Silas hadn't expected to encounter Ivan here, one of his former crewmates. The White Wolf Pirates had already dominated the New World. Given their current reach, tracking down veteran crew members should have been simple.
Yet the White Wolf Pirates' veteran crew had dwindled to just a handful on Sphinx Island. Since the fish-man Dean, no veterans had returned. This left Silas with mixed feelings.
Now here was Ivan, working his old trade on a merchant ship. Based on the ship's layout, Silas was certain this was Ivan's own vessel. The realization brought him comfort.
After dissolving the White Wolf Pirates, he'd provided generous severance. Veteran crew members went their separate ways, finally free to pursue their own dreams. Some wanted a tavern, some their own ship, some dreamed of becoming sword instructors, and others wanted to open jewelry stores.
They'd initially joined the Black Pearl as White Wolf Pirates members because of their dreams, but gradually, many had forgotten them, choosing instead to help Silas realize his: giving everyone true freedom! But in the end, Silas hadn't achieved this dream. He was the first to abandon it, choosing to dissolve the crew.
The moment he made that choice, many must have felt betrayed. The person they'd sacrificed their dreams for turned out to be a coward who couldn't see it through. That's why when he made his comeback, Roya and Lily immediately returned, choosing to continue helping him. But the other crew members chose to reclaim their own dreams.
He'd already let them down once. What right did he have to make them abandon their dreams again? So Silas had no questions, no doubts. Instead, like encountering an old friend after many years, he greeted, "Yo, long time no see, Ivan."
The Marines disguised as pirates had already boarded the deck. They threw grappling hooks from both sides, firmly hooking the railings. Seeing this, many of the merchant ship's guards panicked. Some merchants even lashed out at the fish-man guards, accusing them of failing to prevent humans from boarding.
You have to understand that the seas were a fish-man's domain. Merchant ships with fish-man guards enjoyed far greater safety because fish-men could move freely underwater. When enemies attacked, they could easily breach enemy hulls. This time, the fish-men had just acted when the enemies boarded.
"Heh, bunch of fools!" After securing grappling hooks to the ship's railings, the Marine Rear Admiral leading this operation sneered coldly. They were sailing a ship barely held together, with only dozens of cannonballs remaining. Once those were gone, that was it.
From the start, they had only one objective: boarding action, armed seizure, and taking control of the entire merchant ship. They wanted the ship! They wanted the cargo too!
But this Marine Rear Admiral never expected that after barely boarding the deck, what awaited him wasn't panicked guards, but a crowd of people with strange gazes. A massive shadow suddenly fell over him. The sixty-meter-long, thirty-meter-wide merchant ship was already impressive by this era's standards, but compared to the ship this Marine Rear Admiral saw next, it was child's play.
Why would there suddenly be a ship beside us? The Marine Rear Admiral frowned. He hadn't even noticed when this ship appeared. His instinct kicked in immediately. Most importantly, check its flag.
Then the Marine Rear Admiral saw the flag displaying a white wolf's head, its teeth ferocious.
"Whi-White Wolf Pirates' flag!?" Seeing this flag, the Marine Rear Admiral was stunned. If this were just an ordinary pirate flag, he might not have reacted so strongly, but if he remembered correctly, that pirate flag meant that the ship was White King Silas's flagship: the Millennium Falcon!
A figure appeared at the Millennium Falcon's bow. Seeing that figure, the Marine Rear Admiral, without another word, immediately fainted, leaving Silas confused. No, I haven't released Conqueror's Haki yet!
Silas didn't know that, under current Marine combat orders, pursuing other pirates at sea was mandatory. But encountering White Wolf Pirates' ships meant you could abandon ship to escape. This was Silas's current reputation.
After seeing Silas, the Marine Rear Admiral immediately understood he couldn't leave. Better to live in shame than die with honor. He was a Marine who'd been reduced to robbery. His loyalty to the Marines was already minimal, and he had no intention of dying for them. Certainly not like this.
When Rayleigh appeared on deck carrying a mop, he found a group of kneeling or unconscious Marine soldiers. The crisis had been resolved before he even arrived.
This is White King Silas! Just standing there, he radiated such a presence that Rayleigh couldn't look directly at him. Though Rayleigh only heard about Silas's strength through hearsay, he knew the world's strongest pirate was no match for him. Neither was Roger.
He wasn't being modest. No matter how confident, Rayleigh didn't think they could contend with Silas anytime soon. Unfortunately, months ago, they'd clashed with the White Wolf Pirates and the Rocks Pirates. Though they'd captured several crew members, at the critical moment they'd rammed the opponent's ship and blown a huge hole in it, preventing immediate pursuit.
Now, Rayleigh had been alone for months, completely unaware of his crewmates' whereabouts. He could only lie low and heal. Who knew that hiding out would bring him face-to-face with the ultimate boss himself?
Fortunately, this ultimate boss either didn't recognize him or simply didn't care. He went straight to the old Captain Ivan on the merchant ship. Rayleigh was initially worried, but the cramped captain's cabin quickly filled with people. Besides Silas and Ivan, they were all women!
"Yo, Ivan, long time no see."
"Long time no see, Lily. Looks like you and the captain finally got together."
