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Chapter 17: Huge Bounty
When I finally regained consciousness, the first thing that registered was an overwhelming, stinging sensation of pins and needles creeping across every inch of my body.
I was surrounded by a thick, fragrant steam. Water lapped gently against my chin. Blinking through the haze, the blurry shapes around me began to coalesce into a familiar tiled room. This was... the bathroom at Shakky's Rip-off Bar. I was bobbing gently in a tub of lukewarm water.
What kind of situation was this?
"Ugh... my strength is completely drained..." I groaned, my voice barely a raspy whisper. "Where... where are we?"
A soft splash drew my attention. Esune was right next to me in the spacious tub.
She looked completely dazed, her normally perky rabbit ears drooping wet and heavy against her head. And I was just as disoriented. What had happened? Why was I sharing a bath with Esune while we were both still fully clothed? My mind felt like it was wrapped in thick cotton, struggling to pierce through the lingering brain fog.
"Thank goodness. You're awake... both of you..."
A trembling sigh of profound relief broke the silence. Shakky stood before us, holding a running showerhead. She was systematically spraying warm water over our shivering bodies, her usually immaculate hair plastered to her forehead with sweat and condensation. ...??
...Ah!
Like a pane of glass shattering, the memories suddenly rushed back with violent clarity. The sheer drop of the Red Line. The panicked screams in the Central Plaza. The suffocating, absolute-zero cold. It all came rushing back. Esune and I had fought Marine Admiral Aokiji in the heart of Mary Geoise, and then... we were frozen solid in an instant.
"Did you... did you save us, Shakky?" I asked, my teeth beginning to chatter as the adrenaline faded.
"...Ray-san is the one who rescued you from Mary Geoise," Shakky replied, her voice uncharacteristically thick with emotion. "I just put your frozen bodies in the bath to thaw you out before the frostbite could set in permanently. Honestly... I'm so glad you're safe..."
Heedless of her own stylish clothes getting completely soaked, Shakky dropped the showerhead, reached into the tub, and scooped Esune and me out of the water. She pulled us against her chest in a tight, desperate hug. This wasn't the cool, composed intelligence broker of the underworld; this was a mother terrified she had just lost her children.
I could feel my body, which had been chilled to the very marrow of my bones, slowly beginning to radiate a genuine, living warmth again.
"S-Shakky-saaan! Waaah!"
Whether it was from the sheer physical relief of thawing out or the release of the suffocating terror we had endured, Esune finally broke. She buried her face in Shakky's wet shoulder and started bawling uncontrollably.
Seeing her cry, hearing the raw fear in her voice... I couldn't hold it back either. My vision blurred, and large, hot tears spilled down my cheeks, mixing with the bathwater.
I was seriously terrified. When that wave of ice hit us... the moment we were frozen... I really thought it was all over. I thought we were dead.
Looking up through my own blurry vision, I saw tears welling in Shakky's dark eyes too. Seeing this strong, unflappable woman cry for our sakes made my chest ache, and I cried even harder.
—————
Now then.
After we were dried off and wrapped in warm, thick towels, a steaming meal was waiting for us at the bar counter. Shakky had prepared rich, creamy carbonara and a hearty, thick soup. Under any other circumstances, it would have been a feast. But right now, it came alongside a post-mortem review that was essentially just an agonizing "Depression Time."
"Sigh..."
Esune and I sat side-by-side on the barstools, both of us hanging our heads in utter, soul-crushing defeat. We hadn't taken a single bite.
"We charged in there so full of ourselves," I muttered, staring blankly down at my bowl of soup. "I thought my speed and Haki made me untouchable. But we suffered a complete, humiliating defeat against Aokiji... We caused a massive headache for Ray-san, and I broke my vow to protect you, Esune... I'm an absolute, useless failure..."
"No, it's my fault," Esune whispered, her hands gripping her knees tightly. "Because of me, Big Brother, Ray-san, and Shakky-san all got dragged into a war with the World Government. I promised I'd be of some use against Aokiji... but my kicks barely even distracted him. I was completely useless..."
"Sigh..." we chorused in unison, our collective gloom practically forming a dark raincloud over the counter.
