"This must be the... how many waves of bounty hunters now?"
Usopp rubbed his aching head as he glanced at the crowd of defeated men sprawled on the ground.
These bounty hunters were like sharks drawn to blood, relentlessly attacking them wave after wave.
Even though... they had taken down group after group, it still didn't stop those guys from coming.
"The seventh wave, I think."
"Seven waves of bounty hunters... Are these guys not afraid of death?"
"Yohohoho~ It seems our heads are quite attractive~" Brook laughed.
"Well, that may be true, but I doubt those people even recognize you."
Crack!
A metaphorical thunderbolt struck Brook's mind, and his entire demeanor wilted as if deeply wounded.
"Ah... you're probably right..."
Now that he thought about it, there was no way anyone could recognize him.
After all... his wanted poster featured his likeness from when he was still alive.
Now that he was just a skeleton, no one could possibly tell he was the "Humming" Brook.
At this realization, Brook turned to Chopper and said, "Chopper... I think I understand how you feel now..."
"Right?!"
The two exchanged a knowing look before sighing in unison.
"But it's fine! Sooner or later, our wanted posters will get updated!" Brook declared, suddenly reinvigorated. "Let's do our best together, Chopper!"
"Yohohoho!"
"Yeah!"
Encouraged by Brook, Chopper also perked up.
So what if his bounty was only 50 Berries? After the next big battle, he'd definitely raise it!
Seeing the two fired up, Merry leaned in and said, "Count me in~"
"Alright! The three of us will work hard together!"
"Yeah!"
Just as they were talking, yet another wave of bounty hunters appeared.
"Straw Hat Boy, you—"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
BOOM!!
A massive water dragon surged into the sky before crashing mercilessly into the distant crowd.
BOOM!!
"AHHH!!"
Screams erupted as the men were violently blasted off the bridge, plummeting into the sea below.
"Annoying," Meiser muttered.
These guys were like flies—no matter how many they took down, another wave would come. It was beyond frustrating.
Truly... money could drive people to madness.
"Eighth wave..."
"Don't worry, we're almost there," Hachi said. "It's right on that tree root up ahead."
"Though I don't know if the shop's still open... It's been ten years since I last came."
"Wait, what?!"
Usopp gaped at Hachi. "You haven't been here in ten years?!"
"Yeah."
"Then... will the coating craftsman even still be here...?"
If the coating craftsman was gone, wouldn't this whole trip be for nothing?
"He should be," Hachi mused. "He said to come find him here if we ever needed anything."
If he'd said that much, he probably wouldn't have left.
Usopp's lips twitched. Why did this feel so unreliable?
"Is the coating craftsman a Fish-man too?" Luffy asked curiously.
"No idea."
Camie chimed in, "Pappag and I are first-timers here too."
"He's not a Fish-man," Hachi chuckled. "He's a very powerful human. You'll see when you meet him."
"Alright."
Luffy nodded and didn't press further.
Soon, under Hachi's guidance, the group arrived at the shop run by Shakky.
Shakky's Rip-off Bar!
"This... this name?"
Pappag stared at the shop's sign in shock. Wasn't this a bit too brazen?
Openly admitting to ripping people off?
"Is this name really okay...?" Usopp trembled as he pointed at the sign. "They're basically declaring they'll fleece customers like sheep!"
"Should we still go in?"
Chopper and Merry exchanged glances, both feeling a little scared.
"Running a place like this in this area means they must be quite capable," Meiser mused, stroking his chin.
After all... this was the lawless district of Sabaody Archipelago.
"Don't worry, they're good people," Hachi reassured with a smile. "We've known them since we were kids. It's fine."
Though Shakky's bar had an unusual name... the people inside were actually very kind.
"Hmm, looks like they're open."
Pushing open the bar's door, Hachi called out, "Hey, Shakky, Rayleigh, you here?"
But when he saw the scene inside, he froze momentarily.
Was Shakky... disciplining pirates?
"This... what's going on?"
"Sorry, customers, I'm just dealing with some—" Shakky cut herself off when she noticed Hachi, her face lighting up. "Oh my~"
"If it isn't Hachi! It's been so long!"
"Ah, yeah, it has been..." Hachi scratched his head. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, just teaching a few unruly brats a lesson."
