Bang! A heavy, muffled thud echoed through the air.
Without a shred of politeness, Nami kicked open the bar doors and stormed out, dragging a battered Luffy and Zoro behind her like two dead dogs. Harsh, piercing laughter followed them from inside, as if the crowd were "seeing off" the fools who were too cowardly to fight back, yet still indulged in their daydreams.
Anger, confusion, doubt, and a sense of grievance... Nami's heart was a turbulent mess of emotions, her frustration reaching its boiling point.
(Why do they laugh the moment Sky Island is mentioned? Didn't Sherlock and Robin both say it exists? And why didn't Luffy and Zoro crush those bastards like they usually do? Why...)
Nami bit her lip hard. The more she thought about it, the more suffocating the feeling became, until tears began to shimmer in the corners of her eyes, despite her usual resilience.
"Sky Island... it really does exist, you know."
A familiar, gravelly voice called out from the street nearby. Startled, Nami instinctively let go of her crewmates, and the two bloodied men promptly faceplanted onto the ground.
"You're that guy from before..."
Staring at the massive man sitting in the middle of the road, stuffing his face with cherry pie, the orange-haired navigator's expression flickered with suspicion. She wasn't sure what this giant—who had nearly come to blows with her captain over a difference in taste—was planning.
"Is there still something you don't understand, little lady? In that scrap just now, these two were clearly the winners."
Marshall D. Teach swallowed a mouthful of cherry pie and looked toward the two bedraggled figures slowly picking themselves up from the dirt. He let out a mocking laugh. "That 'New Era' those fools keep prattling on about? It's nothing but a load of crap!"
"What do they mean, the era of pirates seeking dreams is over? Zehahahaha! Don't make me laugh..."
As Blackbeard spoke, his excitement grew. He slammed his empty bottle onto the ground, his eyes gleaming with an inexplicable light—the burning fire of something called "ambition."
"A MAN'S DREAM... WILL NEVER DIE!!!"
Blackbeard's earth-shattering roar seemed directed at the three Straw Hats, but it was also a shout to the world—and perhaps, to himself.
Silence...
The pirates on the street were stunned by his sudden outburst. For a moment, they didn't know how to react. But as they came to their senses, they all burst into raucous laughter.
"Ahahaha! Hey big guy, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Has your brain gone soft? Hahaha!"
Teach completely ignored the surrounding mockery. He stared intently at the battered boy in the straw hat, his gaze sharp as lightning, a bold and arrogant smile plastered across his face.
"Am I right? Zehahahahaha!"
"...."
Luffy didn't answer. His dirty face held an unusual calm; his eyes were as still as a deep pool of water, revealing nothing of his inner thoughts.
Meanwhile, in another bar within Mock Town, two "old friends" who hadn't seen each other in five years were catching up.
The term "old friends" was used loosely, as Sherlock and Doflamingo had only met a handful of times in reality. However, both had a deep understanding of the other's past.
"You can't drink? Fufufufu... what a pity. The drunk version of you is the most honest! Isn't that right?"
Doflamingo turned to look at the Sorcerer beside him, the enigmatic smile on his face growing more sinister.
"That one-in-a-million quality of a King... that madness and hysteria that feels like it could tear the entire world to pieces. Honestly, Sherlock, your potential is far superior to that brat Law!"
(Seriously, what did I even do while I was drunk? How did I end up being bothered by this psychopath?)
Sherlock's expression remained composed, though a ripple of unease stirred within him. Just as sitting at a table with a certain rubber-man food addict made one worry the food would vanish instantly, being near Doflamingo triggered a faint sense of crisis. It felt as though this twisted individual might flip a switch at any moment and start a massacre.
After all, Sherlock had seen with his own eyes how easily this man could annihilate a town!
Speaking of which, it's worth noting how Doflamingo and Sherlock first crossed paths.
Five years ago, Sherlock had led a fleet to the North Blue on business. In a restaurant on a certain island, Sherlock had accidentally consumed a bit of alcohol by a twist of fate, and then... there was an immediate explosion.
