Time trace back to over ten minutes ago.
On the bustling commercial street, two men walked side by side, chatting as they went.
"Ahhh, Zexi! You've finally returned to the embrace of your master!"
"Fortunately, the fellow who bought you didn't have much strength, otherwise it would have been quite tricky."
Rovick held his beloved sword in his arms, continuously rubbing his face against the scabbard. His loud, clamorous display caused the surrounding pedestrians to look over frequently.
"I must say, your method really shows a potential for being a pirate, Rovick-ya."
Carrying the cursed sword Kikoku on his shoulder, Law glanced at the blue-haired traveler walking beside him, his gaze extremely disdainful.
The members of the Heart Pirates and Rovick had already arrived in Hannabal for a while. The Log Pose record had naturally been stored long ago, and the reason they stayed until now was entirely for that upcoming event—the Dead End Race.
Law actually wasn't interested in this kind of activity, but Rovick, one of his few good friends, insisted on participating. After all, this kind of competition was based on pirate crews as a unit.
The subsequent process won't be detailed, but anyway, without knowing for what reason, this Surgeon of Death actually agreed exceptionally in the end, which greatly astonished the rest of the Heart Pirates' crew.
Correspondingly, however, the registration fee for this Dead End Race was entirely resolved by Rovick. And in order to scrape together ten million Berries, this blue-haired funny fellow patted his head and came up with a very spineless plan.
That was: first pretend to auction his beloved sword, and after getting the money, steal the sword back from the buyer!
Anyway, having eaten the Gale-Gale Fruit, he came and went like the wind, so ordinary people wouldn't be able to catch up with him.
Looking at it now, Rovick's plan was extremely successful! It even far exceeded his expectations.
"But I really didn't expect my sword could actually be auctioned for a hundred million Berries!"
Rovick smilingly fastened Zexi at his waist, murmuring, "Hmm, next time I'm short on money, I'll just do this again, hehehe..."
"No, you actually have a better choice."
Law curled his lips, his gaze toward the blue-haired swordsman filled with malice as he enticed, "Didn't you hear them say? The final finale of that auction, that fruit ability user, fetched a transaction price of a whopping one billion Berries, which is ten times your sword."
"It just so happens that you've also eaten a Devil Fruit, so next time you might as well just auction yourself."
"Uh, how could that be possible! No matter how short on money I am, I wouldn't go as far as selling myself!"
Rovick shook his head like a rattle, frowning, "Besides, just how idiotic would a fellow have to be to make a move like auctioning themselves as a slave!"
(At the same time, in a casino on the Sabaody Archipelago, a robust old man with graying hair and a scar over his eye suddenly sneezed violently. He wiped his nose with a completely baffled face, not caring who was speaking ill of him behind his back, took a gulp of liquor, turned his head, and continued to place bets...)
"Is that so..."
Hearing this, a look of regret flashed across Law's seemingly lazy eyes. It looked as if this guy quite hoped Rovick would go and sell himself.
"By the way, Law-ya, why are you so obsessed with participating in this competition?"
This furry-hat-wearing man suddenly asked, "Even if there are inside rumors saying that the destination this time is related to the legendary Seven-Star Sword, that is just a legend after all."
Law was a very cautious person. If a matter didn't have considerable certainty, he wouldn't do it. For someone like the blue-haired swordsman to be willing to risk danger for a vague and illusory legend, Law expressed that he deeply could not understand it.
"So what? I'm a traveler. The Seven-Star Sword is a destination I set for myself in my travels. Besides really wanting to witness that legendary strongest sword, I'm mostly enjoying the process of traveling."
Rovick put both hands behind his head, looking up at the sky, and smiled, "And precisely because the Seven-Star Sword is a legend, I have all the more motivation to pursue it."
"After all, something that can be easily achieved cannot be called a dream!"
After hearing these words, Law turned his head, looking at the blue-haired swordsman with a very strange gaze, as if getting to know him anew.
(This guy really lives a carefree life.)
Just like the Devil Fruit he ate, Rovick's life was as free and elegant as the wind. And thinking of that kind of self-indulgent, completely free life, Law's heart also felt a faint hint of envy.
But immediately, this furry-hat-wearing man's mind recalled a very comical, large smiling face, and at the same time remembered exactly what he had been living for during these past 11 years!
(Cora-san... Yeah, it's impossible for me to live as casually as him, because the destination of my journey is to avenge Cora-san!!!)
Thinking of this, Law forcefully gripped the scabbard of Kikoku, his expression faintly becoming ferocious.
Yet a certain blue-haired swordsman completely failed to notice Law's change, continuing, "But speaking of which, your practice of pursuing practical things really has Sherlock's style."
