When Bardock returned to the bar, Sandersonia and Marigold were already awake. Shakky and Hancock were sitting by their sides, quietly keeping them company. The moment Bardock walked through the door, the conversation stopped dead, and all four pairs of eyes locked onto him.
Bardock scratched the back of his head. He felt exactly like a homeroom teacher stepping into a previously chaotic classroom—he was completely killing the vibe, and his presence felt entirely unnecessary.
"Bardock, we heard you were the one who saved us. Thank you so much!" "Thank you, Bardock."
Sandersonia and Marigold's sincere gratitude finally shattered the awkward silence.
"Haha, it's really no big deal," Bardock laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "I just gave you guys a lift. I didn't actually do much."
"Bardock... I heard you've awakened Conqueror's Haki as well?" Hancock narrowed her eyes, staring at him with heavy suspicion.
Looking back on the chaotic skirmish, she was almost certain the Haki that had violently clashed with hers belonged to Bardock. His aura had been only slightly stronger than her own. The only reason she had passed out was because that final clash had completely drained her remaining stamina. Otherwise, what kind of Good Samaritan would save three girls just to knock them out cold first? Still, she didn't have any hard proof.
"Uh... I only know a little bit." Bardock looked left and right, his eyes darting around the room. He looked incredibly guilty, bearing a striking resemblance to Luffy getting caught red-handed stealing meat from the galley.
Hancock instantly knew she was right, but she decided not to press the issue. At that moment, she had been running on fumes, completely incapable of carrying her sisters to safety, and enemy reinforcements could have arrived at any second. Bardock might have knocked her out, but in doing so, he had genuinely saved all three of them.
"Bardock, I heard you're planning to look for the Princess of the Tontatta tribe?" Shakky chimed in, smoothly rescuing the boy from his awkwardness.
"That's right. I heard the Tontatta Princess possesses a power that can heal absolutely anything, so I want to recruit her as my adventuring partner."
"I recall Shanks mentioning your next destination was the West Blue," Shakky noted, taking a drag from her cigarette. "Is this Princess in the West Blue?"
"No, not the West Blue. She's in the New World, on Green Bit. I originally wanted to apply for a transit permit over the Red Line to head home, but the quota for the year was already full. So I just decided to hang around Sabaody, train my abilities, and eventually fly back myself."
Bardock leaned against a barstool and shrugged. "But a while ago, I ran into this guy at a restaurant who was bragging his head off. He claimed to be the ultimate informant—said there wasn't a single secret on the seas he didn't know. Like I was going to believe that nonsense! So, I walked right up to him and challenged him. I asked, 'Oh yeah? Then do you know who I am?' You know what he said?"
"What did he say?" Sandersonia asked, proving to be an excellent and eager audience member.
"He took one look at me. Then he looked at me again. After that, he just started muttering all these weird things, going on about how it was 'impossible' and 'that shouldn't be here.' I figured he was just some drunk idiot full of hot air, so I tried to leave. But he wouldn't let me! He absolutely insisted on proving himself and demanded I ask him something else. Guess what I asked?"
"What did you ask?!" This time, both Sandersonia and Marigold leaned in, totally hooked on the story.
"I asked him: 'What exactly is the Pirate King's treasure, the One Piece?'"
"And how did he answer?" Hancock asked, her own interest piqued.
"He said he couldn't tell me, and told me to pick another question. I got so annoyed I almost kicked him on the spot."
"I want to kick you right now," Hancock snapped, glaring at him for dragging out the suspense.
"Hey, hold on, there's more!" Bardock laughed, holding his hands up in defense. "I just started firing off questions rapid-fire. I asked: How many sons has Whitebeard taken in? What's Garp's record for eating donuts? Who is Kaido's wife? What is the absolute strongest Devil Fruit? Did Big Mom and Kaido ever hook up? How does Mihawk handle his bathroom breaks on that tiny coffin boat of his, and does he paddle with his sword? Oh, and if Snake-Snake Fruit users turn their lower halves into tails, do they still wear panties on a daily basis?"
