"What a coincidence, old man. Never expected to meet you here."
"Haha, perhaps it's not a coincidence."
"That person beside you... Hey, you want to shelter those Roger Pirates bastards? Even if it's you, I won't give you face!"
"Oh, want to fight me early?"
"..."
Mechanical Island Baldimore. Two Conqueror's Haki surged skyward, transforming into substantial impacts that tore apart clouds.
After just greeting Newgate, encountering Rocks at Mechanical Island Baldimore made even Silas sigh at how small the world was. However, this wasn't really a coincidence. After all, Rocks was entangled with the Roger Pirates. Once discovering Roger Pirates members' news, he'd definitely rush there first.
On Silas's side, it was because Rayleigh provided information. He learned the Roger Pirates had agreed before battling the Rocks Pirates that if anything went wrong, they'd rendezvous at Baldimore.
Initially Rayleigh hesitated whether to tell Silas their rendezvous coordinates, but after personally witnessing Silas and Newgate's world-destroying battle scenes, Rayleigh ultimately decided. Because from Silas he learned that Rocks's strength exceeded Newgate's, and that he'd mastered three-color Haki with virtually no weaknesses.
Among all top-tier fighters, physical technique masters might not be most comprehensive but definitely had fewest weaknesses, basically no shortcomings. Offense-defense integrated Armament Haki, sensing auras and even foreseeing future Observation Haki, after mastering Six Powers could maintain combat capability even severely injured. Life Return secret technique for rapid recovery, maximum-level release capable of breaking Devil Fruit abilities: Conqueror's Haki!
Besides lacking Devil Fruit abilities, Rocks's fighting style most resembled Silas's, completely inheriting Silas's combat philosophy. Under these circumstances, defeating Rocks required the Roger Pirates' hard strength to exceed Rocks's. Otherwise even defeating all Rocks's crew members, just Rocks alone was an insurmountable mountain.
The simplest method for short-term strengthening was to gain experience from strong fighters, but Rayleigh hadn't expected Rocks to actually arrive at Mechanical Island Baldimore first. If the others didn't escape early, things would be dangerous next, unless Silas was willing to shelter them!
Silas and Rocks's Conqueror's collision made many of Rocks's crew members somewhat suffocated. Rayleigh clearly saw several crew members with strength comparable to his turning pale. But their side? The women around Silas wore smiles. Those already sea-famous female pirates aside, even two obviously ordinary-strength female crew members had calm, relaxed expressions.
The reason? "That Rocks bastard is completely suppressed!" Patrick Redfield's expression was grave. Why did their side feel pressure while Silas's crew members were completely fine? The reason was simple.
Silas's Conqueror's completely suppressed Rocks's Conqueror's. So while Silas's Conqueror's clashed with Rocks's, it could still affect them, but Rocks's Conqueror's was completely blocked by Silas's Conqueror's. This instantly determined superiority.
"Haha, just joking." Fortunately, this battle ultimately didn't erupt. Silas withdrew first, preserving Rocks's face as captain. "I just somewhat appreciate these young guys. But they have their own adventures, so I used an excuse making them owe me a favor. I don't plan to shelter them, just simple training for one month, then seeing what waves they can stir in the New World. But it seems..."
Silas's Observation Haki swept across the entire island. "We came somewhat late."
What favor, training—essentially just shelter's another expression, but Silas just gave him face, so now it's Rocks's turn to give Silas face. One month wasn't long. Rocks didn't believe training the Roger Pirates' rookies for one month could surpass him. That would make this world's top-tier fighters too worthless.
Since Silas said so, Rocks didn't mind giving the Roger Pirates one month. However, the prerequisite was no accidents. If following Silas's original plan, he'd spend one month training the Roger Pirates, having them owe him a favor, then letting them battle the Rocks Pirates.
As the original Great Pirate Era's protagonist, Silas didn't believe Roger would easily fall to Rocks. If that happened, he'd just misjudged. Unfortunately, his plan hadn't been implemented when unexpected events occurred.
Mechanical Island Baldimore's residents vanished! As a World Government allied nation, Mechanical Island Baldimore's permanent resident population wasn't large but still numbered 100,000. But without his knowledge, 100,000 Baldimore residents vanished, leaving no traces of struggle.
"If that Roger kid had bad luck, he's probably mixed among Baldimore residents, captured by the World Government."
"Very possible." Silently transporting 100,000 Baldimore residents without attracting their attention. Silas thought carefully, concluding only Imu's teleportation array could achieve this. Could the teleportation array transport so many people? Silas didn't know, but he understood Imu capturing Baldimore residents definitely had her purpose, like attacking Wano Country to covet Wano samurai combat power.
She abducted Baldimore residents nine out of ten for similar purposes, but Baldimore residents were just scientists, not skilled at combat.
"Scientists?" Silas vaguely grasped something but couldn't confirm yet. In Silas's view, Baldimore's most famous scientist was the future Dr. Vegapunk, known as the world's greatest mind. If the World Government wanted to abduct future Vegapunk, Silas could understand. After all, Vegapunk was a genius who could single-handedly advance scientific technology levels by hundreds of years.
In the future, he could even mass-produce quasi-Admiral-level fighters. Like pre-70 Silas, in the future, could only barely match one Vegapunk-created Seraphim. But that was all the future. Current Vegapunk was just a ten-something kid. However, genius ten-year-old Vegapunk's achievable goals were extremely limited.