"Presumably after meeting him, you two will become very close friends. After all, your personalities are quite similar."
Rovick chuckled. As he spoke, he subconsciously looked toward both sides of the street, unintentionally discovering an extremely familiar figure.
"Pre... President?!"
Separated by a layer of glass, the blue-haired swordsman stared at a certain glasses-wearing man who was currently drinking coffee, his face instantly full of bewilderment!
"I really didn't expect that I could encounter you here again, Rovick."
Sherlock walked out of the café, arriving in front of the blue-haired traveler, and used his peripheral vision to unnoticeably size up a certain furry-hat-wearing man.
"Yeah, yeah, I also didn't expect I could run into you here, President!"
Rovick also appeared greatly excited. After all, meeting one's good friend in a foreign land was a very exciting matter. He sized up a certain pair of glasses, and then immediately noticed those few strands of extremely conspicuous silver hair on the latter's head.
"Eh? President, at which barber shop did you get those silver highlights done? So handsome!" Rovick extended a hand and gave a big thumbs-up.
"Uh, it's fine, just ordinary."
Sherlock was simply too lazy to give too much explanation to this funny fellow. Furthermore, regarding the matter of his hair turning silver after overdrawing his mental strength, a certain pair of glasses didn't have the slightest clue either.
"Hehehe, by the way, President, did you and your partners successfully reach Skypeia?"
"Yes, we reached Skypeia." Sherlock nodded, "That place is a very beautiful location."
"Really? I bet that must have been a very wonderful journey..."
Just while Rovick and a certain pair of glasses were exchanging pleasantries, Law held Kikoku in his arms, standing to the side and looking on coldly.
To be precise, he was secretly observing Sherlock.
(Is he the little partner Joker spoke of? He looks like a quite elegant person.)
Law secretly kept his guard up in his heart. Although this was his first meeting with Sherlock, relying solely on the identity of Joker's little partner was enough to make him full of hostility.
Law had stayed in the Donquixote Family for a period of time when he was a child. He knew that Joker referred to his subordinates as "family," but this slightly frivolous form of address, "little partner," was something Law was hearing for the first time.
At the same time, Law knew very well in his heart that this form of address meant Joker highly recognized Sherlock. It could even be said that the madman regarded the Sorcerer as his own [kind]!
(Joker's kind...)
Thinking that a second instance of that demon who could even ruthlessly murder his own blood relatives actually existed on this ocean, even Law, someone who had witnessed hell, felt a spine-chilling sensation arise!
(It seems necessary for me to test him.)
Quietly looking at the Sorcerer whose refined temperament was worlds apart from a certain madman's display, Law made a decision in his heart.
"Oh dear! I was so busy asking about Skypeia that I forgot to introduce you two!"
At this moment, Rovick, coming to his senses, forcefully slapped his own forehead. Then he walked to the middle of the two men, saying with a chuckle:
"Law, this is the big wealthy tycoon I told you about before, the former President of the Goldglint Trading Company, Sorcerer—Sarsalian Sherlock, the military strategist of the Straw Hat Pirates."
"President, this is my good friend from the North Blue, Surgeon of Death—Trafalgar Law, the captain of the Heart Pirates."
"Hehe, I think your personalities are very similar, you will definitely be able to become good friends!"
Just after Rovick finished introducing, the scene instantly quieted down. The atmosphere became very bizarre.
The blue-haired swordsman was instantly full of bewilderment. He turned his head to look at Sherlock, and turned his head to look at Law, discovering that they were staring coldly at each other.
(Eh? Strange, this development is somewhat incorrect?)
According to his assumption, no matter how aloof and cold these two people were, looking out for his face, they should at least symbolically nod in acknowledgment and greet each other, right? Why were they staring blankly at each other without a word like now?
(Just what is going on with these two people?)
The atmosphere gradually became oppressive, and Rovick, who stood between these two people, felt an awkwardness in his heart that was beyond measure, to the point where even the smile on his face became somewhat stiff.
He now only begged for anyone to open their mouth and speak a word to break this awkward situation.
And as if sensing what Rovick was thinking in his heart, these two people actually opened their mouths almost at the same time.
It was just that the words they spoke were definitely not what the blue-haired swordsman hoped for...
"ROOM!"
Accompanied by a pale white cyclone resembling the eye of a typhoon, a semi-transparent dome rapidly took shape and instantly enveloped this street!
"Unlimited Gun Works!"
Countless flintlocks suddenly emerged in midair, flickering with metallic brilliance under the illumination of the sunlight, blotting out half the sky!
A grand battle was touch-and-go!
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