Shakky gave Luffy and the others behind Hachi a warm smile. "Come on in and take a seat. I'll finish up with these kids first, then attend to you."
As she spoke, her eyes briefly scanned over Luffy's group, clearly recognizing who they were.
"Seems my guess wasn't wrong—they did make it here safely."
She just wondered if they'd encountered Moria.
If they had... his title as one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea would probably be revoked.
Losers... weren't qualified to keep that title!
"Ah, sure, take your time. Don't mind us." Hachi nodded, then gestured to Meiser and the others. "Come on in, let's sit down first."
"R-really... is this okay...?"
Watching Shakky mercilessly beat the pirates, Usopp gulped nervously. This was terrifying.
The three younger ones also stared fearfully at Shakky. Who smiled while beating people up?
"Hmm?"
"Come on in~"
At Shakky's cheerful grin, the group shuddered before quickly scurrying over to Meiser's side.
"Oh my, there's even a cute little girl~"
Noticing Merry, Shakky's smile brightened further, and she stopped her assault.
Then, grabbing the pirates by their legs, she dragged them outside and tossed them off the high ground like trash.
After clapping her hands, Shakky returned to the house without changing her expression, turning on the faucet to wash the blood off her hands.
"Gulp..."
"3..."
"R-really... is this okay?"
"Don't worry, Shakky's a good person."
"But if she's good, why would she..."
"In a lawless and dangerous place like this, if you're not tough, others will see you as easy prey." Meiser glanced downward and said, "Am I right, Ms. Shakky?"
"Ara~"
"You're quite sharp, Ninja boy." Shakky chuckled. "That's right. Here, if you're not tough enough, you'll end up as someone else's meal."
"That's the way of survival on Sabaody Archipelago."
For former pirates like them who wanted to live peacefully, this was the only place they could settle.
"Seems Ms. Shakky knows us quite well," Meiser remarked.
"As an information broker, I naturally keep up with the news."
"An information broker, huh..."
Meiser nodded as if suddenly enlightened. "No wonder you run a bar like this."
This so-called bar wasn't really about selling drinks—it was about selling information. The alcohol was just a side business.
And those who didn't know better... Well, getting beaten up was the least of their worries, like those guys earlier.
"Just making a living," Shakky said with a smile.
Meiser knew it was just a polite remark and nodded without further comment.
According to Hachi, this shop had been around for over a decade.
An information broker who'd lasted that long must have access to some terrifyingly vast intelligence.
"Hey, Luffy, why are you raiding their fridge?!" Usopp stared in disbelief as Luffy rummaged through the refrigerator for food.
"Y-you'll... get hung up and beaten..." Pappag stammered in fear.
"Go ahead, eat." Shakky laughed. "You're Hachi's friends—no need to stand on ceremony."
"Oh, right."
"I've got something special for you two."
As she spoke, Shakky walked over to a special storage cabinet and pulled out two cotton candies.
"Cotton candy?!"
Chopper and Merry looked at her excitedly—she actually had such delicious treats?
Taking them happily, the two began munching away.
"Thank you, Shakky-nee!"
"Such sweet talk."
Shakky smiled, ruffling their heads affectionately, growing fonder by the second.
"Eat as much as you want. There's more if you need it."
"Okay!"
After a light laugh, Shakky sat down on the nearby sofa and said, "This little girl's ears look unusual. Is she from a special race?"
"I'm a Ship Spirit~" Merry giggled.
"A Ship Spirit?"
Shakky looked at Merry in surprise, never expecting her to be the legendary Ship Spirit.
She'd assumed the girl was just from a unique race, but... a spirit?
Now that she thought about it, those pointed ears were indeed characteristic of spirits.
"Yes, a Ship Spirit!"
Shakky nodded. It seemed this crew truly cherished their ship—otherwise, a Ship Spirit would never have manifested.
"By the way, Shakky, where's Rayleigh?" Hachi asked. "I need to talk to him."
"Need a Coating, don't you?"
"Huh?!"
"How did Shakky know?"
Hachi looked at Shakky in surprise, never expecting her to instantly discern the purpose of his visit... This was too impressive!
"A Fish-man like you and Camie suddenly coming here to find him—what else could it be?" As she spoke, Shakky glanced at Luffy. "You must be here to help them get a Coating."
As an information broker, Shakky easily deduced Hachi's intentions.
