Even before entering the town, Oboro and his companions could already sense the unmistakable atmosphere of Mock Town.
It was noisy, chaotic... utterly lawless.
Just like any other pirate haven.
The only difference might be that there weren't as many people, after all, the entire landmass wasn't particularly large.
Near the town's outskirts, several pirates were braving the drizzle while engaging in a violent brawl. A group of uninvolved pirates stumbled out of a nearby tavern, unbuttoned their trousers, and began urinating in the street. Seeing the fierce combat, a few of their comrades who were relieving themselves burst into raucous laughter.
Then, one of them noticed several shadowy figures approaching through the rain and licked his lips. "Hey, hey... newcomers here?"
Due to its location, Mock Town was relatively early in the Grand Line. Thanks to Log Poses, most of the people who docked at Jaya Island were "rookies" who had just arrived from the Four Blues. Experienced pirates rarely ventured into such a barren, unremarkable place with so little to offer. Jaya Island itself wasn't particularly significant. Some came for the legends of the Golden Land or its ancient history, but these were few and far between, given the tale's age.
Since it was a notorious pirate hotspot, those who dared to set foot in the town were invariably pirates themselves.
Therefore, the seasoned pirate naturally assumed the newcomers were "rookies." While the dark clouds overhead cast shadows and the drizzle was light, it didn't obscure visibility. The pirate had just finished speaking when his eyes suddenly widened and he stared at the man leading the group.
He was dressed in a black suit and wore a top hat.
The others were also dressed in distinctive attire.
For example... the man covered entirely in bandages, resembling a mummy.
And that tall, intimidating figure with long, unkempt hair carrying a massive sword...
"Ugh."
The pirate urinated uncontrollably, his expression shifting from playful confidence to sheer panic... and then to deathly pallor.
"Ahhh..."
He opened his mouth wide, letting out an unconscious scream.
"Hans... what the hell are you yelling about?"
His drunken companion glared at him, curling his lips in disdain.
"Hell... Hell... Pirates."
"The God Slayer... The God Slayer is coming!"
With a throat-rending scream, the terrified pirate, without even fastening his trousers, fled in tumbling panic.
God Slayer?
At these words, all the surrounding pirates stopped moving instantly.
They all turned to look.
When they saw Oboro and the others, they sobered up immediately and were overcome with terror.
They fled in absolute panic, screaming at the top of their lungs like the first man.
"What a mess..."
Oboro commented with dark amusement.
He made no attempt to stop their frantic escape, instead leading his crew toward the main thoroughfare in the center of town.
This reaction was predictable and not surprising at all.
However, he seemed to have underestimated the current notoriety of the Hell Pirates. On the few streets of Mock Town, vast numbers of people fled in a frenzy, their terrified cries echoing through the settlement. The scene was somewhat comical.
"Hahaha!" Dolan laughed with excitement.
They were now in the Grand Line, a completely different situation than their time in the Four Blues. The fact that these pirates were frightened away by the Hell Pirates' name alone proved their crew's reputation and influence, filling Dolan, who was visiting the Grand Line for the first time, with a sense of accomplishment.
He hadn't expected that even on Jaya Island... the words "Hell Pirates" could have such a deterrent effect.
"What the hell... shouldn't these people be more courageous?"
Kaka grumbled, his hands clasped behind his head as he watched the fleeing figures in amazement.
Weren't the pirates of the Grand Line supposed to be more formidable?
They're all said to be so powerful...
Why... are they still like this?
"No matter where you are... there are always large numbers of small fry at the bottom," Dom, the veteran crew member, explained coldly. "The danger of the Grand Line lies in the fact that among the predators above these weaklings, 'monsters' or incomprehensible individuals are more likely to appear. And the number of such people who emerge and exist is incomparable to that of the Four Blues."
As he spoke, his eyes had already focused on a small establishment not far away.
This shop was located in the heart of town, and judging by the number of people who had fled, it had clearly been the busiest spot moments before.
However, everyone inside had evacuated upon their sudden arrival.
But... now, a figure stood at the shop entrance, silently watching them approach.
His face was expressionless, his gaze unwavering.
He wore a strange hat and a distinctive eyepatch over his right eye. He gripped a long rifle and wore a flowing black cloak.
He leaned casually against the doorframe.
Even stranger, while this figure sheltered from the rain under the awning, another figure sat soaking wet outside, slumped over a sickly horse, looking gravely ill and near death. His appearance alone emanated an ominous aura.
These two figures clearly knew each other.
The figure on the horse kept mumbling something to the cloaked man, but the sniper ignored him completely.
Meanwhile, Oboro and the Hell Pirates maintained their composure.
However, everyone noticed... there was something distinctly unusual about these two.
The fact that they remained unmoved even as the pirates fled spoke volumes about their confidence.
As they reached the tavern entrance, a resounding laugh erupted from within.
"Zehahahaha!"
"This drink is absolutely delicious!"
"The cherry pie is delicious too!"
"Great! Great! In this weather... eating this delicious cherry pie has really lifted my spirits."
Upon hearing the boisterous laughter, Oboro paused.
It was indeed him!
Marshall D. Teach, Blackbeard.
In the original timeline, Teach and Luffy met after the Arabasta Arc... meaning that if Teach had been active in the first half of the Grand Line, he wouldn't have appeared in Mock Town at that point. Unless he'd been stationed here the entire time. But that seemed unlikely... In the original story, Teach's presence in Mock Town was partly orchestrated around Luffy. Blackbeard had wanted to encounter the Straw Hats, though the two crews only exchanged fleeting interactions.
Now, Blackbeard was being hunted by Fire Fist Ace.
Of course, Blackbeard had already gathered his core companions at this point, and he should have possessed the confidence to deal with Ace, he wasn't particularly afraid.
He even had plans to use Ace for his own purposes.
So... the only explanation this time was that he was waiting for me.
Luffy hadn't yet defeated Crocodile, and the Shichibukai position wouldn't be vacant for the time being.
Butterfly effect... Had Teach predicted that he would come to Mock Town?
Or was there an element of calculated gambling involved?
Blackbeard gave people the impression of being a complete fool... But in reality, this man's intellect was definitely formidable.
Bold yet calculating.
As for the two figures outside the entrance, they were Van Augur and Doc Q.
The original core members of the Blackbeard Pirates.
Oboro's footsteps paused only momentarily before he led his crew into the tavern.
The members of both pirate crews were sizing each other up with keen interest.
Inside the establishment, in addition to Teach, who sat at the bar with his back to them, there were also Lafitte and the muscular Jesus Burgess.
"Interesting," Oboro remarked with dark satisfaction.