"Hehe, unfortunately, the captain's a ladies' man. Besides me, he brought in a bunch of young, beautiful crewmates, making this old lady's life difficult." Lily looked at Silas resentfully. After all, among the women around Silas, aside from naturally long-lived giant Ripley, even the youngest Stussy was only twenty-two.
However, Lily's words were clearly joking. After all, with Pure Gold plus Stussy's youth medicine, Lily showed no signs of aging. Instead, she exuded a mature, confident presence. At a glance, the woman most compatible with Silas besides Kozuki Toki was Lily. After all, Kozuki Toki's gentle aura was unmatched among them all. If Ripley aged thirty or forty more years, becoming more mature and steady, perhaps she'd be in the running.
But currently, even having borne a child, Ripley still brimmed with youthful energy, which Kozuki Toki envied. However, Ivan had no reason to envy his captain.
"Over these years, besides buying this ship, I got myself a wife and child." Ivan's wrinkled face showed a brilliant expression. "Look." Ivan proudly produced a photo: a middle-aged man, much younger than the current Ivan, standing beside him, a brown-haired woman holding a baby in her arms.
"This is my wife and child. Aren't they beautiful and cute?"
"Mm." Silas nodded. "But my wives are prettier. Just forgot to take photos. Next time I'll show you my children's photos."
"No thanks." Though facing White King Silas, Ivan still maintained his attitude toward his former captain. "It's enough that I get to brag. I don't need you showing off right back."
At that, both Ivan and Silas burst out laughing.
Silas didn't ask Ivan why he wasn't returning to the White Wolf Pirates. Ivan didn't explain. But seeing these photos explained everything. This former crewmate already had his own family, his own life. He couldn't possibly sail with him again.
Silas couldn't selfishly drag this veteran crew member back into the fray, even though at his peak, this crew member had been the White Wolf Pirates' fourth strongest, behind only Roya and Lily. His strength even exceeded that of swordsman Ed.
Before boarding, Silas had also knocked out most of the people on the ship, preventing them from seeing his relationship with Ivan. Since Ivan chose to retire, it was best if no one knew about his connection to the White Wolf Pirates, to ensure his safety.
Actually, even Silas, had he not recognized Ivan's aura with Observation Haki, couldn't have connected this old man with the golden-haired young man from decades ago. From boarding at age twenty until now, forty-five years have passed.
Reunited, both Silas and Ivan simply raised their glasses and chatted about recent trivial matters, avoiding any mention of the past. They both understood the past was past. From the day Silas chose to disband the crew, they were destined for different paths. Today's reunion was already a stroke of luck.
When would the next meeting be? Maybe ten years later, maybe twenty years, maybe never again. After all, the formerly shy youth had grown old, while time not only left barely any traces on Silas, but seemed to reverse itself. With Pure Gold, Silas's lifespan far exceeded what most people could imagine.
No wonder Imu couldn't sleep at night. A powerful fighter with an extended lifespan, wholly focused on destroying the World Government. If not dealt with quickly, the threat would only grow.
"Mm, is that your disciple?" After a few drinks, Silas finally noticed Rayleigh standing off to the side. When he'd first seen Ivan, Rayleigh was in Ivan's captain's cabin. To Silas, this suggested they were close. Moreover, Rayleigh's aura wasn't weak. Though compared to his nearly graduated crew members, he was still somewhat immature, having mastered Armament and Observation Haki, he could hold his own, even in the New World.
"Captain, you don't recognize him?"
"Should I know him?"
"Haha, Captain, you're getting soft. The old you would never let someone with a potential grudge just walk away." Hearing Ivan say this, Silas took a closer look and recognized Rayleigh. Despite his disheveled hair and messy beard, his decent strength plus somewhat familiar features finally clicked. Silas remembered.
"'Dark King' Rayleigh?"
"Dark King? Haha, boy, your skills are nothing special, but that's a hell of a title!" Ivan laughed heartily. Rayleigh forced a smile. When Silas hadn't noticed him earlier, Rayleigh had wanted to slip away unnoticed. After all, the Roger Pirates had feuded with the Rocks Pirates. As Rocks's former captain, if Silas was even slightly vindictive, Rayleigh would probably die here.
As for the "Dark King" title, he'd never even heard of it! Current Rayleigh was just a rookie pirate fresh at sea. Though his seventy million Berry bounty made him a rising star, he remained worlds away from future achievements. Moreover, even at full strength, Rayleigh couldn't beat Silas, let alone in his current state.
But if Silas truly attacked him, no matter how slim the odds, he'd definitely try escaping!
"Haha, don't be nervous. I'm not interested in your petty grudge with Rocks. If you can defeat Rocks, it might actually be good for him. But that's a big if!" Silas's mouth curved slightly. Even though the Roger Pirates had formed earlier than in the original timeline, with Roger's current strength barely reaching great pirate status, challenging Rocks was like throwing yourself against a brick wall.
"How about this?" Silas smiled at Rayleigh. "Anyway, I'm fairly idle lately. If you can find your captain, I don't mind giving you some training. As for payment, just owe me a favor. When I need it, I want you on my side in a war. A war that will change the entire world!"