"Really? That guy Rayleigh isn't here?"
After hearing what Shakky said, Kaoru Tsubasa could only sigh in mild frustration. He had arrived at the wrong time.
In the original tales, Silvers Rayleigh was always known to wander about. Although he had once served as the vice-captain of the Roger Pirates, these days, the "Dark King" was practically living a quiet, retired life.
"Well then," Tsubasa said calmly, "could you perhaps help us with the ship coating?"
Upon realizing that Rayleigh wasn't at Shakky's bar, Tsubasa turned to her directly, asking if she could handle the task herself.
"Me?" Shakky chuckled lightly. "You want me to do the coating? My prices are quite high, you know."
There was a teasing glint in her eyes as she said it. It was no secret that Shakky's bar rarely had customers — mostly because her prices were far beyond what ordinary folk could afford.
Of course, what she didn't know was that the masked man before her wasn't just anyone. If she had recognized Kaoru Tsubasa's true face, she would have immediately realized his connection to Rayleigh.
"Money isn't a problem," Tsubasa said evenly.
He reached into his system space and produced a heavy pouch filled with Berries. This was part of the vast fortune he had obtained through the lottery system. After setting aside the gold he had promised to give Bucky, Tsubasa still had about sixty billion Berries stored away.
At this point, he could easily echo a certain famous businessman's words: I'm not particularly interested in money.
"Here's one hundred million Berries," he said casually. "Would that be enough to coat our ship?"
"One… one hundred million Berries?!"
Olvia's eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn't expected him to pull out such a staggering sum without hesitation.
"Wait—hold on!" she blurted. "Even for coating, a hundred million Berries is way too much!"
Though she had once lived in Ohara, Olvia wasn't ignorant of the outside world. She knew full well that ship coating could never cost that much.
"This little girl's right," Shakky agreed, raising an eyebrow. "Even for a top-grade coating, it doesn't come close to that price."
She was slightly stunned that Tsubasa could casually take out such an amount, but she still spoke honestly. Even with her craftsmanship, it wouldn't cost anywhere near that much.
"It doesn't matter," Tsubasa replied, waving dismissively. "Whatever's left, consider it a gift — to buy Rayleigh a new bar."
His tone was calm, almost indifferent, as though a hundred million Berries meant nothing to him.
Shakky fell silent, watching him thoughtfully. The more she observed, the more curious she became. Who exactly was this man? The way he spoke of Rayleigh — and the amount of money he was willing to part with — suggested a far deeper connection.
"…Who are you, really?" she finally asked.
Olvia, too, couldn't hide her curiosity. Though she had been traveling with Tsubasa for half a month now, she had never once seen the face beneath his pure white mask.
"Would you like to see my true face?" Tsubasa asked, smiling faintly.
Both women hesitated, then nodded.
A low hum filled the air. Suddenly, a powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki burst forth, sweeping through the entire bar.
"What are you doing?" Shakky exclaimed, feeling the oppressive pressure around her — though she noticed something odd. The aura was deliberately avoiding both her and Olvia.
"Didn't you want to know who I am?" Tsubasa said quietly.
He reached up and removed his mask.
The reason he had unleashed his Conqueror's Haki was simple — to ensure that no one else in the vicinity could see his face.
"You… you're…" Shakky's eyes widened as recognition hit her.
Before her stood the man known across the seas — the Speed Sword Ghost, Kaoru Tsubasa — one of the world's most wanted pirates. His bounty was second only to that of the late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
Though Shakky was stunned, she quickly composed herself. Given what she knew of Rayleigh, it wasn't hard to understand Tsubasa's connection to him.
"The Speed Sword Ghost… Kaoru Tsubasa," Olvia whispered, equally shocked.
Though she had spent her life in the West Blue, even she had heard the name.
...
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