This was why Silas had competing intentions to bring Baldimore into his camp but didn't specifically seek Vegapunk. By the time Vegapunk could display his brilliant talent, Silas and Imu's decisive battle would've been over for who knows how long.
But even without Vegapunk, Baldimore still gathered this world's top-tier scientists. Baldimore's development level led the rest of the world by at least decades. Technologies like steam engines basically originated from Baldimore. Know that the White Wolf Pirates' Millennium Falcon was still just a sailing ship.
So, Imu taking these scientists must have tasks that require them. "Unfortunately, we came one step too late." Silas shook his head. As the White Wolf Pirates formally became the World Government's enemy, the World Government's foundations began to take shape.
Though knowing Imu captured Baldimore scientists definitely had its purpose, they couldn't stop Imu because they didn't even know where Imu had taken these scientists.
"Since we can't find Gol D. Roger, we don't have conflict reasons. Rocks, you won't vent frustration on a crew member just because you can't find the captain, right?"
"Hmph!" Though wanting to say Rayleigh wasn't some ordinary crew member but the Roger Pirates' vice-captain, having already decided to give Silas face, he naturally wouldn't care about Rayleigh's whereabouts. Anyway, just a small-time character with bounty under 100 million Berry. Only because of Silas...
So Rocks was willing to give Rayleigh extra glances, wanting to see what made Rayleigh different. After all, Silas's judgment was famously sharp. Just crew members boarding Silas's ship, even the weakest Zephyr, already had near 200-million-Berry strength, let alone graduated crew like him and Newgate.
Though Rocks, seeing Silas's face, didn't trouble Rayleigh, Rayleigh currently wasn't happy at all, because his captain had vanished! Agreeing to rendezvous at Baldimore. If anything went wrong, they'd definitely leave messages for finding each other, but from just now until now, Rayleigh hadn't found messages left by others.
"Speaking of which, you should have Vivre Cards, right?" Silas's voice made Rayleigh freeze, then he hurriedly pulled out a paper slip from his pocket. The Vivre Card representing Roger still radiated vigorous vitality, pointing toward a certain direction.
"Eh, not at Mary Geoise?" Silas glanced at Rayleigh's Vivre Card, saying, somewhat surprised. He'd originally thought Imu taking Baldimore residents would definitely bring them to Holy Land Mary Geoise. Who knew it wasn't?
If Mary Geoise's direction, the Vivre Card would slightly tilt upward. After all, Mary Geoise was atop the Red Line, but Rayleigh's Vivre Card pointed straight in one direction.
So-called Vivre Cards were paper made by mixing people's fingernails into materials, representing the owner's vitality. Torn-off fragments would point toward each other. In the New World, pirates basically had their own Vivre Cards. Silas was no exception. Including him, all White Wolf Pirates crew members made Vivre Cards for mutual contact and finding each other.
"Looks like we have work to do." If unable to find those scientists Imu took, that was one thing. Now able to find them, if they remained indifferent, wouldn't that be aiding the enemy? The enemy becoming stronger while I don't grow stronger means I'm becoming weaker. In that case, find ways to prevent enemies from becoming stronger!
"Rocks, interested in helping me with this?"
"Tch, what do these scientists' lives and death have to do with me?"
"Haha, but you currently need battle training, right?" Silas smiled. "The World Government won't fight you without reason. Even if truly fighting, they'd first priority is to kill you."
Times were different now. Previously, the World Government adopted a laissez-faire approach toward top-tier fighters like Rocks. In their eyes, humans were like wild grass. Cut one batch, another grows. Top-tier fighters likewise. Since so, rather than painstakingly solving those top-tier fighters, it's better to let them compete for territory, falling into internal conflict.
Anyway, top-tier fighters uniting was basically impossible. As long as top-tier fighter numbers weren't sufficient, they couldn't pose a threat. But Silas's appearance forced them to change their approach. Silas's forces already posed serious threats to the World Government. The Rocks Pirates were likewise regarded as part of Silas's forces by the World Government.
Silas couldn't be killed, but Rocks's strength was much weaker than Silas's. Seizing opportunities could completely kill Rocks. Understanding this, Rocks never provoked the World Government. Including Newgate, all received intelligence that Haines Oran was vacationing, so they attempted to fight Haines Oran. If anything went wrong, Newgate wouldn't hesitate to escape.
But this was all because Silas wasn't beside them. Once Imu opened teleportation arrays, as long as Imu herself didn't appear, Silas could forcibly break teleportation array effects. Worst case, Silas taking a group running wouldn't be difficult. Of course, Silas couldn't casually break tacit understanding.
At most he'd give Rocks his Haki strand, preventing Imu from cheating by temporarily adding personnel. If Imu truly deployed too many forces opposing Rocks, don't blame Silas directly landing at Mary Geoise.
"Go make a big commotion. Though this matter has certain risks, since I'm asking you to help, I won't let that woman disturb you." He wouldn't act together with Rocks. When Rocks went rescuing Baldimore scientists, Silas would stay at Sabaody Archipelago, ready to intervene at any time.
Silas roughly guessed what Imu was gathering these scientists for, but without Vegapunk, just relying on ordinary scientists, could they really restart that terrifying weapon? Silas wasn't optimistic. However, even if those scientists couldn't achieve it, Silas didn't plan to abandon rescuing them.
After all, "A little mermaid bet most of her savings on this business. If Baldimore residents don't return, she can only obediently return to Fish-Man Island as a waitress."