Three Women Make a Show

Dimon got to his feet, walked over, and hauled the man in the suit upright.

Even a CP4 agent found it hard to stay conscious under Kaido's Conqueror's Haki.

Slap! Slap! Two resounding slaps.

The man in the suit woke from his peaceful sleep. The moment he opened his eyes and saw Dimon's face, his lips began to tremble in fear.

"D-Don't, don't, don't! Don't kill me! Big brother, I surrender!"

"Who are you calling big brother? I ask, you answer."

Dimon grinned, revealing a kindly smile. "Where is this ship headed?"

"Punk Hazard... a secret research base under the World Government." The man in the suit hurriedly answered, not daring to conceal anything.

This was a ruthless man from the Rocks Pirates. His first appearance in the newspapers had been the shocking news of capturing Celestial Dragons, earning him a terrifying bounty of 500 million.

Dimon knew of Punk Hazard. Later, after a battle between two Marine admirals, that place had become "Ice-Fire Island."

"Change course for Hachinosu. You must have one aboard, right?" Dimon said calmly. "An Eternal Pose."

"Yes, yes, we do!"

The man in the suit forced a smile. "Since we often have to carry out missions all over the place, there are many Eternal Poses on board."

Unlike a Log Pose, an Eternal Pose permanently pointed toward a specific island. It was an indispensable tool for sailing the Grand Line.

"Very good. You've saved your life. Now wake a few people and sail this ship to Hachinosu." Dimon nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes! Right away!"

As if granted a pardon, the man in the suit immediately woke several companions and obediently ran off to steer the ship.

Three days later.

On the deck of the warship.

Dimon and Kaido were arm-wrestling. Neither used any Haki; it was purely a contest of arm strength.

Then, with a bang, the crate supporting their elbows could no longer withstand the immense pressure and shattered into pieces.

"A draw!"

Dimon laughed. "Who said it was a draw? I won!"

"No, the crate broke, so it's a draw." Naturally, Kaido refused to admit it. He turned to ask a third party, "Abel, it was a draw, right?"

"Uh... Lord Kaido, Lord Dimon!"

Only eight years old, King was sweating profusely as he racked his brains for an answer.

Fortunately, the man in the suit ran over and rescued him from the predicament.

"Lord Dimon, Hachinosu Island is straight ahead."

Hearing that, Dimon turned to gaze over the distant sea. Though they were still some distance away, the Skull Grand Hotel on the island was already faintly visible.

The man in the suit said with an ingratiating smile, "Um, Lord Dimon, we've fulfilled your request. Does that mean we can...?"

Dimon had no interest in making things difficult for a few small fry. He waved a hand. "Once we've arrived, do as you please. But..."

As he spoke, he gave the man another half-smiling look. "You lost an important test subject. The World Government won't let you off after you return. Why not just defect to the enemy?"

The man in the suit's heart skipped a beat.

This was the reality he had been unwilling to face. He had failed the mission to escort the Lunarian brat, and he could already foresee himself being thrown into prison.

Yet he did not dare direct his resentment at Dimon. Who could have known they would run into people from the Rocks Pirates?

Damn it, this was completely a natural disaster!

As he struggled with his thoughts, the warship finally reached Hachinosu Island's harbor not long afterward.

When the pirates at the harbor saw a World Government ship docking, every one of them was startled.

Then they remembered this was Hachinosu Island. What the hell was there to be afraid of?

A large crowd of pirates immediately gathered, looking fierce and menacing.

But when they saw Dimon and Kaido disembark, their expressions changed instantly, and they all became as docile as kittens.

"Lord Dimon, Lord Kaido, you actually stole a warship and brought it back! As expected of the Rocks Pirates!"

"Ooh! Long live Pirate King Rocks!"

Dimon truly could not be bothered with these flatterers.

Kaido rolled his stiff neck and suggested, "How about a drink? At Shakky's bar."

"I haven't been there before. Might as well check it out."

Dimon thought of that woman, Shakky, and agreed after a moment. "Abel, follow us."

"Yes, Lord Dimon."

