"What was that loud noise just now? Did a fight break out upstairs?"
One of the three captains of the Fish-Man Alliance, Willie the Fish-Man Assassin—with a bounty of 88 million Berries—set down an empty barrel of booze and let out a burp. Beneath his black leather mask, a pair of eyes gleaming with cold light looked upward in confusion.
Since the place where they gathered was quite far from the other human pirates, and they were not on the same floor where the commotion occurred, this group of Fish-Man pirates was still unaware of what had just happened.
"Captain Willie! Captain Gould! Captain Alick!" A Fish-Man with brownish skin ran over at a fast pace. "Something happened!"
"Don't panic. Take your time, brother."
The speaker was a exceptionally tall Fish-Man with red skin and two sharp horns growing from his head. He was a Fighting Fish Fish-Man clad in a black, feather-adorned coat, with extensive fish tattoos inked across his arms. His black hair and beard were braided into long cornrows, making him look imposing as he sat on his chair.
He was one of the three captains of the Fish-Man Alliance: Gould the Poison Lizard, bounty: 92 million Berries!
"What on earth happened?" Gould asked.
The reporting Fish-Man swallowed hard and said in a rather excited tone: "Captain Gould, just now, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates defeated one of Bear King's officers in a single blow! Now, the Trump Pirates have completely surrounded the Straw Hat Pirates!"
"Oh?" x3
The three Fish-Man captains exchanged glances, their eyes filled with delight.
For a group of Fish-Man pirates like them who held extreme animosity toward humans, seeing a conflict erupt among those despicable human pirates was a truly delightful spectacle.
"Wait, 'Straw Hat'... That title sounds a bit familiar?"
Captain Alick—wearing a cowboy hat, with yellowish-brown skin, a long neck, and extremely sharp eyes—rested his legs on the table. After pondering deeply for a moment, he suddenly realized:
"Ah, I remember now! It's this guy who defeated Arlong in the East Blue!"
Alick's impression of that saw-nosed fellow was no longer very strong; he only recalled that many years ago, Arlong had taken a group of Fish-Men and headed to the East Blue.
"Heh, so he's the one who defeated Arlong, huh? Guess he's got some skill."
Willie snorted softly. Back when the Sun Pirates still existed, his strength was roughly on par with Arlong's.
However, the chubby Killer Whale Fish-Man hardly believed that the "useless trash" who had retired to the East Blue—the weakest of all seas—could be compared to someone like himself, who was still fighting and slaughtering his way through the Grand Line.
"Still, even if it's the Straw Hats, they won't get any advantage against Bear King." Alick pulled down the brim of his cowboy hat, a strong look of dread flickering in his eyes.
"That guy... is a complete monster!"
Just like Arlong, these Fish-Men were thorough racists. They bragged that a Fish-Man's physical strength was ten times that of a human and that they could breathe underwater, thus believing Fish-Men were a species superior to humans.
Yet for Alick the Electric Sword—a Fish-Man captain with a bounty of 90 million Berries—to harbor such dread toward a human only served to prove just how terrifyingly powerful Bear King Bairies truly was!
"However, the race starts tomorrow at sunrise, so they probably won't make a move right now," Gould analyzed very calmly.
"And compared to Straw Hat, the one I care about more is this guy."
Flames of hatred burned in Gould's eyes as he pointed at a wanted poster on the table. The high bounty of 97 million Berries was particularly eye-catching.
"If it really is as I suspect, then we three will avenge Boss Tiger!"
Willie and Alick showed hesitant expressions, exchanged a glance, and then nodded heavily.
One major trait of humans is their love for watching a spectacle.
Upon seeing Bear King's men surround the Straw Hats, every pirate present immediately switched to spectator mode. Some even fanned the flames from the sidelines, completely forgetting the true purpose of this pre-race gathering.
"Feffeffeffe... To actually provoke Bear King, Straw Hat Luffy is done for!" Silver Fox Foxy burst into a string of gloating laughter.
A treacherous split-headed man like him naturally clapped his hands in delight at the thought of Straw Hat picking a fight with the Trump Pirates—the strongest force in Hannabal.
"These guys sure know how to cause trouble..." The two tufts of hair on Miss Carmine's head twitched slightly.
