"So, Mr. Sesshomaru, are you interested in joining forces with me?"
"What's this? Could it be that even someone like you is interested in Captain John's treasure?" Ren asked in surprise. He had already been taken aback when he saw Redfield here.
According to what he knew, the other party should have been someone who disliked material possessions. For this man to actively seek him out for cooperation was completely unlike his usual character.
Redfield, having witnessed the ugliness of human hearts, was extremely排斥 of crowds. If he truly sought out others to cooperate with, he wouldn't have been called the Lone Red.
"You seem to be thinking something impolite." Redfield's gaze was sharp. Though he couldn't see into Ren's heart, his intuition was remarkably keen.
"Of course not." Ren said, his face betraying no emotion.
"I may always walk alone, but that doesn't mean I have no friends on the sea." Redfield spoke slowly, carrying himself like an English gentleman. Though he was still young, he always spoke at a measured pace.
When it came to friends, though few, he did indeed have two.
—Roger, and Whitebeard.
He disliked those with ugly hearts, but conversely, he didn't排斥 those with kind hearts. He had encountered both Roger and Newgate's crews before. These two groups were completely different from other pirates. It was precisely because of this that he could share drinks with these two men.
"The female swordswoman with you—I saw her save that child," Redfield said. "Because of that, I believe you are suitable partners, and your strength is sufficient as well."
After coming to this island, Redfield had witnessed too many tragedies unfold before his eyes. Though not every pirate was completely evil, most merely watched from the sidelines, unwilling to conflict with other crews over a few unknown islanders.
Ren nodded, reluctantly accepting his explanation. He also felt that teaming up with the Red Count might actually be less troublesome than teaming up with Kaido. While Kaido couldn't threaten him with strength, he had too many schemes. Who knew if he might plot against him in secret.
As for Redfield, his character was much better.
Of course, Ren wouldn't let his guard down completely just because of his limited knowledge of Redfield from his past life.
"If we're to cooperate, then perhaps you should state your purpose first. I assume you're not after treasure, are you?" Ren retorted.
"I may not be fond of wealth, but that doesn't mean I would refuse it," Redfield said with a shake of his head. His attire looked incredibly valuable, even his shoes were trimmed with gold—how could he not need money?
Moreover, with his character, he would never plunder civilians. In the past, when he was short on funds, he could only prey on other pirates at sea. If he could obtain Captain John's treasure, he would never have to worry about money again.
"But you're not wrong—I do have other objectives. As for John's treasure, if I really get my hands on it, just a small portion would be enough. After all, I'm just one person; no matter how large my expenses, they wouldn't amount to much." Redfield extended a finger, gesturing as if measuring a tiny galaxy.
As for his so-called other objectives, he didn't continue.
Ren didn't press the matter further. Although they were about to cooperate, they had just met today and weren't old friends. Who would bare their soul to a stranger?
However, setting that topic aside, Redfield's sincerity was certainly greater than that Kaido fellow's.
As soon as they confirmed their alliance, he shared a piece of intelligence with Ren.
"I'm sure you noticed it too? The wolf's eyes." He walked forward, his gaze turning in the direction Ren had been looking initially. He was completely unguarded, as if he fully trusted Ren and didn't believe he would make a move against him.
This was completely an illusion. Redfield's composure was based entirely on his powerful Observation Haki. He was confident that if Ren had any intention of making a move, he would certainly notice it.
The intensity of this Conqueror's Haki was probably so great that even future Red Hair's Observation KILL might not be able to block his detection.
"The wolf's eyes? Is there something special about that place?" Ren asked. He had only sensed that there might be something to discover over there but hadn't gone to check it out yet.
"This island, and the island of Hatti across the sea to the east, are actually connected," Redfield said. "And what connects these two islands is the wolf's eyes."
"There was originally a lake in the jungle there. The center of that lake connected to neither groundwater nor the sea, but to the other eye of Hatti Island. I'm sure you've heard that for four days each year, these two islands respectively lose their day and night?"
Ren nodded: "Does this natural phenomenon have something to do with that passage?"
He knew that Skypiea and Hatti Island looked like twin islands, but he never imagined they weren't just twins—the two islands were essentially conjoined twins.
Needless to say, since Redfield had brought this up, there must be other secrets within that passage.
"In the middle of March, June, September, and December, the lake at the wolf's eyes will rapidly dry up, exposing the passage beneath. And what causes these two islands to have their day and night reversed are two special plants."
"The Sunlight Tree—Eve, and the Moon Tree—Luna."
"The Moon Tree, Luna?" Ren had never heard of such a plant. He was familiar with the Sunlight Tree, of course—the world's largest Sunlight Tree grove is located beneath the Sabaody Archipelago. The giant Sunlight Trees can store sunlight and transport it to Fish-Man Island below.
As for this Moon Tree, though he was hearing about it for the first time, when placed alongside the Sunlight Tree and considering the polar day that occurs on Skypiea each year, the function of this tree was obvious.
"So, that means after the lake dries up, the two trees are exposed to the air, creating the alternating day and night, correct?"
Redfield nodded.
"However, these two trees aren't the main point. The key is the underwater cavern that's exposed during that time. Captain John's treasure might be hidden at the bottom of that lake. Of course, given that John's personality, there might not be treasure at the bottom of the lake, but there will definitely be traps and ambushes."
"Is it alright for you to tell me all this?"
"This information isn't really a secret. It wouldn't be hard to discover with some careful inquiry. Since it's a trap, wouldn't it be meaningless if no prey takes the bait?" Redfield spoke as if he knew John very well.
[
Dear Readers,
I am currently posting two chapters every day along with bonus releases and early access to new novels. The workload is steady, and I am putting in the effort to keep the schedule consistent for everyone.
Right now, my financial situation is not great. Patreon support is what keeps this translation work sustainable. If you have been following the stories and want to help, joining a tier makes a direct difference.
Here is what membership offers:
Adventurer — $3 per month
10 chapters in advance of other platforms for all of my works (+8 chapters per week for each fiction)
Warrior — $7 per month
15 chapters in advance ahead of other platforms (+8 chapters per week for each fiction)
Immortal — $10 per month (Highlighted Tier)
20 chapters in advance for all of my works (32 chapters per month for each fic, and I work on 8 fics simultaneously—you can do the math on how much you are getting to read)
Access to character images
Important note: Subscribing through the Apple App adds an extra 30 percent fee (Apple/Patreon policy). Subscribe through your browser to avoid the extra charge. Apple also processes payments very late (2 to 3 months), which makes it much harder for me to receive money quickly after you subscribe.
If you can support, it would genuinely help me continue the daily releases and early access content. If you cannot, reading and sharing the work is also appreciated.
Thank you for your time.
Patreon: patreon.com/anish_44
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/anish_44
]