Abel quickly followed behind them, his eyes scanning the surroundings with great curiosity about Hachinosu Island, the legendary pirate paradise.

And after they left, those sheep who had been so docile moments before immediately turned back into vicious pirates.

"We, the Storm Pirates, have our eyes on this warship!"

"No, it's mine!"

"Then let's fight! Whoever wins gets it!"

A chaotic melee erupted among the pirates.

The government agents on deck looked at one another, and the man in the suit hurriedly roared, "Set sail! Do you want to die?"

Shakky's bar was an extremely popular tavern on Hachinosu Island, and Shakky herself was hailed as "Hachinosu Island's treasure."

A long line stretched before the tavern, with all the pirates obediently queuing in perfect order.

There was also a unique rule here: no one was allowed to fight inside the tavern. Even if they wanted to fight, they had to do it at least a kilometer away.

As a result, this tavern was a frequent haunt of many Great Pirates, a place where people could sit down and talk peacefully.

When Dimon arrived at the tavern, even he was stunned.

As expected of the Great Oppression Era. These pirates were completely wrapped around her finger.

Sycophants. Every last one of them was a sycophant!

Still, there was no way he was lining up. With a queue this long, he might not get in before dark.

Meanwhile, inside the tavern.

Gloriosa sat at the bar, holding a small makeup mirror as she narcissistically admired her own beauty.

"Ah, Shakky, Shakky. You may be more popular than me now, but give it a few more years, and things will be different~"

Her tone could not have been more smug.

Wearing an apron and carrying a tray, Shakky could not help but laugh at her former captain's vanity.

"I really am jealous. I went to see that brewer before, but sigh, that man was completely unmoved by my beauty. It's quite troubling."

One Devil Fruit could be exchanged for a cup of the Wine of Eternal Life, but obtaining a Devil Fruit was no easy matter.

Stussy pressed an index finger to the corner of her lips and tilted her head in thought. "It really is unbelievable. Could it be that he doesn't like women?"

Though she did not want to admit it, Shakky's beauty was unrivaled. Every pirate on Hachinosu Island was her fan.

"It's not polite to talk badly about people behind their backs."

At that moment, a voice came from the entrance.

The three women turned their heads at once. When Shakky saw Dimon, her eyes lit up and her lips curved upward.

"I wasn't talking badly about you, Dimon. That was Stussy."

Stussy rolled her eyes at her. "Dimon, Kaido, where have you two been these past few days? We haven't seen you."

"Just went out for a stroll."

After casually brushing her off, Dimon looked around the bar. It was far larger than his own place, with every table packed with customers. Only the seats around the bar remained mostly empty.

Dimon immediately walked over and sat at the bar, to Stussy's right.

Kaido sat to Dimon's right. The moment he sat down, he urged, "Shakky, bring over a barrel of liquor."

"Alright."

Shakky was no frail woman. She was the former captain of the Kuja Pirates, a Great Pirate who had spent her days being chased around by Garp.

She bent down and hauled a barrel of liquor out from behind the bar, then looked at Dimon with a smile.

"Dimon, what would you like to drink? As a first-time visitor, it's on the house today."

"A margarita, and give him a glass of water." Dimon pointed at Abel. An eight-year-old child could not drink alcohol.

Then he asked, "Is it just the two of you? Where are Rocks and the others?"

"They went to Elbaf." Gloriosa suddenly snickered. "Oh, right, Dimon. You're new here, so you probably don't know. Rocks used to be one of Shakky's suitors."

Shakky handed Dimon his margarita, then poured Abel a glass of water. "Little brother, this is yours."

"Thank you, big sister," Abel said gratefully.

Dimon already knew about that, but hearing her put it that way, he could not help asking, "Used to?"

"Because he gave up after failing to win her over!" Stussy teased. "Recently, he seems to have fallen for another woman. No idea who it is."

Leaning against the bar with her chin resting on one hand, Shakky said, "More than that. The child is probably about to be born already."

"What!?"

Kaido was stunned.

Dimon's expression turned strange. As the saying went, three women made a play—and these three really could gossip.

Still, had Blackbeard been born yet?