Hatchan's voice carried a trace of fear, as if he was afraid of something.
No sooner had he spoken than—
BANG!!
A violent explosion rang out. The collar around the escaping slave's neck suddenly detonated. Fire and smoke instantly engulfed his figure.
The surrounding crowd screamed in terror and scattered.
As the smoke cleared, a fat, bloated figure wearing a transparent bubble headgear and an outfit resembling a spacesuit slowly walked out, accompanied by a black-suited bodyguard. He held an ornate pistol in his hand. He spat toward the site of the explosion and cursed in a slurred but arrogant voice:
"Filthy slave. You dared to dirty my shoes."
"So that's a World Noble?" Luffy asked.
His eyes were fixed on the figure wearing the bubble headgear.
As expected—extremely weak.
Luffy suspected he could swat him away with one slap.
Hatchan nodded solemnly and urged in a low voice, "Let's get out of here quickly."
"We must not be discovered by the Celestial Dragons."
Camie shrank back in fear. "Young female mermaids like me are among the most highly priced commodities in the human trafficking market. Especially if a Celestial Dragon takes an interest."
She didn't finish the sentence, but the fear in her voice was unmistakable.
In her quiet account, Luffy and the others learned that mermaids and fish-men had long been classified as fish throughout history, suffering persecution and discrimination worldwide.
Even though the World Government had announced the establishment of diplomatic relations with Fish-Man Island two hundred years ago, this phenomenon had only converged on the surface. Discrimination and hunting in the shadows had never stopped. In many places, people openly showed malice toward them.
Because of the special and rarity of mermaids, many Celestial Dragons coveted beautiful mermaids.
Luffy remained silent. His gaze lingered thoughtfully on the departing Celestial Dragon's back.
Nami was keenly aware of the subtle change in his mood and couldn't help but ask softly, "Luffy, what are you thinking about?"
Luffy withdrew his gaze and smiled. "Nothing."
"You don't look like nothing."
"I just thought of a good idea that might help me save Ace."
A sense of impending disaster rose in Nami's heart.
But Luffy didn't continue. He just kicked the pedal hard, and the bubble car sped forward.
"Let's go. First, let's go meet that man named Rayleigh!"
After Luffy had demonstrated his strength, they encountered little decent resistance.
Criminals loved money, but they weren't stupid. They quickly recognized the group from Luffy's traits.
Once they heard he was a tough guy who could go toe-to-toe with an Admiral, most of them gave up.
A few who weren't afraid of death ended up being used by Vivi for practice.
"Help! Put me down! I'm afraid of heights!"
"So hot! So hot! It's really hot!"
"Isn't anyone speaking up for me? The wind is too strong!"
A group of criminals was nearly driven crazy by the Fū Fū no Mi.
Merry clapped her hands, providing plenty of emotional value. "Vivi-neesan is amazing!"
"It's not bad. My Devil Fruit development is finally showing some results." Vivi was also very happy.
"We're almost there."
Led by Hatchan, they passed through natural arches formed by giant tree roots, bypassed the bustling commercial district, and gradually arrived at the relatively secluded Grove 13.
Following a grassy path uphill, a detached building built on a small hill appeared before them. An antique sign hung at the entrance.
"Shakky's Rip-off Bar..." Luffy stopped the bubble car and read the words on the sign.
Pappag looked at the name and turned pale with fear.
"R-Rip-off Bar?! Isn't that name a bit too blatant? Is Rayleigh a violent person? And Shakky sounds like a woman's name!"
Hatchan smiled honestly and reassured him. "Don't worry. Shakky-san and Rayleigh-san are good people. They're just a little special."
The more he said that, the more curious everyone became.
Luffy pushed open the somewhat aged wooden door of the bar.
Ding~
The bell on the door made a crisp sound.
The interior of the bar was somewhat dim. The decor was simple but carried traces of age.
A woman with neat short hair and a good figure stood behind the counter. She wore a sexy tank top and hot pants, her demeanor capable yet slightly lazy.
She had a slender cigarette in her mouth. And in her hands—one in each—she was dragging two large men who looked like pirates by their ankles.
The two men were already bruised and swollen, covered in blood.
She looked like she was about to throw them out.
Seeing this, Nami and Chopper instantly turned to stone. Pappag nearly fainted.
Sure enough!
The name of this bar was completely accurate!
Hearing the bell, the woman looked up, revealing a well-maintained face that still carried charm.
She looked like she was getting on in years, but she must have been a great beauty in her youth.
"Welcome,"
The woman said automatically. Seeing Hatchan, she paused for a moment, then a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. She tossed the two pieces of trash into a corner and smiled as she came over. "Oh my, is that Hatchan? It's been a long time!"
"Long time no see, Shakky!"
