Vice-captain of Whitebeard pirates

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Larson made a serious face: "Let's go and take a look."

Marco, Shanks, and Bucky landed on the Oro Jackson. As soon as they landed, a man suddenly ran up to them. That man was Gangplank.

"Marco, where have you been? Larson is looking for you."

Gangplank's mouth kept going like a machine gun.

But Marco had no time to chat because he had something far more important to deal with.

Marco walked straight past Gangplank. "Plank, I'll tell you later. Right now, I need to find Larson!"

As soon as Marco passed him, Gangplank froze on the spot.

Facing them, Whitebeard, Roger, Larson, and others were walking toward them.

Seeing Roger, Bucky's eyes lit up behind Marco. "Captain, we discovered something huge!"

Rayleigh's expression turned serious. "Shanks, Bucky, do you two realize how dangerous it is to run around like that?"

Normally, Shanks and Bucky would've been too scared to respond when seeing Rayleigh in such a mood. But this time, their reactions were entirely different.

After hearing Rayleigh's words, Shanks didn't shrink back in fear. Instead, he looked a little defiant.

Shanks shouted loudly, "We're not kids! We know the risks!"

The members of the Roger Pirates, who were watching the scene unfold from a distance, burst out laughing at Shanks' bold declaration. "Shanks, you brat, are you already trying to act like a grown-up?"

Roger raised his hand, and the laughter slowly subsided.

At that moment, Larson approached Marco, who nervously explained, "Larson, please listen to me. We found something really big, that's why we left."

"That's right," Shanks and Bucky nodded vigorously beside him.

Bucky looked at Marco. "Marco, show them the thing."

Larson sneered. "Still making excuses, huh?"

Marco shrank a little in fear. He pouted and said, "I'm not making excuses." As he spoke, he reached into his coat and pulled something out.

Larson glanced at his hand instinctively.

"Look."

Marco spread out his palm, revealing a colorful conch lying quietly.

The surrounding area went silent for a few seconds before the members of the Whitebeard Pirates and Roger Pirates burst into laughter again.

"Marco, is this the treasure you found?"

"Hahaha, are you just picking up random junk from the sea?"

"I could catch plenty of this stuff just by fishing!"

Marco, Shanks, and Bucky blushed in embarrassment.

Larson walked up to Marco, and Marco raised his head to look at him with a pitiful expression.

Larson's eyes landed on the conch in Marco's hand. The laughter around them was still ongoing, making it hard for him to think clearly.

Larson frowned and said, "Quiet."

The scene partially quieted, though not completely.

The laughter from the Whitebeard Pirates stopped instantly. The only ones still laughing were the members of the Roger Pirates.

The Whitebeard Pirates naturally held a fear of Larson, but the Roger Pirates had a different air about them. They had an unspoken arrogance, and they listened only to Roger and Rayleigh, out of respect and perhaps a bit of fear. But when it came to Larson, Whitebeard's vice-captain, they felt no such dread.

Larson raised his head and gave a light glance in the direction of the Roger Pirates.

He didn't make any moves, nor did he release any of his powerful aura. But the moment those pirates saw his eyes, the image of the god-like giant that had killed the Sea King flashed in their minds.

Instantly, the laughter stopped, and beads of sweat formed on the heads of the Roger Pirates.

For a moment, it felt like they were facing that oppressive giant again.

Whitebeard, Roger, and the others behind Larson had naturally noticed the change.

Roger raised his hand and quietly lowered it again. Rayleigh sighed helplessly. "This guy..."

"Where did you find this?"

Larson took the conch from Marco's hand and examined it closely.

A flicker of surprise crossed Marco's face. It was as if someone had finally believed in him after everyone had thought he was a joke.

"We found this on the island not far from here!"

While Marco was feeling emotional, Shanks eagerly chimed in.

"What's up, Larson? Is there something strange about it?"

Whitebeard, noticing Larson's serious demeanor, narrowed his eyes. Knowing Larson well, Whitebeard knew that the conch had to be unusual—Larson wouldn't have reacted this way otherwise.

Larson turned back and looked curiously at Whitebeard and Roger. "You two didn't notice anything?"

"Notice what?" Rayleigh asked, confused.

Gaban curled his lips. "Isn't it just a regular conch?"

Larson mentally gave up on Gaban and Rayleigh at that moment.

He looked expectantly at Roger and Whitebeard.

Both Roger and Whitebeard were now focused on the conch in Larson's hand.

Whitebeard frowned. "So, this is it."

"You see it too?" Roger was also staring intently at the colorful conch.

Whitebeard nodded. "Yeah."

Gaban suddenly spoke up. "Hey, hey, hey! What did you guys figure out? Can you just tell us already? You're making us feel stupid!"

"Shut up!" Rayleigh snapped, interrupting Gaban.

Rayleigh's eyes had also locked onto the colorful conch.

Gaban was left stunned, looking at Rayleigh. A moment ago, they had been on the same page, but now Rayleigh was seeing something Gaban couldn't comprehend.

Roger finally spoke. "Larson, mind if I take a closer look?"

"Here." Larson handed it over.

Larson handed the conch in his hand to Roger. After Roger took it, he moved his head closer, examining it carefully.

Larson then turned back to Marco and asked, "Where did you find this thing?"

