After the Celestial Dragons left, Hachi led the group away from the area, continuing toward their destination. However, everyone's expressions remained grim, clearly affected by the earlier incident.
They simply couldn't fathom that such people existed in the world—individuals of noble status who were... so utterly cruel!
"What a bunch of despicable scum," Meiser muttered with a frown. "Do they really think they can do whatever they want just because they have Marine Admirals backing them?" He had come to realize that the legalization of the slave trade on Sabaody Archipelago was likely due to these very people.
If even the World Nobles permitted it, of course it would become lawful.
The thought filled Meiser with bitter irony.
"There's nothing we can do," Pappag sighed. "As descendants of the creators, they've grown accustomed to this arrogance."
"Creators?"
"Yes."
Pappag explained, "Eight hundred years ago, twenty kings established the World Government. These Celestial Dragons are their descendants, so they naturally enjoy absolute privilege."
Listening to Pappag's explanation, Meiser's face twisted in disgust.
"No wonder they act so high and mighty."
Now he understood why Luffy's father had chosen to do what he did.
In a way, these Celestial Dragons were far more detestable than pirates.
One could say this world was utterly rotten!
"Regardless, it's best not to provoke them," Hachi said.
No matter how vile the Celestial Dragons were, it had nothing to do with them. The only thing they could do was protect themselves.
Just then, several figures appeared ahead, blocking their path.
"Huh?"
"What's going on?"
Usopp stared in confusion at the group obstructing their way, unsure why they were being stopped.
Could they be... bounty hunters?
The thought made his expression darken.
"You're the Straw Hat Pirates, aren't you?" The leader of the group licked his long blade. "What a cocky bunch, walking around so brazenly with such high bounties on your heads..."
"You really don't take us bounty hunters seriously, do you?"
"Hahaha, exactly!"
"Straw Hat Boy, Blood-Eyed Ninja—we'll be taking your heads today!"
The bounty hunters burst into laughter, their eyes gleaming with greed.
It couldn't be helped—the Straw Hat Pirates' combined bounty of over a billion Berries was far too tempting.
Blinded by desire, they had completely lost their rationality.
"They really are bounty hunters?!" Usopp shrieked.
They had only just docked—how had they been found so quickly?
"Dammit, I have a bounty too! Why aren't they mentioning me?!" Chopper protested.
"Huh?"
"Who are you?"
Chopper: "..."
Realizing they didn't even recognize him, Chopper turned to stone on the spot.
Sure, his bounty was only 50 Berries, but he still had one! Why didn't they know who he was?
"Let me see..."
"Oh, found it. Straw Hat Pirates' pet, Tony Tony Chopper—bounty: 50 Berries."
"Fifty?"
"How does someone with a bounty that low even end up in a crew like this?"
The bounty hunters exchanged bewildered glances, utterly unable to comprehend the situation.
"A bounty of this amount... Was there really any need to issue a wanted poster?"
"That's right! I'm the one with a 50 Berries bounty—"
"You're not even worth as much as a newspaper. Don't bother announcing your name."
Chopper, cut off mid-sentence, gaped before bursting into tears.
"Waaah! I'm not even worth as much as a newspaper..."
Seeing Chopper cry, Merry first glared at the bounty hunters before rushing to comfort her little companion.
"You bastards! How dare you bully Chopper!"
Luffy instantly flew into a rage, leaping down from the carriage and glaring at them fiercely. "You'd better be prepared for what's coming!"
The bounty hunters:
They'd merely stated a fact—how was that bullying?
"Enough talk! You vile pirates, surrender quietly!" The lead bounty hunter waved his hand, charging forward with his men.
"Yohohoho! Bounty hunters, it's been a while," Brook remarked. "In that case, allow me to lend a hand!"
With that, Brook and Luffy charged out together.
In that moment, the two displayed astonishing strength, cutting down the bounty hunters before them like vegetables.
"H-How... How are they this strong?!"
"So this is a pirate crew with a combined bounty exceeding one billion..."
The fallen bounty hunters wore expressions of terror, deeply regretting their decision to act.
What were they thinking, daring to attack such a terrifying pirate crew?
"Damn... pirates..."
A crew-cut man struggled to raise his pistol, aiming it at Meiser. "In that case, just—"
"Hmm?"
Click—
Meiser turned to glance at him, instantly freezing the man in place.
The next moment, the man dropped his gun, screaming in abject terror.
"N-No... NO!!"
"AAAH!!"
With a final shriek, the crew-cut man collapsed, foaming at the mouth and eyes rolled back.
Clearly, he couldn't withstand the sheer terror—he'd been scared unconscious.
"D-Devil...!"
The other bounty hunters stared at Meiser in horror. Their companion had been taken down by just a look?
Noticing those distinctive crimson eyes, a fat man gasped, "T-This... This must be the Blood-Eyed Ninja..."
To defeat an enemy with just a gaze—what terrifying power was this?
No wonder the Marines placed such a high bounty on him... This man was a literal devil!
Meiser said nothing, merely giving him a calm look.
"AAAH!!"
"GHOST!!"
The fat man shrieked before also passing out.
This sent the others into a frenzy, pressing their faces to the ground and trembling, terrified of being next.
"These guys... actually thought they could trouble us?" Usopp frowned.
They seemed even weaker than the Accino Family they'd encountered before—at least that fat man Accino had been somewhat capable.
"Probably just another bunch of fools blinded by greed," Meiser remarked.
They only saw the total bounty amount of the Straw Hat Pirates but never stopped to consider why such terrifying bounties were placed on them in the first place.
Luffy paid no attention to the defeated men, completely ignoring them as he returned to his crew with Brook.
"Let's go."
"Yeah," Hachi said. "We should ride faster from now on to avoid similar trouble."