Kusho the Cockscomb pushed up his sunglasses and muttered softly: "The intel was indeed accurate. Nico Robin is right there."
"Grrr..." The Husky lying at Miss Carmine's feet let out a series of low growls and excitedly scrambled up from the ground.
It seemed this silly dog, who loved joining in on the fun, intended to scurry over to partake in the spectacle, causing the two to hurriedly pin the silly creature back onto the ground.
On the other side, at the Heart Pirates' location:
"Where are you going, Master Rovick?"
"The Guild Leader and his companions are in trouble. I'm going to help them."
Rovick hitched Cynthia to his waist with a solemn face and was about to set off, only to be stopped by a hand from a certain spotted-cap man.
"What are you doing, Law?" The blue-haired swordsman frowned deeply.
"I know you're very loyal, Master Rovick, but it's meaningless for you to go over right now."
Law said unhurriedly, "A fight isn't going to break out here. At least not right now."
Saying that, Law turned his head, his lazy gaze piercing through the crowd toward that stubborn, straw-hat-wearing figure.
(Monkey D. Luffy... D... Heh, what an interesting guy.)
Since the Sorcerer carried the title of "Joker's Companion," the Surgeon of Death had initially focused his attention on Sherlock.
But now, Law suddenly realized that this "Master Straw Hat" was far more interesting than "Master Glasses"!
(Though I'm really curious... why did that guy choose a captain like this?)
After pondering for a moment, the spotted-cap man suddenly had an epiphany, the corners of his mouth curving into a wickedly charming arc.
At the same time, at the very center of the escalating conflict, the Straw Hats were in a standoff against the pirates of the Trump Pirates.
Luffy's performance of instantly knocking out a 47-million-Berry pirate with a single punch had been truly startling, but it wasn't enough to scare them out of their wits. Instead, it had thoroughly enraged the pirates.
"Damn Straw Hat kid! Ratledge gave you advice out of goodwill, yet you're so ungrateful!" An officer of the Trump Pirates gritted his teeth in anger.
To be fair, everything that dead fat pig had said earlier was the honest truth—grounded in his own personal experience and well-reasoned.
Unfortunately, in this world, people who tell the truth often don't end up with good outcomes...
"Shut up! I don't care what he wanted to do, nor do I care what Robin did in the past!"
Facing the enemies surrounding them, the Straw Hat captain showed no fear on his face. He cracked his wrists and shouted loudly: "All I know is that Robin is my friend right now!"
"This guy insulted my friend, so I'm going to beat him to a pulp!!!"
It had to be said that Luffy's way of thinking had always been this simple and brute-force, yet at the same time, endearingly pure.
"Luffy, quit wasting words with them! Where's that Bear King? I can't wait to test my blades against their iron-block captain!" Three sharp blades unsheathed, Zoro's eyes blazing with intense battle intent!
Sanji didn't say a word, merely lighting a cigarette in silence, loosening his tie, and stepping up to stand beside Luffy.
—Unlimited Gun Works!
Sherlock pushed up his glasses. Hundreds of silver flintlock pistols manifested one by one in midair, their cold muzzles aimed at the surrounding pirates. As the hammers cocked in unison, the crisp metallic sound was enough to make one's hair stand on end.
Nami, Chopper, and Usopp hid behind Luffy and the rest. Though this Cowardly Trio was terrified in their hearts, they too were fully prepared for battle.
(Friends, huh...)
The expression on Robin's face had become exceedingly complex ever since Luffy sent that fat pig flying.
Her feelings were the same—a mix of joy, guilt, and worry. These emotions intertwined, forming a strange yet unfamiliar, wonderful sensation that surged passionately within her chest.
Even though she had read extensively, at this moment, Robin couldn't find the right words to describe this feeling.
(If it weren't because of me, things wouldn't have turned out like this... I really am a woman who brings nothing but misfortune.)
Feeling a sense of self-reproach, Robin hesitated for a moment and murmured softly:
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't say you're sorry, Robin." Sherlock stood in front of a certain dark-humored woman, his lenses reflecting white light, hiding his exact facial expression.
"If you truly consider yourself our friend, then don't say you're sorry right now."
Robin's pupils contracted slightly. In that instant, she suddenly understood what this wonderful feeling was.
It was the "bonds" shared between friends.
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