In Maple Village, the largest public bathhouse, known locally as the money bath, was completely cleared out. Inside and outside the bathhouse, not a single soul remained except for William.
The chimney of the bathhouse had ceased emitting smoke, as all the staff had been driven away.
Aramis, Edmond, Tony, and Sherlock, the core members of William's old crew stationed in Maple Village, approached from a distance.
"Why would William come here?" Aramis asked curiously. After the Morgan Pirates docked, he had been tasked by William to organize the crew's disembarkation and rest arrangements. He had been running around tirelessly and hadn't had a chance to speak much with William.
Sherlock loosened his tie and replied casually, "William is exhausted. He said he wanted to relax for a bit."
After all, Barbarossa was a notorious pirate in the East Blue, and a Devil Fruit user to boot. William had been walking a tightrope, careful not to draw the attention of Arcadio, Roy, or the forces of the World Government and Marines. Life aboard the ship had been like navigating a minefield—every day was fraught with tension.
Since the day he boarded the ship, William's nerves had been tightly wound, never allowing himself a moment of relaxation. Only now, after everything had settled somewhat, could he finally let his guard down and ease the pressure.
After delegating immediate tasks to his officers and the old crew in Maple Village, William had ordered the bathhouse to be cleared out so he could rest alone. He had only instructed his old crew to come find him there once they had finished their work.
"Relax, huh..." Tony drawled, his tone suggestive as he chuckled mischievously. "Why didn't he say so earlier? I could've arranged for some women to come over."
Sherlock ignored him, instead peering curiously at the chimney. "But if everyone's been chased away, and no one's here to heat the water, how's he supposed to take a bath?"
Despite their curiosity, the group entered the bathhouse. Without staff present, they had to grab towels and other items from the duty station themselves. Edmond, full of curiosity, tried to sneak into the women's bath area but was promptly pulled back by Sherlock.
As they entered the changing room connected to the bath area, they immediately noticed the rising temperature. Edmond quickly changed, wrapping a towel around his waist before eagerly pulling open the door to the bath area.
The moment he did, a wave of heat surged out, the stark temperature difference momentarily stealing his breath. The bath area was filled with steam, obscuring his vision. He held the door open to let some of the steam escape before he could make out the scene inside.
William was seated in a steaming pool, his back to the door. His arms rested lazily on the edges of the pool, his head tilted back slightly, with a white towel draped over his face as if he were asleep.
He was shirtless, revealing a tattoo of an eye on his back. The tattoo had been inked earlier that year, before Vallon and Edmond were attacked by Barbarossa and his Red-Beard Pirates. William had sought out a tattoo artist and had it done alone.
None of William's companions knew the meaning behind the design; only William himself understood its significance.
The Eye of Horus, derived from Egyptian mythology, symbolized divine protection and supreme sovereignty.
Ancient Egyptians also believed the Eye of Horus played a role in resurrection and rebirth. The symbol was often found on the mummies of pharaohs.
The tattoo's primary purpose was to conceal the Celestial Dragon's Hoof brand on William's back. He had covered the mark with a larger circular scar, which served as the pupil of the Eye of Horus. The red scar and black ink combined to create a simple yet eerie "eye."
William had provided only the basic eye design, but the tattoo artist had added artistic embellishments, including a faintly colored lotus flower and eagle wings behind the eye.
The tattoo covered most of William's back. In the swirling mist of the bathhouse, the black ink and red pupil made the Eye of Horus seem almost alive, staring intently at anyone behind him.
The circular scar at the pupil's center had been branded by Gin, who didn't know about the Celestial Dragon's Hoof but understood that William wanted to keep the mark a secret. Gin had never spoken to anyone about the design or its significance.
William himself didn't care about the stigma of being a slave. Even if he didn't remember phrases like "Adversity breeds strength" or historical examples of humble beginnings leading to greatness, he still recalled the famous line: "Are kings and nobles born to their status?"
For someone like William, who was rebellious by nature, social status was irrelevant. Besides, the identity of a slave technically belonged to the original owner of this body, not to him as a transmigrator.
However, William had lived in this world long enough to understand that he couldn't view everything solely from his own perspective as an outsider.
The Celestial Dragons were the face and emblem of the World Government. In this world, even pirates were reluctant to directly oppose the government. Although William's crew wouldn't look down on him for his slave status—his strength and cunning were undeniable—the mark represented his contentious relationship with the Celestial Dragons. This could cause unease and hesitation among his crew.
Thus, not even Aramis or the late Vallon knew about the mark. Only Gin, whose steady character and unwavering loyalty were evident to William through both past-life memories and personal observation, was privy to the secret. Even then, Gin didn't know the full story and had no interest in uncovering it.
One by one, Aramis and the others entered the bath area and approached the pool. It wasn't particularly deep; sitting on the steps only submerged them up to their waists.
Edmond, ever carefree, stepped directly into the pool but immediately let out a yelp and jumped out faster than he had entered, grimacing in pain. "Why is it so hot?!"
Sherlock frowned in confusion. "I noticed the chimney wasn't smoking earlier, and there's no staff here. Who heated the water?"
"I did," William replied, pulling the towel off his face and finally looking at the group. "With my Devil Fruit ability."
The others knew that the Morgan Pirates, previously the Red-Beard Pirates, had ventured into the Calm Belt and that William had consumed a Devil Fruit. However, they were still unclear about the specifics of his ability.
Aramis, curious and intrigued, asked, "What kind of fruit did you eat?"
"Logia," William answered, raising his right hand, which transformed into a cloud of steam, vaguely retaining the shape of a hand. "As for its exact name, fruits don't talk—they can't tell me. How would I know? Maybe I'll have to come up with a name for it myself someday."
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