Zoro wanted to say, Don't talk to strangers.
Especially not to a man who so clearly radiated pressure.
The large man before him felt like a sheathed sword — quiet now, but if drawn, it would mean a fierce, unavoidable battle.
Whether it was because Luffy was simple-minded or due to some quirk of his Devil Fruit, he didn't seem to sense any danger from the man at all.
Instead, Luffy looked at him with pure innocence, simply waiting for an answer.
"A bar, you say?"
"Actually, I'm looking for a bar myself. But because of my eyes, I can't see the signs."
"So… my apologies."
The big man lifted his eyelids, revealing a pair of ghastly, milky-white eyes.
"Uh…"
Zoro, standing at a guarded distance, froze for a moment in surprise.
Was that… an illusion?
No. Definitely not an illusion.
Immediately overturning that thought, he wanted to step forward and drag Luffy away from this strange alley.
But to his astonishment, Luffy moved even faster — grinning wide after a brief pause.
"If that's the case, then why don't you come with us, old man? If we keep walking, we're bound to find a bar somewhere!"
The big man seemed taken aback by the unexpected invitation. After a short pause, the corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile.
"Haha… it's rare for someone to look kindly on a blind man like me. Then, I'll gladly accept."
His completely unpretentious manner only made Zoro's guard rise even higher.
Zoro stepped forward, grabbing Luffy by the arm.
"Let's go. We'll find a bar — no need to waste time here."
"Oh, right… old man, keep up!"
Dragged along by Zoro, Luffy still turned back and called to the man in the purple kimono.
The man's smile deepened at that. Though his eyes were blind, his mind was clear as a mirror. Just from this brief interaction, he'd realized this boy was different from the rumors.
Keeping pace with them, he muttered quietly:
"Straw Hat boy… you're quite an interesting lad."
Indeed, this burly figure was none other than Admiral Fujitora, fresh from Marine Headquarters.
Originally, he had intended to head for the Red Line, but through a twist of fate had boarded the wrong ship — and ended up in the wrong place entirely.
He'd planned to wait here for a Marine warship to pick him up, but by chance encountered someone unexpected. With nothing else to do, he thought he might as well take a closer look at the grandson of the Marines' "Hero."
Their first meeting held no unpleasantness — in fact, it left him with a favorable impression.
Though this boy was counted among the so-called "Worst Generation," to Fujitora he felt more like a young man who had simply set out to sea in pursuit of freedom.
And while it might not look good for a Marine admiral to mingle with pirates… well, when the top beam of the house is crooked, the lower beams will follow — hadn't Fleet Admiral Kizaru maintained a friendly rapport with the boy's father? In that light, what did it matter if he himself shared a drink?
The three of them wandered the alley with their own thoughts, until suddenly Luffy shouted happily from ahead:
"Haha! See? I told you we'd find one! Most bars are in places where nobody's around!"
The two behind him both felt there was something wrong with that logic… but couldn't quite put their finger on it.
Before them stood a weathered, dilapidated signboard, the shopfront pitted with holes from rain, wind, and insects. The door looked like it could fall off at any moment.
No matter how Zoro looked at it, he couldn't think of this place as a bar.
And yet, the faded lettering on the sign confirmed that it really was one.
Not wanting to keep wandering, he reluctantly followed Luffy inside. Fujitora, sensing the building's every creak and smell, simply smiled knowingly and entered in silence.
Ching-ling…
The unstable door swung open, setting off something like an old bronze bell hanging overhead.
The dim interior took a moment for their eyes to adjust to.
The space was small — three tables and a long counter. Behind it, an elderly man was dozing with his chin in his hand.
Hearing the door, he snapped awake, putting on a professional smile as he looked toward the entrance.
When he saw two young men and a blind man step in, the wrinkles from his forced smile quickly collapsed back into their natural folds. His voice was weak as he asked:
"What'll it be for the three of you?"
"Juice."
"Liquor."
"Tea."
"You idiots — this is a bar! No juice, no tea!" the old man roared.
Then he nodded in satisfaction toward the green-haired youth who had asked for alcohol, muttering under his breath, "Tch… not a single normal one among you."
Grumbling, he grabbed an unmarked bottle from the shelf, found a glass under the counter, and poured.
"Huh?"
Zoro, who hadn't expected anything from such a shabby place, took a sip — and was surprised. The liquor was not only strong, but had a mellow smoothness to it.
"Good stuff." He downed it in one gulp and set the glass down. "Two barrels of this — I'll take them with me later."
With no juice or tea available, Luffy and Fujitora reluctantly ordered drinks too.
Luffy didn't like alcohol and wasn't used to drinking it. Fujitora wasn't picky, though he much preferred tea.
Neither of them drank as boldly as Zoro. Luffy took a small sip — and immediately grimaced, sticking out his tongue.
"Blegh! This stuff's awful!"
"Heh… a pirate who can't handle liquor hardly counts as a pirate," Fujitora said calmly, taking a sip and setting his glass down.
Luffy might be slow on the uptake, but he wasn't stupid. Hearing that, he blinked in surprise.
"Huh? Old man… you know me?"
"I can't see… but the name of Marine Hero Garp's grandson is one I've heard loud and clear."
Fujitora smiled faintly.
"Ohhh… so you know Gramps, huh?"
Luffy instantly lost interest, but said generously:
"Since you know my grandpa, you're one of us. Drinks are on me today!"
"One of us?" Fujitora chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far… besides, it seems your trouble has arrived."
His smile vanished in an instant. The easygoing old man was gone — replaced by the grim air of someone who could erupt at any moment.
Zoro, halfway through another drink, felt a jolt in his chest and rested his hand on his sword hilt.
But nothing happened immediately, which made him frown.
That moment didn't last long — the bar's already-weak door suddenly burst inward with a bang.
A tall, blond man in a pink feathered coat strode in with exaggerated swagger.
"D-Donquixote Doflamingo…!"
The bartender's wrinkled face bunched up even tighter, his cloudy eyes full of fear and dread.
This rundown bar was his entire retirement. If it was destroyed, then… his "later years" would simply cease to exist.
"Fuffuffuffuffu…"
"A Marine admiral… Straw Hat boy… What exactly are the two of you plotting, meeting here in such a remote little place?"
Doflamingo sat himself down at a table by the door, an evil grin on his face.
"What?!"
"A Marine admiral?"
Luffy and Zoro stared at the blind man in disbelief, both thinking the same thing —
Has the Navy gotten so desperate they're recruiting blind people now?
"Donquixote Doflamingo… underling of Ghidorah, commander of the Newborn Army."
"What are you here for, I wonder?"
Fujitora's aura shifted in an instant, from kindly elder to a wrathful force of nature. His milky-white eyes locked on the man at the door.
Wha—?! Ghidorah's underling?!
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