Chapter 303: The Scientist of the Roger Pirates

"Hello, I'm Moon Isaac Jr."

The man who appeared before Adrian wasn't the iconic Silvers Rayleigh with his distinctive vertical mustache, nor was it the dark-skinned Scopper Gaban with his small round sunglasses. Instead, it was a kindly-looking middle-aged man.

This middle-aged man had shoulder-length, curly blonde hair, a long, beak-like nose, and two slender, slightly curled mustaches beneath it. He wore a relaxed, carefree smile.

But...

Moon? Isaac?

Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of suspicion flashing across his face.

Both the first name and last name sounded far from ordinary.

{Moon word if related to the World Noble and a lots of other secrets of this world, and Isaac Newton}

And to top it off, there was a connection to the Roger Pirates…

A flurry of thoughts crossed Adrian's mind, but he introduced himself plainly and without much expression.

Whoever this man was, whatever his role in the Roger Pirates was, as long as he wasn't Rayleigh or Gaban, Adrian had no interest.

After all, the progress bar for the "Extreme Trial" had accumulated to 940 points, leaving only a small segment remaining for a successful upgrade!

Adrian wished for a combatant from the Roger Pirates to appear in the Town of the Spring Queen. Even if it wasn't Rayleigh or Gaban, any combatant would do!

But unfortunately, the third "Grandpa" to appear was someone he'd never heard of before, Moon Isaac Jr.!

"Uncle Moon, how did you end up in the Spring Queen City?" Shanks asked excitedly, seemingly unfazed.

Since the Roger Pirates disbanded and the crew scattered, Shanks had parted ways with Buggy in East Blue's Loguetown and returned to West Blue alone. In the few short months since setting sail officially, he had already run into the ship's doctor, Crocus, at Twin Capes and now, Moon Isaac Jr., a former scientist of the pirate crew.

How could Shanks not be thrilled?

"The Town of the Spring Queen is a major crossroads with stable magnetic currents. Aside from its unique entertainment and food route, there are many other islands you can reach from here," Moon Isaac Jr. didn't mind White Ghost's almost indifferent demeanor gently twisted his long mustaches, chatting amicably with Shanks.

"After spending too much time conducting experiments in the Future Kingdom, my bones have grown stiff. I came to the Town of the Spring Queen to relax, clear my mind, and energize my body."

Adrian nodded slightly. It was a well-crafted explanation.

Energize the body—

Wait!

The Future Kingdom?

Shanks understood Uncle Moon's reasoning. Although Moon Isaac Jr. often wore a slender sword at his waist, he was not a combatant. On Oro Jackson, Moon Isaac Jr. was always cooped up in his room doing experiments and developing theories. He never participated in battles.

Of course, he would never miss the lively parties after a fight!

Adrian refrained from interrupting this familiar reunion scene. Seeing the bustling crowd around them, he invited Moon and Shanks to board the Abyss, slightly delaying their tour of the Town of the Spring Queen.

Facing White Ghost's invitation, Moon Isaac Jr. naturally accepted with delight. It was less about wanting to relax and more about waiting for the Abyss to arrive!

Just as Adrian suspected, after the Abyssal Ghost left Twin Capes, Crocus had discreetly contacted many of the Roger Pirates' old acquaintances. Some believed that since Shanks had officially set sail, he should face his unique destiny without interference unless he explicitly asked for help.

Some people believe that Shanks was brought on board by the White Ghost because of his talent and abilities. However, those who truly understand Shanks' nature think he would never be happy under the White Ghost's command. They decide to intervene, at least to test White Ghost's attitude.

Moon Isaac Jr. belongs to this latter group.

As for why they had to wait for the Abyss in the Town of the Spring Queen, it wasn't because of Pleasure Street as previously mentioned. It was because Moon Isaac Jr partially agreed with the earlier group's views.

{Can you not fking focus on Pleasure street.}

Shanks hadn't called for help himself. If Moon Isaac Jr had eagerly shown up in Reveland Kingdom, it would have implied he was ignoring Shanks' personal thoughts and freedom. So, the third Spring Island was the most suitable place.

{Don't know how that kind of thinking works.}

Definitely not because of the allure of Pleasure Street in the Town of the Spring Queen! {+}

In the banquet hall of the Abyss, Shanks and Young Moon were drinking and chatting happily, reminiscing about their adventures on Roger's pirate ship.

After a long while, Young Moon left a heavily drunk Shanks and went outside the cabin.

The sky was dark, with a bright white moon hanging high. As expected, Moon Jr. met the person he truly wanted to see on the deck.

"Mr. Adrian, thank you for taking care of Shanks all this time," Moon Jr. said, his face also bore a rosy flush from the alcohol, but his mind was clear.

"It's nothing," Adrian replied, turning to carefully scrutinize this Roger Pirates member he had no recollection of.

Truth be told, out of the two or three dozen members of Roger's crew, only a few had made an impression on him. This Moon Isaac Jr? Adrian had no memory of him at all.

"It might be nothing to you, but as Shanks' former comrade, I still need to express my gratitude," Moon Jr said solemnly. Then he casually changed the subject, asking, "So, Mr. Adrian, have you considered making Shanks your crew member?"

Getting straight to the point, are we?

Adrian's eyes flickered. He had assumed scientists were serious and reserved, but Moon Isaac Jr.'s directness exceeded expectations.

The air fell silent, with only the sound of the sea breeze in their ears. Just as Young Moon started to worry if he had angered the White Ghost, Adrian spoke.

"I did mention something similar to Crocus, but I don't know how much he shared with all of you."

Moon Isaac Jr. chuckled awkwardly. From Adrian's words, it was clear he had long understood Young Moon's true intentions.

"But in reality…" Adrian continued, "I never planned to make Shanks my crew member. I just want to take him as my little brother."

This was the first time Adrian revealed his thoughts to other members of Roger's crew.

Golden leeks, if forced, will be broken. Adrian understood this well.

There's a saying, 'The melon forced off the vine isn't sweet, but it quenches your thirst.'

But he really can't bear to spoil this golden leek Shanks.

Adrian still hoped for "Golden Leek Shanks" to evolve into "Top Swordsman Shanks," "Emperor of the Sea Shanks," or even "Conqueror Shanks"!

Only then would the full potential of this golden leek be realized! As of now, Shanks was at best just another – a little bit but not comparable to his handsome self, just a naive, young man.