"...I would really appreciate it if you didn't eat the meal I went out of my way to prepare while looking so utterly depressed," Shakky scolded mildly, though her eyes remained gentle.
"We're sorry..."
Shakky's cooking was, as always, incredibly delicious. It was warm and comforting, grounding us both physically and mentally. ...But the taste was overshadowed by the crushing weight of reality.
We had experienced the pinnacle of the world's power firsthand. If Ray-san hadn't miraculously intervened to save us, Aokiji would have definitely captured us without breaking a sweat. What waited for us after that would have been a one-way trip to the darkest levels of Impel Down, a return to the horrific chains of slavery... or a public execution.
Just thinking about how close we came to the end sends cold shivers down my spine.
"Sigh..."
"Oh my, you two... you're wallowing in this much more than I expected."
The heavy wooden door to the back room creaked open, and Ray-san strolled over to our gloomy table. He held a silver flask in one hand, radiating his usual laid-back, effortlessly calm aura.
Where has he been this whole time? I desperately wanted to thank him... and apologize for being so reckless...
"Ray-san, I... um... about what happened..." I started, struggling to find the right words.
"Line." Ray-san held up a hand, offering a wry, reassuring smile. "It would be quite rude to maintain such a gloomy attitude when we have a guest who went out of their way to visit, wouldn't it?"
"No, I know, but... huh? A guest?"
Ray-san flicked his gaze toward the bar's entrance. Right on cue, the brass bell above the door chimed with a frantic clatter, and the person who burst through the doorway was—
"Line-chwaaan! Esune-chwaaan! It's meee ! It's Rozuooo !"
"It's you!?" I choked on a noodle.
Bursting into the dim tavern was the bald, overweight, blue-bearded okama... a walking, talking mass of pure, unfiltered eccentricity. It was the Firefly Squid Mermaid, Rozuo, wearing an aggressively bright floral shirt.
"I'm so glad you're both safe~ !!"
Wailing in a surprisingly deep, manly voice, Rozuo lunged forward and used his slippery tentacles to scoop both Esune and me right out of our chairs, hoisting us into the air in a crushing embrace.
This feels incredibly gross, so I'd really like him to stop. Tentacle play is only conceptually acceptable when you're safely watching it from a distance. Being on the receiving end is just wet and terrifying.
"...So, what exactly are you doing here, Rozuo?" I wheezed, trying to pry a sucker off my cheek. "Didn't you go into hiding?"
"What do you mean? I came to say thank you~!" he beamed, his heavily mascaraed eyes sparkling with genuine tears.
"Thank you?"
Wait, did I do something specific to earn this okama's gratitude?
"Thanks to Esune-chan's quick fingers, I was finally freed from the clutches of those vile Celestial Dragons!" Rozuo sniffled, wiping his nose. "And thanks to both Esune-chan and Line-chan fighting on the front lines, all the other Fish-Men and Merfolk were able to escape Mary Geoise safely! I came here today to thank you on their behalf. Everyone is safely on their way back to the sea, returning to their families. We are truly, deeply grateful. From the bottom of our hearts... thank you!"
"..."
It just kind of happened. We were panicking, and I definitely didn't do it to be thanked, but...
Even so...
Hearing those words, seeing the genuine freedom in his eyes... it really touches my heart...!
We lost the battle against the Admiral, terribly. But knowing that over fifty people get to go home to their families because of what we did... It makes me realize that our reckless actions weren't a mistake after all.
"Hehe, hehehehe..."
I scratched my cheek sheepishly, unable to suppress a growing grin. Esune was blushing furiously, looking equally embarrassed but visibly lighter.
...Alright! Moping time is officially over!
I wriggled out of Rozuo's tentacles, leaped onto the countertop, and struck a heroic pose.
"Heheheh! Well, naturally! That's exactly the kind of flawless rescue you'd expect from the great Esune and me!" I boasted, puffing out my chest. "Rozuo, when you get back to the ocean, you make sure to tell all your Merfolk friends about our legendary exploits! The next time we visit Fish-Man Island, they'd better treat Esune and me like absolute royalty! I want a massive feast of dancing sea bream and flounder! And I expect to be waited on hand and foot by beautiful, big-breasted mermaids! You got that!? Fufufu~hehe!"