"Yes, it's to help them get a Coating." Hachi scratched his head sheepishly. "They saved my life, and I want to repay them."
"I see..."
Shakky was slightly taken aback, not expecting such a connection between them.
After a moment's thought, she pointed toward the door. "Rayleigh left here just 20 minutes ago."
"We missed him?"
Hachi was dumbfounded. What kind of timing was this?
"Those damn Bounty Hunters," Usopp gritted his teeth. "If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have missed him."
They had been delayed multiple times by those wretched Bounty Hunters—otherwise, they would have arrived much sooner.
"What did Rayleigh go out for?" Hachi asked, stunned.
If they couldn't find Rayleigh, he wouldn't be able to help the Straw Hat Boy and his crew coat their ship.
"That, I don't know~" Shakky shrugged.
"What do we do now?"
Seeing Hachi's anxious expression, Shakky chuckled. "Relax, I have a solution."
"What solution?"
"Before he left, that guy tossed me a Den Den Mushi." Shakky pulled out a snail. "He said if the Straw Hat Pirates arrived, I should contact him immediately."
At that moment, Shakky recalled how Rayleigh had looked after drinking and let out a quiet huff.
Drinking and then running off—how annoying.
But it didn't matter. That guy would come back once he knew the Straw Hat Boy was here.
Thinking this, a smile returned to Shakky's face.
"Great! If we can reach him, let's call right away," Hachi said, relieved.
He had genuinely feared they wouldn't find Rayleigh, leaving him unable to repay his debt.
"Alright, I'll call him now."
Shakky took out the Den Den Mushi and began contacting Rayleigh.
"Purupuru purupuru~"
"Purupuru purupuru~"
"Kacha~"
"Hello?"
Seeing the familiar face on the Den Den Mushi, Shakky said, "It's me."
Without another word, she hung up.
Watching the snail close its eyes, Rayleigh shook his head. "Really... so sparing with words."
But he understood—Shakky was avoiding unnecessary chatter to prevent the Marines from eavesdropping.
Putting the Den Den Mushi away, Rayleigh strolled leisurely into the distance, looking quite pleased.
"I wonder what kind of people they are..."
At that moment, Rayleigh truly wanted to meet the Straw Hat Pirates—especially... that boy wearing the straw hat!
Just then, a tall man and a woman approached. Spotting Rayleigh, the man froze momentarily before his expression darkened.
"You are... Silvers Rayleigh?!"
"A brat from the Charlotte family, huh?"
Rayleigh looked at Katakuri with some surprise and asked, "Why are you guys here?"
Under normal circumstances, members of the Four Emperors Crew wouldn't casually appear in a place like Sabaody Archipelago, as it could cause varying degrees of chaos and even potentially attract Marine Admirals.
They couldn't possibly be unaware of this, yet they still showed up at Sabaody Archipelago... Could Charlotte Linlin be planning something major?
"We have our own business to attend to," Katakuri replied. "More importantly... as the Pirate King's former vice-captain, why are you here?"
After the Pirate King's execution, didn't his crew members all vanish? What's this old man doing here?
Could it be... he's planning to set sail again?
"The same question goes for you," Rayleigh chuckled. "This old man naturally has his own affairs to handle."
"Are you planning to return to the seas?"
As he spoke, Katakuri's muscles tensed, as if preparing to strike.
However, when he noticed his sister's nervous expression, he gradually relaxed.
Clearly, engaging someone of this caliber could easily endanger his sister, so Katakuri chose to stand down.
Rayleigh, observing this scene, showed no change in expression—as if he hadn't noticed it at all.
Or perhaps... he simply didn't care!
"Setting sail again? No thanks," Rayleigh waved his hand dismissively. "I've finally retired—I don't want to be hunted by the Marines again."
"Well then, this old man has things to do. Just pretend you never saw me."
With that, Rayleigh walked away without looking back.
From start to finish, Rayleigh never once worried about whether the other side might attack. After all... he was Dark King Rayleigh!!
Watching the retreating figure, Katakuri narrowed his eyes. "Came to Sabaody Archipelago for fun, huh..."
Thinking about it carefully, if this old man truly had no intention of causing trouble, the Marines probably wouldn't interfere with his leisure activities here.
After all... this was a retired peak-level powerhouse!
"Brother Katakuri, is that really him? The legendary right-hand man of the Pirate King—Silvers Rayleigh?"
