"What a pleasant shopping trip~"
Galette, holding several bubbles in her hand, had a smile all over her face.
She had wanted to come to this place last year, but because of Mama, she had never had the time.
Today, she had finally enjoyed herself to the fullest.
"As long as you're happy." Katakuri said.
As long as his little sister was happy, then this trip hadn't been in vain.
Even if they still hadn't found any trace of the Straw Hat Pirates, they hadn't lost out.
"The only thing is, I wonder whether they've found any trace of the Straw Hat Pirates." Galette said.
Several hours had already passed, and there was still no news... Had they not come ashore yet?
Or had something happened to them on the way to the Sabaody Archipelago?
Thinking of that, worry appeared on Galette's face.
"Alright, don't overthink it." Katakuri said. "Let's return to the ship first."
He didn't know whether anything had happened to the Straw Hat Pirates, but... if they couldn't even make it to Sabaody, then they weren't qualified to marry into the Charlotte Family.
"Alright..."
Galette sighed, then turned and followed Katakuri as they left the place together.
But the moment they left the commercial district, they saw one of their subordinates running over at top speed.
Seeing that, Galette immediately showed a delighted expression. "Don't tell me he found someone?"
Katakuri didn't say anything. He simply watched in silence, and only after the man reached them did he speak.
"Mm, you found them."
The next moment, the man, still panting heavily, said, "My lords, we found someone from the Straw Hat Pirates."
After saying that, he gave Katakuri an astonished look. How did he know what he was about to say?
Neither Galette nor Katakuri had any intention of explaining. There was no need to reveal too much to cannon-fodder subordinates who had only joined the crew recently.
"Where?" Galette asked. "Who did you see?"
"Ah, it was a green-haired swordsman using Three-Sword Style." The man said. "It should be the pirate hunter from the Straw Hat crew."
"Should be?"
The man: ...
Cold sweat immediately broke out across his body. He swallowed and said, "It definitely was him. I wouldn't mistake him."
Among the more famous Three-Sword Style swordsmen on the seas right now, there was only that one man.
"Next time, remember to speak more precisely." Galette said.
After saying that, she glanced at Katakuri and said, "Brother Katakuri, let's go."
"Mm."
Katakuri nodded, then followed beside Galette without another word as they headed into the distance with the man leading the way.
As the others watched Katakuri draw near, they all stepped to the side in fear, clearing a path for him.
Even if they didn't know who he was, they could still sense that he wasn't someone to provoke.
After all... this was a giant over five meters tall!
Only after the group had gone far away did the others cautiously whisper among themselves.
"Th-that guy... who was he?"
"No idea, but he looked terrifying."
"I know. He's from one of the Yonko crews in the New World, one of the Big Mom Pirates." A bounty hunter swallowed and said, "A terrifying existence with a bounty of... 1,057,000,000 Berries."
Hearing that, everyone else showed looks of horror.
"1... 1,057,000,000 Berries?"
Why would such a terrifying big shot appear here?
At that moment, everyone's faces filled with fear. If a monster like that got angry, everyone present would probably die.
Thank goodness they had stepped aside just now...
"How about... we make a move on him?!"
A bounty hunter revealed a greedy expression and looked at his companion. "That's a billion Belly."
"If you want to die, go by yourself. I don't want to provoke a Yonko crew."
"And besides, do you really think those ten hundred million are that easy to take?"
With such an outrageously high bounty, his strength had to be equally terrifying.
Setting your sights on someone like that?
That was plain suicide!
After being told that, the man who had spoken earlier also came back to his senses, then grimaced and said, "Yeah... that's true."
"Let's go. We'll just catch someone else. Didn't a bunch of Supernova come to the island?"
"You're right. Let's go."
"Hahahaha."
...
"What's with you, slave? Why are you walking so slowly?" Saint Charlos looked down at the slave beneath his feet with dissatisfaction and angrily kicked him several times.
The slave who had been kicked collapsed onto the ground, his face smashing against a rock and splitting open, but Saint Charlos showed not the slightest pity. Instead, he became even more furious.
"You actually dared lie down?!"
As his slave, how dare he collapse in front of him?
Was he looking down on him?
Thinking of that, Saint Charlos angrily pulled out his weapon, intending to execute the damned slave under his feet.
"He's done for..."
"Idiot, don't say anything! Do you want to die?" A companion at the side growled in a low voice.
The man swallowed and obediently shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.
Just like the other person said, if the Celestial Dragon noticed him speaking at a time like this, he would be executed too.
He didn't want to die.
"What I hate most are slaves like you." Jumping down to the ground, Saint Charlos pointed his pistol at the slave and said, "Now go to—"
But before he could finish, he noticed several medical personnel hurrying over from the distance, carrying a stretcher in their hands.
