OPTC Chapter 314: Tequila Wolf
It didn't take long for everyone to understand what Wendy meant by "something strange."
It was a bridge. A bridge itself wasn't strange—but this one was absurdly massive.
Through the telescope, Zhang Da Ye could see scaffolding and cranes far in the distance. The construction seemed never-ending. On the other side, the bridge stretched so far that the horizon swallowed it completely.
Carla tilted her head curiously. "Why would there be a bridge in the middle of the sea? Where does the other side lead?"
"We've probably arrived at the 'Bridge Kingdom,'" Zhang Da Ye said, recalling it from the original story. "It's the place where Robin landed after being sent flying by Kuma—and where the Revolutionary Army later found her."
"Bridge Kingdom?" Wendy asked. "You mean a country built on a bridge?"
"If it's really the Bridge Kingdom, then its proper name is Tequila Wolf, also known as the Nation of Laborers," Shark Chili said confidently. He'd been reading a lot about the East Blue recently. "The people here have been building this bridge day after day for seven hundred years."
"Seven hundred years?!" everyone exclaimed.
A project lasting that long was almost unimaginable—no one could even tell how far the bridge stretched.
Ye Yan frowned. "Why keep building a bridge for centuries? Was the king of this country some kind of construction fanatic?"
"This country doesn't have a king," Shark Chili explained. "Seven hundred years ago, the Celestial Dragons issued an order to build a massive bridge connecting multiple islands. To complete it, they sent criminals from all over the world here to work."
"These people kept moving forward with the construction, living wherever the bridge extended. Eventually, this became known as the Bridge Kingdom."
"So basically, it's a giant labor camp?" Ye Yan said.
"That's too kind to call it that," Zhang Da Ye added. "Not everyone here is a criminal. Many are ordinary people from non–World Government nations. To the World Government, not joining them is crime enough. Once sent here, no one ever gets to leave—whether they reform or not."
Wendy hugged Carla tighter. "That's awful…"
Rui Meng Meng muttered, "That's just like the slaves on Sabaody, isn't it?"
Zhang Da Ye thought for a moment. "Slightly better than that, maybe—but not by much. They're all treated as expendable. When one batch dies, another replaces them. The number never goes down."
The mood turned heavy. Even Brook, usually the most cheerful, couldn't laugh. "Yohohoho… Still, treating people as disposable tools is too cruel."
"I can't feel sympathy for pirates or criminals," Zhang Da Ye said, "but the civilians from non–member nations… they're different. They don't deserve this."
He wanted to help—but not openly. Doing so would attract too much attention.
"Let's stop nearby and observe first," he suggested. "We'll see what the situation's like and whether we can do something."
Artoria seemed to guess his thoughts. "You mean like Sabaody again? Pretending to be Heavenly Glory?"
"That codename can't be used anymore," Zhang Da Ye said. "If 'Heavenly Glory' vanished from Sabaody and suddenly reappeared in the East Blue, even the dumbest Marine would put it together. Some already suspect us, I'm sure. But without proof, they won't bother investigating."
"Did you do something at Sabaody, Da Ye?" Wendy asked curiously.
She'd learned enough by now to recognize the names of islands. The bubble-filled paradise of Sabaody had especially captured her imagination.
"I freed a lot of slaves," he admitted. "Ask Meng Meng to tell you that story later—it's a good bedtime tale. But even a good deed becomes a crime in their eyes if we get caught. That's why I always have to find ways to do the right thing in secret."
Wendy's eyes sparkled. "That sounds amazing."
"Yohohoho~ So that's what you did! Truly admirable," Brook said.
Perona stayed quiet. For someone who once wrote a "Student Conduct Code for Pirates," hearing he'd done something heroic didn't surprise her at all.
Ye Yan, however, was more practical. "If we're gonna free them, I can just sneak in at night, knock out the guards and real criminals, and let the rest escape. There must be ships that deliver supplies to this place since they can't grow food on the bridge. We'll wait for one and help them board."
He continued, "As for identifying who's who, there must be a roster of workers. I'll have Flag Imp disguise itself and use that list to check names. When the guards wake up, they'll have no idea it was us."
"Not bad," Zhang Da Ye said. "But there are thousands of laborers. Can your 'Timed Hammer' handle that many?"
"Hmm… maybe not. But I've taught you the move plenty of times—haven't mastered it yet?" Ye Yan smirked.
"I've been busy, okay?" Zhang Da Ye protested. "You know how many skills I'm supposed to learn? And the Watchmen's skills all have ridiculous restrictions. I can't even practice them properly."
Timed Hammer, for example, didn't work on anyone "alert" to the user—basically useless in a fair fight. It was great for sneak attacks but terrible otherwise.
He'd learned the move mainly to improve his precision and control, but he couldn't exactly go around ambushing his own crewmates to train it. So it remained untested.
Honestly, asking him to help was pointless—Tom with a baseball bat would probably do better.
He glanced toward Tom, who sat at the figurehead's head, fishing.
Suddenly, Tom shivered. His fur stood on end, from the top of his head to the tip of his tail. Before Zhang Da Ye could even open his mouth, Tom turned and shook his head furiously—no.
