The Straw Hat Pirates Land / Supernovas! Danger!

"Of course... Famous throughout the East Blue, hailed as a breath of fresh air among bounty hunters, and renowned as the world's number one bounty hunter—how could I not know you?" After hearing Arthur, Shakky stubbed out her cigarette and rested her cheek on one hand, smiling elegantly. "But should I call you the Wind Sword Knight? Or the more cumbersome 'Knight of Knights'? Or perhaps Mr. Knight, whose name remains unknown?"

Arthur looked at Shakky intently. His Instinct (A) gave him no sense of danger.

There was nothing but teasing in Shakky's words, not a trace of hostility.

Apart from puzzlement, Arthur sensed no killing intent from her either.

Under the perception of his Observation Haki (A++), Shakky's heartbeat was normal, and her emotions showed no fluctuation.

From this, several possibilities occurred to Arthur.

Shakky might not know that Hachi, who had saved Rayleigh, had been killed by Arthur.

It was also possible that her intelligence network was not as all-reaching as Arthur had imagined.

Or perhaps Smoker really had done as he had told Arthur: publicly claimed that he had hired Arthur, a bounty hunter, to help wipe out the Arlong Pirates, and that Hachi had died at the hands of the Marines, leaving Arthur blameless.

The last possibility was that, having become a pirate and plundered another's village and ruled over humans, Hachi had to be prepared to be killed. Rayleigh and Shakky might grieve, but they would not avenge him.

Those were Arthur's conjectures in light of the possibility that Shakky knew he had killed Hachi.

Shakky's reaction was too calm. Although Arthur was very confident in his Instinct (A) and Observation Haki (A++), which had never failed him before,

the woman before him was a pirate who had retired forty years ago, an extremely formidable figure.

Acting, experience, state of mind, emotions... every major figure could control those things well.

For the moment, Arthur could not be sure either.

But Shakky had shown him no hostility, so Arthur did not dwell on it.

If she intended to strike, she would do so next.

So Arthur smiled in response. "You dare to run a bar in the Lawless Zone. You really are as remarkable as I thought, Shakky..."

"Remarkable as I may be, I can't compare to you, Mr. Knight," Shakky said with a smile. "You defeated a Shichibukai as soon as you made your debut. That's not something an ordinary person can do. This year, between you and a Straw Hat boy who destroyed Enies Lobby and received a first bounty of 250 million Beli, you've freed the East Blue from its title as the Weakest Sea."

"But compared to the Straw Hat boy, I'm more curious about you, Mr. Knight..." Shakky's tone grew slightly puzzled. "As far as I know, you're an oddity among bounty hunters, and I'm sure many people think so too! First, although you're a hyena, you don't love money. Plenty of the people who attacked you one after another were pirates with huge bounties, yet you didn't take their heads. Second, you're so mysterious that almost no one knows your name even now. Would you satisfy my curiosity and tell me your real name?"

Wind Sword Knight was Arthur's original title, and his invisible sword was the symbol of his identity.

Knight of Knights was the title Big News Morgans had given Arthur, and it had been universally recognized across the seas. Even the tales of the Wind Sword Knight originally told throughout the East Blue had been changed to "Knight of Knights."

But from beginning to end, whether it was the people of the East Blue who sang Arthur's praises or his enemies, they had called him Lord Wind Sword or Lord Knight, before settling on Knight. Apart from Nami, Robin, the villagers of Cocoyasi Village, and Franky and his family members in Water 7, no one knew Arthur's real name.

Even Smoker and the Marines did not know Arthur's name.

"All right. In exchange, you have to answer a question for me too," Arthur said with a nod.

"Deal," Shakky replied with a smile.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Arthur Pendragon." Arthur politely extended his right hand and smiled.

"Shakky."

Shakky reached out and shook Arthur's hand, and the two released their grip at the same time.

"Then it's my turn..." Arthur stood up, braced both hands on the bar, and stared at Shakky. "I'd like to know if there's a place in the Sabaody Archipelago that specializes in selling Vivre Cards."

"Vivre Cards?" Shakky looked Arthur over and smiled meaningfully. "You know quite a lot for someone from the East Blue."

"Can you answer me?"

