Goa Kingdom, a city known as the most beautiful in the East Blue, had large, luxurious ships floating quietly on the sea.
Farther out, there was a smaller, more modest ship drifting on the water.
A tall man, whose appearance was concealed by a cloak, stood by the ship's railing, gazing at the distant ships.
"So," Despite his massive build, his voice was gentle, almost soothing, like a breeze in spring, "The king and all the nobles abandoned the people in the city and fled to the sea?"
"The reckless actions of the Golden Lion have caused unrest throughout the entire East Blue."
Beside the man, a much shorter figure, almost resembling a dwarf compared to him, wore a cloak that also hid his form. It was Dragon, who spoke with seriousness, "However, it's rare to see a country's nobility so completely abandon their people like this in the East Blue."
His words carried a hint of sarcasm, "Truly worthy of being the most beautiful country in the East Blue, the model of the Celestial Dragon's isolationist system."
In this country, the class system was painfully clear.
The poor were driven out of the city and forced to survive in the slums outside the city, up in the mountains.
Commoners lived in the lower districts of the city, forbidden from entering the upper districts where the nobles resided.
At the heart of the high district stood the palace, surrounded by towering walls.
A strict hierarchy.
However, when Dragon mentioned the Celestial Dragons, the tall man fell silent.
Dragon noticed the shift in his companion's demeanor and realized he'd said something foolish. He opened his mouth but couldn't find the right words.
With a soft sigh, he fell silent.
Finally, the tall man spoke again, "Mr. Dragon, should we stay here for now?"
"..."
Dragon hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, "Right now, no one knows the whereabouts of the Golden Lion, so theoretically, it doesn't matter where we wait."
"Then, does this island have any special significance for you, Mr. Dragon?"
"Digging too deeply won't make anyone happy, Kuma."
Dragon sighed. "But, well, there's someone very important to me here."
When he realized that Ian and his group's next target was the Goa Kingdom, he came straight here, notifying his companions to gather as well.
"Is that so?"
The man named Bartholomew Kuma nodded lightly. Despite being called the Tyrant, he was a man with the kindest heart in the world, and he didn't ask any more questions.
Almost simultaneously, inside the tavern of Windmill Village, the atmosphere instantly became tense.
The tavern owner, Makino, held her breath, and although the two men remained silent, the weight of their presence made her feel an immense pressure.
Behind the three sitting at the bar, the members of the Red-Haired Pirates and Ian's companions, who had been sitting at the tables around the tavern, also tacitly stopped eating and drinking.
The two groups, which had been sitting separately, were now on edge, with tension rising between them.
Beckman silently reached for his gun.
Yamato's hand also moved toward the Takeru No. 2 at her back.
Next, it just needed one order.
"When sailing with Captain Roger, Oden was quite popular with everyone," Red-Haired Shanks said, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere, as he reminisced about the past.
"He lacked common sense, was very masculine, stubborn, willful, naïve, and yet not a bad person. He was always sincere with his friends, and we all liked him very much."
Ian quietly listened until Red-Haired finished his recollection, then calmly replied, "Is that so? But to us, he was just a strong but foolish enemy."
"To be honest, we should thank him. Otherwise, taking down Wano would never have been so easy."
"..."
Red-Haired Shanks didn't speak, merely silently drinking another cup of alcohol.
The tavern had grown so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard, making everyone afraid to even breathe.
Only Mihawk continued to drink his alcohol, one cup after another, without saying a word.
Just at that moment...
Bang!
The tavern door was kicked open.
A man swaggered in, wearing a brown long coat, a sword at his waist, with a lazy and arrogant smile on his face. His eyelids drooped as he scanned the people inside the tavern from a high vantage point.
However, he was immediately startled.
Inside the tavern, two distinct groups were seated, and now, they all turned to look at him.
Their gazes... were terrifying!
But soon, he returned to his cold smirk.
I'm a man with an 8 million Beli bounty!
A mere group of pirates.
"I need a ship."
The man with the 8 million Beli bounty crossed his arms and spoke indifferently. "I heard there's a group of pirates here. Give me your ship."
Higuma was feeling somewhat irritated.
He was a mountain bandit who had always kept far away from the sea.
But that bastard, Golden Lion, was too frightening.
Even the noble lords from the city had fled to the sea for refuge, so Higuma thought he might as well set sail too.
Staying on the island was no longer safe.
But setting out to sea had one essential prerequisite.
He needed a ship.
Without a ship, how could he even think of sailing?
Coincidentally, he heard that there was a group of pirates in Windmill Village, so he came to steal a ship.
Pirate ships should be much better than the ordinary fishing boats in nearby villages, right?
Ian, Shanks, and Mihawk all turned around at the same time, eyeing the newcomer with some curiosity.
This person really has some nerve.
Oh.
Isn't this the infamous Mountain Bandit King who supposedly took down fifty-six pirates? The man who humiliated Shanks in the original story!
Ian recognized his identity the moment he saw him.
Should he be here at this time? In the original, he only appeared after Luffy ate the Gum-Gum fruit.
It's probably thanks to Shiki.
Ian thought.
Seeing that no one was responding to him, the Mountain Bandit King grew angry.
He angrily drew his sword. "Didn't you hear what I said? Pirates! Hand over your ship! Otherwise, you all die!"
It seemed like his enraged words had been heard. A group of mountain bandits quickly rushed in through the tavern door, drawing swords and loading guns, eyeing the people inside the tavern with ill intent.
They shouted, "Boss, why bother being polite with these pirates? Let them experience the terror of our mountain bandits!"
"Exactly!"
Higuma's face also showed a cruel smile. "These mere pirates! We'll kill them all and take their ship!"
The tavern immediately fell silent.
Both the Beast Pirates and the Red-Haired Pirates were silent.
Jack was thinking, who exactly is this guy? How dare he talk so big?
Yamato was also curious. Could it be that this guy has some hidden power she hasn't noticed?
Then—
"Pfft—"
Ian couldn't hold it in anymore and laughed loudly, slapping the bar.
Amazing, truly amazing, Shanks.
I can't believe you managed to keep your composure in the original.
The ability to keep your composure is already an impressive feat!
"Hahaha!"
Shanks laughed so hard that he nearly fell over.
Even Mihawk, who was usually very composed, couldn't help but grin, his shoulders shaking slightly.
They all laughed, and of course, the others couldn't hold back either.
The members of the Red-Haired Pirates laughed in an exaggerated way, each one nearly unable to straighten up, and Lucky Roo even had tears in his eyes.
Only Ben Beckman could hold himself together a bit, but like Mihawk, his body was trembling.
Ian's friends finally understood.
It was simply the frog in the well.
**********
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