The bar fell into a brief silence. Only the thin blue smoke rising from Shakky's cigarette drifted slowly through the air.
The plan Luffy had proposed—kidnapping a Celestial Dragon—was so earth-shattering that everyone needed time to digest it.
"This matter is too significant. If you really want to go through with it, I suggest you find Rayleigh first and discuss it with him. His understanding of the World Government runs much deeper than mine." Shakky advised.
"Well, that's the general direction of the plan."
Luffy broke the silence and stood up. "We can work out the details after we find Rayleigh. Shakky-san, do you know where we're most likely to find him?"
"That husband of mine is always whereabouts unknown."
Shakky spread her hands, looking helpless. "Right now, he could be in some casino in the Lawless Zone, having lost all his money. Or he could be drunk in some bar. Or maybe he's staying at some woman's place.
Once he leaves home, he often disappears for months. I suppose it's a pirate's nature."
"Hahaha, yeah, I guess so."
Luffy laughed in agreement.
This fit the free-spirited image he had of the Pirate King's vice-captain.
But before his laughter had even faded, he felt both his shoulders get heavy at the same time.
Nami and Robin each placed a hand on his shoulders, smiling sweetly—but their grip was firm.
Not far away, Vivi was also watching him with a smile so gentle it was almost unsettling.
Luffy's laughter stopped abruptly. A drop of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Shakky took in the whole scene. She couldn't help but let out a laugh and shake her head.
Truly, every person had their match.
Shakky took a deep drag of her cigarette, her eyes teasing as she glanced at the women beside Luffy. "But with so many of you—especially several beautiful ladies—you need to be careful going into those lawless areas. This year's Sabaody Archipelago is not peaceful. There are too many Supernovas."
Vivi had noticed the term "Supernova" being mentioned repeatedly. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "Shakky-san, what exactly do you mean by 'Supernova'?"
"Oh? You don't know?"
Shakky was a bit surprised, then nodded understandingly. "I suppose it makes sense. You haven't been a crew for long, and so much has happened."
So Shakky explained.
The so-called Supernovas were rookie pirates who achieved a bounty exceeding 100 million Berry within one year of entering the Grand Line.
A bounty over 100 million was enough to be called a great pirate. Many pirates struggled their whole lives to reach that level, let alone within one year of entering the Grand Line. To achieve that, they must have done something sensational.
These outstanding individuals, who had fought their way out of tens of thousands of pirates, were closely watched every year.
"There are seven routes from the Four Seas into the Grand Line, but all pirates who want to reach the New World eventually gather here at the Sabaody Archipelago to get their ships coated and head to Fish-Man Island. Generally speaking, the pirates with bounties over 100 million who successfully arrive here are called that year's Supernovas. They're considered the most promising newcomer among pirates."
Shakky's gaze swept over Luffy and his crew, with a hint of amusement. "And your Straw Hat crew—aside from Vivi, who has a special bounty of 500 million—has four members with bounties over 100 million."
"Eh?! Four?"
Nami pointed at herself belatedly. "I'm one of them too?"
She remembered that for some reason, her bounty had also exceeded 100 million.
Vivi looked a bit embarrassed, but she was indeed a special bounty—and she was a princess of a kingdom.
Robin held her teacup, elegantly took a sip, and chuckled. "By that standard, I suppose I am too."
Shakky nodded in the affirmative. "That's right. Monkey D. Luffy: 660 million Berry. Roronoa Zoro: 150 million Berry. Nico Robin: 140 million Berry. And you, 'Cat Burglar' Nami: 100 million Berry. If we include Vivi's special bounty of 500 million Berry, your ship alone has five members with bounties over 100 million. That is extremely rare across the entire sea."
Five members with bounties over 100 million on one ship.
To be honest, it was a bit exaggerated.
Generally, pirate crews had a distinction between executives and regular members. Having all bounties over 100 million meant that practically everyone on board was an executive. Among the Four Emperors' crews, the Red Hair Pirates had that kind of lineup. No wonder so many people regarded the Straw Hat crew as a second Red Hair Pirates.
"Supernovas are very high profile." Shakky smiled.
Hearing Shakky say this, Nami looked dumbfounded. Her body went limp, and she practically hung on Luffy's shoulder, lamenting, "That doesn't make sense! Why am I one too? Are those Navy guys blind? I'm not a fighter."
"One, two, three... wow! So many zeros! Luffy, Zoro, Robin, Nami—there really are four. No, plus Vivi, that's five! So many bounty criminals over 100 million?"
