One Piece: Who still has dreams?

"I'm fine. It's just that my abilities surprised even myself, haha."

Reddio snapped out of his reverie of the vast and mysterious void and the river of time. The remaining four seconds of Gojo Satoru Mode quickly ran out, and he reverted to normal, smiling as he patted Hancock's hand reassuringly.

Hancock observed his expression and hesitated before asking, "Are you leaving?"

"We'll have to leave eventually."

Redio looked out to sea. "I'm the captain. I promised this kid I'd fulfill his dream, how could I go back on my word? I love helping people achieve their wishes, I'm a really great guy."

Hancock's time-travel mission is complete, and the system rewards have been distributed.

Whether the mission is completed or failed, it will force a return to the teleportation point. Redio can only stay as long as possible, but eventually he will have to go back.

Before he left, Hancock hurriedly returned to the Kuja Palace to bring him a parting gift.

"This is a special spice used by the Kuja Pirates to repel insects and rodents..." The Empress handed a sachet to Redio, saying reluctantly.

Reddio was touched. He had only casually mentioned that it was troublesome whenever there were live creatures like rats on the ship, but he hadn't expected Hancock to remember it.

Ace squatted down to the side, twirling his hat in his hand as he waited for him.

Reddio placed his hand on Hancock's shoulder, and after a few seconds of silent eye contact, whispered, "Boa... Hancock, I'm going to have you. But I'll give you some time to sort out the Kuja problem. After all, I can't let you end up like that old hag you cursed—'abandoning the country'!"

"Really?"

Hancock's eyes lit up with surprise, and she tried to call out to Redio, who was turning to leave, "How am I supposed to find you then?"

"About six months,"

Redio pressed down on Ace's head, who was squatting to the side, and turned to the Empress with a slight smile. "Six months from now, we will officially set sail. At that time, pay attention to the news in the newspapers, and then bring your wishes with you when you board the ship."

The sound lingered, but he and Ace had vanished.

"Snake Princess, it seems I was wrong."

The 1.4-meter-tall pink-haired "petite beauty" Gloriosa walked up, carrying her serpent staff behind her back. Gazing at the spot where Ace and the other had disappeared, she sighed, "He may be powerful, but he wouldn't betray you. He always considers your needs. A man like that is truly... Damn it, why couldn't that bastard Roger be like that?!"

As she spoke, she became increasingly vehement, her eyes blazing with fury.

"It's 'Lady Snake Princess'."

Hancock corrected him coldly, turned around, flicked her emperor's cloak, clutched the gold coin Redio had given her at the beginning, and walked briskly back to the emperor's palace with the click-clack of her red high heels.

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[East China Sea, the deck of the former Black Cat ship]

"Are we not leaving for another six months?"

As soon as Ace returned, he scratched his head and asked in confusion, "Wasn't it a little too long?"

Redio said, "I told you, without Haki, you won't go far on the Grand Line."

Ace clenched his fist: "But I've got it! It might work sometimes and not sometimes, but I've got Conqueror's Haki by now! I'll soon be able to use Armament Haki and Observation Haki as freely as you do."

Redio laughed and said, "You've mastered it. What about the others? Before you, there were already crew members. We'll teach them the domineering aura over the next six months."

"Oh..." Ace didn't think much of it upon hearing this. He rubbed the soreness from his intense training and returned to his cabin, yawning, "Wake me up when we get there..."

No, it seems we've already arrived.

Redio looked ahead and saw that the original Black Cat Pirate Ship, which he had let drift on the route between the Goa Kingdom and Shimotsuki Village, had now docked at the shore of a small island.

This coastal scenery seemed strangely familiar to Reddio; perhaps it was...

"Who are you?!"

"I should be asking you that! It's outrageous of you to barge onto the boat and disturb other people's afternoon naps!"

"This is our boat, you're the one who should get out!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Take this!"

Suddenly, a quarrel broke out in the cabin behind them, followed by a loud banging and fighting.

Redio: "..." That's right, we've arrived at Frostmoon Village.

He activated his rudimentary Observation Haki. Under the watchful eye of his six eyes, the sparse energy composed of countless tiny vortices instantly dissipated…

Covering a radius of about 1.8 kilometers, it touched the edge of Shimotsuki Village and vaguely sensed a few presences, but it was impossible to tell whether they were residents or the cats and dogs kept in the village.

Everyone's Observation Haki has different characteristics. Some people are good at perceiving other people's emotions, thoughts, and personalities. Jabba could even see at a glance that Sanji had the potential to possess Conqueror's Haki.