"And what did he say?" Even Shakky was genuinely curious now.
Meanwhile, Sandersonia and Marigold's faces flushed bright red.
"He told me Whitebeard's son count increases every single year. Garp's donut record is constantly being broken. He hadn't 'decided' on Kaido's wife yet, but his daughter's name is Yamato. The strongest Devil Fruit is the Nika Fruit. Big Mom holds a massive life-debt over Kaido. He told me to go ask Hawkeye myself if I wanted to see how fast his sword was. And as for the last question, he said the answer needed to be censored for a family-friendly audience."
"So basically, he didn't tell you anything useful," Hancock scoffed, looking utterly unimpressed. "The Nika Fruit? I've never even heard of it."
Shakky, however, suddenly grew very serious. She actually did know about the Nika Fruit, but that was a world-class secret guarded by the highest powers. Very few people alive knew that name. Whoever Bardock had met was definitely not simple.
"Bardock, did you ask him anything else after that?" Shakky pressed. "Otherwise, how would you have known to look for the Tontatta Princess?"
"After that, he cut me off and started talking on his own." Bardock paused dramatically, taking a deep breath to build the suspense. Seeing the girls' expressions turn murderous, he quickly flashed a wicked grin and continued. "He said Dracule Mihawk would officially become the World's Greatest Swordsman. He said four supreme overlords would eventually rule the New World, known as the Four Emperors—and the last seat would belong to Shanks. He mentioned the Op-Op Fruit appearing in the North Blue, capable of performing the Perennial Youth Operation, and claimed the only healing ability comparable to it belonged to the Tontatta Princess on Green Bit. Oh, and he rambled on about Shandora, the City of Gold in the Sky Islands, and the future Most Beautiful Woman in the World, stuff like that."
"Shanks becoming a supreme overlord is entirely expected," Shakky mused, blowing a smoke ring. "But 'Four Emperors,' hm? Old Man Ray will be thrilled to hear that."
"Does a surgery for eternal youth really exist?" "Is the City of Gold real?" "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World?"
"Wait a minute," Shakky interrupted, her eyes narrowing as she connected the dots. "Some of the things he mentioned haven't even happened yet. Can this man see the future? What was his name, Bardock?"
"Oh, he said his name was Oda. Claimed he was a manga artist."
"Oda... that sounds like a naming convention from Wano Country," Shakky said thoughtfully. "But a manga artist? Isn't that a bit too casual for a prophet? Is he still in the Sabaody Archipelago?"
"No idea. I only bumped into him that one time," Bardock shrugged. "But I personally watched Hawkeye and Shanks duel, and after seeing that, I think the guy was telling the truth. Anyway, I want to see what the Tontatta tribe is like for myself, so I'm going to go verify it."
"Bardock. I'm going with you to find this Tontatta Princess," Hancock declared, her voice deadly serious.
"Sister, we'll come with you!" Sandersonia and Marigold immediately chimed in.
"No," Hancock shook her head firmly. "Your bodies are completely drained. You need to stay here and properly recover, otherwise it will permanently damage your future strength."
"But—"
"Listen to me." Hancock's gaze hardened with unbreakable resolve. "I will find a way to erase this shame from our bodies."
Hancock turned back to Bardock, her expression resolute. "When do you plan to leave, Bardock?"
"Me? I can leave whenever. But ideally, I'd like to eat a massive meal, get a solid night's sleep, and head out at peak condition."
"Alright. We depart together tomorrow."
"Deal. I'll leave my boat parked outside for the night and come find you in the morning." With the plan set, Bardock waved goodbye to the group. He needed to head back and pack his things, making sure he had everything ready for the New World.
"Shakky, I'm leaving my sisters in your care," Hancock said softly, looking at the older woman.
"Don't be a fool, save those kind of goodbyes for when you actually leave," Shakky replied gently, reaching out to stroke Hancock's hair.