Giantwood Village

Seeing that Rubick was lost in thought, Zeff continued, "The way I see it, the real advantage of learning to use a weapon is that you can clear out the small fry quickly. Back in the day, they called me Red-Leg Zeff, but I still had to kick people one at a time."

"But someone like Hawkeye can cut Mackerel Head's whole ship in half with a single slash, while all I can do is kick it away. Different fighting styles mean different ways of handling things."

Rubick said nothing. After all, Hawkeye could slice Don Krieg's ship, which stood over ten meters tall, clean in half. Mackerel Head's ship was nothing by comparison. Still, he couldn't blame people in the East Blue for knowing so little about the powerful fighters on the Grand Line.

Zeff patted Rubick on the shoulder. "So think it over yourself. It's a major life decision, after all, and I won't stick my nose in any further. All right, spare me the farewell speeches. That little boat is yours."

Rubick looked over the side at a small boat that could seat only three people, bobbing on the sea. Two large sacks had already been loaded aboard, presumably filled with food.

"Then thank you, head chef. Next time I come, I'll bring my companions with me."

Zeff laughed. "Good. Better yet, take Sanji with you when you leave."

Rubick said goodbye to Zeff and rowed away from the Baratie.

Checking the map, Rubick headed west. The royal capital of the Goa Kingdom lay at the far western end, and Luffy's hometown, Foosha Village, was right nearby.

Going straight there was out of the question, though. The sea was vast, and the trip would take at least half a month. Besides, Rubick was in a little boat, rowing with his own two hands. Who knew how slowly he would end up traveling?

"The closest place is Giantwood Village. I'll spend the night there first."

Putting away the map, Rubick rowed southwest. He had just plotted his route on the map. Though it was a little long, there were towns along the way where he could resupply. As long as they didn't run into pirates, even ordinary people could reach Foosha Village safely.

"Giantwood Village. It certainly lives up to its name."

As Rubick stepped ashore at the docks and surveyed the island, he couldn't help letting out a remark of wonder.

Towering trees filled his field of vision, and many villagers simply lived up in them.

"Hey, docking costs 5,000 Beli. Having us watch your boat costs 10,000."

A neatly dressed man in a cowboy hat held a quill and a sheet of paper, speaking impatiently without so much as glancing at Rubick.

Good grief, even parking a boat costs money.

Rubick cheerfully paid up. There were still two sacks of food aboard, so he chose to have the boat watched.

Once Rubick paid, the man's attitude changed completely. He said eagerly, "Don't you worry. Your belongings are in the care of our Giantwood Village Shipwright Alliance. No pirates will steal them."

Rubick gave him an awkward but polite smile. "You mean there are pirates around here?"

"Of course there are."

After writing down Rubick's name, the size of his boat, and the items that needed watching, the man explained patiently, "Our Giantwood Village has some of the finest timber resources in the entire East Blue. Marines and pirates alike come here to have ships built. That two-masted ship next to yours, for example, is actually a pirate ship without its pirate flag flying."

He cleared his throat. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Behave yourself once you're on the island. Never mind picking a fight with pirates—even our Shipwright Alliance's own guards are nearly as strong as the Marines stationed nearby."

"Got it, got it."

It wasn't that Rubick absolutely had to rest here for a day. He had simply been in this world for so long without ever really taking the time to experience its local customs and way of life.

There was still at least a year before Luffy set sail anyway, so he wasn't in much of a hurry.

Beyond the docks, there were plenty of small wooden huts in the trees beside the road. Rubick had initially thought they were distinctive local buildings, but now he realized that each held two armed sentries.

He followed the yellow dirt path worn down by countless footsteps, and the view suddenly opened up.

The first things he saw were two huge trees with a wooden sign nailed to them bearing the words "Giantwood Village." Several wooden huts and walkways had been built around the two trees, serving much like a city wall.

Beneath the trees, people carrying weapons patrolled the grounds. Judging by what the man earlier had said, they were probably members of the Shipwright Alliance.

Passing through this crude gate brought him into the heart of the forest, where hundreds of buildings were packed into a clearing. Besides homes, there were all sorts of shops, taverns, weapon stores, and more.

The people on the streets were interesting, too. Those in Marine uniforms needed no explanation. The vicious-looking ones who carried weapons everywhere were probably pirates. The rest were local residents.

If the surrounding forest hadn't reminded him otherwise, Rubick would have thought he was back in Loguetown.

"There's a fight up ahead!"

Suddenly, someone pointed toward the northern part of the village. "There's a swordsman up ahead trying to capture the Wild Boar Pirates all by himself!"

"Seriously? The captain of the Wild Boar Pirates has a bounty of four million Beli, and he's got over thirty men under him."

The man didn't answer. After shouting the news, he ran north, clearly eager to watch the commotion.

With nothing else to do, Rubick followed. He still didn't know the local rules. If capturing pirates in the street was allowed, he wouldn't mind starting his career as a Pirate Hunter right here.

The crowd ahead was packed several rows deep, and by the time Rubick arrived, he couldn't see a thing. He slipped into an alley, checked that no one was around, then used the Smoke-Smoke Fruit's low-altitude flight ability to reach a rooftop.

Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, he soon reached the front.

Surrounded by the crowd stood a green-haired man holding a katana. Despite facing more than a dozen pirates, he wore a cold smile and showed no sign of nerves.

Rubick narrowed his eyes. To be honest, there weren't many green-haired men in the entire Pirate King world. Add a katana to the mix, and Rubick figured this fellow was very likely Zoro.

Of course, that was only a guess.

"Hey, we've got enough spectators now, don't we? Let's settle this here."

The captain of the Wild Boar Pirates cursed furiously. "Are you crazy? You chased us all the way here? I'm telling you, Giantwood Village is neutral territory. Nobody's allowed to fight here!"

Moss Head remained unmoved. "Hmph. As long as I'm fast enough to finish you off before the patrol arrives, it won't count as a fight. Here I come!"

Moss Head was ruthless and wasted no words. He drew his sword and charged.

The Wild Boar Pirates had nowhere left to retreat. Everyone watching around them knew a thing or two about fighting. Trapped there, they could only draw their blades to defend themselves.