The lively conversations that had filled the street moments earlier were gone.
Shopkeepers had abandoned their counters, pedestrians had moved to the edges of the road, and pirates who normally swaggered through Sabaody with weapons on full display were now kneeling with their heads lowered.
No one dared to look directly at the procession moving through the center of the street.
Saint Charlos rode atop the back of an exhausted man fitted with a metal collar. Armed guards surrounded him, while servants followed close behind.
A transparent helmet covered the Celestial Dragon's head, separating him from the air breathed by everyone else.
The slave beneath him stumbled.
Charlos immediately kicked the man in the side of the head.
"Keep moving! Do you expect me to crawl along at this pace?"
The slave gritted his teeth and forced himself onward.
No one intervened.
The people lining the street lowered their heads even further, desperate to avoid attracting the World Noble's attention.
Ahead of the procession, several doctors were carrying a critically injured patient toward the hospital. They had been moving as quickly as they could, too focused on saving the man's life to notice Charlos approaching from behind.
The Celestial Dragon's face twisted with anger.
"They're still standing."
One of his guards stepped forward.
"Saint Charlos, they appear to be transporting an injured man."
"So?"
Charlos drew his pistol.
The doctors froze when they finally noticed him.
Before any of them could apologize, Charlos strode forward and kicked the stretcher aside. The wounded patient crashed against the ground, drawing a horrified cry from the nurse accompanying them.
"Please stop!" she pleaded. "He'll die if we don't reach the hospital soon!"
Charlos turned toward her.
His anger disappeared almost instantly.
The nurse was young and beautiful, with long hair falling over her shoulders. She wore a white medical uniform and had thrown herself protectively beside the injured patient.
Charlos pointed at her.
"I like that one."
"You'll become my newest wife."
The nurse stiffened as all the color drained from her face.
"W-What?"
One of the doctors rushed forward.
"You can't! Marie is engaged to me!"
Charlos stared at him as though he had just heard something incomprehensible.
Then he raised his pistol.
A gunshot echoed through the street.
The doctor collapsed, blood spreading across the front of his clothing.
"Judy!"
Marie screamed and dropped beside him.
Charlos handed his pistol to one of his attendants.
"Take her back to Mary Geoise. Get rid of whichever wife I'm tired of."
"No!"
Marie struggled desperately as the guards seized her arms.
"Let me go! Judy!"
The surrounding civilians remained on their knees.
Some trembled with anger while others closed their eyes, but none of them moved.
No ordinary person could oppose a Celestial Dragon.
At that moment, a lone figure entered the street from the opposite direction.
Three swords hung from the green-haired man's waist. He carried a bottle of alcohol in one hand and walked with the casual confidence of someone completely unaware that every person around him was kneeling.
Roronoa Zoro stopped when he noticed the strange procession.
He glanced from the kneeling civilians to the man wearing a bubble over his head.
Charlos also noticed him.
Their eyes met.
Zoro stared at the Celestial Dragon for several seconds before speaking.
"What?"
He glanced along the road behind him.
"Are you lost? Do you need directions?"
Several people nearly stopped breathing.
Jewelry Bonney, who had been observing from among the crowd in the form of a small child, stared at him in disbelief.
Capone Bege paused near the entrance of a nearby building.
Scratchmen Apoo leaned forward from his hiding place, an eager grin spreading across his face.
Even Basil Hawkins lifted his gaze from the cards in his hand.
Charlos's face turned red.
"You dare speak to me like that?"
Zoro raised an eyebrow.
"You're the one standing in my way."
The crowd watched in horror.
He truly had no idea who he was speaking to.
Charlos snatched his pistol back from his servant and aimed it directly at Zoro's forehead.
"Die."
He pulled the trigger, and the gunshot rang out.
Zoro tilted his head, letting the bullet pass harmlessly beside his face as his expression changed.
The casual confusion in his eyes vanished, replaced by a cold sharpness.