As for Redio... Redio felt that his Observation Haki was a blank slate, without any special "attributes". At most, he could roughly judge the strength of the aura, but he couldn't even tell whether it was a person or a dog.

We still need to practice!

With a loud "bang," a cabin behind him shattered. Redio didn't turn around, but reached out and precisely caught the hilt of the long sword that was spinning towards him from behind—the very same "Wado Ichimonji" with its beautiful straight blade pattern that Tashigi had mentioned.

Observation Haki is really useful.

Redio nodded, and from the broken hole in the cabin behind him, two figures locked in a fierce fight crashed out.

A muscular boy with short green hair, gripping a sharp sword in each hand, angrily slashed at Ace, cursing, "What's wrong with your movements? How come you always know where I'm going to strike?!"

"I'm in a really hot state right now because I ran into some annoying guys!"

Ace's eyes narrowed, and his Conqueror's Haki swept out like a tangible force. This green-haired monster's brute strength was terrifying, even more ferocious than Redio's. He couldn't afford to be cut by such a blade.

Zoro's willpower certainly wouldn't be swayed by such a rudimentary display of Haki, but he did show a moment of surprise and hesitation.

In that split second, Ace stepped forward and sent the "monster" flying with an elbow strike.

Reddio caught Zoro as he flew towards him and laughed, "You've already established a good relationship with him beforehand? As the captain, I'm very pleased."

Chapter 69 Gravity

[Chapter Introduction Series: Executive Vice President Miss Quan, Sunday, Episode 19: "Sixty-Six Rounds of Flowers in Bloom"]

[Robin crossed her arms, and like a tidal wave of flower petals, countless arms sprouted from the bodies of all the marines, royal soldiers, and "rebel" pursuers. Her masterful joint locks brought them all down in an instant.]

*******************************************************

"Is this guy one of the crew members you went out to find?"

"This guy is the former partner you were talking about?"

Zoro and Ace pointed at each other, looking at Redio with shocked expressions.

Redio nodded with a smile: "How about it, not bad, right?"

"Holding a knife in your mouth, that's incredibly stupid," Ace said, scoffing.

Zoro was annoyed: "Isn't it stupid to try to fight a swordsman with your bare hands?"

Ace laughed: "Was I the one who lost just now?"

"Who are you calling a loser?!" Zoro protested. "You just used that weird move! Once I figure it out, you're nothing special."

"Are you done arguing?"

After waiting a while, Reddio casually said, "Let's go back and eat after we're done arguing."

"Oh." Zoro stood up and tied the three swords to his waist.

"Can't we eat on the boat?" Ace jumped off the boat as well, and when he turned around, Redio had already made the boat disappear with a wave of his hand.

Redio said, "There's a more suitable place. And let me introduce you to the 'training room' we'll be using together from now on."

“Oh…” Ace nodded, followed for a while, and asked in confusion, “Aren’t we going to that village over there?” He pointed in the direction of Shimotsuki Village, “Huh, how do I know there’s… Oh, right.”

Ace's Observation Haki was only just beginning to take shape, working intermittently, and he was still getting used to this ability.

Where are you leading us?

Not long after, Reddio followed Zoro, looking exasperated.

Zoro asked in surprise, "Weren't you leading the way?"

"My problem."

Reddio facepalmed. He hadn't been back for a month and hadn't realized that Zoro was a master of getting lost.

He unleashed his Observation Haki, sensed the auras of the hundreds of people roughly in the vicinity of Shimotsuki Village, and determined the relative positions of the village and the back mountain before taking a step forward.

Ace was even more surprised: "Aren't you going home first?"

As Redio walked, he said, "Who said this is my home? I just happened to be passing by here on a boat and happened to see a kendo dojo, so I stayed."

Soon, Ace followed them deep into the back mountains, parted the trees, and saw a... spherical "house" in a clearing and ravine.

There was a drawing on the "wall" with the words "Capsule Company" written on it.

The spherical "house" has its four sides spread out at the bottom, and it is placed steadily in the mountain valley.

Zoro laughed at Redio, "Hehe, I've already adapted to '6 times gravity'! I've surpassed you. Maybe we should change captains."

"Hehe." Ace chuckled from the side, "Redio, it seems he doesn't know about your 'that kind of power' yet. Looks like he's not exactly a seasoned crew member!"

"What is this guy talking about in his sleep?" Zoro was baffled.

Redio ignored them, pushed open the main door of the "Gravity Ship," and entered. First, there was a short entrance, with passages on the left and right leading to the lounge, bathroom, kitchen, and the like.

“Bulma, it’s Ace, scan him,”

Redio said to a main door further inside, "Give him 'permission'."