"There's no need to go to all that trouble. You can buy them right here." Shakky narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Vivre Cards may be a novelty on the Grand Line, but they're perfectly normal in the New World. Quite a few merchants even sell them as guides. I happen to have the materials here. Just give me a little of your fingernails and hair, and I can make them for you in no time."

"Then, sorry for the trouble." Arthur took a tissue folded into a square from his pocket and handed it to Shakky. "There are three hairs wrapped inside. Please make three Vivre Cards for me."

"No problem, but the price might be a little steep." Shakky did not take the tissue immediately, instead smiling as she asked, "Would three million Beli be acceptable?"

Arthur frowned slightly at Shakky's words.

Although he did not know the price of Vivre Cards, there was no doubt that Shakky's price was truly astronomical.

Shakky's Rip-off Bar lived up to its name.

But Arthur, who cared little for money, did not mind too much. He nodded and said, "All right, but please make them for me right away."

With that, Arthur took three stacks of banknotes directly from his pocket and handed them to Shakky. "Ten-thousand-Beli notes, a hundred in each stack. That's exactly three million Beli. You can count them."

"No need. I trust your reputation, Mr. Knight." Shakky took the money and casually set it aside, then took the tissue Arthur offered. "Wait here for a few minutes. It'll be ready soon."

Arthur nodded slightly and closed his eyes, but in fact he released his Observation Haki (A++) to monitor Shakky.

Arthur did not trust this person one bit, not when he still did not know whether she was friend or foe. In particular, with the Vivre Cards in her hands, if she secretly tore off a small piece, it would be as good as giving her his location.

So Arthur had to watch the entire manufacturing process. If Shakky did not use up the whole length of each hair, or secretly tore off a small piece of a Vivre Card, Arthur would immediately strike and kill her.

At that thought, a cold glint flashed through Arthur's emerald-green eyes.

Chapter 65: The Straw Hat Pirates Land

A few minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

"Here are the Vivre Cards you asked for. Please keep them safe." After a few movements of the minute hand, Shakky emerged from the room holding three square sheets of white paper. She handed them to Arthur with an elegant smile. "I've written the color of the hair on the right corner of each one, so I won't explain whose is whose."

"Thank you very much. Goodbye." Arthur took the Vivre Cards and gave Shakky a long look, then stood and left the bar without looking back.

The King's horse behind him also got up and followed.

Shakky watched Arthur disappear through the doorway, her smile undiminished. Yet a profound light flickered in her beautiful black eyes, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

As he went down the stairs, Arthur kept his Observation Haki (A++) active, watching Shakky in the bar. Combining Instinct (A) with the radio waves of his Observation Haki, Arthur was confident that even a top-tier powerhouse would not notice.

Only after seeing that Shakky had no extreme reaction and had not secretly kept a small length of hair or a piece of a Vivre Card did Arthur lower his guard against her.

Whether she was acting or truly did not know, it was enough that she was not an enemy!

"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"

After watching for a while, Arthur withdrew his Observation Haki.

As he stepped off the last stair, a volley of gunfire suddenly rang in his ears. A hail of bullets shot out from the woods ahead, streaking toward him like a barrage.

"What a greedy bunch." Watching the barrage approach, Arthur's expression did not change, though there was some impatience in his eyes.

"I'll leave them to you, Dong Stallion!"

"Neigh! Neigh!"

"Boom... Aaaah!"

A horse's neigh rang out, and blue-white electricity began to flash. In an instant, the King's horse became a thick beam of lightning, swept past Arthur, shattered the barrage ahead, and charged into the woods at a tremendous speed.

Before long, violent explosions erupted throughout the woods. Under the bombardment of blue-white electricity, dust and mist filled the air, and the screams of those being electrocuted rang out without end.

"How audacious are these people...?"

The King's horse soon returned. Arthur mounted him, glanced at the woods, and shook his head helplessly.

He knew full well that in this world, people seeking fame and profit were as numerous as fish crossing a river, and that the weak, driven by greed for money and fame, would always develop a reckless courage that knew no limits.

But after being attacked again and again, Arthur had grown very impatient.

Previously, their attacks had brought him Victory Index points, so Arthur had welcomed them all and patiently dealt with them.

But since the difficulty of achieving victory had increased and he had indirectly obtained the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Arthur could no longer be bothered with these weak attackers.

"Heh..."