Hatchan greeted her with a simple smile.
Shakky patted Hatchan on the shoulder enthusiastically. She seemed quite strong—Hatchan winced a little. "It's been about ten years, hasn't it? You look well."
"I'm not a pirate anymore. I run a takoyaki shop now."
"Good. Settling down is much better than being a pirate."
Shakky's gaze swept over the large, varied group behind Hatchan, lingering especially on Luffy and the straw hat on his head.
Then her eyes moved to the several beautiful ladies—Nami, Robin, and the others.
Hatchan quickly introduced everyone.
The interior of the bar was simply laid out. Besides a few round stools at the counter, there were only sofas against the walls.
Shakky stood behind the counter, mixing expertly several drinks and pushing them forward. She leaned on the counter, her body slightly forward, looking at Luffy with great interest.
"Monkey-kun, your surname is the same as that Marine hero, Garp."
"He's my grandpa." Luffy took a big gulp of his drink and asked, "You know my grandpa?"
Shakky blew a smoke ring and smiled, her eyes somewhat distant. "Mm. Back when I was a pirate, I was chased all over the world by your grandpa quite a lot."
Shanks had come by before. Shakky had heard the conversation between him and Rayleigh.
So this was the one who had been entrusted?
Her gaze fell again on Luffy's straw hat, as if seeing an old friend from many years ago through it. This straw hat really carried the memories and expectations of so many people.
Chopper watched Luffy already helping himself to the snacks Shakky had brought out. He couldn't help but remind him in a small voice:
"Luffy! Be careful! The name of this place is 'Rip-off Bar'! It's going to be expensive!"
Shakky was amused by the little reindeer's cute reaction. She took a pink cotton candy from under the counter and handed it to Chopper. "Don't worry, little reindeer. I'm very friendly to Hatchan's friends. This is for you."
Chopper's eyes instantly turned into stars. He happily took it. "Really? Thank you! You're a really nice person!"
Chopper carefully licked the cotton candy. He looked like he was about to melt from happiness.
Shakky smiled and added, "That cotton candy is 100,000 Berry, by the way."
"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"
The cotton candy in Chopper's mouth instantly lost its sweetness. He looked at Shakky with teary eyes, his voice choked. "I... I don't have that much money."
Seeing Chopper about to cry, Shakky burst out laughing. She quickly waved her hand to comfort him. "Sorry, sorry. Just kidding. It's a gift. No charge."
Nami asked curiously, "Shakky-san, you seem to know quite a bit about us?"
Hatchan had only briefly introduced their names.
Shakky flicked her ash into the ashtray and smiled. "You're all hotshots in the newspapers right now. Don't let the small size of my shop fool you—my information network is very good."
Her gaze turned to Bonney, who was trying to eliminate dim sum. "I'm just a bit surprised that 'Big Eater' Bonney, with a bounty over 100 million Berry, one of this year's Supernovas, is with you."
"It's kind of a coincidence."
Bonney stuffed food into her mouth and said vaguely, "If it weren't for Luffy, I'd probably still be running from that old bastard Zephyr."
"Zephyr?"
Shakky's fingers holding her cigarette paused slightly. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, then her smile deepened. "It seems your journey since leaving Enies Lobby has been quite exciting. You even ran into that 'don't kill' Admiral? Can you tell me about it? I'm very interested."
Short-handed after accepting favors, and having been treated to so many snacks, Luffy felt favorably toward Shakky. He readily summarized the key points of what had happened after their separation—encountering Shiki the Golden Lion, Gecko Moria, Bartholomew Kuma, and Zephyr.
Hearing these names—some still making waves, others from the past—especially Shiki and Zephyr, Shakky slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. A look of reminiscence appeared in her eyes.
"Shiki... Zephyr... Those are nostalgic names. Hearing about your adventures makes me think of things from forty years ago."
Was this the time when the legends of that era were finally coming to an end?
"Forty years ago?"
Luffy felt that this old aunt in front of him seemed full of stories. "Shakky-san, were you a pirate too? How old are you now?"
"Cough, cough."
Robin, sitting nearby, couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch Luffy's waist.
Asking a lady her age was very rude.
Especially for a lady who cared about her age.
Sure enough, Shakky acted as if she hadn't heard the question at all. Her expression unchanged, she filtered it out and brought the conversation back on track.
"Since Hatchan brought you here, you must want to get your ship coated and then head to Fish-Man Island, right?"
"Not entirely."
Luffy shook his head, his expression turning serious. "I came to find Rayleigh for another reason as well."
"Oh?" Shakky rraised an eyebrow.
Luffy said in a low voice, "My brother, Portgas D. Ace, has been locked up in Impel Down. Kuma told me to come find Rayleigh, said he might have a way."
***
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