Whiskey Peak.
A small town populated entirely by bounty hunters, though on the surface their main business appeared to be brewing liquor. In reality, they survived by hunting down pirates and collecting the bounties on their heads.
Farming wasn't even an option here, the island was too small and mostly consisted of salt-alkali soil that could barely support crops. Even if agriculture were possible, pirates showed up daily because of the town's strategic location at the entrance to the Grand Line.
Compared to working the land, hunting pirates for their bounties was a hell of a lot easier way to make a living. Over time, this survival strategy had shaped Whiskey Peak into what it was today.
Mr. 9 explained the town's origins and evolution to the Straw Hats, "At first, this survival model was pretty unstable. After all, this is the Grand Line, the weather's dangerous, and buying food from outside was risky business. But ever since Baroque Works was founded, they promised that if our town joined their organization, they'd provide stable shipping routes and guaranteed prices for treasure sales. Gradually, Whiskey Peak transformed from a simple liquor-brewing town into a gathering place for bounty hunters."
He leaned forward seriously. "You guys seem like decent people, but if you sail into town flying that pirate flag so openly, you'll get attacked even without bounties on your heads. After all, raiding pirate ships and stealing their treasure isn't considered a crime here."
He'd spent two days aboard their ship and had gotten a good read on this crew's temperament. Calling them pirates didn't quite fit, they were more like adventurers who happened to fly a Jolly Roger.
Vivi nodded in agreement. "He's right. As long as you don't admit to being pirates when you go ashore, you'll be treated normally. The town doesn't have much food in storage, but if you're willing to pay, they'll gladly trade with you."
For ordinary people, such advice might have worked. Unfortunately, they were dealing with Monkey D. Luffy.
"We are pirates!" Luffy declared firmly, shaking his head. "I won't lower our flag just to avoid trouble! That's a matter of pirate pride!"
Mr. 9 stared at him in disbelief. "Think about this carefully. You'll be facing an entire town full of bounty hunters. Even if you're strong, shouldn't you consider your crewmates? Would they really agree to this?"
He tried to get the others to talk sense into their stubborn captain, but all he got in response was silence.
"Nami?" Vivi asked anxiously, hoping the navigator might be the voice of reason.
Nami sighed deeply, patted Vivi's hand reassuringly, then shook her head. She'd learned by now that when Luffy made decisions like this, there was no changing his mind.
Usopp's legs were visibly trembling as he declared, "We're brave warriors of the sea! How could we possibly lower our pirate flag because of some small-town bounty hunters?"
"It'd sound more convincing if your legs weren't shaking while you said that," Sanji teased with a grin.
Mr. 9 stared at the crew. "You really are... hot-blooded idiots. This is how real men should be!"
His comment earned him a sharp smack on the head from his partner. "Don't get swept up by their stupidity!"
"Hahaha..."
Seeing that persuasion was useless, Vivi gave up trying to convince them. "Since you've chosen this path, then we must part ways here."
"Alright! You guys stay safe too," Luffy waved cheerfully, his honesty leaving her momentarily speechless before she laughed and waved back.
Ahead lay the distinctive Cactus Rock.
"As enemies of Baroque Works, we'll be going ahead to prepare for your arrival!" Mr. 9 announced as he and Vivi leaped off the ship and began swimming back toward shore.
Zoro watched the two figures in the water suspiciously. "Those two are definitely going to tip someone off, aren't they?"
Marcus observed them departing. Something felt off about this whole situation, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what.
Then he froze, remembering something he'd seen discussed in online forums back in his old world: Vivi already knew Crocodile's true identity, so why was she staying in Baroque Works?
After all, in the original story, it was only when her cover was blown by a dispatched agent that her identity was revealed to the organization. That meant she should have already discovered that the leader behind Baroque Works was Crocodile.
So what exactly was her reason for continuing to remain inside the criminal organization?
Could it be that she was deliberately waiting for Luffy?
If you thought about it that way, it made sense. The world seemed to adapt itself to ensure certain events happened. When the time came to reveal the truth, Luffy would naturally find out.
When the crew arrived at Whiskey Peak, there was none of the welcoming ceremony that Mr. 9 had described. In fact, there wasn't a single person visible anywhere.
"What's going on?" Luffy stood at the bow, looking puzzled at the empty docks.
That's when a series of explosions erupted in the distance, echoing across the water.
Everyone on board looked up to see what was happening. In the hills beyond the town, they could make out Mr. 9 and Vivi running for their lives. Two figures were chasing them.
Marcus recognized them immediately, Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, both Devil Fruit users.
"Kira! Save them!" he shouted.
Kira instantly spread the wings on her back, which extended to their full four-meter wingspan. Her body lifted into the air as she transformed into her hybrid form.
But she wasn't the only one to react, Sanji had already vaulted over the ship's railing and was charging across the dock toward Mr. 5.
By the time Marcus and the rest of the crew disembarked, Vivi and Mr. 9 had been rescued from immediate danger.
However, Sanji found himself caught in an increasingly difficult battle. It wasn't that he couldn't handle Mr. 5 in a straight fight, the problem was Miss Valentine constantly interfering from above. For him, who would never raise his hand against a woman, defending against both of their attacks while trying to land blows was extremely challenging.
"That damn cook," Zoro muttered, rolling his eyes as he prepared to step forward and help.
But he was interrupted by Alvida's voice. "Leave that woman to me."
Without waiting for a response, she charged forward at explosive speed. In less than two seconds, she had covered the distance to the battlefield. She swung her spiked iron mace, striking Miss Valentine in the abdomen. But the expected scene of the enemy being launched away and critically injured didn't happen.
Floating in midair, Miss Valentine clutched her stomach and glared down at Alvida.
"Who the hell are you supposed to be, bitch?"
After eating the Kilo-Kilo Fruit, she could manipulate her body weight at will, from one kilogram to ten thousand kilograms. As long as she reacted quickly enough, she could instantly reduce her mass and minimize incoming damage. If not for that, she might have been taken out with a single blow.
Alvida frowned as she examined her mace, then looked back up at Miss Valentine. She had clearly landed a solid hit, but it had felt like striking through paper, some damage dealt, but nowhere near enough.
"So you're a Devil Fruit user after all."
"Of course I am. I ate the Kilo-Kilo Fruit, which means I can control my weight," Miss Valentine said smugly. "Right now I only weigh one kilogram. Your attacks might be heavy, but unfortunately, just the wind pressure from swinging that mace is enough to blow me away. In my current state, you can't even land a proper hit on me."
"I see... well, that's quite the coincidence."
Alvida grinned as she drove her spiked mace into the ground, then tossed aside her cloak.
Now wearing nothing but a revealing bikini that showcased her perfect figure, she crouched low and prepared to launch herself forward.
"What are you...?" Miss Valentine looked confused by Alvida's sudden wardrobe change.
But in the blink of an eye, Alvida was directly in front of her, moving silently through the air without creating even the slightest breeze or disturbance.
"How did you—"
Her question was answered by Alvida's arm wrapping around her torso. Miss Valentine was slammed into the ground with terrifying force. Even though her body weighed only a single kilogram, the moment she hit the earth, the ground cracked and shattered from the impact.