On a small hillside of Island 13 in the Sabaody Archipelago, Ortoren held a map of the islands. He compared it with the distant tavern and smacked his lips. "The name and location should be right."
That tavern in the distance was Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
Its owner, Shakky, had once been the Empress of Kuja Island's Amazon Lily, spent time as a Great Pirate, and had even been relentlessly chased by Garp.
Beyond that, the right hand of the Pirate King—the Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh—was said to be living here in seclusion, enjoying a quiet life with Shakky.
But Ortoren wasn't here in the Sabaody Archipelago to cause trouble for Rayleigh. He had come for Gild Tesoro.
The problem was that the Sabaody Archipelago was huge, with more than seventy islands, home to countless shady criminals hiding in the dark. Chaotic, crowded, and dangerous, it was nearly impossible to track down a single person alone.
In situations like this, he needed a local to help. And Shakky just happened to be the most well-connected information broker on the Sabaody Archipelago—without question, the perfect fixer.
Ortoren might have wasted a long time searching on his own, but with Shakky's help, he could likely find Tesoro quickly.
Soon, he arrived at the tavern's door. Just as he was about to push it open, it swung inward, and Shakky came out dragging a man beaten half to death, covered in blood and already unconscious.
Shakky, apparently not expecting anyone at the door, instinctively said, "Sorry, sorry. This customer tried to skip out on his bill, so things got a little… unpleasant."
Before she could finish, her eyes widened as she recognized Ortoren.
Since he was here on personal business, Ortoren wasn't wearing the Marines' cloak of justice. He had sunglasses covering most of his face, a loud beach shirt, baggy shorts, and not even his warhammer with him. He looked more like a tourist than anything else.
But Shakky was a seasoned intelligence dealer and a former pirate. No matter how he dressed, there was no way she wouldn't recognize him.
Still, as a veteran Great Pirate, she quickly calmed after her brief surprise. "Oh my, young man, are you here to cause trouble??"
Ortoren grinned, flashing a bright smile. "No, I'm here for your help."
"Well, that's a rare thing. A Marine coming to me for help?" Shakky casually tossed the unconscious fool into the river and looked Ortoren up and down.
Then, before he could answer, she said, "Whatever it is, come inside and talk."
Ortoren didn't hesitate and followed her into the tavern. Inside, he spotted a scruffy middle-aged man sprawled on the sofa, snoring loudly. A newspaper covered his face, and his flip-flops dangled from his toes. Judging by the wine jug that had slipped from his hand onto the floor, he had clearly drunk himself unconscious in the middle of the day.
Even with his face hidden, Ortoren recognized him at a glance. The drunk passed out on the couch was none other than that old fossil, Rayleigh!
Shakky didn't cut Rayleigh any slack. She kicked him hard in the calf and snapped,
"Wake up already! Can't you see we've got a guest?"
Rayleigh groggily pulled the newspaper from his face and muttered, "What guest..."
Then he caught sight of Ortoren's mischievous grin. Shocked, he sobered up instantly and sat bolt upright. "That hot-headed brat—are you here to arrest me?"
"Not at all. I couldn't care less about you. But since I ran into you, I've got a question. That Douglas Bullet—did you really fight him to a draw?" Ortoren asked with a broad smile.
Seeing that Ortoren wasn't hostile, Rayleigh casually picked up a cup of tea from the table—long since gone cold—downed it in one gulp, and said, "You already know the answer, don't you?"
"Fair enough." Ortoren shrugged, dropping the subject.
He had experienced Rayleigh's power firsthand. Even though back then he was young and untrained, he could still sense how overwhelming Rayleigh was. Compared to him, Bullet was far inferior.
"So, what did you come to me for? I've already washed my hands of the past. These days I'm just a coating craftsman here in the Sabaody Archipelago, not causing the Marines any trouble..." Rayleigh said after setting down his cup.
"Don't think hiding somewhere counts as retirement, erasing your crimes just like that..." Ortoren scoffed, then added, "But like I said, I can't be bothered with you right now. I'm not here for you."
With that, Ortoren ignored Rayleigh and turned toward Shakky, who had gone behind the bar to tidy up. "Ms. Shakky, if I'm not mistaken, you're in the information business, aren't you?"
"Just small stuff," Shakky replied with a smile, raising an eyebrow. "But I know plenty about what goes on in the Sabaody Archipelago. What kind of intel are you after, young man?"
With her own strength and Rayleigh by her side, Shakky wasn't worried about Ortoren making a move. Even with Marine Headquarters nearby, if they couldn't win, they could always run. Worst case, she'd just open her tavern elsewhere—it wasn't a big problem.
"I'm looking for a green-haired man." Ortoren roughly described Tesoro's appearance and age before adding, "His name's Gild Tesoro. He should be here on the Sabaody Archipelago."
"Oh..." Shakky clearly knew the name. She nodded. "Diligent Tesoro, right? That kid's pretty well-known around here. Works seven jobs at once, takes on any dirty or exhausting task. That's why people call him 'Diligent Tesoro.'"
"Yeah, that's the one. Where is he?" Ortoren asked, eyes lighting up.
Tesoro really had been diligent. Before being enslaved in Mary Geoise, he was an ambitious young man.
His family life was miserable. His father was a drunken gambler who abandoned his wife and children when Tesoro was still a child.
His mother wasn't any better, blaming him for everything and abandoning him early as well.
After that, Tesoro lived alone. Despite his hardships, he didn't give in or stray down a dark path. He dreamed of becoming a singer and worked toward it, though he never succeeded.
While working on the Sabaody Archipelago, he once stumbled across Stella—a "commodity" displayed like a slave in a showcase. He fell hopelessly in love with her.
His tireless work ethic came from a single goal: to earn enough money to buy Stella's freedom and live with her.
But fate is cruel, and misfortune always finds the unfortunate.
Just as Tesoro was about to save enough to free Stella, the Celestial Dragons appeared. They took her away, and when Tesoro tried to protest, he was captured and enslaved as well.
Later, Stella was tortured to death in Mary Geoise. When Tesoro learned of it, all his hopes for a better future crumbled.
The corruption of Mary Geoise consumed him. After Fisher Tiger's arson in Mary Geoise, Tesoro managed to escape that hell with the others.
But he was no longer the pure youth who once dreamed of happiness. He had become the very kind of man he once despised.
Perhaps on the day Stella died, Tesoro died too. The one who lived on was the Golden Emperor.
"No need for you to look yourself. I'll make a call with the Den Den Mushi and have him come over. That kid used to work here for me, delivering booze and such," Shakky said calmly.
Then, after a pause, she added, "But my intel isn't cheap. How does the young man plan to pay?"
Ortoren stroked his chin. "If you bring him here, I'll pretend I never came. How's that?"
Shakky didn't hesitate and nodded. "I don't want to move either. Deal."
With that, she pulled out a Den Den Mushi and began contacting 'Diligent Tesoro.'
Seeing this, Ortoren sat down across from Rayleigh and started chatting idly to pass the time.
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