After Elder Nyon finished speaking, the bar fell silent for a moment.
Shakky put down her wine glass, her brows furrowing.
She glanced at the three girls behind Elder Nyon, then looked at Roy and Shanks.
Then, she smiled.
" Elder Nyon, you've come at the perfect time."
She pointed to the two men in front of the bar.
" Red-Haired Shanks, the Heavenly Dao Emperor Roy. These two guys are right in front of you now."
"Do you think that with them around, we can't save two people?"
Elder Nyon was stunned.
She was in such a hurry that she didn't even notice who was sitting in the bar.
Now look at it closely--
The dark-haired man sitting at the bar, holding a glass of wine, looking at her with a half-smile—who else could it be but Roy?
That Red Hair man with the Straw Hat and wide grin, who else could it be but Shanks?
Elder Nyon's pupils suddenly contracted.
"The Heavenly... Heavenly Dao Emperor?!"
" Red-Haired Shanks?!"
"Yo!"
Shanks grinned, raised his glass, and greeted them.
Elder Nyon ignored him and stared intently at Roy.
As the previous Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily, she knew better than anyone else how important this man was.
He wreaked havoc in Mary Geoise, single-handedly Holy Knights, and stole the Heavenly Tribute...
Every single one of these events is enough to shake the entire world.
And now, he sits here, holding a glass of wine, as if listening to something trivial.
"Captain Roy... Captain Roy..." Elder Nyon's voice was a little dry, "You... you'd like to help?"
Roy didn't answer directly, but looked at Shanks instead.
"How do you say?"
Shanks laughed heartily, "Is that even a question? Something this fun is definitely something we'll help with!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, an unusual ripple suddenly appeared on the sea behind the bar.
Roy's Observation Haki sensed things before anyone else.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Well, it seems everything has come together."
Before anyone could react, the back door of the bar was pushed open.
A blue figure walked in.
He was tall and stout, dressed in the traditional clothing of Fish-Man Island, with a string of prayer beads around his neck.
His honest face was now filled with anxiety.
Knight of the Sea Jinbe.
The current Shichibukai, the strongest man on Fish-Man Island.
He was stunned as soon as he entered the door—why were there so many people in the bar?
When Jinbe saw who was sitting at the bar, Jinbe eyes lit up instantly.
" Captain Roy!"
He strode up to Roy and bowed deeply.
Roy raised his hand. " Jinbe, what happened?"
Jinbe looked up, his voice urgent. " On Fish-Man Island, there was a little mermaid girl who, because she was playing, secretly surfaced, and as a result... she was captured by slave traders."
"She's currently in the Sabaody Archipelago, being held captive at the auction house; she's going to be auctioned off in two days."
"I rushed here immediately after receiving the message, but... but the other side is a major force in the Underworld, and I'm all alone..."
He didn't continue.
But the meaning is clear—although he is Shichibukai, in front of the real big shots in the Underworld, the title of Shichibukai is not very useful.
Roy nodded, without saying anything more.
"Perfect."
He pointed to Elder Nyon,
"Two female warriors from Amazon Lily were also captured, at the same auction house, on the same day."
Jinbe was taken aback and turned to look at Elder Nyon.
Elder Nyon was also looking at him.
The two looked at each other and saw the same anxiety in each other's eyes.
Captain Roy.
Jinbe took a deep breath.
"Would... would you be willing to help?"
Roy did not answer directly.
He picked up his glass, took a sip, and then looked around.
Elder Nyon, Jinbe, Shanks, Rayleigh, Shakky... all eyes were on him.
He smiled.
Why are you all looking at me?
"Since everything has happened at once, let's solve it all at once."
The atmosphere in the bar changed instantly after those words were spoken.
Jinbe bowed deeply. " Captain Roy!"
Elder Nyon also lowered her head. " Amazon Lily owes you a favor."
Shanks laughed heartily, "That's more like it! With Roy involved, those slave traders are no match for us!"