"Understood. I'll be sure to pass your exact demands along," Rozuo giggled, pressing a hand to his cheek. "But even if that falls through, I'll just have to treat you two with my own delicious home cooking and my own ample chest♡"
"I'll pass on that!!"
Rozuo struck a hard, aggressive muscle pose, making his thick pecs twitch rhythmically.
Stop that, stop that, please don't come any closer! My eyes are burning!
"Hahaha! Looks like you've finally gotten your usual chaotic groove back, Line." Ray-san laughed heartily, taking a seat at the bar. "Rather than dwelling on a battle you couldn't win, let's celebrate the incredible fact that you accomplished your goal and escaped with your lives today. Shakky, bring out the good booze! We're drinking tonight!"
"Yes, yes, Ray-san. I suppose a celebration is in order," Shakky smiled, reaching for a premium bottle of rum. "...Would you like something to drink too, Rozuo-chan?"
"Oh my, are you sure~? Well then, I'll gladly take you up on that wonderful offer..."
"Don't do it, Rozuo! It's a trap! She'll rip you off for every Berry you have!" I yelled, waving my arms frantically.
"Relax, Line. I don't charge Line-chan's friends," Shakky winked.
"Eh... wait, everyone just mutually agreed that Rozuo and I are friends...?"
"Oh hush♡ Don't look so profoundly dissatisfied♡"
With that, Shakky walked to the front door and flipped the wooden sign to 『 CLOSED FOR THE DAY 』. And so, the five of us—me, Esune, Shakky, Ray-san, and a very flamboyant Firefly Squid Mermaid—enjoyed a raucous, joyful mini-banquet late into the night, the terrors of Mary Geoise temporarily forgotten.
—————
Then came the next day.
Thanks to yesterday's lively banquet, I had somehow managed to completely recover from my depressed state. I woke up feeling refreshed, victorious, and ready to take on the world.
But that feeling lasted exactly five minutes.
Right now, standing in the middle of the bar holding the morning delivery of the World Economy News Paper, I found myself plunged right back into the absolute darkest depths of despair.
And the reason for that was a single piece of glossy paper that fell out from between the pages.
『 WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE 』
"Invisible Phantom Thief Line"
Bounty: 480,000,000 Berries.
"MY BOUNTY WENT UP!?" I shrieked, my voice cracking.
And the jump is absolutely brutal! It quadrupled! Four times my original bounty, right out of the gate! Aren't these things supposed to go up gradually!? What happened to 'incrementally increasing based on threat level'!?
I literally lost to Aokiji, didn't I? We ran away! So why the hell did it skyrocket to almost half a billion Berries!
"Well, let's think about this logically," Rozuo mused, taking a sip of his morning tea. "Considering you scaled the Red Line to Mary Geoise with your bare hands, physically assaulted a Celestial Dragon, infiltrated their stronghold, freed dozens of high-value slaves, fought Admiral Aokiji head-on and lived to tell the tale, and are apparently closely acquainted with the Dark King... a bounty like that is only natural~..."
Rozuo let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head as if I were a lost cause.
Wait... why the hell are you still here? Did you sleep on the couch? Hurry up and go home to the ocean already!
"Hold on, back up," I frowned, waving the poster. "Wait, who the heck is the 'Dark King'?"
"Eh!?" Rozuo nearly choked on his tea, his eyes bugging out. "Don't tell me you seriously don't know, Line-chan? It's Ray-san~."
"?? What does Ray-san have to do with this edgy 'Dark King' title?"
"I'm telling you! Ray-san is the Dark King!" Rozuo slammed his teacup down. "Dark King Silvers Rayleigh! The legendary former vice-captain of the Pirate King, Gold Roger~! He's an incredibly, unimaginably big deal!"
"E... Eeeehhh!?"
A shocking, world-shattering revelation!!
It turns out the lazy old man who crashes on our couch was a core member of the Pirate King's crew. I mean, I knew his Haki was absurdly, monstrously strong, but that completely explains why he's so utterly ridiculous!
Mind absolutely blown.
