When Shakky finally saw the familiar face beneath the hat—wearing that unmistakable, teasing smile—the hand holding her glass paused for the briefest instant.
The newspaper headlines from just days ago were still vivid in her mind.Marine Admiral Gern officially declares protection over Fish-Man Island.The news had spread across the seas like wildfire.
Given Gern's current status—and the increasingly treacherous undercurrents roiling the world—Shakky had assumed that once he finished handling matters on Fish-Man Island, he would immediately return to G-10 Base to hold the line and guard against any sudden upheaval.
But to her utter astonishment, not only had this man not rushed back—
He had actually appeared here, in the Sabaody Archipelago.
And what made it even more absurd was that the person accompanying him was none other than the aloof, solitary, and famously arrogant "World's Greatest Swordsman," Dracule Mihawk.
Two apex figures who should have had nothing to do with each other—how had they ended up together, and why had they come to her shabby little bar?
Shakky's gaze flicked rapidly between Gern and Mihawk. Countless speculations flashed through her mind in an instant, yet her expression smoothly returned to that of a calm, unbothered bar owner.
Gern caught that fleeting moment of surprise perfectly—but didn't care in the slightest.
He walked up to the counter, casually sat down on a barstool, set his hat aside, and tapped the countertop lightly with his fingers. Then, in an intentionally picky tone, he shook his head.
"Miss, your place doesn't look like much. Don't tell me you're planning to fool me with cheap booze," he said lazily."The friend next to me has a very refined palate."
By now, Shakky had long since washed away the brilliance of her past. The once–world's most beautiful woman, whose beauty had stunned the seas during her days in the military, was gone.
Time and seclusion had left their marks on her face. Traces of her former allure remained, but what stood out more was the approachable presence of an ordinary middle-aged woman.
Hearing Gern's blatant provocation, Shakky neither grew angry nor annoyed. Instead, she smiled faintly.
She stepped forward, rested an elbow lazily against the bar, propped her chin on her palm, and looked at Gern with a knowing grin, her tone familiar and teasing.
"Oh my, sir, you can see for yourself—this is just a small, rundown shop. Where would I find any high-end stuff to entertain a big shot like you?"
Her words sounded modest, but there wasn't a shred of humility in her eyes.
After a brief pause, her tone shifted. The smile on her lips grew more meaningful—tinged with unmistakable mockery—as she met Gern's gaze head-on, completely fearless.
"But speaking of which… by seniority, shouldn't you be calling me 'sister-in-law'?""Gern. Re-gi-nald. Sig-mar."
"Hm?" Gern raised an eyebrow.
Shakky grinned like a sly cat and spoke unhurriedly.
"After all, my silly little sister Toritoma followed me around since she was knee-high, calling me 'Big Sis, Big Sis' all day long~ And now?""She gets spirited off to the New World by you, without a word, without so much as a letter every now and then. You have any idea how heartbroken I am as her sister?"
Her words were like stones tossed into a calm lake.
Not only did Gern freeze for a moment—
Even Mihawk, who had been expressionlessly inspecting the bottles behind the bar, instinctively glanced over.
Seeing Shakky's smug 'I'm family' expression, Gern couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.
He had completely forgotten about Toritoma's connection to her.
"Tch," Gern rubbed his nose and chuckled."So your rip-off skills aren't just for squeezing Beli out of people—you're even trying to extort me by seniority now?"
At that moment, the pirate who had shattered his glass earlier could no longer endure the bar's suffocatingly bizarre atmosphere.
He suddenly stood up, pulled a few crumpled Beli notes from his coat—probably just a few hundred—and slapped them onto the table.
"L-Let's go! We can't stay in this hellhole!" he shouted shakily to his companions.
With that, he turned and bolted toward the exit.
But he had barely taken a single step when a lazy, yet unmistakably authoritative voice rang out.
"Hold on there, dear customer~"
At some point, Shakky had straightened up. A small calculator was now in her hand, its buttons clicking rapidly beneath her fingers. She wore a professional smile—one that sent chills straight down the spine.
"The glass you broke just now was an antique crystal cup from the West Blue," she said regretfully, though her gaze was sharp as a blade."A treasured item from my personal collection."
"And when we add in the drinks you and your companions consumed, the venue usage fee,""as well as compensation for emotionally distressing my other customers—though they seem to be even more frightened now—"
Beep.The calculator chimed as it reset.
"Your total comes to…" Shakky looked up, smiling brightly."Five million Beli. Thank you for your patronage~"
"F-Five million Beli?!"The pirates' eyes bulged instantly. The sheer absurdity of the number momentarily overwhelmed even their fear.
"What the hell?! You're robbing us!""That piece of trash glass isn't worth that much!""This is blatant extortion!""We only drank a few mugs of the cheapest ale!""Damn hag! Trying to rip us off?! We're pirates, damn it!"
Their emotions boiled over. Some even instinctively reached for the weapons at their waists.
The shock of the massive fine temporarily drowned out their terror of the monsters standing in the bar.
Shakky merely smiled at them, her expression clearly saying: Yes, I'm extorting you. What are you going to do about it?
Just as the argument escalated and the tension thickened once more—
"Tch."
Gern clicked his tongue lightly and stood up from the barstool.
A remarkably gentle smile spread across his face as he looked at Shakky.
"Oh my, looks like my sister-in-law has run into a little trouble.""Since we're family now, it'd be wrong for me, as your Marine brother-in-law, not to lend a hand… wouldn't it?"
His tone was dripping with mockery—clearly retaliation for her earlier 'sister-in-law' jab.
Shakky's heart skipped a beat.
Oh no.
She hadn't dealt with Gern personally before, but she knew his reputation well enough. If this man said he was going to "help," it was never anything good.
"Wait, Gern, you—" she blurted out.
Too late.
Gern didn't even make a noticeable move. He simply snapped his fingers lightly.
Bzzzz—!
An invisible yet utterly terrifying wave of vibrating particles rippled outward, causing the very air to shudder as cracks spread across the entire bar.
"CRACK—!! BOOOOM!!!"
In the next instant, the entire Rip-Off Bar exploded as if it had been struck by a violent detonation!
...