Rayleigh pushed up his glasses, smiled, and said nothing.
Shakky, a cigarette dangling from her lips, smiled—she knew Roy wouldn't refuse.
Yamato gripped his spiked club, his eyes gleaming. "Another fight's starting!"
Savi clenched his fists. "An auction house? Interesting."
Jesus Burgess laughed heartily, "Rob it!"
Enel floated in mid-air, his golden staff held horizontally in front of him. "Yehahaha! My lightning is thirsting for more!"
Pea clenched her little fists, looking very serious. "Save people, fight bad guys."
Kazami's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his face expressionless, but his eyes sharp.
Bar scratched his head sheepishly. "I'll shoot wherever the captain tells me to."
Lafitte, Van Augur, Charon stood in the back row, silent but focused.
In the entire bar, only one person did not respond.
Boa Hancock.
The twelve-year-old girl stared intently at Roy from the moment she entered the room.
Her eyes held admiration, excitement, anticipation, and a hint of something else that was hard to define.
She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and walked up to Roy.
"Lord Roy... Lord Roy."
Roy looked down at her.
Hancock blushed.
But she gritted her teeth and said, "You... you remember me?"
Roy looked at her and smiled.
"Of course I remember Boa Hancock."
"I was the one who rescued you in Mary Geoise years ago."
Hancock's eyes lit up instantly.
Her hands were clasped to her chest, her voice trembling. "I... I've been working hard to become stronger! Now, many female warriors on Amazon Lily can't beat me!"
So... so..."
She took a deep breath, summoning all her courage—
"Lord Roy! Please let me join your pirate crew!"
The room fell silent for a moment after he said that.
Elder Nyon's expression changed instantly.
" Hancock! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Hancock, without turning her head, declared, "I'm not lying! I want to Roy Lord Roy's pirate crew!"
"You--!"
Elder Nyon was so angry that she trembled all over.
"You are the next Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily!"
How could you join someone else's pirate crew!
" Amazon Lily has so many warriors, they don't need me!"
Hancock stubbornly held her head high.
"But Lord Roy's pirate crew is the kind of crew I've always dreamed of joining!"
Elder Nyon almost choked on her breath.
She turned her head and glared fiercely at Roy.
That look in his eyes was like looking at a human trafficker who had abducted a minor girl.
Roy touched his nose, somewhat embarrassed.
He truly hadn't expected that the little girl he had casually saved years ago would idolize him to this extent.
" Hancock," he said gently, "You're still young."
"I'm not a little kid anymore!" Hancock retorted immediately, "I'm already twelve years old!"
Roy was both amused and exasperated. "Isn't twelve years old a child?"
"Soldiers from Amazon Lily can go to the battlefield at the age of twelve!"
Roy shook his head helplessly and changed his approach.
" Hancock, listen to me."
Hancock immediately fell silent, staring at him with her large eyes without blinking.
"I'm glad you want to help me. But helping me doesn't necessarily mean joining my pirate crew."
Hancock was stunned.
"Imagine, if you were to become the Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily in the future, the entire Amazon Lily would be under your control."
"Wouldn't it be better for you to come and help me with the warriors of Amazon Lily then, rather than joining my pirate crew alone now?"
Hancock frowned.
She was thinking.
Roy continued, "And I can promise you—after this is over, I'll take you and your two sisters to see Hachinosu."
Hancock's eyes lit up again. "Really?!"
"Real."
"Well... okay then."
Hancock lowered her head and muttered softly.
"Then I'll become the Pirate Empress first, and then I'll help you..."
Elder Nyon breathed a sigh of relief and was about to thank Roy--
"But!"
Hancock suddenly looked up.
"If my mother-in-law doesn't let me go to Hachinosu, I'm quitting the Kuja Pirates right now!"
Elder Nyon: "..."
She glared fiercely at Roy.
Roy shrugged, looking completely innocent—this really has nothing to do with me.