novelhk Chapter 26 The Rocks Pirates, Captain John!
Chapter 26 The Rocks Pirates, Captain John!
"Sashiburi da na, Kaido-san."
"It's been eight years since we last saw each other since the incident at God Valley."
"I've heard quite a few things about you while sailing the high seas."
Long, light pink hair, unkempt stubble, and eyes that were both tired and carefree.
Two ordinary-looking katana were tucked at his waist.
Standing before Captain John, Bazel had the illusion of seeing a chivalrous knight who had roamed the world for decades.
But he knew that all of this was just John's outward disguise.
Kaido wouldn't lie to him.
If everything in the past is true, then John is definitely a smart man.
Even if it weren't, it wouldn't be the kind of chivalrous hero that gives people a feeling of boldness and unbridled spirit.
"He's the partner you've chosen, right? The Calamity of the Beasts Pirates, Bazel, known as the Lord of Yamata no Yamata."
Bazel raised an eyebrow and grinned:
"Should I feel honored to be remembered by a great pirate from the Rocks era?"
John shrugged: "Whatever you want to be honored about. I'm just an unknown, ordinary pirate now anyway."
"That's enough for our reminiscing, John."
Kaido interrupted their conversation, but was stopped by John just as he was about to get straight to the point.
"Talking here isn't my style. Let's go to the bar I've booked."
Without waiting for Kaido's reaction, he turned and disappeared into the alley.
Bazel looked at Kaido: "I always feel like I'm being led by the nose. Be careful when we talk later."
Kaido, who strode after him, raised the corners of his mouth, his eyes filled with mockery:
"Don't worry about it, Bazel. John's strength is at most on par with mine."
"Back when he was on the Rocks ship, he was just an ordinary dual-wielding swordsman. At least on that monster ship, his strength was indeed average."
No, that's not what I meant.
Bazel followed behind Kaido, his voice growing softer and softer.
"Kaido-san, why do you think John would choose you instead of Shiki, who is stronger and more powerful?"
Kaido stopped abruptly, frowning as he looked at Bazel: "How confident are you?"
"It's hard to say."
Leaning against the wall of the alley, Bazel began to analyze all the details of his meeting with John.
"He was too hasty, and the way he treated me didn't seem like a pirate, but rather like a politician trying to appease him."
"Was he like this back in the Rocks era?"
"Hey, hurry up! What are you guys dawdling about?!"
John, who was almost out of sight, urged them on loudly.
"Coming right away."
Kaido continued forward, but his steps were much smaller than before.
"My Observation Haki couldn't detect Shiki's presence."
"Isn't it normal that you didn't sense him? He's a user of the Float-Float Fruit. At his speed, he can reach the ground in half a minute at most when he descents from a height you can't even perceive."
Bazel pointed to the sky, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Perhaps I'm overthinking it, who knows? After all, those were pirates from your era, so unpredictable temperaments were probably the norm."
"No, you didn't think too much about it."
Kaido signaled to Bazel to quicken his pace.
"If it really is Shiki, then let's have a fight. It'll be a good opportunity to test the results of your training over this period of time."
"That's true."
After exchanging a smile with Kaido, Bazel decided to stop dwelling on the intricacies of the situation.
If they come, they'll fight; if they can't win, they'll run away.
He's a pirate now, not a marine, but there's no such thing as justice not retreating in the face of evil.
"Hurry up!" John urged again, "I can't stay in one place for too long!"
"They're here!"
……
[Tree 13 in the Sabaody Archipelago, Outlaw Zone, Shakky's Bamboo Bar]
Bazel stood outside the bar, looking up at the sign above with a strange expression.
Why come to this place of all places...?
He now understood why, in the original story, John was rumored to have been killed by his men after trying to steal the treasure, and why his death was shrouded in mystery.
The owner of this bar is a notorious ruthless information broker.
Shakky, whose full name is Shakky Shakky, is the Kuja Emperor, the successor to Boa Hancock.
The emperor before Shakky was Flame Flower Gloriosa, a combatant of the Rocks Pirates, who was later called "Grandma Shakky" by the three Boa Hancock sisters.
As for this shop...
Bazel vaguely remembers that it was opened around 1480 in the Sea Calendar.
