Chapter 39

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Chapter 39

Title: Curing Raynare

….

"Zehahahaha!!" Blackbeard laughs out loudly. His laugh rang through the dungeons like a booming roar. "You are in deep trouble, wanna join my crew? I will take care of your troubles for you!"

"Nah, I will take care of my problems myself," Max smirked. "What kind of guy lets other people deal with problems for him?"

Blackbeard's smile widened even more. "That's true, now I want you even more to join my crew. Let's overturn this world together!"

"Hm? Overturn? That sounds boring." Max said casually, as they arrived at Raynare's cell. "I don't care about things like that, or creating chaos in the world. So my answer will be no, but I will help you if we have a common enemy."

Blackbeard didn't seem bothered by the refusal. Instead, he just smirked. "Well, I am sure one day you will join me."

Max shook his head as he smirked. Wondering what gave Blackbeard such confidence in what would happen in the future or that things would even go his way. A truly reckless man, it was better to not get involved with people like him. Also now Max knew that he had access to Conqueror's Haki, he wasn't going to waste that opportunity.

Once Blackbeard saw Raynare in her monstrous form, his smile got even wider. 

"Holy hell, that's an awakened Zoan," he could tell immediately what he was looking at.

Max nodded. "Yeah, she has been stuck like that. You know what to do."

Blackbeard nodded and went forward, Raynare looked at the man maliciously and punched him. 

BOOOOM!!!

Blackbeard caught her punch and stopped it in its tracks, but he winced as he felt his bones crack. "Damn, she is strong as hell."

Still, though, that wasn't enough to put him down as a dark swirl appeared in his hand and Raynare's body immediately started to size down. She turned back to her normal form, her marine uniform still on. 

She looked around confused, but then winced as a group of memories assaulted her. Raynare then glanced at Max with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry, I caused you too much trouble."

Max only smirked. "Glad you are okay."

Blackbeard felt like a third wheel on this, so he just went out of the room to go get some Cherry Pies. "I will leave ya two lovebirds to each other."

Raynare frowned as she saw the pirate walk off. "We should kill him. That ability of his is dangerous."

"Not really," Max refuted her. "He can cancel one's Devil Fruit ability. So what? As long as your strength wasn't heavily dependent in your fruit and all your powers come from it. Then everything should be okay. His ability to drag Devil Fruits users close to him can be used as an advantage and cut him up when he gets close."

"I see," Raynare smirked. "So you have everything planned already."

"You could say something like that." Max reciprocated her smile. "Now we just need to find some more trustworthy people."

Though she had just come out of a precarious situation, Raynare wasn't dwelling on it. Instead, she was already thinking of the future and how they should improve their power and political positions. This made Max smile, he had hit a rough gem when he had picked her as part of his subordinates. Especially since she wasn't a canon character from what he remembered. 

Also slowly, her morals had dropped as she had been spending time with Max and seeing that the world wasn't all rainbow and daisies.

…

A week later and Blackbeard had taken his unconscious crew and decided to leave this place. Already he and Max had concocted some plans together and how to handle some things.

From today onwards, they will be working together. Of course, this would be in secret, as Max still had to deal with the 'Government Agents' that never really existed, to begin with. Since Max had chosen this road, he had to play it and put some of his cards on Blackbeard's success and plan around it. At least this would last for two years, by then Luffy should become useful enough to hedge the bets on him.

Of course, Max will have a 'change of heart' and see Blackbeard for the monster he is and support Luffy. At least this was the oversimplification of the plan he was going with at the time. Along the way, he will have to change the plan though as circumstances might change too. But Max is a very flexible person, he will go from one side to the other and see which one offered the most benefits to him.

Though he will change sides logically so he doesn't seem like someone untrustworthy. Everything must be moved with caution, even in this world where strong people didn't have a whole lot of logic, being careful didn't hurt.

As Max was in his big castle, contemplating his future moves, he looked outside of the window and no snow was falling. Something that never happened in Drum Kingdom as a Winter island Kingdom, even in summer it snowed and was cold.

Yet today it was sunny and no snow was falling. The snow seemed to even melt off the ground.

Max seemed unbothered by this even though the people were panicked.

"Shouldn't we go and check?" Asked Raynare as she walked next to him. Looking at his face, as if trying to look for something.

But he only shook his head. "No, there is no need. I know why the snow isn't falling. There is no strange occurrence on this island."

Raynare wasn't satisfied with that answer, but she didn't voice her opposition. Instead, she went back to training her Haki. 

Max's smirk widened. He knew that training Armament Haki wasn't as simple as just thinking and doing it. Raynare had to get a little angry, only that way she can forget the distractions and concentrate on Haki only. 

Even Max had a little difficulty learning Armament Haki because Observation came easier to him. It complemented his calm demeanor.

"Oh, Raynare, tell the others that I am going outside a bit," Max added on before opening the window and jumping off.

…

At the same time, in the Drum Kingdom Main Port, the place had been fortified. Not even a month ago it had been a modest port, but now it had turned into a fortress with many sketchy trade ships passing by. For a price, any ship could dock here on the King's orders. As long as they cause no trouble of course because if they did them they would be killed and their assets seized.

Still, a man in a dark cloak and orange hat walked through the port, trying to not bring any attention to himself.

He entered a popular establishment called Bull's Hunk and inside was Blueno making some drinks for some of his usual patrons and listening to their problems. The bar was modest and surprisingly clean for a place that had drunk people in it even in the middle of the afternoon.

"My wife, *burp* I think she might be sleeping with the meat man," said one of the drunk people at the front bar. "I went home one day early and saw there were two cups of coffee on the table and someone had been smoking cigarettes. Now when I look at my daughter, I can't help but think that she looks nothing like me."

"Hmmm…" Blueno, who was the barista, looked in deep thought as he polished a glass. "I think you should talk with your wife. In these situations, honesty and communication can help. Who knows, you might just be assuming things. Even if your wife did do something, you need to listen to her story first. Just promise me you won't do something stupid."

That was when the man in the dark cloak and orange hat came forward with an angry stride. Putting his arm around the drunk man's shoulder. "Let's go and beat the hell out of that meat man. Let's kick his ass first, and then we will ask questions later."

"Hell yeah!!..." the man cheered with vigor, but then looked at the other guy next to him who had suggested that. "Huh? Who are ya?!"

Blueno stopped polishing glasses and looked at the dark-cloaked man. For a split second his fingers tightened around the glass, that was all he expressed to show his surprise once he saw the cloaked man's identity. No one noticed anything as he went back to cleaning the glass.

But then a waiter with a square-shaped long nose came forward. He put his hand on the dark-cloaked man's shoulder. "Sorry buddy, but violence from outsiders is forbidden on the island."

"Oh really?" Asked the cloaked man jokingly.

Kaku narrowed his eyes. "Yes, it's punishable by death. No matter how small the incident might be."

The man took off his cloak and laid it on the counter. Showing that he was only wearing shorts underneath the cloak. Kaku was surprised as he saw the Whitebeard Flag on the young man's back.

"Portgas D. Ace at your service," Ace introduced himself politely. "Have you seen a sketchy-looking Blackbeard around? I heard some strange rumors about him and the Drum Kingdom."

Kaku only narrowed his eyes, the grip on Ace's shoulder getting tighter.