Kizaru remained silent for a moment, eventually nodding with a dark expression:
"You make the call, I'll head to Zone 1 first, meet up with Tokikake and inquire about the situation over there. Although Shano got away, catching another big fish might help redeem some face."
"Rayleigh? Ah, I see."
......
Zone 13, Ripping-Off Bar.
Here, a rather simple screen hangs, capable of receiving signals from the Shampodi Newspaper.
Shakky helped Rayleigh sit at the bar. The screen's image seemed stuck due to the strong Supreme King waves, making the Photography Radio Snail lose consciousness temporarily.
Ironically, the frozen frame was a close-up of Shano kicking Kizaru's face, with Kizaru's face twisted and distorted.
"…"
The stump of Rayleigh's right arm was simply bandaged, but blood still seeped through as he stared at the screen, shaking his head speechlessly:
"What's going on? It freezes at this moment. I wanted to see what happened next."
"What could happen? That kid is arrogant, but not a fool. How could he take on two Grand Admirals head-on at the same time?"
With a slim cigarette in her mouth, Shakky squinted at Kizaru's discomfited look on the screen, a slight smile playing on her lips:
"Things are lively now. Kizaru's face might be tomorrow's newspaper headline, spreading all over the world."
Women's inexplicable focus! Rayleigh shook his head but, with a bit of imagination, couldn't help but grin slightly.
Shakky flicked the ash from her cigarette and said:
"As for that kid, he's probably on his way to the New World by now. No one can stop him, it seems like he's right when he said an era is about to change, Rayleigh…"
"Why do you seem like you're looking forward to it?"
Rayleigh took a swig from his bottle, glanced at her.
"I was once a pirate, but more often, I am the Queen of the Nine Serpents. I still care about the people. Such individuals becoming more common can only be good for civilians, right? As for your Great Pirate Era… I'm not one of Roger's crew, I don't care."
Her gaze inadvertently fell on Rayleigh's severed arm, clicking her tongue, "I'm more intrigued by the scene of you meeting with that kid Shanks next time… Hey, didn't find the arm?"
"No."
Speaking of which, Rayleigh felt a bit frustrated.
Not that he wanted to sew it back.
There's no doctor of that caliber in Shampodi.
Merely wanted to visit a graveyard, use it instead of Shano's finger to honor Hachi's soul, proving his attempt to fulfill a promise. Though it failed, it at least provided closure.
And the result?
Despite reaching the peak of Observation, he searched all over the battlefield for half a day.
Found nothing!
As if his arm dissolved in the heavy rain…
Really baffling.
Rayleigh raised his head, gulping down a large mouthful of liquor.
"Let's not talk about the arm, what's next?"
Seeing his truly low mood, Shakky blew out a smoky ring and effortlessly changed the topic.
"After I finish this bottle, I must get going."
Rayleigh shook his head, "The Navy is probably already searching for me… All in all, I can't stay in Shampodi for a while. I'll lay low, come back later, last time helped Crocus, after bidding goodbye to Laboon, that guy returned to the lighthouse. I'll go drink with him for a few days."
"I see…"
Shakky nodded, extinguishing her cigarette, and wiped the counter, "Better hurry, I won't see you off."
"Such a cold woman."
Rayleigh grinned, said no more, hid a few bottles under his gray robe, and directly pushed the door to leave.
"The wave of the new era…"
Shakky watched the familiar figure leave, her gaze shifted back to the screen, although Kizaru's big face covered most of it.
Yet, through the black-red hue, one could barely see the boy's handsome face laughing wantonly.
"Heh…"
Lighting another cigarette, Shakky shrugged, "Such things are too far away from me, being almost sixty, don't even know if I'll live to see it. In comparison, I'm more curious…"
"After causing such a commotion, how much will the enraged Navy Headquarters raise your and your companions' bounties?"