Shakky was only 22 years old at the time. It seems that she retired to the Sabaody Archipelago and opened this bar because she was tired of being chased and beaten by Garp.
Ding-dong~
"Oh my, what a rare guest, John! It's been a while since I've seen you."
A female voice with a slight Kyoto accent came through.
Bazel followed her in, curiously observing the tall, smooth-skinned, beautiful mature woman behind the bar.
"She is Xia Qi, the owner here, and also an information broker."
John sat at the bar and snapped his fingers.
"Three glasses of wine, you can decide how to make them, add less ice, don't try to cut corners from the start."
"Of course, of course, I run my business with integrity."
Seemingly because the gaze she was being stared at was too intense, Shakky suddenly turned to look at Bazel, her eyes lighting up.
"Oh, he's a very handsome young man."
She winked seductively.
Shakky put down her glass and blew a kiss to Bazel:
"Hey handsome, I'm still single. If you're bored tonight, you can come find me."
"I'm not young, whether it's my age or anything else, and besides, my evenings are very busy."
Is it age or something else?
Xia Qi didn't react for a moment, but when she realized the playful look in the other person's smile, she rolled her eyes.
"I thought it was a pure white flower, but it turned out to be a thoroughly pickled old cucumber."
Three cups of watered-down ale were served to the three men.
"Tsk, you're really willful."
John frowned after taking a bite:
"Even if bartending isn't your main job, could you at least take it seriously?"
"This place sells intelligence, not alcohol. If you want to drink, go somewhere else."
Shakky reverted to her usual straightforwardness as a veteran pirate, smoking a cigarette with a blank expression.
"My little white flower is gone. I'm already being lenient by not even giving you water, and you're still being picky."
Kaido and Bazel drank in silence, neither of them mentioning the possibility of cooperation.
John chatted casually with Shaki, mostly about trivial, bawdy things.
"I'm telling you guys..."
Shakky approached Kaido, squinting at him:
"If you want to talk business, then talk business. If not, pay up and leave. This isn't some red-light district like No. 1 Tree."
Bazel held down Kaido, who was about to speak, and dealt with him with ease:
"We're just invited guests. Our host hasn't even spoken, so how can we just say anything? You agree, right, Brother Kaido?"
Kaido didn't speak, he just nodded.
Shaki looked at John.
"Thank you for your patronage. Total bill: 30 Berries."
John's lips twitched, but he still obediently took out his Baileys to pay.
Shakky, still looking displeased after receiving the Berries, said, "From now on, it'll be charged by the hour. Ten minutes, ten thousand Berries. I'd like to see how much money you have."
"Hey, that's going too far! I've been a patron of your business for so many years!"
When he heard that John wanted to say something else, a hint of impatience flashed in Kaido's eyes.
"Let's get down to business. I have other things to do. If you're not going to talk, then get lost."
John immediately stopped arguing, a glint of triumph flashing in his eyes.
Bazel sighed inwardly upon noticing this.
Patience is the key to negotiation.
"If you want to cooperate, name your price. Although our Beasts Pirates fought with the Flying Pirates a while ago, it was only a draw."
Left with no other option, Bazell had to speak up in an attempt to regain the initiative.
"If you want to rely on us to defeat Shiki, frankly, that's unrealistic."
Barzel's words were not an exaggeration.
Shiki is currently at his peak; the Supreme Speedster hasn't appeared yet, his legs are still intact, and he's in his prime.
If this era had a title of the world's greatest swordsman.
Shiki would probably be an excellent candidate. If Hawkeye from later generations were placed in front of Shiki at his peak, he would probably only be defeated.
"This is the deposit."
Bazel narrowed his eyes as he saw the 100-dollar coin slide in front of him.
"I was right, Kaido. It seems this guy has chosen Shiki."
"Our Beasts Pirates are being looked down upon, huh? Heh heh."
"John, you're really bold to lure me here like this."
Kaido slowly stood up, stomped his right foot forward, moved forward along his thigh muscles, and began to exert force from his waist, unleashing a punch wrapped in Conqueror's Haki.
At the same time, an aura suddenly appeared at the edge of the Observation Haki's perception range.
"Hehehe, Bazel, Shiki's in your hands now. I'll take care of this guy first!"