That immediately made him stop what he was doing. He stared at them in disbelief and said, "How dare commoners run in front of me?"
All the other commoners were obediently kneeling on the ground, so why did these few dare remain standing?
Didn't they know that people weren't allowed to stand in front of a Celestial Dragon?
Thinking of that, Saint Charlos immediately walked forward and blocked the group.
"Stop... right there!"
The furious Saint Charlos kicked over the stretcher they were carrying, directly sending the patient tumbling onto the ground.
"Please stop, Celestial Dragon-sama, this person is about to die."
"My lord, we have to take him for treatment, or he'll die!"
Glancing at the several medical workers sprawled on the ground, Saint Charlos said coldly, "So what?"
"Aide, tell them—between their manners toward me and the lives of commoners, which is more important?"
"Of course your etiquette comes first."
The guard named Aide said calmly, "Celestial Dragons are supreme."
Hearing Aide's words, Saint Charlos let out a cold laugh. "Did you hear that, you lowly commoners!"
"How dare you—"
"Hm?"
At that moment, Saint Charlos noticed that one of the nurses sitting on the ground was very pretty, and a look of excitement immediately appeared on his face.
"Ahahaha, I found a good-looking woman."
"Aide, I want her." Saint Charlos said. "I'm making her my wife."
"Yes, understood." Aide said. "I'll immediately complete the procedures for Madam to be admitted to the Holy Land."
"Huh?!"
The woman froze. "How can you do this?"
How could he be so unreasonable, so forcefully demanding that she become his wife?
"Please wait." A man ran over and said emotionally, "She's my fiancée. Please—"
Bang!
The bullet pierced through his body, and the man staggered before falling to the ground.
"Who allowed you to stand in front of me?!" Saint Charlos raged. "You lowly commoner!"
"Please..."
The man struggled to say something else, but in the end, his eyes rolled back and he collapsed unconscious to the ground.
"Hmph."
Saint Charlos let out a cold snort, put away his weapon, and turned back to the nurse. "Alright, enough nonsense. Come with me."
"How can this be..." The nurse cried as she said, "Please, someone save him."
But unfortunately, no one dared move. They didn't even dare lift their heads.
"Are you dissatisfied with what I'm doing?"
Hearing Saint Charlos's icy tone, the nurse immediately covered her mouth and trembled as she cried.
"They really can do whatever they want..." Apoo said. "So this is what a Celestial Dragon is?"
After seeing one in person, Apoo realized they were far worse than he had imagined.
This was what passed for a World Noble?
It made him sick.
"So this is a Celestial Dragon..."
Standing in the alley, Galette frowned as she looked at the Celestial Dragon. "So this is what a so-called Celestial Dragon is."
To be honest, after growing up this long, this was the first time she had seen a living Celestial Dragon. This was far too vile.
Calling everyone else lowly commoners, not allowing ordinary people to stand, casually slaughtering commoners... and most importantly, all of this was protected by law!
"That's exactly why we rarely come here." Katakuri said calmly. "Once we run into them, conflict is inevitable, and that would draw in a Marine Admiral."
As members of a Yonko crew, there was no way they would kneel to a Celestial Dragon. So once they met, conflict would certainly break out.
To avoid something like that, Yonko crews rarely came here. This was also a kind of unspoken rule between them and the World Government.
At that moment, Katakuri froze for an instant and looked toward the far end of the street in surprise.
"Hm?"
"Isn't that..."
Looking at those iconic three swords, Galette said, "That's the pirate hunter, right?"
Originally, they had planned to wait until the Celestial Dragon left before crossing the street to find him, but... now that man had walked over on his own?
And while the Celestial Dragon was still here...
"Why is someone else standing in front of me again?!"
Seeing Zoro arrive before him, veins bulged on Saint Charlos's forehead. What was going on today?
"Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
Zoro looked at Saint Charlos curiously and said, "Are you trying to ask for directions?"
Galette: ...
Galette stared at Zoro in shock. Did he not recognize a Celestial Dragon?!
At that moment, Katakuri chuckled, as if he had just seen something very interesting.
"What is it, Brother Katakuri?"
Katakuri didn't answer. He just pointed ahead.
Although Galette was confused, she still followed the direction of his finger and looked over.
The next moment, Saint Charlos raised the weapon in his hand and aimed it at Zoro.
"Die, lowly commoner!"
Bang!
In that instant, Zoro rushed forward like a beast, drawing the weapon at his waist and preparing to cut Saint Charlos down.
"That bastard!"