As he spoke, Hachi glanced around. They were already in lawless territory, teeming with bounty hunters—not a place to linger.
"Alright."
Soon, the group left the area.
The bloodied bounty hunters only dared to cautiously lift their heads after sensing Luffy and the others had gone.
"Damn Straw Hat Pirates!"
"Boss, what do we do? We lost a lot of men this time..."
"Hmph, this isn't over," the fat-headed leader said coldly. "Even if we can't beat them... others can!"
His gaze fell on Camie, who was riding in Usopp's Bubble Car, and he smirked. If he wasn't mistaken, that woman... was a merfolk! The wind earlier had briefly revealed her scales. At first, he thought he was seeing things, but upon reflection—humans don't have scales. That woman... was definitely a merfolk!
"Let's move out!"
"Right!"
"Well, isn't this interesting."
Shakky chuckled as she examined the intel in her hands. "This year's Supernovas are even more numerous than expected."
Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she looked over the bounty posters spread across the table. This era... was truly different from the past!
Hearing Shakky's laughter, Rayleigh pushed the door open and asked curiously, "What's got you so cheerful?"
"Just some amusing rookies," Shakky replied, gesturing to the bounty posters. "This year's Supernovas are quite plentiful."
As she spoke, she poured Rayleigh a drink.
Taking the glass, Rayleigh sat down, took a sip, and then glanced at the posters. Spotting Meiser and Luffy's bounties, he smiled. "Indeed, quite a few."
Counting carefully, there were twelve Supernovas in total.
"You're back early this year," Shakky remarked, lighting a cigarette. "Usually, you only return every six months. Did some girl finally get tired of you?"
Rayleigh coughed, nearly choking at her teasing tone. He looked at her and grinned. "What, are you jealous?"
"Me? Jealous? Don't flatter yourself."
Shakky rolled her eyes, refusing to humor the old drunk.
"I came back this time for a reason."
Seeing Rayleigh change the subject, she didn't press further. After all... she knew exactly what kind of man he was.
Tapping her cigarette ash, Shakky asked, "What reason?"
"I'm quite interested in the Straw Hat Pirates." Rayleigh picked up Luffy's wanted poster and examined the portrait carefully. "By my calculations, they should be arriving at Sabaody Archipelago soon."
From the City of Seven Waters, it wouldn't take more than ten days to reach here.
As long as nothing unexpected happens along the way, they'll definitely make it to Sabaody Archipelago.
"The Straw Hat Pirates..." Shakky raised an eyebrow. "That boy little Shanks took a liking to?"
"I didn't expect you'd be interested in them too."
She had been present when Shanks met with Rayleigh years ago, so she naturally knew about the boy Shanks had high hopes for.
And that straw hat the boy wore—it was the very same one Shanks used to wear!
"He's a man now," Rayleigh corrected.
"Yes, yes, a man," Shakky rolled her eyes.
Pouring Rayleigh another drink, she asked, "So you came back because of them?"
"More or less."
As he spoke, Rayleigh glanced at Meiser's wanted poster, his expression growing complicated.
A ninja...
Unconsciously, so many years had passed since Oden's death.
"What, you think he's from the Land of Wano?" Shakky said.
As the woman who'd spent the most time with Rayleigh, she knew exactly what he was thinking.
A ninja... There was a high probability of connection to the Land of Wano.
The only question was whether he had any ties to Kaido.
"It's possible, but not certain," Rayleigh replied. "Could also be a Devil Fruit Ability user."
On these vast seas, any kind of ability user could appear.
"True enough, but since you're here, you must want to confirm it, right?"
Rayleigh just smiled at this, not refuting Shakky's words.
"Another round!"
"You old drunk..."
"Hahaha! This isn't anything new for me," Rayleigh laughed heartily.
"Well, that's true."
Shakky nodded and refilled his glass.
After taking a sip, Rayleigh asked, "Shakky, what do you make of this crew?"
"Impressive," Shakky smiled. "Not only do they have the highest total bounty among the Supernovas, but they also have far more Supernovas than any other pirate crew."
Moreover, they dared to storm a place like Enies Lobby—something other pirates wouldn't even dream of attempting.
For that alone, she had to give them credit.
"The numbers..."
Rayleigh examined Zoro's wanted poster. "Three?"
"Yes, three members."
Straw Hat Boy - Luffy: Bounty 420,000,000 Berries.
Blood-Eyed Ninja - Meiser: Bounty 400,000,000 Berries.
Pirate Hunter - Zoro: Bounty 150,000,000 Berries.
With their current strength, the Straw Hat Pirates could hold their own even in the New World.
"Getting more interesting by the minute," Rayleigh chuckled. "Any news of their arrival on the island?"
"As of now, all other Supernovas have already reached Sabaody Archipelago—except the Straw Hat Pirates."
"I think... they should be arriving soon."
Shakky considered carefully. Given their progress, the Straw Hat Pirates would definitely reach Sabaody within ten days.
As for that Moria blocking their path...?
A worthless guy who lost his spirit after being beaten by Kaido could stop the Straw Hat Pirates?
That guy probably can't even use Haki anymore. There's no way he'd be a match for the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Soon, huh?"
Rayleigh thought for a moment before saying, "In that case, I'll stay here for now."
Hearing his words, Shakky raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"
"Of course!"
"Alright then."
Shakky nodded and casually snatched the glass from Rayleigh's hand, leaving him stunned.
"What's the meaning of this?"
Back when he used to live here, she never told him to quit drinking.
"Just swapping it out for you," Shakky said, lowering her head to search for something.
After rummaging around for a while, she brought out a special brew, poured Rayleigh a new glass, and slid it back in front of him.
"Here, drink this."
Rayleigh: "..."
Staring at the peculiar substance inside the transparent container, his lips twitched.
What the hell... was she trying to pull?