Hachinosu

Hachinosu

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

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

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

Beneath the skull stood densely packed, layered honeycomb-like buildings carved into the rock—

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

Lamplight, furious roars, and cries echoed endlessly through the caverns.

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

—This was paradise for pirates.

—And a nightmare for ordinary people.

Hachinosu · Harbor

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

Several burly pirates ran about 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 turn on each other?"

"Neither!!! It's—"

"Shakuyaku of the Kuja Pirates... resigned as Pirate Empress!!!"

"?!!"

The entire place went silent for two seconds.

Then—

"Boom—!!!"

The whole harbor erupted like a volcano.

Countless pirates clutched their heads and burst into tears. Some even grabbed each other and 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 Sister Shakuyaku—!!!"

Exaggeration, collapse, utter devastation.

They were sincerely mourning their youth, and the entire harbor became a sea of tears.

Hachinosu · Inner District

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the honeycomb caverns, falling over two legendary women. Gloriosa, in her younger days, held a newspaper with her delicate brows furrowed.

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

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

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

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

Katakuri carefully maintained 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 best~!"

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 froze midway through drinking. "...Who are you calling popcorn?!"

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

"Still, even Shakuyaku could be affected by her feelings..."

"That's truly a rare sight."

Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying an unusually wistful sigh.

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

He lowered his head and carefully wiped his treasured blade—Murakumogiri—with a cloth.

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

And beside him—

"Hmph, those idiots going on and on about Shakuyaku all day are so annoying."

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

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

"But you... you're devoted only to me, aren't you, Newgate~~~?"

Whitebeard paused.

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

"—Smack!"

Buckin leaped onto Whitebeard's shoulder and yanked hard on his beard like a crazed monkey.

"What did you say?! Try saying that again?!!"

"I'm Miss Buckin, the super-popular beauty of Hachinosu!! The people chasing after me could line up all the way to the end of the Grand Line!!!

And you—"

Whitebeard grimaced in pain. "Isn't that a good thing?! Then stop fixating on me alone!!"

Fire burned in Buckin's eyes. "So what if I have lots of suitors?! I've got my eyes on you!!!"

Whitebeard sighed helplessly. "...Doesn't that mean you should be looking for someone else?"

"I said no!!!"

Buckin's roar instantly cleared a three-meter radius, even frightening nearby drinking pirates into backing away.

Hachinosu's daily chaos was on full display.

The next day · Hachinosu Harbor

A storm of noise suddenly erupted.

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

"What is it?"

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

The entirety of Hachinosu exploded as if struck by lightning.

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

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

"Boom!!!"

Dozens of pirates looked as if they had been struck by a god. Hearts popped into their eyes as they dropped neatly to their knees.

"An angel has descendedddd!!!"

"Big Sister 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've come to join the Rocks Pirates too?! Just like Lady Gloriosa!"

Their overlapping shrieks and wails nearly overturned the docks.

Shakuyaku paused, 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 aboard the ship, frightened by the spectacle. "The harbor... is going to be flooded with tears..."

Just as Hachinosu's pirates screamed madly, a brisk set of footsteps sounded behind Shakuyaku.

"Yo—"

A crisp, 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 emerged from behind her.

His black hair fluttered as his muscular, over-two-meter-tall body leaned forward slightly. He looked over the harbor and the enormous skull at the island's center with great interest.

Rock grinned. "So this is Hachinosu."

He wrinkled his nose. "Huh? It's even nastier than I imagined..."

"—Boom!!!"

The pirates of Hachinosu flew into a collective rage.

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

"You bastard brat!! You called Hachinosu disgusting? You wanna die!!!"

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

The air instantly filled with killing intent.

Yet Rock merely raised his eyes slightly. His Observation Haki spread like lightning, effortlessly enveloping all of 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 if 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..."

Atop the enormous skull in the center of the island, Rocks D. Zebek sat beside a rock cave with a jug of wine in hand, his eyes cold and wild.

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

He looked up.

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

The air seemed to explode in that instant.

Rocks's lips slowly curled up. "Yo~"

"Quite an extraordinary little brat has arrived."