"Now, now, Rozuo-kun. You spoiled the surprise," a familiar, exasperated voice chuckled from the doorway. "I 'purposely' kept my past a secret to see exactly when Line would finally notice on his own... but it seems you've finally spilled the beans. Wahaha!"
Ray-san laughed loudly, looking genuinely amused as he watched my jaw hit the floor.
"Don't 'Wahaha' me, Ray-san! This isn't funny!" I sputtered, pointing an accusatory finger. "Wait, was I seriously... the absolute only one who didn't know? What about you, Esune? Did you know? About Ray-san's true identity?"
"Eh? Ah... yes," Esune admitted, nervously twiddling her thumbs. "I didn't know at first, of course, but after living together with him for six years, well... he's a very famous historical figure, so I kind of figured it out from the context..."
I've been living with the man for eight years and I didn't have a single, solitary clue...
"...Well, honestly, I guess Ray-san's true identity doesn't really matter at this point," I sighed, crossing my arms.
"Doesn't really matter, you say..." Ray-san raised a silver eyebrow, looking slightly offended.
"I mean, Ray-san is just Ray-san to me..."
Even if someone tells me he used to be the Pirate King's legendary right-hand man now, my reaction is basically just, 'Huh, cool trivia.' It doesn't change who he is on a daily basis.
"Oho... then what exactly am I to you, Line?" Ray-san asked, a playful glint in his eye.
"You're stupidly, unfairly strong, but you're also a heavy drinker who never does an honest day's work. You're a gambling addict who is constantly broke, you have white hair, a weirdly styled beard, and you're a total, unrepentant womanizer..."
"Hey now, that's a bit harsh..."
"Even though you're completely, utterly hopeless like that..." I looked away, my face flushing slightly. "...you're kind of like a father figure to me, I guess."
"..." A soft, stunned silence fell over the bar. Ray-san's eyes widened slightly, a rare look of genuine emotion crossing his weathered face.
"Gaaah!! Don't make me say sappy crap like that! It's so embarrassing!"
To break the tension, I slammed my new wanted poster down onto the wooden table.
"More importantly, my bounty! Four hundred and eighty million is way higher than an average salaryman's lifetime earnings! I'm a thief, not a revolutionary! Give me a break already! Seriously, the Marines have zero chill!"
Just what level of absolute, world-ending supervillain does the world think I am? Haaa, this is so incredibly depressing...
Well, looking at the bright side, the only silver lining this time is that Esune didn't get a bounty put on her head. Did the Marines not notice her involvement because she was entirely in her small rabbit form the whole time? Thank god for small mercies.
"Ray-san, let me borrow the rest of the newspaper. I want to see how they spun this disaster. How did they report on the incident?"
"Oh, it's rare to see you voluntarily reading the newspaper, Line," Ray-san noted, passing me the thick stack of paper. "But you won't find anything in there. It seems the World Government isn't going to make this incident public."
"Huh?"
I took the newspaper and frantically scanned through the pages... Politics, pirate bounties, local disputes. Just as he said, there was absolutely no mention of a slave breakout or my assault on Mary Geoise anywhere in the publication.
"I see... makes sense."
The World Government is obsessed with their image of absolute invincibility. They obviously wouldn't want the news that a single, twenty-centimeter dwarf successfully invaded Mary Geoise and freed their slaves spreading to the public. It would inspire rebellions. So they're keeping it a strict secret. I get it.
...Though if they were going to cover it up, I really wish they hadn't quietly raised my bounty to half a billion either...
"Let's see, if I'm not the headline, what is? The story covering the front page is about... Sir Crocodile. He's been stripped of his title as one of the 'Seven Warlords of the Sea'... Who the heck is Crocodile?"
Never heard of the guy. Not interested. I slapped the newspaper shut, ready to go sulk in my room. Just then...
"Haaah!? Line-chan!" Rozuo suddenly leaned across the table, his face mere inches from mine, looking thoroughly exasperated. "Never mind the Dark King, you don't even know about the Seven Warlords of the Sea!? Just how painfully ignorant of the world are you~!"
"What exactly are the 'Seven Warlords of the Sea' anyway..." I grumbled, leaning back to avoid his mascara-heavy gaze.