As he rode the King's horse through the air in one direction, Arthur's eyes turned slightly cold again, and a smile that might have been mocking or helpless appeared on his face.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

Arthur raised his right hand slightly, and his palm turned into a bolt of lightning that shot into the sky.

Meanwhile, above the place where the Dong Stallion was anchored in Area 41, a glowing blue-white mass gathered in the sky. It became countless thin, sharp bolts of lightning that struck down, charring every outlaw who had tried to approach the Dong Stallion into black coal.

He had only been in the Sabaody Archipelago for an hour or two, yet he had already been attacked by bounty hunters and human traffickers, and even the Dong Stallion had attracted the attention of treasure hunters. Arthur had now experienced just how chaotic the islands were.

The Sabaody Archipelago truly was a place where all sorts mingled, beyond even the Marines' jurisdiction.

With Observation Haki (A++) covering the entire Sabaody Archipelago, Arthur focused his attention mainly on two places. One was the Dong Stallion; apart from Franky, he would not allow anyone to climb aboard.

The other was Nami and Robin. Arthur would not take his eyes off them for a moment.

To Arthur's relief, while both he and the Dong Stallion had drawn the attention of outlaws, Nami and Robin, who had already reached the shopping street in Area 30, had not been bothered by anyone.

So Arthur rode the King's horse toward the hotel street district.

He had no intention of immediately going after the Supernovas, because according to his senses, they had not all arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago yet.

He planned to wait until everyone had arrived before making his move.

The Sabaody Archipelago was also known as Soap Bubble Island, and bubble culture permeated every part of it.

Bubble Cars, bubble Ferris wheels, bubble storage bags, bubble masks, houses built on bubbles, and so on...

The hotel streets, a district devoted to renting out lodgings, were located in Areas 70 through 79.

There were bubble houses for rent here too, but rather than choose one of those spherical houses, Arthur went straight to the wealthy district and rented a luxurious villa.

The villas in this wealthy district were all built on separate plots. There was no need to crowd into a building with other people, the surroundings were quiet, and no one would cause trouble.

In fact, the Dong Stallion was docked in Area 41, and there was no rush to have it coated, so Arthur had no need to rent a place at all.

But Arthur and the other two had developed the habit of staying at an island's hotel to enjoy its local offerings whenever they landed.

Even this time, on the chaotic, corrupt Sabaody Archipelago, was no exception.

After renting the villa, Arthur set out to find Nami and Robin at dusk.

For a while afterward, the three lived much as they had in Water 7, touring the Sabaody Archipelago and experiencing its many forms of bubble culture.

Amusement parks, shopping streets, plays, casinos, and so on... Arthur and the other two experienced them all, from cheerful and lively to artistic and tense.

While Arthur enjoyed his leisure time with Nami and Robin, the Supernovas who would later be called the "Worst Generation" finally landed on the Sabaody Archipelago, one after another.

On this day, a sailing ship with a lion figurehead slowly entered Area 41. A skull flag wearing a straw hat hung from its mast, and an enlarged version of the flag's design was painted on its sails.

It was none other than the Straw Hat Pirates, who had made a stunning debut.

(A friendly reminder: the plot is about to explode.)

Chapter 66: Supernovas! Danger!

"Sizzle..."

Water murmured, and the sound of a flute stirred the heart.

In a lavishly decorated room, sunlight filtered through a gap in the curtains and fell on a Simmons bed, illuminating the moving quilt.

"Nami...?!"

Arthur felt a pleasurable sensation pulling him from his sleep. He rubbed his bleary eyes and looked down at his crotch.

"Well? Do you like this way of waking you up?"

Lifting the quilt, he saw Nami's sweet smile. She winked at Arthur, then lowered her head and resumed taking him in and out of her mouth.

"This won't completely put out the fire..."

"Hee-hee, then let's make a double-layer sandwich..."

"Hiss..."

The atmosphere grew wanton, and before long, a symphony rang out, rising from a brisk tempo to a soaring crescendo.

Meanwhile, in Area 41.

The Thousand Sunny, with its lion figurehead, had stopped at a place along the shore.

"Ow~~ What do I see? It's the super... Dong Stallion!"

As soon as the Thousand Sunny docked, a voice rang out from aboard, strangely pitched but full of excitement.