Vice-captain of Whitebeard pirates

-------------

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

-----

Rayleigh looked at the crew. "Do you all want to continue exploring?"

"There's no point in probing further," Larson replied.

This newspaper confirmed that the appearance of the conch wasn't a coincidence.

None of them doubted that the conch was somehow connected to the mysterious island mentioned in the article.

Roger grinned. "The island mentioned in the newspaper is also in the East Blue. Once we go there and take a look, we'll figure everything out."

Whitebeard agreed. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

"There's a small town nearby. Why don't we repair the ship today and head out tomorrow?" Gaban suggested, holding up a map.

Rayleigh frowned. "It's better to set out early. I have a feeling something about this is off."

Larson considered the situation. "I agree with Gaban's plan."

When the crew turned to him, he elaborated, "We're probably not the only ones who've seen this newspaper. Plenty of people may have already come across similar conches. Right now, we know nothing about this conch or the island. If we rush there unprepared, we might be walking into an unexpected situation. Stopping at that small town could give us time to gather more information and see how widespread this news is."

"That's true," Gaban added, visibly touched.

He had been dismissed several times today, and even Rayleigh had rejected one of his proposals earlier. Now, with Larson backing him, Gaban felt as if the world hadn't completely turned its back on him.

Roger nodded. "Alright, let's head out."

Without any further delay, the sooner they set sail, the better.

Soon enough, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates assembled, and both crews set off for the nearby town.

Onboard, Marco, Shanks, and Buggy huddled together in secret.

Buggy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "We might have really hit the jackpot this time!"

No one else knew that their journey to find the conch had started because of Buggy's playful curiosity.

Earlier, while they were still on the ship, Marco had broken away from the main group and gone to find Shanks and Buggy.

Shanks and Buggy had bonded with Marco due to their similar age, and most importantly, they had taken a keen interest in his ability to fly.

The entire venture began when Buggy whipped out a treasure map earlier that day.

At that time, they were still with Whitebeard, and Buggy had dramatically unveiled what he claimed to be the most valuable treasure map in his possession.

However, Shanks, well aware of Buggy's antics, didn't take him seriously. Buggy had a habit of drawing random lines on paper and declaring them treasure maps. If they followed his directions blindly, they might end up lost in the New World.

Still, after looking at the map, Shanks noticed that the treasure's location wasn't far from where they were.

Curiosity piqued, Shanks couldn't shake the thought. They were so close—what if there really was treasure? Missing out on something like that could become one of his life's biggest regrets.

The problem was how to sneak away. Shanks didn't want to tell Rayleigh or the others.

For one, they were currently pursuing the Whitebeard Pirates. Secondly, the treasure map didn't seem credible at first glance. If Shanks had shared it, they'd all likely laugh and call him childish.

To be honest, even Shanks didn't fully believe in it. But his curiosity kept nagging him.

Then Marco appeared.

He had made a strong impression on everyone, flying over from the Whitebeard Pirates with three people in tow.

This was the opportunity Shanks and Buggy had been waiting for.

Most importantly, Marco was their age. Unlike the adults, he wouldn't mock them for being childish, and with his flying ability, he could get them to the treasure's location.

They secretly pulled Marco aside and shared the treasure map with him.

Buggy spun an elaborate tale, saying whatever it took to convince Marco to fly them there.

Marco, still new to Buggy and Shanks, didn't know if they could be trusted, but he agreed anyway, intrigued by the treasure hunt.

So, they took off, flying toward the location marked on the map.

A lot happened after that. Rayleigh killed a giant Sea King with a single blow, and Larson used Susanoo to take down another.

By the time they arrived on the island, these events were already unfolding.

It turned out Buggy and Shanks weren't lying. When they reached the island, they were surrounded by Sea Kings.

Marco, who had been skeptical at first, felt reassured when he saw this.

''See? If there were no treasure here, why would so many Sea Kings be lurking around?'

Buggy and Shanks were ecstatic and hurriedly began exploring the island.

However, they found no treasure. They searched the entire island, but nothing turned up. Just as they were about to give up, Shanks stumbled upon the conch.

Buggy refused to believe his treasure map was fake, clinging to the hope that the conch was part of the treasure. Shanks, however, repeatedly insisted there was something strange about the conch, so they decided to take it back with them.

And that's when everything else happened.

Now, Buggy spoke up, full of excitement. "See? I told you my treasure map was real!"

