Hachinosu

Hachinosu

The most unrestrained, absurd, and free pirate capital of the old era.

The air here was thick with the stench of alcohol, gunpowder, blood, and the damp sea breeze. Even a deep breath felt like swallowing an entire pot of fermented chaos.

At the center of the island, that enormous rocky skull seemed to be sneering.

Beneath the skull stood dense, layered honeycomb-like buildings carved into the cliffs—

Natural caves had been turned into taverns, weapon shops, slave markets, bounty houses, black markets, and casinos...

Lamplight, furious roars, and cries of despair echoed endlessly between the caves.

The entire island was like the heart of a monster, throbbing with the madness of pirates.

—This was paradise for pirates.

—And a nightmare for ordinary people.

Hachinosu · Harbor

Dozens of pirate ships were docked in the bay, their flags whipping wildly as cannon fire and clinking glasses rang without end.

Several fierce-looking pirates ran back and forth clutching stacks of newspapers, shouting as they ran:

"Hey, hey! Huge news!!! Super huge news!!!"

The surrounding pirates immediately crowded around.

"What happened?! Did the Marines get wiped out? Or did the Admirals start fighting among themselves?"

"Neither!!! It's—"

"Shakuyaku of the Kuja Pirates... has stepped down as Pirate Empress!!!"

"?!!"

The entire place fell silent for two seconds.

Then—

"Boom—!!!"

The whole harbor erupted like a volcano.

Countless pirates clutched their heads and wept. Some even held one another as they wailed.

"No—!! Lady Shakuyaku is retiring?!"

"We'll never run into her at sea again??!!"

"My youth... is overrr!!!"

"Back when the Kuja Pirates surrounded us, she was so beautiful that we forgot to fight back!!!"

"Big Sis Shakuyaku—!!!"

Exaggerated, devastated, utterly shattered.

They were sincerely mourning their youth, and the entire harbor dissolved into an ocean of tears.

Hachinosu · Inner District

Sunlight streamed through the cracks between the honeycomb caves, falling over two legendary women. Gloriosa, in her youth, held a newspaper with a slight frown on her delicate brows.

"What is Shakuyaku thinking? Why did she suddenly decide to retire?"

Beside her, Charlotte Linlin, before her figure had changed, gulped from a bottle of liquor. Hearing that, she burst out laughing.

"Tch! Isn't she just copying you and chasing men all over the world? Hahahaha!!!"

A tiny Katakuri, like a miniature figurine, stood on her arm.

Katakuri carefully kept his balance. "Mama... please don't joke around. I might fall..."

Below, the tiny Charlotte Oven held a piece of candy, gnawing on it as he grinned foolishly. "Mama's the strongest~!"

Gloriosa rolled her eyes and snorted. "What would someone like you, popping out children one after another like popcorn, know about the troubles of love?"

Linlin paused mid-drink. "...Who are you calling popcorn?!"

But Gloriosa ignored her. Her fingers lightly touched the corner of her lips, her gaze thoughtful.

"Still, even that girl Shakuyaku could be affected by love..."

"That's truly a rare sight."

Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying an unusual hint of wistfulness.

On the other side, the young, late-blooming Whitebeard—Edward Newgate—sat atop a massive rock, his back to the sea breeze, his expression cold and steady.

He was lowering his head and carefully wiping his treasured blade—Murakumogiri—with a cloth.

The blade gleamed like a crescent moon, reflecting the flickering firelight of Hachinosu.

And beside him—

"Hmph, a bunch of idiots going on and on about Shakuyaku every day. It's so annoying."

Buckin stood with her hands on her hips, her face full of displeasure.

The next second, she immediately put on a seductive smile and pressed herself against Whitebeard's cheek, deliberately softening her voice.

"But you... you're devoted only to me, right, Newgate~~~?"

Whitebeard's movements paused.

Then he frowned and said impatiently, "When did I ever say I liked you?"

"—Splat!"

