Early the next morning, Shirakawa went and knocked on Rayleigh's door.
"What the hell? It's morning. Are you going to let people sleep or not?" A groggy voice came from inside Rayleigh's room, with a hint of anger in it.
The door opened just as roughly as the voice sounded. Seeing Shirakawa standing there, Rayleigh's momentum did not soften in the slightest. "What do you want?"
"I hope you can guide my training again." Shirakawa bowed at the waist, extremely respectful. The goal he had set for himself now was to reach Emperor level strength.
That goal sounded lofty, but until he reached it, Shirakawa would not slack off for even a moment. He planned to lie low for now. Once his strength met the standard, he would reemerge and go out to roam again.
"No time." Rayleigh did not acknowledge Shirakawa's sincerity at all. He simply slammed the door shut.
"Idiot." Back on his bed, Rayleigh muttered under his breath. His morning temper was no joke.
"What the…"
Shirakawa froze outside the door. He had not expected such a sincere request to be rejected.
"Besides, you don't have to go to Rayleigh." At that moment, a voice reached Shirakawa's ears.
Shirakawa turned and saw Captain Roger leaning against the wall, speaking with amused interest.
"We've got more than one powerhouse on this ship."
"Then Captain, are you willing to teach me?" The moment Shirakawa said that, Roger's expression stiffened. He turned and walked away without looking back.
Just like Rayleigh, he threw out the same words.
"No time."
"Looks like I can only find someone else." Watching the number one and number two both refuse him, Shirakawa could only shake his head helplessly.
His next target was Scopper Gaban. His relationship with Gaban was good too, and he believed Gaban would be willing to guide him. Besides, Gaban's strength was no weaker than Rayleigh's.
But Gaban was not here right now. If Shirakawa wanted training, he could only wait a while longer.
With no other choice, he returned to his room to sleep, because he had not slept at all the previous night. His head had been a mess, filled with random nonsense.
Just as he was about to drift off, he suddenly heard a knock at his door.
"Who is it? It's morning. Are you going to let people sleep or not?" Clearly, he had already forgotten he had just done the same to Rayleigh.
"What is it?" Shirakawa opened the door and saw Kather Lin standing there. He spoke with a bad attitude.
"I'm here to give you a gift." Kather Lin spoke as if she were taking credit.
"What gift?" Shirakawa had already seen the thing on her back. Even though it was covered with a layer of white cloth, he recognized it at a glance, but he still asked anyway.
"Ta da! It's a sword. I saw your sword got damaged last time, so I thought I'd give you one." She held the sword out to him with both hands.
Shirakawa took it with one hand, pulled off the cloth, and a very ornate looking blade appeared before him.
"This isn't just a decoration, is it?" Shirakawa stared at the sword. It looked like a noble's ornament, not something you would use in real battle.
"How could it be? I heard the warehouse manager say this is a fine blade, a Grade Sword."
"A Grade Sword?" Surprise flashed in Shirakawa's eyes. He quickly drew it and examined it carefully.
"It really is a good sword. Much better than my last one." Shirakawa's previous sword had been a cheaply made piece of junk, not even close to the level of a named blade.
"What's this sword called?"
"I heard it's called Ice Cold."
"Ice Cold. That really fits." Shirakawa felt a trace of chill from the blade. It was faint, but if it cut someone, it might add a bit of extra damage. It was probably made of some special material.
"Thank you. I really like this gift."
"You don't have to thank me. It's what I should do, since your sword broke because of me." Kather Lin smiled sweetly, warmth filling her heart. This was the first time Shirakawa had thanked her.
"Alright. You can go now. I'm going to sleep."
"What?" Kather Lin thought she had misheard. She had given him such a good gift. Shouldn't he at least invite her in to sit?
"I said you can go. I'm going back to sleep." Shirakawa did not give her the chance to ask again. He simply closed the door.
After shutting it, Shirakawa had no sleepiness left at all.
He drew the sword again, and the more he looked at it, the more satisfied he became, like he was gazing at a peerless beauty.
But Shirakawa knew this blade would only be with him for a while. One day, he would definitely obtain a Supreme Grade Sword. Otherwise, it would not be worthy of his identity as the Silver King.
"Ice Cold, huh? From now on, fight by my side."
The treasured blade did not tremble. Looks like it was not sentient.
Interest, no matter how strong, was still temporary. After admiring it closely for a while, Shirakawa casually placed it on the floor, lay back down, and went to sleep.
This time, he slept very soundly. No one came to disturb him.
When he woke again, it was already afternoon. He did not feel hungry, but his stomach felt empty, and the sensation was unpleasant.
"Awake?" Shirakawa walked into the palace courtyard and saw Captain Roger drinking tea. To be honest, tea really did not match his vibe.
"Getting some good rest is fine. You've been tired for more than a month. Buggy and Shanks still haven't gotten up either."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Let those two brats sleep. They suffered a lot following you."
"Heh. It's because my strength still isn't enough."
"That sword of yours is pretty good." Roger had also noticed the new blade at Shirakawa's waist.
"Mhm. It's a Grade Sword, but it's still nothing compared to yours, Captain. I've been craving your sword for a long time." Shirakawa did not know what Roger's blade was, but it had to be a great sword.
"Hmph. Keep dreaming, kid. You can only stare at this one longingly. I won't even let you touch it."
"Tch. Stingy."
Even if Roger was not a professional swordsman, his blade was like his left and right hand, having followed him for years. There was probably already affection built into it.
"Captain, when are we leaving?"
"What, can't stay here anymore?"
"Mhm. I want to experience more battles at sea."
"Soon. Once Gaban and Barrett return, we should be able to leave. Oh, right, we're going back to the Grand Line."
"I know. The vice captain already told me."
"Did he now? Rayleigh sure has a busy mouth."
The two fell silent for a while, then Roger spoke to Shirakawa again.
"You really not planning to keep sailing with me?"
"Mhm. I'm going to start a story that belongs to me."
/-\
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