"You want to know? You really want me to teach you? Geez! I suppose I have no choice then! In that case, I will personally guide you step-by-step and passionately teach you all about the Warlords... just for you♡"
"...Esune. Please, for the love of god, explain it to me."
"Yes. Right away, Big Brother."
"Oh come on♡ Don't ignore me when I'm trying to be educational♡"
Ignoring the pouting squid-man, I listened carefully to Esune's clinical, well-read explanation...
The Seven Warlords of the Sea. Commonly referred to as just the "Warlords," they are a group of seven specific, highly notorious pirates whose acts of plunder and violence have been specially authorized and pardoned by the World Government.
In short, they're government-sanctioned pirates who are legally allowed to commit crimes without Marine interference, so long as they pay a tithe and answer a call to arms.
I initially thought it was kind of like how the Tontatta Tribe is traditionally allowed to 'borrow' and steal items in Dressrosa under the guise of fairies, but apparently, the scale and malice of this system is completely different.
"The Warlords are, like, absurdly powerful, world-class pirates who make regular pirates look like absolute jokes~!" Rozuo chimed in, unable to stay quiet.
"By affiliating these immensely powerful Warlords with the World Government, they apparently serve as a crucial deterrent against other, unaffiliated pirates from the New World," Esune finished, adjusting an imaginary pair of glasses.
I see. The logic is an eye for an eye. Use monsters to keep the other monsters in check.
...Wait, isn't creating a system where pirates are legally allowed to oppress people in order to stop other pirate crimes fundamentally flawed? It sounds like absolute corruption. Or is it just me and my Earth common sense acting up again?
"Come to think of it, didn't you say you were originally born in Dressrosa, Big Brother?" Esune asked, tilting her head.
"Well, technically I'm from the hidden kingdom of Green Bit... but yeah, for all intents and purposes, Dressrosa. What about it?"
"The King of Dressrosa is actually one of those 'Warlords' we just talked about. Did you know that?"
"...Huh?" My brain ground to a sudden halt.
The King of Dressrosa is a Warlord?
Scarlet and Viola's dad, the incredibly kind and gentle King Riku? He's a Warlord?
That peaceful old guy was secretly a notorious pirate!?
"Y-You really can't judge a book by its cover..." I stammered, feeling my worldview shift. "To think King Riku was actually a Warlord operating under the government's nose..."
"King Riku?" Esune blinked in confusion. "No, Big Brother. The current King of Dressrosa is a man named Donquixote Doflamingo."
"What!?" I practically shouted, my heart skipping a beat.
"Eight years ago, King Riku suddenly used his royal army to attack his own citizens, burning towns for money... Doflamingo, acting in his capacity as a Warlord, stepped in and stopped his barbarism, saving the country. After that incident, Doflamingo was hailed as a hero and apparently just took over the throne as the new King of Dressrosa... wait, Big Brother, are you listening to me?"
"..."
King Riku attacked his own citizens for money? A violent uprising? Seriously!?
Sure, Dressrosa was a relatively poor nation, but... would a dedicated pacifist king like him really do something so atrociously evil? Well, they do say money changes people, but... I don't know! I don't have enough information to make an accurate judgment...!
But the timeline... eight years ago. That was right around the time I fled the island.
More importantly, if the monarchy completely collapsed and the king changed... what happened to Princesses Viola and Scarlet? What happened to Kyros? What about Leo, Mansherry, and the rest of the Tontatta Tribe? What happened to everyone I cared about?
Just what the hell happened in Dressrosa after I left!?
Panic rising in my chest, I frantically dug through the massive stack of old newspapers Shakky kept archived in the corner of the bar, desperately rustling through the dusty pages. I needed a newspaper from exactly eight years ago...
Found it.
My hands trembled slightly as I pulled the yellowed paper into the light.
There it was. The bold, undeniable headline read: 『 Donquixote Doflamingo Assumes the Throne as Savior and King of Dressrosa 』.
Plastered across the front page was a photo of the new ruler. It was a blonde man draped in a flamboyant pink feather coat, wearing sharp sunglasses that hid his eyes. He was sporting a wide, impossibly sinister grin that sent an immediate chill down my spine.
He looks ridiculously tall, and for some inexplicable reason... I just really, really don't like him.
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