"Fufufu, it seems Captain Ryuuto knows me quite well!" Shakky said slowly, taking out another cigarette and lighting it as she looked at him.
Suddenly, at that moment...
A noise came from the entrance!
"Shakky! I'm dying of thirst, pour me a drink!" a weathered voice called from outside. With a loud bang, the wooden door was thrown open.
A handsome old man with a full head of white hair, round glasses, and a white cloak strode in.
It was none other than Silvers Rayleigh!
"Rayleigh, keep it down! You'll scare the young ones," Shakky chided, glancing over at him.
"Oh, so we have guests!" Hearing Shakky, Rayleigh raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and found a place to sit.
Shakky shot him an exasperated look but still poured a glass of strong liquor and placed it on his table.
"Perhaps you two should get acquainted," Shakky said in a low voice, standing before Rayleigh and exhaling a thick ring of smoke.
"What's this?" Rayleigh leaned back in his chair, adjusting his glasses. His gaze shifted to Ryuuto and Nami, who were still sitting at the bar. "And who might these two be?" he asked, casting an inquisitive look at Shakky.
Ryuuto felt a strange sense of unease. The way Shakky was talking, it felt a bit like he was being introduced to the parents.
"Captain, who's this old man?" Nami whispered, nudging Ryuuto's arm curiously.
"He's the legendary 'Dark King' Rayleigh, first mate and right-hand man of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!" Ryuuto explained to Nami as he walked over to Rayleigh and introduced himself. "Ryuuto, Captain of the Soaring Dragon Pirates!"
"The infamous rookie at the heart of the recent incident involving the death of a Warlord," Shakky added, leaning against a nearby post.
"What?! Roger's first mate? Rayleigh!" Nami gasped, her eyes widening as she sized up the old man. She could hardly believe that in a tiny bar like this, she could meet both the former Empress of Amazon Lily and the first mate of the Pirate King.
This world is too small! Nami marveled silently.
"A young rookie," Rayleigh nodded, though he didn't seem particularly interested. His era was over. He wasn't too bothered by the new pirates that popped up now and then; his only concerns these days were drinking and gambling.
"He's very close with Hancock," Shakky added, covering her face with a hand. She had a feeling Rayleigh would react this way and knew she had to give him another push.
"What!" That got Rayleigh's attention. Leaping to his feet, he shot across the room in his signature sandals and reached for Ryuuto's collar. "Spit it out, kid! What's your relationship with Hancock?"
"Calm down, calm down!" Ryuuto quickly stepped back, dodging Rayleigh's attempt to grab him.
"Hmm... I think things are developing in a direction I wasn't aware of," Nami murmured to herself, a few suspicions forming in her mind.
Shakky couldn't bear to watch.
"Such a hothead for someone his age," she muttered before striding over to a nearby table and pulling out a chair for herself.
"Hm?" Rayleigh's expression turned serious. He hadn't expected Ryuuto to be able to dodge his move. Driven by a desire to test the young pirate, Rayleigh stood his ground, his eyes narrowed. In an instant, a powerful pressure emanated from him.
Countless arcs of black and red lightning crackled through the small bar.
It was Conqueror's Haki!
Crackle!
Sizzle!
Seeing this, Ryuuto stepped in front of Nami, his own body erupting with black and red lightning that surged toward Rayleigh. The two waves of Haki clashed violently in the air, creating a constant sizzling sound. The immense energy collision sent shockwaves rippling outwards, putting immense strain on the surrounding structure.
The wooden tables and floorboards of the bar began to groan, on the verge of splintering.
"Ahem," Shakky coughed loudly, reminding the two of where they were.
Boom!
In an instant, both of them retracted their Conqueror's Haki. The black and red lightning vanished, and the groaning of the wood abruptly ceased.
"What terrifying power," Nami whispered from behind Ryuuto. Although Ryuuto had blocked the brunt of the force, she had felt enough of the indescribable pressure to know how frightening it was.
"No wonder Hancock has taken a liking to you! Conqueror's Haki... that's a disposition found in only one in a million," Shakky remarked, giving Ryuuto another look. The perceptive woman had already figured it out. Hancock was cold to all men, let alone willing to spend any significant time with one. Combined with what Nami had said earlier, there was only one explanation: Hancock had fallen in love with Ryuuto. As a former Empress of Amazon Lily, Shakky knew all too well about the infamous Love-Sickness that afflicted its rulers.
"You bastard!" Rayleigh roared, a wave of protective, fatherly anger washing over him. Thankfully, Shakky stepped in and held him back.
"This is..." Ryuuto was at a complete loss for how to explain the situation.
Nami just sat quietly on her stool, enjoying the sight of Ryuuto squirming.
Hmph, if it has anything to do with Hancock, don't expect any help from me! Nami thought with a cold snort. Our Nami has her principles.
"Alright! Both of you, sit down!" Finally, Shakky slammed her palm on the table, restoring order. As if her words contained some strange power, both Rayleigh and Ryuuto obediently returned to their seats.
Rayleigh, however, was clearly still hostile toward Ryuuto, his gaze shooting sparks of animosity.
"You just wait, kid!" Rayleigh glared, throwing down a challenge despite Shakky's presence.
"I was just thinking I'd like to test the strength of the Dark King Rayleigh," Ryuuto retorted, not backing down an inch.
Crackle!
Their gazes seemed to clash with physical force, sparking and crackling in the air between them.
"I've had it with you two!" Shakky sighed, raising her fists and bringing them down squarely on both Rayleigh's and Ryuuto's heads.
Thump! Thump!
Sounds nice, doesn't it? That's the sound of a good head!
Two crisp thuds were followed by pained yelps from both men.
"Hehe~" A stifled giggle came from the side. It was, of course, Nami.
"Shakky, what was that for?!" Rayleigh shot to his feet, a large lump already forming on his head as he shouted at her.
Ryuuto, on the other hand, had a less dramatic reaction. He just sat there, rubbing his head.
As expected of a great pirate from forty years ago. That punch had decades of power behind it; I couldn't block it at all, Ryuuto thought.
In the language of One Piece, this meant: Shakky's Armament Haki is incredibly strong, maybe even comparable to Garp's Fist of Love.
"Pfft~" Another stifled laugh came from Nami.