A day later.
Ray and Chouchou were already flying over the Red Line.
This time, Ray didn't conserve his Demonic Power, so they moved swiftly.
He estimated Luffy's would reach the Sabaody Archipelago soon.
He needed to deliver Chouchou to Chopper quickly.
After treatment, Chouchou would return to the New World to recruit more forces.
Like Sea Kings for example.
Or Momousagi and Chaton, the two Marine currently in the New World (info courtesy of Frieda).
The priority was Sea Kings and other New World monsters.
As for Momousagi and Chaton, if time allowed, Chouchou could try ambushing them.
A bonus if caught, no big loss if not.
Of course, Ray had also made detailed arrangements for the Beast Pirates before leaving.
The All-Stars (King, Queen, Jack), Who's-Who, Black Maria, Ulti, Page One—all key members were under Chouchou's collar influence.
[Command: Obey Yamato's orders unconditionally.]
This subconscious command ensured their compliance even without Chouchou present.
Tama's control over the Gifters was even more reliable.
Once fed her Kibi Dango, they were more obedient than Chouchou's pets.
In Wano, Orochi's faction had been wiped out by Yamato and Cavendish.
Kozuki Hiyori temporarily governed the country as proxy.
Ray had no interest in nation-building or politics. Given Hiyori's intelligence, he trusted her to manage well.
Once Wano stabilized, Zoro could take over (or marry into it)—a win-win situation.
As for that nuisance Momonosuke arriving in two years? Hah... Ray didn't give a single shit about him.
...
Two hours later.
Ray and Chouchou arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Seventy-nine massive mangrove trees formed interconnected islands, each with distinct functions—dining, residential, shopping, security, and the notorious lawless zones.
A unique and well-developed archipelago.
Ray headed straight for Grove 13, located in the lawless zone. It was home to a famous bar,
"Shakky's Rip-Off Bar."
He had a purpose in coming here.
Silvers Rayleigh and his lover Shakky lived here.
As the former right-hand man of the Roger Pirates, Rayleigh, though aged, still possessed strength rivaling an Emperor's.
If he had truly regressed to the level of an average Yonko Commander, the Marines would have captured him long ago.
There's no way the higher-ups would have assessed him as "too high-risk to apprehend" if he was weak.
And Rayleigh's old flame, Shakky, was no pushover either.
The former Empress of Amazon Lily, two generations before Hancock, and once the captain of the Kuja Pirates. S
he was a legend in her own right.
She had just finished dealing with a pirate crew that tried to skip out on their bar tab.
But as she looked up, she saw a white-haired man with a small dog approaching the bar from a distance.
"'Demon God' Ray... this one's a tough nut to crack."
Shakky always kept up with the news, especially when it came to the Straw Hat Pirates (Garp's grandson's crew).
And among the Straw Hats, none was more mysterious than the man before her.
...
The atmosphere in the bar grew strangely tense.
Ray sat by the window, slowly sipping a glass of "Godfather."
Chouchou lay on the counter with a small bowl of high-grade vodka before him.
Shakky appeared calm as she wiped glasses nearby.
But the group of bruised pirates on the floor were having a terrible time.
The ten of them had come ashore not long ago and immediately spotted this small bar, planning to enjoy a free meal by bullying the owner.
After refusing to pay, they'd been beaten senseless by the "frail" proprietress and now lay tied up in a heap, awaiting Shakky's judgment.
Their fate as slaves seemed inevitable.
Shakky's bar didn't make much from alcohol sales—her real profits came from selling pirates and thugs who tried to take advantage of her.
Of course, if you paid properly, Shakky would treat you as a valued customer.
Two particularly stubborn pirates were still trying to wiggle and loosen their bonds, hoping to catch the proprietress off guard.
CREAK.
Then Ray entered the bar.
They might not have recognized Shakky, but how could they not know this man?
The solo slayer of Yonko Big Mom, with a 3 Billion Berry bounty...
Though the government hadn't officially declared Ray a "New Emperor" yet, these battle-hardened pirates understood exactly what his presence meant.
Ray alone was equivalent to an entire Yonko crew.
With that realization, even the two stubborn ones gave up instantly.
They didn't dare move—not a single twitch.
Never mind whether Ray had any connection to the bar owner.
If they made any noise disturbing this monster's mood, it would be instant death.
'Better to wait for the slavers to collect us than die here!'
Even so, the ten pirates sweated buckets in terror.
The bar grew deathly quiet, until only the sound of Chouchou lapping at his bowl remained.
SLURP. SLURP.
Ten minutes later, Shakky broke the silence.
"Another drink, young man? But you'll need to pay first. Hehe."
The sudden sound startled the soon-to-be-sold pirates.
'Damn! The boss is bold! Daring to provoke this monster?!'
'Holy shit, are they gonna fight?'
'If they start fighting, maybe I can escape in the chaos!'
But events unfolded beyond their expectations.
"I'll take another," Ray said calmly. "But I'm short on funds right now."
"Hehe... trying to skip out on your tab?"
Shakky's smile remained, but her tone grew serious.
Ray didn't respond, turning instead to look out the window at the bubbles floating by.
'Let's see how Shakky handles this,' he thought.
He'd waited ten minutes—Rayleigh was still sleeping in the back room.
Was he supposed to call the old man out himself?
"Normally we don't allow tabs..." Shakky sighed, pouring the drink. "But for someone as handsome as you, drinks are on the house today."
Shakky wasn't stupid.
If they fought, even teaming up with the old man probably wouldn't be enough to stop Ray without destroying the entire island.
When facing the absolute strong, sometimes free drinks and favors were the wiser choice.
Moreover, she sensed no malice from Ray. As a legendary pirate herself, Shakky knew how to read people.
But her decision plunged the bar back into tense silence for the captives.
Chouchou lapped at his bowl. Shakky polished glasses.
The ten pirates... sweat pouring until dehydration.
'This is too much! "No tabs allowed" my ass!'
'We skip payment and get beaten half to death, but when this big shot does it, you not only forgive him but keep serving free drinks?!'
'Playing favorites much?! Why aren't you fighting?! How am I supposed to escape if you get along?!'
'Double-standard old hag!'
They only dared think these complaints—making noise would mean instant death.
Another ten minutes passed.
Ray stood up to pay and leave.
He wasn't actually broke—he had plenty of gold.
He was just testing Rayleigh's awareness.
Recent news would lead any intelligent person to suspect major events were coming.
For someone like Rayleigh, who stood at the center of the old era's storms, Ray's purpose here should be obvious.
Yet after twenty minutes, Rayleigh still hadn't appeared?
Hesitant? Or already retreated?
Just as Ray reached into his pocket for gold coins, a voice—aged yet vigorous—spoke up.
"Let me buy you another drink, young man."
CREAK.
Silver-haired, wearing glasses and shorts, but straight-backed and powerful.
The Dark King Rayleigh emerged from the bar's back door.
He looked at Ray with a knowing, grandfatherly smile.
"Care to share why you've come here?"
---------
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