The bottle slipped from his fingers as one hand moved toward the swords at his waist, his thumb pressing against a guard as a blade shifted inside its sheath.
Apoo's grin widened.
"He's really going to do it."
There had been no hesitation in Zoro's movement.
The instant Charlos had fired, Zoro had decided to cut him down.
Bonney moved before the sword could leave its sheath.
She launched herself from the crowd and slammed into Zoro's side.
The two of them crashed against the ground as another gunshot rang out.
Bonney quickly poured tomato juice across Zoro's forehead and threw herself over him.
"Big Brother!"
Her childish cry echoed through the street.
"No! He killed my brother!"
Zoro stared at her from beneath the tomato juice.
"What are you—"
Bonney pressed his face against the ground.
"Do not move," she hissed under her breath.
Charlos stared at them.
For a moment, he appeared uncertain whether Zoro had dodged the first shot. However, after seeing the red liquid running down his face and hearing Bonney's cries, he quickly lost interest.
"Hmph. That's what happens when commoners refuse to show respect."
He returned his pistol to his servant.
"Let's go. Bring the woman."
Marie's pleas gradually faded as the Celestial Dragon and his procession continued down the street.
No one moved until Charlos had disappeared around the corner.
Only then did the people begin rising from the ground.
Bonney's body returned to its adult form.
She stood, grabbed Zoro by the front of his shirt, and pulled him upright.
"What is wrong with you?!"
Zoro wiped the tomato juice from his forehead.
"He shot at me."
"I saw that!"
"Then why did you stop me?"
Bonney stared at him.
"Are you an idiot? Of course because that was a Celestial Dragon!"
Zoro's expression remained blank.
"So?"
Bonney nearly struck him.
"Do you seriously not know what happens when someone attacks one of them?"
"No."
"A Navy Admiral is dispatched!"
Her voice carried across the street.
"Attack a Celestial Dragon, and the Marines send one of their strongest forces after everyone involved! You nearly brought an Admiral to this island because you couldn't ignore one bullet!"
From a nearby rooftop, Urouge watched the exchange with an amused smile.
"So that is Pirate Hunter Zoro."
One of his crewmates looked at him.
"He nearly attacked a World Noble without knowing who he was."
"Knowing probably wouldn't have changed his decision."
Urouge folded his massive arms.
"A man like that does not appear suited to following another person's orders. His captain must be quite remarkable."
Not far away, Capone Bege took a slow drag from his cigar.
"That fool is not even the captain."
His eyes remained fixed on Zoro.
"A subordinate with a bounty exceeding one hundred million, yet he cannot control himself in front of a Celestial Dragon. The Straw Hat crew seems to be filled with madmen."
Scratchmen Apoo laughed from his position above the street.
"Did you feel that?"
His long fingers tapped against his arm.
"That wasn't a bluff. The swordsman released enough killing intent to make the whole street freeze."
One of the On Air Pirates swallowed nervously.
"He really meant to kill the Celestial Dragon?"
"Without a doubt."
Apoo's teeth showed through his grin.
"The Pirate Hunter is a dangerous one."
Basil Hawkins quietly returned his attention to the cards in his hand.
"The likelihood of an Admiral arriving on Sabaody today has narrowly decreased."
His gaze shifted toward Zoro.
"Although the probability has not disappeared."
Down on the street, Bonney continued scolding the swordsman before realising arguing with him was clearly pointless.
A faint groan came from the ground.
Zoro looked toward Judy, who was clutching the gunshot wound in his chest.
Marie had been taken away, and none of the doctors remaining nearby seemed willing to move while Charlos's guards were still within sight.
Zoro walked over and crouched beside the injured man.
"Can you stand?"
Judy's breathing was weak.
"No…"
Zoro sighed, slipped one arm beneath him, and lifted him onto his shoulder.
Bonney blinked.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking him to a doctor."
Zoro turned toward the surrounding civilians.
