"Is this Shirogai Yamikuro, the man even high-ranking officials of the World Government are wary of?"
Among the gathered shipwrights, Kaku, one of the five foremen of Galley-La Company, stood silently observing Shirogai.
"I can't read him at all," Kaku thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. "From his appearance alone, he looks ordinary—nothing special. But that's what makes him terrifying. There's not a trace of a strong aura around him, yet I'm certain… this man could kill me in an instant."
---
"Pirate? So, you're a pirate too!" Barry muttered, eyeing Shirogai cautiously. "No wonder… your face looks kind of familiar."
A calm voice rose from behind them.
"Is that Shirogai, with a bounty of 200 million Berries?"
"Two hundred million Berries?!"
Gasps filled the air.
"He's a pirate with a 200 million Berry bounty!"
The onlookers instinctively stepped back, fear flickering in their eyes as they whispered among themselves.
"I can't believe that smiling, kind-looking man is actually a pirate worth 200 million Berries!"
"Yeah, when he stopped that pirate's sword earlier, I thought he was some righteous Marine officer…"
"Two hundred million Berries… If I could catch him, I'd be set for life!"
"Idiot, don't say that out loud! Do you even know what a 200 million bounty means? Pirates over 100 million are monsters! He's twice that!"
"A monster… Let's get away before he notices us!"
"Oh no, that was Mayor Iceburg who just spoke!"
The crowd parted as a man with light blue-purple hair, a trimmed beard, and a striped suit walked forward calmly. His sharp gaze fixed on Shirogai.
"Plunderer. I'm curious—what brings an infamous pirate like you to Water 7?"
It was none other than Mayor Iceburg, president of the Galley-La Company.
Behind him stood his secretary, a composed woman with long dark hair, wearing glasses and a sand-colored outfit. She carried a blue notebook in her hands, quietly observing everything around them.
"Iceburg sama! You're here!"
The shipwrights greeted him respectfully. In Water 7, Iceburg was both admired and beloved. His shipbuilding genius and dedication had built the city's foundation, and his mentor, the legendary Tom, was the one who created the Sea Train itself.
"Iceburg, I didn't expect to meet you here."
Shirogai smiled easily, his tone polite yet confident. "Our crew's ship, the Going Merry, was damaged. We'd like to request your company's help in repairing it."
"Repairing a ship, hm?" Iceburg replied in a steady voice. "That's simple enough. Any of my shipwrights can handle a repair job—unless, of course, it's severely damaged."
Suddenly, something rustled inside Iceburg's suit pocket. A small white mouse poked its head out, looking curiously around.
"Squeak, squeak…"
Iceburg noticed Shirogai's gaze and chuckled softly. "Ah, this little one? I just picked him up. His name is…" He hesitated for a moment, thinking. "…Tyrannosaurus."
Shirogai smirked lightly. "A fine name. It suits him well."
Iceburg nodded, clearly pleased. "Naturally."
Shirogai clapped his hands once and smiled. "Iceburg, perhaps we can talk somewhere more private? Maybe your office?"
Iceburg studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a slow nod, he said, "Alright. Please, follow me."
"Wait," his secretary interjected, pushing her glasses up. "You don't have time to chat, Iceburg sama. In fifteen minutes, you're scheduled to meet the representative from the Chishali Hotel."
"Cancel it. All of it," Iceburg said flatly, without hesitation.
"…Understood," she replied softly, crossing out items in her notebook. "Then your schedule for the next three hours is clear."
"Also," Shirogai added, "I got separated from my companions earlier. Perhaps you could send someone to find them?"
"Leave it to me," Iceburg replied, turning to Kaku. "Kaku, you're the fastest. Go to the upper dock and check on their ship's condition."
"Understood, Iceburg sama!"
Kaku gave a short laugh. "Leave it to me!"
In a blur, he leapt away, landing on the lower docks below with a powerful gust of wind.
"Kalifa," Iceburg continued, "send a few people to look for his crew."
"Yes, Iceburg sama." Kalifa nodded, already giving quiet orders to the nearby workers.
"Oh, and before I forget—this is for you."
Shirogai reached into his pocket and handed over a folded letter. "From Kokoro."
"Kokoro?" Iceburg raised a brow, unfolding the note. His expression stiffened.
In bold red letters, it simply said:
Repair their ship.
Below it was an enormous lipstick mark.
"…That woman never changes," Iceburg muttered, tearing the note in half.
"Come," he said, motioning toward the shipyard. "Let's talk inside. I'm curious—what business does a pirate like you have with the mayor of Water 7?"
"Before that," Shirogai said lightly, pointing toward Barry, who was nearby cutting timber, "bring him too. What I'm about to say might concern him."
"Oh? Barry?" Iceburg paused, then nodded. "Barry, come along. I'd like to see what this famous pirate has to discuss with us."
"Huh?" Barry blinked, startled.
"Don't just stand there! Iceburg sama is calling you!" one of the shipwrights yelled, kicking him lightly.
Barry dropped his saw and hurried over, muttering, "Iceburg sama, I don't even know this guy!"
"Hehe," Shirogai chuckled, glancing at him. "Maybe not now, but we might get to know each other very soon."
Thin, nearly invisible strings appeared around Shirogai's fingers, faintly shimmering in the air.
The String-String Fruit—the Devil Fruit wielded by Donquixote Doflamingo.
On its own, the ability seemed modest, almost unimpressive. But in Doflamingo's hands, it became a power that could manipulate the world itself—deadly, intricate, and god level in its potential. Even an Admiral like Fujitora once struggled against the dreaded Birdcage.
Shirogai smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming. "I wonder what kind of effect this power would have in Barry's hands."
A quiet, almost amused smirk curved his lips.
"Perhaps when Doflamingo meets Barry one day, he'll realize that when it comes to manipulating strings, there might be someone even more gifted than himself."
---