Chapter 370: Chapter 370: The Secret of Landing on the Island, Guardian!
Chapter 370: The Secret of Landing on the Island, Guardian!
Bullet words lingered in the air, heavy with implication.
Ryuunosuke, sitting on a broken slab of stone amidst the ruined island, narrowed his eyes. Bullet had just said that the Infinite White Stone carried the same aura as Raftel.
That made sense.
After all, some ancient records and scraps of intel hinted that Infinity Stones were tied to Raftel’s mysteries. There had even been whispers that anyone sailing to the final island should bring one—or risk being rejected by the island itself.
But the real surprise wasn’t the white stone.
It was the Essence of Life.
That wasn’t from any island. That was a system reward—a resource exclusive to Ryuunosuke’s journey. Something that, by all logic, shouldn’t even exist in the world of One Piece.
So how could Bullet recognize it... as something from Raftel?
"This isn’t from Raftel," Ryuunosuke said firmly. "I was born in the East Blue. I’ve never even set foot near the Grand Line’s final island."
Bullet gaze sharpened. But then, as if realizing something, he slowly nodded.
"Right... East Blue. I forgot. You’re one of the few monsters who actually came from there."
He didn’t ask further. Instead, he closed his eyes and let the essence course through him. A moment later, the damage he’d sustained during their battle began to fade.
The scars dulled. The strain eased.
His vitality—restored.
"I lost," Bullet muttered, rising to his feet. "So here. Take it."
He reached into his coat and handed Ryuunosuke the Eternal Pointer to Raftel.
Ryuunosuke accepted the item, staring at the simple, worn compass. Despite its appearance, this was the most coveted object on the sea. A guide to the Final Island.
But then, he frowned.
"The Pirate Expo... You gathered so many pirate crews. You’re just going to let them fight over nothing?"
Bullet smirked. "I have another one."
He tapped the metal plating of his fused armor. "This one’s from our original navigator. I made a duplicate myself. That’s what the others are chasing."
"And your story? You said you’d tell me what you saw on Raftel."
Bullet gave a rare, bright laugh. Not malicious—genuine.
"To be honest? There’s not much to say."
Outsiders might find the sight of Douglas Bullet laughing like a normal man utterly surreal. The so-called Devil’s Heir was showing a side of himself the world never saw.
Or maybe... only Ryuunosuke was allowed to see it.
"You felt it, right?" Ryuunosuke asked, leaning forward. "The suppression. The rejection. The way Raftel treats Devil Fruit users."
"Yeah," Bullet said with a shrug. "That’s real."
"Roger didn’t talk about it much, but it’s why Shanks—and his whole crew—refuse to eat Devil Fruits."
"I pushed through it," he added, pride flickering in his voice. "Barely."
"Buggy collapsed with a fever. Toki’s body rejected it. But I endured. With enough willpower and raw strength, I held on."
He paused, frowning at the memory.
"But once I set foot on that island... it was like my body started to cook from the inside. It wasn’t just heat—it was like every cell was screaming."
Ryuunosuke listened silently.
Bullet, user of the Fusion-Fusion Fruit, was one of the strongest physical combatants alive. Few things could hurt him.
And yet Raftel had nearly broken him.
"If I hadn’t been using Conqueror’s Haki the entire time, I would’ve collapsed," Bullet said. "That island burns away anything unnatural. It’s alive in a way the rest of the world isn’t."
Ryuunosuke’s eyes flickered with interest.
That aligned with everything he’d heard before. The stories. The warnings.
"Then why didn’t Roger force you back onto the ship?" he asked.
Knowing Roger’s personality—protective, loyal, and cunning—it made no sense that he’d let Bullet suffer that way.
"Because of the same thing you gave me just now."
Bullet raised the vial of Life Essence.
"Roger called it the Infinite Green Stone back then. Gave it to me before we landed."
He twirled the empty glass between his fingers.
"Yours is stronger. But the aura... it’s the same."
Ryuunosuke furrowed his brow.
So far, he had encountered four stones: white, green, blue, and black. Until now, he thought they were scattered across the world.
But if Raftel was a gathering place for them...
Just how many Infinity Stones existed?
His curiosity deepened.
"What else did you encounter there?" he asked. "Why did Roger disband the crew after reaching Raftel? Was it really just about a dream... or something more?"
Bullet expression turned grim.
"After Roger gave me the Green Stone, he went alone."
"The rest of us... were ordered to stay behind. We didn’t step foot into the core of Raftel. Not even Rayleigh."
He looked down at his scarred hands.
"When he came back, he spoke to each of us... one by one. Then he told us it was time to go home."
And that was it.
The tale aligned with every piece of information Ryuunosuke had gathered so far. None of them had lied. None of them knew the full truth.
The secret of Raftel was Roger’s alone.
Ryuunosuke let out a breath. "I see."
"Well, we’re going," he said with a smile. "The Dragon Hunter Pirates will land on Raftel. Want to tag along for round two?"
Barrett chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah. Been there. Don’t care to be roasted again."
He paused, voice lowering.
"But when you go... be careful."
"There are things there... things guarding the island."
Ryuunosuke froze.
"Guardians?"
Bullet nodded slowly. "I think that’s why Roger disbanded the crew. Not just what he saw—but who he met."
Those words struck something in Ryuunosuke.
Guardians...
His mind flashed back to Sevian and Wade. The strange aura. The overwhelming pressure. The vow-binding powers. The way even death didn’t seem to concern them.
"Was it... them?"
He raised a hand and focused his thoughts. A mental projection formed—two figures appeared in shimmering light: Sevian and Wade.
Bullet eyes widened.
"You’ve already encountered them?"
His shock was genuine.
Ryuunosuke nodded. "They showed up before the Expo. Interfered with some of our battles. Strange abilities... and no fear of death."
Bullet leaned forward. "We saw them, too. On Raftel. But they were already like that."
"Unaging. Untouchable. Something else entirely."
"Captain Ryuunosuke... when did you meet them?"
Ryuunosuke blinked. "Not long ago. Weeks, maybe."
Bullet clenched his fists. "Then it’s true..."
"Time hasn’t touched them. Not in all these years. And they’re still watching. Still waiting."
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