"Yes."
Who would've thought we'd encounter such a figure here...
Galette furrowed her brows. This was her first time meeting someone connected to the Pirate King.
As the Pirate King's former vice-captain... he must be incredibly strong. She wondered if her brother could defeat him.
Perhaps sensing Galette's thoughts, Katakuri said, "That guy's strength is formidable."
"Mom once said Silvers Rayleigh was just as monstrously powerful as the others."
"Did Mom ever clash with him?"
"Something like that..." Katakuri recalled past events. "But that was 38 years ago."
"Th... thirty-eight years ago?"
"I wasn't even born then."
The time gap was too vast. At just 29 years old, there was no way she could know about events from 38 years ago.
After a moment's thought, Galette asked, "What exactly... happened back then?"
Releasing his Observation Haki to scan the surroundings and confirming no one was paying attention, Katakuri led his sister to the shade of a nearby tree.
After gesturing for her to sit on the tree trunk, Katakuri leaned against a rock and said, "Thirty-eight years ago, Mom hadn't established her own pirate crew yet."
"Back then, Mom was still a member of the Rocks Pirates..."
"Wait, Brother Katakuri..." Galette stared at him in disbelief. "Someone as powerful as Mom... was once someone else's subordinate?"
"Yes."
Galette: "..."
Hearing Katakuri's words, Galette felt her worldview crumbling.
How could her mother, so formidable, have ever been under someone else's command?
"I know you're shocked. I was too at the time," Katakuri continued. "But back then, Mom truly served under one man."
"That man was... Rocks D. Xebec!"
Come to think of it, he had only been about ten years old back then.
Though he'd never seen the man with his own eyes... just from Mom's descriptions, he could imagine how terrifying that person must have been.
A man capable of suppressing powerhouses like Whitebeard, Shiki, and even Mom simultaneously—his strength was undoubtedly at the pinnacle.
"But why haven't we heard anything about this person?" Galette asked in confusion.
She'd never even heard his name before.
"That's because a major incident occurred back then."
"What incident?"
"An event... called the God Valley War!" Katakuri said with grave seriousness. "After that war, the World Government erased all traces of the battle and Rocks, sealing away all information."
"Aside from those who participated in that war, no one knows what truly happened during that conflict."
After a pause, Katakuri added, "It was during that time Mom clashed with Rayleigh and came to fully understand just how fearsome the Roger Pirates were."
This was something Mom had personally admitted—that Rayleigh possessed strength rivaling her own!!
And this... was merely the vice-captain of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger. It showed just how terrifying the Roger Pirates truly were.
"Even Mom couldn't defeat him...?"
"Mom never spoke about that part," Katakuri shook his head. "Perhaps they only exchanged brief blows."
"Mom didn't tell you everything?"
"No," Katakuri replied. "Mom only mentioned fragments of what happened."
And even those fragments were only revealed when Mom was in a fit of rage.
As for who had angered her so much, he had no idea.
In any case... Mom had vented her fury by annihilating numerous pirate crews before finally calming down.
It had been the first time he'd ever seen her so enraged.
"Did Mom ever fight the Roger Pirates again afterward?" Galette asked curiously.
If Roger wanted to become the Pirate King... he'd have had to defeat all his competitors, right?
"I know what you mean, but unfortunately, Roger never directly fought against Mama," Katakuri said. "Those guys sneaked into Totto Land while Mama was away, made a copy of the Historical Text, and then fled."
"Mama was so furious she chased them for a long time, but in the end, she still couldn't catch them."
As for whether Mama actually failed to catch the thief, he didn't know. At least... that's what Mama said.
"Damn thief!" Galette fumed.
What kind of person sneaks in to steal while Mama's away?
If you want to become the Pirate King, you should at least fight fair and square!
This time, Katakuri didn't speak, merely gazing silently into the distance.
Not everyone is willing to fight honorably in a fair battle.
Shaking his head, Katakuri said, "Alright, what I've told you today—you must keep it all to yourself. Understand?"
"I understand, Brother Katakuri."
Galette nodded without arguing against her brother's words.
After all, this matter also concerned their mother's dignity. She couldn't go around spreading such things.
It's just a shame that Roger is already dead—Mama can't get her revenge now.
Otherwise... they would have made the Roger Pirates pay!
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