Marco pointed back: "An island not far away."

Larson pondered for a moment, then asked tentatively, "How did you know it was different?"

"When we passed by, we saw a lot of Sea Kings surrounding the island. They kept trying to come ashore. At the time, we thought it was strange. Later, when we took a closer look, we realized their target seemed to be this conch."

Larson grew more curious: "How did you find it?"

Marco replied, "Shanks told me."

Shanks, feeling a bit shy, added, "I just felt like there was something odd about it, and my intuition told me this might be something really special."

"Hey, hey! I deserve some credit for this, okay!"

Bucky, standing nearby, became upset when he realized Marco didn't mention him at all.

But no one paid attention to him.

From the reactions of Larson and Roger, it was clear they already understood that the conch might not be ordinary. They were excited; after all, they'd found something significant.

In fact, upon hearing the story, Larson had already pieced things together. It seemed only those with Conqueror's Haki could truly sense the conch's unique nature.

For anyone without the Haki, it would seem like an ordinary shell. However, for Roger, Whitebeard, and others with Conqueror's Haki, the conch radiated an overwhelming, fearsome energy.

It was the kind of power that made them cautious—a force that could be tied to the mightiest, most mysterious thing in the world: the power of the sea itself!

At this point, Whitebeard and Roger had dismissed the rest of the crew, leaving the Oro Jackson to only a select few: Larson, Whitebeard, Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban.

When Marco was asked to leave, he wasn't happy. After all, he had been the one to find the conch. Why was he not allowed to stay?

Larson and the others gathered around the conch, which lay quietly in front of them.

Larson shared his theory with Roger and the others: only those with Conqueror's Haki would feel something different.

Everyone agreed with Larson's guess. But one person wore a bitter expression—Gaban.

He was the only one there who couldn't sense anything special about the conch. Among the four of them, he alone lacked the Conqueror's Haki. It felt like a sheep had wandered into a den of wolves, out of place.

Whitebeard wasn't surprised that Larson possessed the power. In his mind, it was only natural. Larson was a man cut from the same cloth as him. How could such a man not have the Conqueror's Haki?

"Let that brat come over too," Larson said.

Roger nodded in agreement.

Rayleigh called out, "Shanks, come over here!"

In the distance, Shanks perked up when he heard Rayleigh's voice. "Coming!"

Marco, watching this unfold, suddenly felt slighted.

When he'd been kicked out earlier, he didn't feel too upset because Shanks and Bucky had been sent out with him. But now, seeing Shanks called back, it hit differently.

What was this?

It was clear favoritism!

Bucky, equally furious, stamped his foot in frustration.

Why? The three of them had found the conch together, yet only Shanks was called over?

No one voiced their doubts, and even Shanks didn't understand why he had been summoned.

When he stood before everyone, he felt a bit nervous. After all, the people in this room were the leaders of both the Whitebeard Pirates and Roger Pirates.

Larson paid no attention to Shanks but smiled as he spoke to Roger and Rayleigh, "The Roger Pirates truly are full of hidden talents. Even this little guy has such great potential."

Roger remained silent, his gaze resting on Shanks, filled with approval and expectation. Rayleigh, too, smiled broadly.

Shanks could feel a distinct difference in the conch, which signaled that he possessed the potential for Conqueror's Haki. He just couldn't sense the power within it because his Conqueror's Haki had yet to fully awaken.

Roger grinned and patted the seat next to him. "Shanks, come sit here."

"Huh? Oh, oh!" Shanks quickly realized what he was being told and hurried over, sitting up straight beside Roger.

At that moment, Shanks noticed something strange about Gaban's expression.

Concerned, he asked, "Gaban, what's wrong with your face? Are you feeling ill?"

Gaban snapped, "Get outta here."

Everyone except Shanks erupted in laughter.

The more they laughed, the more irritated Gaban became.

Shanks, this brat, had the presence of someone with Conqueror's Haki, yet he still had no idea what was going on, making him feel even more inadequate in comparison.

Shanks had no clue why everyone was laughing at him. He sat there nervously, not daring to move or speak.

"Relax."

Larson looked at him with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah," Shanks stammered, nodding instinctively, though his nerves hadn't yet settled.

"Now, let's talk about this thing," Whitebeard suddenly interjected, shifting everyone's attention back to the conch.

Larson paused thoughtfully before speaking. "Let me share my thoughts first."

Everyone nodded, waiting for his take.

"I believe this thing is likely connected to the giant Sea King we encountered earlier. Everyone must've realized that such a creature doesn't normally appear in the East Blue. Its presence here is highly unusual, and I suspect it was attracted by this conch."

The group fell silent, contemplating Larson's words.

He drummed his fingers lightly on the deck. "It's simple to confirm my theory. We just need to search the nearby waters. If there are more giant Sea Kings around, then that will prove my point."

Rayleigh scratched his head, a little confused. "Even if you're right, what does that mean for us? Shouldn't we be talking about the conch itself?"

A knowing smile spread across Larson's face. "If my theory is correct, then this conch is a true treasure."

The idea that it could attract creatures like Sea Kings was extraordinary.

The sheer value of something capable of drawing in beings like Neptune was beyond imagination. And as Larson spoke, a particular figure seemed to form instinctively in his mind.

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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11

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