Zhang Da Ye laughed. He didn't push it. Tom could only handle so much before tiring out anyway, and his "knockouts" were unpredictable—some stayed unconscious for hours, others woke up seconds later.
Artoria stepped closer, meeting Zhang Da Ye's eyes. "Da Ye, if something is right, you should do it. Even if there's no perfect way, do it anyway. I don't care if we get hunted for it—I said I'd be your knight, and I'll protect you no matter what."
"I—I'm with you too," Rui Meng Meng said nervously. "We didn't do anything wrong. And if someone comes after us, I'll fight! I can take down a lot of people with one swing now—probably…"
Shark Chili puffed his chest. "Same here! A man with a sense of justice is exactly the type Tina likes. That's why I've been training my Fishman Karate! Forget the bounty—I'm ready!"
"I don't mind either," Ye Yan said calmly, sketching something in his notebook. "But before we get our wanted posters, I'll design a good prison outfit for myself. The 'Righteous Criminal' look could be iconic."
"If it's for saving people, I don't mind being wanted," Wendy said softly. "There must be injured or sick people among the laborers."
Carla crossed her arms with a huff. "If Wendy's helping, then I suppose I'll have to help too!"
"Yohohoho~ I've already been wanted once," Brook laughed. "Doing it again doesn't bother me!"
Perona's eyes lit up. "If I become a wanted criminal, does that mean I don't have to do homework anymore? Or follow the rules?"
"In your dreams!" Zhang Da Ye tapped her on the head. "Even bad guys have to behave properly."
Everyone's resolve made him smile. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We're just here to help, not fight the Marines."
"For now, we'll anchor near the bridge and observe. Once we know what's going on, we can decide the next step."
The Amber's course would take them right beneath the bridge anyway. From afar, the structure looked impossibly vast. Zhang Da Ye estimated each arch rose nearly a hundred meters above sea level—an incredible feat of engineering.
Beneath those towering arches, the Amber looked like a toy ship, barely noticeable.
Ye Yan released Gold Roc No. 2, who, along with Carla, helped carry everyone up to the bridge. Shark Chili, being too heavy, had to climb up with a rope.
The keen-eared Swift Ears went off to gather information, while the Flag Imps stayed behind to guard the ship.
"This bridge is enormous…" Zhang Da Ye muttered. The widest bridge he'd ever seen was the Yangtze River Bridge back home, but this one was much broader—as if several plazas were strung together and lifted over the sea.
In the distance stood rows of shabby houses, likely where the laborers lived.
Snow blanketed the bridge surface, scattered with wheel tracks and messy footprints. At regular intervals, guard towers rose like the watchtowers along the Great Wall.
Within minutes, Zhang Da Ye spotted movement—ten armed soldiers were approaching.
Judging by their uniforms, they weren't Marines—probably part of a World Government security division.
"Who are you people? What are you doing here?" the leader barked.
Zhang Da Ye had already prepared for this. He handed over a stamped Navy document. "We're a travel group from the Grand Line. We happened to pass by and were curious about this magnificent bridge. Thought we'd take a look—hope we're not causing trouble."
The captain took the document and frowned slightly. "It has the Navy's seal… but I've never heard of this branch before."
Zhang Da Ye quickly produced two more papers. "We also have entry and exit permits from the Goa Kingdom in the East Blue."
"Goa Kingdom?" The captain turned to his men. "You guys heard of it?"
One soldier nodded. "Yeah, it's supposed to be the most beautiful country in the East Blue. A Celestial Dragon visited there about half a year ago."
"I see… then you're probably fine." The captain waved for his men to lower their weapons. "Still, this bridge is a major World Government project. Even tourists can't just wander around."
To be fair, the captain wasn't in a good mood. He'd been enjoying a warm drink by the fire before this so-called tour group showed up in freezing weather. "Touring" wasn't worth the hassle—he'd rather send them away.
But before he could, Zhang Da Ye smoothly pulled out two newspapers—one about the Enies Lobby incident, the other about the Golden Lion event.
"We actually have some history with the World Government and Navy," he said casually. "So I thought it'd be fine if we had a look, right?"
"The Amber Travel Group… wait, that's real?" the captain muttered, glancing between the paper's photo and the real-life Tom, who tilted his head innocently.
As the man skimmed the articles, Zhang Da Ye opened a wooden chest from his inventory. "These are some fine liquors from the Grand Line. A small gift to warm you up."
In a place as grim as the Bridge Kingdom, booze was probably more valuable than money.
Sure enough, the captain's demeanor brightened immediately. "Ah, so you're *that* travel group! In that case, come rest in our watchtower. I'll tell you all about this bridge's history!"
After all, Grand Line liquor could sell for a small fortune in the East Blue. But before that—he definitely needed to taste it.
Following his lead, the soldiers carried the crate of liquor, and Zhang Da Ye's group was welcomed inside the tower.
Once introductions were done, the captain was astonished by the Amber crew's diversity—especially Shark Chili and Brook. They talked and laughed together easily.
With Shark Chili's natural charisma and Brook's lively music, it didn't take long for the guards to warm up to them completely.
Just like that, the Amber crew had successfully blended into the outpost—and earned permission to stay for a while.
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