After what had been little more than a farce, Shin walked through the streets of the kingdom.
The place was filled with the distinctive atmosphere of a kingdom in the pirate world, and the mood seemed fairly harmonious.
Now and then, people who looked suspiciously like pirates appeared among the crowd, though they disguised themselves whenever they came ashore.
Under normal circumstances, pirates would not cause trouble in these countries along the Grand Line. They needed these nations for supplies, and once they were blacklisted, things often became troublesome. At least for now, the kingdom turned a blind eye to pirates.
Of course, another reason was that these kingdoms had countless secret ties with certain great pirates. Even if they had not openly been placed within a great pirate's sphere of influence, they were effectively that pirate's territorial waters.
After all, the World Government was too far away, while great pirates were too close. To survive in the chaotic "New World," nations, pirates, and every other faction all had their own rules for survival.
The kingdom's main island was fairly vast, but apart from this city, there were only two or three smaller ones.
As Shin walked through it, the sea breeze still swept into the city across the horizon. He did not intend to stay here for long.
His purpose in coming to the "New World" was simple: catch up to Roger's group and head to "Laugh Tale."
Shin had no interest whatsoever in the so-called title of Pirate King, nor was he particularly interested in the great treasure known as "One Piece."
Leaving aside how obviously suspicious that treasure's premise was, even if something good truly was buried there, could it possibly be richer than Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon?
His purpose in going to "Laugh Tale" was simple.