Hell, the only reason I know so much is because they got involved in trying to stop Roger, near the end.”
Robin couldn’t help herself, finally giving in and asking what had undoubtedly been burning in her mind since they’d arrived.
“Is the truth at the end of the Grand Line truly so important?”
Rayliegh eyed her for a moment, then nodded.
“It’s enough to turn the world on its head, at least at the right time. The history of the Void Century and what was left behind. We discovered it there. Do you want to know? I warn you now, it is a terrible burden. Which is why neither we, nor Newgate who Roger told the truth to, spoke of it to others. You aren’t strong enough to do anything about it as you are now, so telling you would be no kindness, despite your dream.”
Robin was visibly taken aback at the outright offer…and the warning that came with it. She hesitated for long, long moments, before shaking her head.
“Ask me again when we are ready for the New World, Rayliegh-san, and I might answer differently. Given what you’ve already told us about these Elders and their powers, however, I’m inclined to believe you are right for now.”
Rayliegh’s eyebrows rose and he gave her a much more respectful nod than he’d given anyone save Luffy and Yamato since the small group arrived.
“Good answer. One that tells me that the World Government is wrong about you. If you were really out to hurt them, instead of just wanting answers, you wouldn’t care that you couldn’t act on it. You’d just want to spread the information as widely as possible.”
Rayliegh seemed surprisingly satisfied with that, even as Robin considered it for a moment and shrugged. He turned his attention back to Luffy a moment later.
“Once the heat dies down a little, contact me again. Your Haki is incredibly good, but there are some advanced tricks I don’t think you’ve realized are possible yet, and you’ll need them. Assuming you survive long enough to learn them, and don’t lose your mind trying to control your Awakened Devil Fruit, at least.”
Luffy accepted instantly. Rayliegh had done things with Haki during the fight against the Elder that Luffy hadn’t even known were possible. He’d also been very clearly more skilled than either he or Yamato, being the only reason they’d lived through the opening moments of that fight. Still, there was a question that had to be asked, after the quick acceptance.
“Why are you so willing to help?”
Rayliegh snorted, then tossed back the drink he’d been nursing.
“I could list a lot of reasons, kid. From hearing about you from that brat Shanks, to that hat giving me fond memories. The truth is, though, that it’s mostly because you actually managed to kill one of those bastards. Even if it was mostly luck, that’s enough for me to invest a bit in. Maybe with more than luck, you’ll kill another one, and that would be worth almost any amount of my time.”
There was a hard edge to Rayliegh’s voice that hadn’t appeared even when he’d pressed Robin, and Luffy slowly nodded, backing off of any questions. Rayliegh very clearly hated the Elders, for what felt like both personal and more than personal reasons. Best not poke the man about whatever it was that generated that hard tone. Sweeping his hat back onto his head, he gestured to those of his crew that had come along.
“Then I’ll definitely be back. Thanks again for the save, old man. Until we meet again.”
With a nod and a gesture, Luffy signaled Vivi to open a door back to the Discovery and they departed back to the ship…
… … …
The crew all sat around the deck of the ship, sprawled or posed on various chairs and cushions that had been pulled out into the large open space created by the Adam Wood ‘ceiling.’ With as large as the crew had grown, it really was a better place for them to all gather than the lounge in the pilot house, even if it wouldn’t always be available. It was available now, since they were staying undersea while traveling for another few days, to better make it impossible for the World Government to figure out where they’d gone. Luffy had taken full advantage of the space in order to update everyone at once, regarding what they’d learned from Rayliegh and Shakky.
Now, he’d leaned back in his own spot, a loveseat pulled from the lounge that he was sharing with Nami, and waited for his crew to mull over everything he’d said. It was a lot to take in. Not just what they’d learned about the Five Elders from Rayliegh, but the updates they’d gotten on the general worldwide situation from Shakky in her position as an information broker. Some things, like the news that the Revolutionary Army now controlled a major chunk of the West Blue, had been startling but not overly relevant to anyone but Hina, who was the only one of them who still knew people in that ocean.
Other bits and pieces of information, like the fact that Shanks now held undisputed ownership of the title ‘Greatest Swordsman in the World’ and why that was, had come as a shock various members of his crew. Kuina and Zoro in that specific case, of course, though others had reacted just as strongly to different bits of information. Yamato, for example, had been extremely pleased that her father had apparently gotten his ass kicked by Shanks when the Beast Pirates had tried to take advantage of what was rapidly, despite the WG efforts, becoming known as ‘Whitebeard’s War.’
“So…what all does this mean for us? Hina curious if this changes our plans.”
That was the big question, wasn’t it? They’d already had a general plan in place for after their little excursion at Sabaody. One which was currently in progress as they moved farther and farther away from the Archipelago. Luffy was quick to answer, his own mind already having turned over the information and compared it to their plans.
“It doesn’t change much of anything regarding our immediate plans. If anything, knowing about the Elders only makes it more important we have a way to respond to places that might be attacked because of us. Though we’ll need to be even more careful visiting them. I know some of you were hoping to spend a bit of time on your home islands, but that might not be wise in light of what we’ve discovered. Kaya, it should be fine to check in quietly with Merry. But for most of the rest, us being actually spotted on the islands and reported would just make it clear they might be able to lure us to them by attacking.”
That got a few frowns, but nothing major. Most of his crew hadn’t really been away from their homes long enough to be desperate to see them, if they even cared for them at all. Moreover, the threat really only applied to those recruited from the East Blue in the first place. Perona and Hina hadn’t been to their home islands in over a decade, Brook had no one left but Laboon, and Pagaya’s home was largely out of reach. As, for that matter, was Yamato’s for entirely different reasons. Vivi and Chopper were both slightly worried, but Alabasta was in fairly good shape, and Chopper was only loosely connected to the Sakura Kingdom, at best.
“As for our long-term plans? The basic idea doesn’t need to change, I think, though we might need to be more careful in our choices of which islands to visit. If anything, the new information only emphasizes the idea that we need training time, to push us up to another level. Originally, that was so that we could handle the New World. Now we just have an added reason, since we eventually might have the Gorōsei or their agents coming for us.”
That got nods all around, along with a few worried looks from their…less courageous…crewmembers. Mostly Perona and Chopper, honestly. Even there, the fact that the entire plan had already been to lay low for a bit and train, while hitting a few islands of interest or random places in Paradise, mitigated most of the fear. It wasn’t like they were actively going to be making targets of themselves in the near future, and the changes to the Discovery made them extremely hard to pin down. Luffy waited for a minute longer, to see if anyone else had questions he hadn’t already addressed. When they didn’t, he nodded.
“Right. Our undersea travel is a fair bit slower than on the surface. As a result, we’re not going to reach our next stop for a few days. Thanks to our amazing Princess,” Vivi blushed as he waved at her and the whole crew focused on her for a moment, “we thankfully have the ability to take shore leave during this time. It’s limited to Alabasta, Skypiea, and Wind’s Home for now, and at least some of the crew need to be aboard ship at all times. But talk to myself, Kuina, or Vivi if you want to arrange a trip for yourselves over the next few days. Dismissed!”
The crew slowly scattered, though a few members did stop to make arrangements for their shore leave options…