Sabaody Archipelago, Island 13, Rip-off Bar.
Sephiroth, dressed in a black hooded cloak and wearing a white half-mask, pushed open the bar's door and saw Shakky standing behind the counter, a cigarette between her lips as she brewed coffee.
"Oh my! What a rare guest! Sephiroth, what brings you here so suddenly?" Shakky asked with a smile.
"Miss Shakky, I came to find Rayleigh. I wanted to discuss something with him."
Sephiroth pulled back his hood and sat down on a stool in front of the counter.
Given their public identities, one a pirate and the other a Marine, he rarely came looking for Rayleigh in order to avoid any unpleasant rumors. Besides, the latter often wandered between bars and casinos, sometimes staying away from home for days at a time. The two met even less frequently, barely two or three times a year.
"I see! Then you're in luck. He got drunk last night, so he came back to sleep.
"He's still asleep in the back... By the way, what would you like to drink?"
"Coffee, please. Thank you."
Shakky swiftly brewed him a cup of coffee before turning and walking through the door behind the counter to wake Rayleigh, who was still fast asleep.
"Haah... Sephiroth, what did you come to see me about?"
Yawning, Rayleigh covered his faintly aching head from his hangover as he emerged from the back door and leaned against the red U-shaped sofa in the bar. A heavy stench of alcohol still clung to him.
"I want you to teach me Conqueror's Haki Infusion."
Sephiroth calmly looked at the sixty-three-year-old elder with a head full of white hair.
Through his Observation Haki, he could sense that the other man's aura had weakened slightly compared to three years ago, but he was still terrifyingly