That wasn't the main point, however. The main point was that Doflamingo happened to be on that island at the time. Attracted by that strange, unconscious burst of Conqueror's Haki, the "Heavenly Yaksha" naturally sought Sherlock out... and from there, everything followed its course.
Perhaps this was what they called "Fate."
"I have no use for weaklings among my subordinates!" That was a mantra Doflamingo always emphasized. Conversely, he deeply appreciated those with talent. Thus, five years ago, Doflamingo had tried to recruit Sherlock into his family—a desire that only intensified once he learned Sherlock's surname.
Sarsalian? A Celestial Dragon?! Another "God" cast out from the Holy Land?! What a strikingly similar experience!
In that moment, the man who had personally killed two of his own family members looked at Sherlock as if he were staring at a faded, yellowed photograph of himself. He suddenly felt that, in this world, he might actually have a "kindred spirit."
"You didn't track me down just to ask me to join your family again, did you?"
Sherlock gently pushed up his glasses, his tone remarkably calm. "It's a shame, but I'm not interested in the arms trade. Besides, I'm no longer the president of the Goldglint Trading Company. I'm just a pirate now."
"A pirate? Fufufufu, isn't that even better? While your Goldglint Trading Company was influential, it was still just a merchant guild. It wasn't much help to my ambitions. What I value, Sherlock, is your ability."
As he spoke, the man who had been wearing a bizarre smile suddenly shifted his expression, and the topic turned abruptly.
"By the way, speaking of that company of yours, I have to ask you something—something I find quite baffling..."
Doflamingo paused. Sherlock felt a sudden, inexplicable jolt in his heart, sensing exactly what question the Heavenly Yaksha was about to ask.
"Regarding the current president of the Goldglint Trading Company... as far as I know, the reason you were ambushed by your business rivals back then was that you were betrayed by that woman. And the reason for that betrayal was so laughable—simply because her former country was destroyed, she vented her resentment on you. Fufufufufu... Sherlock, you've finally tasted that feeling, haven't you? The feeling of being treated as a punching bag by a commoner because of your own weakness? Fufufufu..."
"..." Sherlock remained silent, his gaze darkening slightly. While he had indeed magnanimously forgiven Anna and entrusted the Goldglint Trading Company to her, it was impossible to say the Sorcerer didn't harbor any lingering bitterness.
The empty, dimly lit bar fell silent, save for the man's arrogant and unrestrained laughter.
"Of course, what I find most baffling is how you handled a traitor." Doflamingo stopped laughing and took a sip of his drink, looking at the Sorcerer as if seeing him in a new light.
"Why... didn't you kill her? Why didn't you kill the woman who betrayed you?!"
As he spoke, a terrifying surge of killing intent erupted from Doflamingo. Struck by the force of this malice, the bar hostess—who had already been scared out of her wits—rolled her eyes and fainted on the spot.
Indeed, why?
Whether it was a woman losing her reason due to love turning to hate, or a mental breakdown causing her faith to crumble, none of it was an acceptable reason for betrayal—especially when the victim was her greatest benefactor.
But...
"Because I couldn't bring myself to do it," Sherlock sighed softly.
"You couldn't?" The Heavenly Yaksha sneered. "That doesn't sound like something the 'Sorcerer' who dared to destroy a Marine base single-handedly would say."
Sherlock didn't argue, continuing calmly: "Because I always viewed her as my 'family.' When it comes to my own kin, no matter how much they've hurt me or disappointed me, in the end... I just can't bring myself to strike them down."
At this, Sherlock glanced at the blonde man beside him, his calm voice pointedly adding:
"Of course, telling someone like you about 'family'... I imagine it's something you couldn't possibly understand."
CRACK!!! The glass was crushed in Doflamingo's grip, sending shards and amber liquid flying in all directions.
Doflamingo's face instantly turned a livid shade of green, the veins on his forehead bulging. He was clearly infuriated by the Sorcerer's needle-like words!
The air hummed with an uneasy vibration, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, filling the room with an intense sense of dread and anxiety.
"Are you trying to get me to kill you right here... partner?" The Heavenly Yaksha's smile was sickly and hysterical.
"..." Sherlock remained calm, as steady as ever.
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