"Which way is the hospital?"
Several people pointed down a nearby street.
"That way! Turn left after the next bridge!"
Zoro nodded and began walking in the direction they had indicated.
Bonney watched him leave.
"What a strange man…"
Urouge's smile grew wider.
"A pirate who was ready to cut down a World Noble one moment and carries a wounded stranger to safety the next."
He laughed quietly.
"The Straw Hat Pirates truly are an interesting crew."
Zoro continued through the street with Judy resting across his shoulder.
He had barely crossed the next intersection when four figures appeared ahead of him.
Three women walked together, with a young man following beside them.
The orange-haired woman carried herself with the relaxed confidence of someone who felt completely at ease despite the number of dangerous pirates on the island.
Beside her walked a blue-haired woman dressed in clothes that marked her as someone from a wealthy background, although there was nothing arrogant in her expression.
The third woman was taller, with black hair and calm blue eyes that appeared to take in every detail around her.
The man beside them wore a striped coat draped loosely over his shoulders.
Two swords hung at his side.
Zoro stopped.
The instant his gaze settled upon Shiki, every relaxed muscle in his body tightened.
Shiki continued forward until Zoro stood directly in his path, then stopped in front of him.
For several seconds, neither man spoke.
Zoro's gaze briefly moved toward the sword at Shiki's side.
A swordsman...
More importantly, he was not an ordinary one.
Zoro could not explain how he knew.
But every instinct Zoro had developed through countless battles warned him that drawing his sword carelessly would be a terrible mistake.
Shiki looked at the wounded man across Zoro's shoulder before meeting the swordsman's gaze again.
Zoro finally broke the silence.
"What do you want?"
His hand remained on his sword.
"Do you need directions or something?"
For a moment, Nami thought Shiki might take offense.
Instead, a smile appeared on his face.
"You're a funny guy."
Shiki stepped aside and continued walking.
Nami, Vivi, and Robin followed him.
None of them said anything as they passed Zoro.
Only after the four had moved several steps behind him did the pressure gripping Zoro's nerves begin to fade.
His fingers slowly loosened around the hilt as he glanced over his shoulder.
Shiki's striped coat shifted gently as he walked.
Zoro's lips curved into a tense grin.
There was a faint spark of excitement in his eyes.
"Who the hell was that guy…?"
Zoro remained there for several seconds before Judy groaned from his shoulder.
"Oh. Right."
He turned back toward the road.
"Hospital."
After taking three steps, he stopped at an intersection and looked from one street to another.
"Was it left here…?"
Meanwhile, Nami glanced back toward the green-haired swordsman.
He was already walking in the wrong direction.
She then looked at Shiki.
"Did you know that green-haired guy?"
"No."
Nami blinked, then clasped her hands behind her back and leaned closer with a teasing smile.
"You don't usually smile at people you've just met."
Vivi looked curious as well.
Shiki rarely showed genuine interest in unfamiliar pirates. Most of the people they passed barely earned a second glance from him.
Shiki kept his gaze ahead and answered after a brief pause.
"I simply found him interesting."
"Interesting?" Vivi repeated, wondering what Shiki had found so interesting about the green-haired guy.
"He has character."
Nami and Vivi exchanged a glance.
That was unusually high praise coming from him.
Shiki's smile remained as he continued walking.
Men like Roronoa Zoro had always appealed to him.
Zoro possessed the same stubborn drive that Shiki had once seen in Might Duy and Might Guy.
Neither talent nor danger could make men like them stop moving forward. They trained until their bodies failed, recovered, and then trained again.
That was precisely why Shiki had drawn both Might Duy and Might Guy into his camp during his time in the Naruto world.
Zoro was much the same.
Among the Straw Hat Pirates, he might have been the one who had forced the greatest result from every opportunity given to him.
It was not that the others had never worked hard.
Every member of that crew had fought, suffered, and grown throughout their journey.
But Zoro pursued strength with a different kind of discipline.