Buckin leaped straight onto Whitebeard's shoulder, grabbing his mustache tightly like a frenzied monkey.

"What did you say?! Say that again?!!"

"I'm the wildly popular Miss Bakkin of Hachinosu!! There are so many people after me that they could line up all the way to the end of the Grand Line!!!

"And yet you—"

Whitebeard bared his teeth in pain. "Isn't that a good thing?! Then stop focusing on me alone!!"

Buckin's eyes blazed with fury. "So what if I have lots of admirers?! I've set my sights on you!!!"

Whitebeard sighed helplessly. "...Doesn't that mean you should go find someone else?"

"I said that's not happening!!!"

Buckin's roar instantly cleared a three-meter zone around her. Even the pirates drinking nearby fled in fright.

The daily chaos of Hachinosu was on full display.

The next day · Hachinosu Harbor

A storm-like clamor suddenly erupted.

Countless pirates rushed out of the harbor, shouting as they ran, "Something happened! Something happened! A huge incident—!!!"

"What is it?"

"The Kuja Pirates' ship is here!!!"

The whole of Hachinosu exploded as if struck by lightning.

Nearly every pirate surged toward the harbor in an instant, their eyes shining like light bulbs.

When the Perfume Yuda docked and Shakuyaku stepped onto the harbor—

"Boom!!!"

Dozens of pirates seemed to have been struck by a god. Their eyes popped out as hearts, and they dropped to their knees in unison.

"An angel has descendedddd!!!"

"Big Sis Shakuyaku!!!"

"If I can see you just once in this life... I can die without regrets!!!"

"Why would you come to a filthy place like this..."

"Could it be that you're here to join the Rocks Pirates too?! Just like Lady Gloriosa!"

The cacophony of wails and shrieks nearly overturned the docks.

Shakuyaku paused slightly, a cigarette hanging from the corner of her mouth as she smiled. "I'm planning to live here for a while~"

The pirates were collectively stunned. "What?!!"

Toritoma stood on the ship, frightened by the spectacle. "The harbor... is going to be flooded with tears..."

Just as the pirates of Hachinosu screamed themselves hoarse, a brisk set of footsteps sounded behind Shakuyaku.

"Yo—"

A clear, bright voice came with a young man's hearty laugh.

The pirates all froze.

Before Shakuyaku could stop him, that tall, upright figure had already stepped out from behind her.

His black hair fluttered in the wind. The muscular figure over two meters tall leaned forward slightly, studying the harbor and the massive skull at the center of the island with interest.

Rock grinned. "So this is Hachinosu."

He wrinkled his nose. "Eh? It's even more disgusting than I imagined..."

"—Boom!!!"

The pirates of Hachinosu flew into a collective rage.

"Who the hell are you?! You dare walk out from behind Lady Shakuyaku?! A man??!"

"You little bastard!! You said Hachinosu is disgusting? Are you looking to die!!!"

"Why is there a man on the Kuja Pirates' ship?!!"

The air was instantly saturated with killing intent.

Yet Rock merely raised his eyes slightly. His Observation Haki spread like thunder, effortlessly covering the entire Hachinosu.

The next second, an interested smile appeared on his face. "Yo... there are quite a few strong ones here."

At the same time, in every corner of Hachinosu, nearly all the top pirates looked up as though something invisible had touched them.

The young Whitebeard frowned. "A monster came to the harbor?"

Linlin grinned. "What an interesting presence, mamamama~"

Shiki's eyes sharpened. "This brat..."

Meanwhile, atop the giant skull at the island's center, Rocks D. Zebek sat at the edge of a cave, flask in hand, his gaze cold and wild.

When Rock's Observation Haki swept over him, he stopped drinking.

He looked up.

Separated by several kilometers, Rock's and Rocks's gazes collided fiercely in midair.

The air seemed to explode at that very moment.

The corners of Rocks's mouth slowly curled upward. "Yo~"

"A pretty incredible little brat has arrived."