Bonney rushed over at incredible speed, threw herself into Zoro, and tackled him aside. At the same time, she splashed tomato sauce all over him, creating the illusion that he had been killed.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Idiot, don't move!" Bonney said.
"Huh?"
"Ah!"
"Onii-chan, how could you die?!" The now child-sized Bonney cried loudly. "Did you run into Celestial Dragon-sama by accident?"
"If that's the case, then there's nothing to be done even if you died."
"Hm?"
"Did I hit him?" Saint Charlos looked doubtfully at the gun in his hand. For some reason, he felt like he had missed just now.
"Forget it. As long as he's dead."
Shaking his head, Saint Charlos left with his people.
Galette, who had watched the entire thing unfold, said, "That guy really was about to cut down a Celestial Dragon just now?"
"Judging from his killing intent, yes."
With his Observation Haki active the entire time, Katakuri had keenly picked up on Zoro's killing intent. The man had truly gone for the Celestial Dragon.
If not for that woman who could shrink herself stepping in, the Celestial Dragon would already have been cut down.
As expected of a pirate crew that dared challenge Enies Lobby. There were no cowards among them.
"Let's go. The Celestial Dragon is already gone. Let's go find that man." Katakuri said.
"Alright."
The moment the group stepped out of the alley, they instantly drew plenty of attention.
"Hey... that guy is..."
"Yeah, someone from a Yonko crew..."
"Why would a person like that show up here?"
Several Supernova looked at Katakuri, puzzled as to why he would appear here.
But none of them had any intention of clashing with him. After speaking, they decisively left.
"Hey, idiot, what exactly were you thinking?!" Bonney looked at Zoro and angrily cursed. "Were you trying to draw a Marine Admiral here?"
Bonney was furious. If that guy had actually cut down the Celestial Dragon just now, then a Marine Admiral would already have shown up here!
She had no intention of running into someone like that right now.
"An Admiral..."
Zoro frowned as he sat down on the ground and said, "So that thing just now was one of the World Nobles?"
Before they had set off, Hatchan really had emphasized that they absolutely couldn't attack the World Nobles.
But how was he supposed to know that bubble-headed idiot was a Celestial Dragon?
"Seriously, are all of you Straw Hat Pirates complete lunatics?!" Bonney cursed. "You even want to cut down Celestial Dragons..."
"Next time, if you want to go crazy, at least wait until after we're gone!"
After cursing him out, Bonney immediately led her people away.
Clearly, she didn't want to get involved with lunatics like them.
Watching her departing back, Zoro frowned, but he didn't say anything else. He walked over to the injured man, casually hoisted him up over his shoulder, and turned to leave.
"You planning on saving him?"
"Yeah." Zoro said. "If I leave him alone, he'll bleed to death."
After saying that, Zoro looked behind him and immediately noticed the tall figure there.
"Hm?"
"And who are you people?"
Katakuri didn't answer. He merely looked at his subordinate and said, "Take this man to the hospital."
Zoro frowned as he looked at Katakuri. Who exactly was this guy?
"You're Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, right?" Galette said. "Can you take me to find Jin?"
The moment those words came out, Zoro's eyes instantly turned wary. He carefully lowered the injured man onto the ground, then placed a hand on his sword hilt and said, "Who are you?"
She had accurately called out both his and Jin's names... Was she a bounty hunter?
Or an enemy?
"Don't be nervous. I don't mean any harm." Galette looked at Zoro and said, "I'm Jin's fiancée. I came here specifically to find him."
"Huh?"
"Huh?!!!"
Zoro stared at Galette in shock, so stunned his jaw nearly dropped to the ground.
"Jin's... fiancée?"
Jin actually had a fiancée?
Why had that guy never mentioned it before?
Could it be... that he was actually some noble from a certain kingdom?
And because he hadn't returned for too long... his fiancée had finally come looking for him?
Thinking that, Zoro sank into deep thought.
A moment later, Zoro asked, "You... really are his fiancée?"
"He's a ninja, right?" Galette smiled. "Those eyes of his are the mark of his bloodline."
Hearing that, Zoro let his guard down, because what she said really was correct—Jin's eyes truly were the mark of his bloodline.
That was something Jin himself had once said.
Seeing that, Galette secretly let out a sigh of relief. It seemed her guess back then had been right. Those eyes... really were proof of a special bloodline!
"I don't know where he is either." Zoro said. "How about you—"
Before Zoro could finish speaking, an explosion suddenly sounded from a distant street.
Boom!!
The next moment, several figures came running out of an alley, their faces full of terror as they shouted, "Blood-Eyed Ninja Jin has gone berserk! Everyone run!!"
Zoro: ...
This... really was quite a coincidence.
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