Shanks, far more composed, replied, "Didn't you hear what they just said? This conch might have just washed ashore. It doesn't mean it's related to your treasure map."

"Rubbish!" Buggy retorted, clearly offended. "We found this because of my treasure map!"

Shanks grinned. "What if we find another conch like this?"

Buggy huffed, "Then that just means there are more treasure maps out there!"

A sudden voice from behind startled them.

"What are you guys talking about?"

The three froze, immediately on alert.

"Larson, why are you here?"

Marco felt guilty. He didn't know why, but the moment he saw Larson's face, a wave of fear crept over him.

With a smile, Larson replied, "I'm here to assign a task to the three of you."

"Task?"

Bucky and Shanks' eyes lit up instantly. They knew that Larson was the vice-captain of the Whitebeard Pirates. They had also seen the Sea King corpse floating in the ocean earlier, and heard others talking about how Larson had taken it down.

Now, seeing Larson again, both were filled with awe.

But Marco remained suspicious. He knew Larson better than the others. When Larson said he was going to give him a task, it was usually something troublesome.

Marco recalled the times Larson had taken him along only for them to end up in dangerous situations. In his mind, he concluded: when Larson speaks seriously, it's serious. But when he's smiling, it's time to run.

Larson noticed the look in Marco's eyes and said, sounding annoyed, "What's with that look?"

Marco curled his lips, "I've got things to do. You should probably ask someone else."

"You're not going anywhere."

Larson grabbed him firmly.

Marco was stunned, "Are you forcing me to do this?"

"Who's forcing you?" Larson frowned. "What? You don't listen to me anymore?"

Marco shrank back, "Fine, just tell me what the mission is first."

By now, Marco had learned his lesson and was determined not to be tricked by Larson again.

"Relax," Larson said, "When we reach the island later, I just need you three brats to help gather some information."

"That simple?" Marco asked, still skeptical.

"Of course. What else did you think I'd ask you to do?" Larson replied with sincerity.

Marco's instincts told him Larson was probably up to something, but deep down, he still wanted to take on the task.

"Alright, we'll handle it," Marco finally agreed, though reluctantly.

Before Marco could even process it, Bucky had already eagerly stepped forward and volunteered, pounding his chest. "Leave it to us!"

Marco sighed. Bucky was still so young and naïve.

But this time, Marco had unfairly doubted Larson. Although Larson often enjoyed teasing him, he genuinely just needed help gathering information this time. They were far from ready for anything bigger.

Larson smiled and said to Shanks and Bucky, "Then I'll leave it to you."

With that, he turned and left.

After Larson was gone, Shanks looked at Marco, puzzled. "Marco, what was up with you back there?"

He didn't understand why Marco had hesitated for so long.

"It's nothing," Marco replied, unwilling to admit he was afraid of being tricked. He couldn't risk ruining the image he had just built up in front of the two younger pirates.

However, Marco still felt it necessary to warn his new brothers. Lowering his voice, he said, "You both need to be careful with Larson. That guy can be real trouble."

Shanks and Bucky exchanged glances. "No way, I think Uncle Larson seems pretty nice."

"Nice?" Marco was exasperated. "If he's nice, then there are no bad people left in the world!"

Shanks and Bucky couldn't understand. Uncle Larson appeared so gentle—why did Marco speak of him like this?

With lingering doubts, they eventually reached the nearest town.

On the ship, Larson approached Roger and Whitebeard. "Let's keep everyone on board. A few of us will be more than enough for this."

Roger and Whitebeard nodded in agreement. After giving orders to hold the rest of the crew back, they disembarked.

Upon arriving in the small town, they were greeted by a bustling and prosperous scene.

The group that went ashore to gather information this time consisted of Larson, Rayleigh, Whitebeard, Roger, and Gaban.

Marco and Larson had split up earlier, so Marco wasn't present.

Roger glanced around and asked, "Where should we start looking for information?"

Larson thought for a moment before replying, "Let's head to a tavern."

At the mention of a tavern, Whitebeard's eyes gleamed with excitement. He immediately assumed Larson was eager to have a drink!

But Larson quickly clarified, "The tavern's usually crowded, and it's the best place to pick up information."

No one had any objections. In the short time they had known him, Larson had already earned the trust of Roger and Rayleigh.

It wasn't just Larson's formidable strength that impressed them—it was also his sharp mind and intriguing personality.

They especially appreciated someone like Larson—charismatic, intelligent, and undeniably handsome.

-------------

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

-----