I Want to Sleep in the Bed

"Since that's the case, let's hurry up and go."

Upon hearing that Shirakawa was willing to escort her back to her own country, Kaiser Lynn said excitedly and eagerly.

"No rush. We only just landed on the island today, and we haven't had a good rest yet. Let us relax a bit, and tomorrow we'll send you back."

"Huh?" Kaiser Lynn stared blankly, not expecting that she would have to stay overnight in an enemy country.

"We'll get you a room. You just stay put in there. Taking you out would only cause trouble."

"Fine." Kaiser Lynn pouted reluctantly. She also knew her identity was too sensitive.

As it happened, this entertainment venue had rooms. Though they were a bit pricey, the amenities inside were quite good—everything was available.

"You stay in the room. We're going out." Shirakawa saw Kaiser Lynn to the door and said.

"Then come back quickly." Kaiser Lynn said anxiously. Being left alone here made her a little scared.

"Got it."

With that, Shirakawa closed the door. As he walked away, he even heard the sound of the lock clicking from inside.

"Where to next?" After regrouping with Buggy and Shanks on the first floor, Shirakawa asked the two.

"No idea."

"I don't know either." Both shook their heads, unsure what to do. Maybe after spending so long on the ship, they'd become a bit out of touch with the world.

"How about soaking in the hot springs? This club happens to have them." Just then, Rayleigh emerged from somewhere and suggested.

"Sounds good." Shirakawa's eyes lit up. A hot spring bath would be a perfect way to relax.

"We have no objections." Buggy and Shanks both agreed.

The hot spring area was on the second floor. Calling it a hot spring was generous—it was more like a series of hot water pools arranged in steps, getting hotter the higher you went.

After acclimating to the water temperature, the four of them unhesitatingly went to the topmost pool. Though hot, it was still within Shirakawa's tolerance.

When the four of them entered, everyone else inside kept their distance. It was because they were too intimidating—or rather, the leader Rayleigh was too intimidating.

Rayleigh's body was covered in dozens of scars, large and small. Some marks even crossed each other, indicating that the same spot had been struck multiple times.

Even Shanks had four or five scars on him, Buggy had two, and only Shirakawa's body was completely clean.

"How enviable. Your body is so clean."

Seeing Shirakawa's physique, Rayleigh said with admiration.

"Back when I first set sail, my body was spotless too. Now, so many years have passed."

"But you've also gone from a nobody back then to the 'Dark King' Rayleigh now, with a bounty of over a billion Berry, right?"

"Haha." Rayleigh laughed freely. "If I hadn't met Roger back then, I might already be dead by now."

"But you're still alive. You've taken such severe injuries and yet you live. That means you're a man with a tough fate. Even if you hadn't become a pirate, you wouldn't have died so easily."

"Hahaha, that's true. If I hadn't met Roger, I might have started my own crew."

"So, First Mate, why did you follow the Captain? Your strength is no joke, and you even possess Conqueror's Haki."

"Who knows? I don't know either. Maybe Roger has a certain charm—a charm that makes even other kings submit."

"I don't really feel it."

"Then maybe I'm just being sentimental." Though Rayleigh said this, he didn't think his earlier words were wrong at all.

If Roger didn't have that kind of charm, how could someone like Bullet have submitted to him?

"Let's talk about you. Why is your Conqueror's Haki so strong?"

"Who knows? Maybe I was born a king—the King of Silver." Shirakawa didn't voice the last four words.

"Hmph, you sure can brag. 'Born a king,' huh."

"If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do about it." Shirakawa shrugged helplessly.

What he said wasn't wrong. In his Past Life, maybe not, but in this world, the moment he appeared, he had already proven he was the King of Silver.

"So, do you have any plans? I can tell you won't be staying on our ship forever."

"Why?" Shirakawa was surprised. How did he know he would leave later?

"I can see it. You have ambition. And it's not just me—Roger knows it too."

"And what does the Captain think?" Shirakawa wondered if his behavior was really that obvious, or if the Captain and First Mate were just especially observant.

"What could he think? Let nature take its course. And it's not just you—we know Shanks's thoughts too."

Shanks, who had been listening to their conversation, gave an awkward smile.

"So when do you plan to leave?"

"Probably when we return to the Grand Line. With my current strength, going from the New World to the Grand Line or the Four Seas would be a near-death gamble."

"Oh, then it won't be long for you."

"What do you mean?" Shirakawa asked, puzzled. Was he about to die, or was he about to go back?

"Roger is already planning to head back to the Grand Line."

"Why?"

"Who knows? Maybe he has his own plans. Perhaps he wants to finish what he left undone, so he'll have no regrets."

Shirakawa understood the last sentence clearly—Roger already knew he had a terminal illness and might be going back to fulfill some of his wishes.

After a comfortable soak in the bath, Shirakawa felt much lighter, and he chatted with Rayleigh about many things, learning a lot about the situation.

The captain was about to return to the Grand Line, and Shirakawa would soon leave the ship. At first, he'd considered going with Roger to Laugh Tale to see what was there, to find out what treasure Roger might leave behind.

But after thinking it over for a few days, he gave up on that idea. Exploring for treasure on his own was more interesting.

After the bath, with nothing else to do, he went back to his room. Shirakawa figured he'd take an afternoon nap to prepare for the nightlife ahead.

"Knock knock knock." He rapped on Kaiser Lynn's door.

"Who is it?" Soon, he heard Kaiser Lynn's slightly flustered voice.

"It's me."

"Who's me?"

Hearing this, a black line appeared on Shirakawa's forehead. She couldn't even recognize his voice?

"Shirakawa."

"Oh." Kaiser Lynn opened the door, a stick in her hand, as if ready to whack someone at any moment.

"Ah." Seeing Shirakawa's appearance, Kaiser Lynn let out a shout.

"Why are you dressed like that? Are you trying to be a pervert?"

"What pervert, what pervert?" Shirakawa pushed past Kaiser Lynn, who was blocking the doorway, and walked into the room with a calm expression.

"What else would I wear after a bath besides a robe?"

As he spoke, Shirakawa headed straight for the bed.

"What are you doing?" Kaiser Lynn blocked his path.

"What am I doing? Sleeping, of course." Then, Shirakawa sidestepped her and lay down on the bed.

"This is my room."

"We only opened two rooms. I can't exactly squeeze in with those two guys, can I? You can make do on the sofa for the night."

"Why don't you make do on the sofa?"

"I'm a guy." Shirakawa said with a very serious expression.

"A guy, so what?" Kaiser Lynn was furious.

"Smack." Annoyed by Kaiser Lynn's noise, Shirakawa knocked her out cold.

"Now it's quiet. I can get a good sleep. A soft, big bed really is the best."

Shirakawa drifted off to sleep with a smile, completely ignoring Kaiser Lynn lying on the floor.