Chopper counted on his fingers, his eyes wide.
Even though there were many on the ship, every time he heard the specific number, Chopper still found it hard to believe. They were so many times higher than his own bounty!
But Chopper's bounty could only buy two cotton candies.
Chopper didn't know whether to cry or laugh. Then he glanced at Nika.
Nika: "..."
Are you a tanuki or not?
"Including your crew and Bonney, who's with you now, there are currently thirteen Supernovas gathered on this Sabaody Archipelago. You could say this year is unprecedented."
Shakky smiled and pulled out a compiled list from under the counter, pushing it in front of Luffy. "These guys are not to be underestimated. Several of them, in any other year, would be famous great pirates."
"Thirteen?"
Even Luffy raised an eyebrow at that.
Shakky pointed at the list. "Besides you and Bonney, there are eight others on the island, from seven different crews. The information is fairly accurate. You can take a look and be aware."
Chopper leaned in to look at the dense bounty amounts on the list and was again dumbfounded. "There are that many bounty criminals over 100 million?!"
Robin picked up the list and summarized the information on the Supernovas other than themselves:
"Captain of the Drake Pirates, 'Red Flag' X Drake: 222 million Berry."
"Captain of the Fire Tank Pirates, 'Gang' Capone Bege: 138 million Berry."
"Captain of the Fall Monk Pirates, 'Mad Monk' Urouge: 108 million Berry."
"Captain of the On Air Pirates, 'Roar of the Sea' Scratchmen Apoo: 198 million Berry."
"Captain of the Heart Pirates, 'Surgeon of Death' Trafalgar Law: 200 million berries."
"Captain of the Hawkins Pirates, 'Magician' Basil Hawkins: 249 million Berry."
"Captain of the Kid Pirates, 'Captain' Eustass Kid: 315 million Berry."
"And also from the Kid Pirates, combatant 'Massacre Soldier' Killer: 162 million Berry."
Robin paused, then added, "The list also contains some scattered information, including that several of them are Devil Fruit users. It seems this year's Supernovas have a fairly high proportion of ability users."
Besides basic information, the list also had sporadic records about ability user intelligence, such as Hawkins' Wara Wara no Mi and Drake's Ancient Zoan.
Shakky blew a smoke ring and added, "So far, it's quite rare for this many powerful newcomers to gather on one island at the same time."
"They all sound like troublesome guys." Luffy wasn't very happy about it.
Normally, hearing about so many opponents would be desired.
But now, he didn't have time to mess around with these guys.
"They are indeed troublesome."
Shakky looked at Luffy, her smile meaningful. "And Monkey-kun, although you're also classified as a Supernova, your bounty is more than double that of the second-highest, Kid. Plus your past achievements—defeating Crocodile, storming Enies Lobby, fighting off Admiral Aokiji... Quite a few arrogant guys have set their sights on you. They want to use you as a stepping stone to make a name for themselves."
"Why?!"
Chopper cried out, both scared and anxious. "We just got here! We haven't done anything to them!"
"Chopper,"
Luffy grinned, looking understanding. "Think about it this way: if we entered the New World, wouldn't we want to challenge Those lofty Emperors of the Sea?"
Chopper was taken aback, then nodded instinctively. "Probably?"
"Exactly."
Luffy clenched his fist, his joints cracking. "Pirates will do anything to gain great fame."
When you thought about it, if he entered the New World, he would also be sharpening his blade against the Emperors who ruled there.
There weren't many pirates on this sea who weren't eyeing the single position of Pirate King.
Everyone was in their first year on the Grand Line. How strong could you be?
Why should you get all the attention?
It wasn't surprising that there were so many challengers.
Shakky smiled. "So, if you want to carry out that plan quietly, you might need to deal with these potential troubles and challengers first. The Lawless Zone is a high-incidence area for conflict."
"No problem."
Luffy stood up, full of confidence. "I won't let anyone interfere with my plans. This is a good chance to stretch my muscles."
Having settled the discussion, Luffy and his group prepared to leave.
Before departing, Robin hung back. She took out a bulging money pouch from her pocket, gently placed it on the counter, and smiled. "Shakky-san, this is for the information. Thank you for the snacks and drinks, but such detailed and valuable information shouldn't be taken for free."
Shakky was momentarily surprised, then smiled and accepted the pouch. "Little Robin, you're such a reliable and well-behaved person."
Robin smiled, turned, and followed the group.
***
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