Whenever the chance appeared, he trained.
Whenever he encountered a stronger opponent, he used the battle to push himself further.
Every injury, every defeat, and every narrow escape became another step toward his goal.
The world knew Roronoa Zoro as the Pirate Hunter and one of the Eleven Supernovas.
Shiki saw something else.
A swordsman who might one day stand among the greatest.
"Ohh…"
Nami studied Shiki's expression.
She could tell he genuinely thought highly of the green-haired man.
"Is he famous?"
Robin answered before Shiki could.
"That should be Roronoa Zoro."
"Roronoa Zoro?"
"He is the swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates and is widely regarded as their captain's right-hand man."
Robin lightly touched her chin, seemingly thinking of something.
"His bounty is over one hundred million as well. We saw his captain's wanted poster earlier."
"Really?"
Nami blinked, then gave a small nod.
"Right… I almost forgot about that."
With that, they continued on their way. After asking around for a while, they finally got directions from a surprisingly "kind" bounty hunter and headed toward the place where Shiki said they could find a reliable ship coater.
....
Blood spread across the floor of the Human Auctioning House.
Pappag lay near the shattered entrance, one tiny hand pressed against the gunshot wound in his body. Smoke still curled from the barrel of Saint Charlos's pistol.
For a moment, the entire hall remained silent before Charlos burst into laughter.
"I shot it!"
He bounced excitedly upon the back of his exhausted slave and pointed at Pappag.
"A talking starfish! I wonder how much one of those is worth."
Several nobles in the audience recoiled from Pappag in disgust, while others leaned forward to get a better look at the strange creature.
"Can it really speak?"
"What an ugly little thing."
"Perhaps it could be kept as a pet."
Carina's hands clenched at her sides as Sanji's face darkened, while Chopper tried to rush toward Pappag only to be stopped by the armed guards blocking the aisle.
Camie struck both hands against the glass of her tank.
"Pappag!"
Her voice could not pass through the thick glass, but the terror upon her face was clear.
Luffy stood completely still.
His straw hat cast a shadow over his eyes.
Pappag forced himself to look toward him.
"L-Luffy…"
Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
"Don't…"
Luffy's shoulders trembled.
Pappag knew exactly what he was about to do.
"We can't attack them…"
His voice weakened with every word.
"If someone lays a hand on a Celestial Dragon… a Navy Admiral will come…"
Charlos frowned when he heard Pappag speaking.
"You're still making noise?"
He raised his pistol again, and a second gunshot echoed through the auction hall as the bullet struck the floor beside Pappag.
Before Luffy could take a single step, the main doors of the auction house opened.
The sound was not particularly loud.
However, something about the people entering caused the attention of nearly everyone near the rear of the hall to shift toward them.
Shiki walked through the doorway with Nami, Vivi, and Robin beside him.
He had led them to the Human Auctioning House without slowing his pace after explaining that the person who could arrange their ship's coating could be found inside.
From the moment they entered, Nami had regarded the building and its wealthy, unpleasant-looking customers with suspicion.
"Would a ship coater really come to a place like this?"
"The one we're looking for would."
They did not seem to notice or perhaps simply ignored that the entire room's attention had shifted toward them.
Among them, Kid had already recognized the striped coat and the swords resting at Shiki's side.
His grin remained, but a faint tension entered his eyes.
"So even he came here…"
Killer turned his masked face toward him.
"Kid, is that him?"
Kid leaned forward in his seat and nodded.
"The nine-hundred-million-Berry Pirate."
"Golden Lion Shiki."
Despite his eager expression, Kid's fingers had tightened against the arm of his chair.
Across the hall, Law had also recognized him.
His usual smile faded slightly.
"So that's Shiki."
Bepo glanced between Law and the newcomer.
"The pirate with the nine-hundred-million-Berry bounty?"
"Yes."
Luffy turned at the sound of Kid saying Shiki's name, and the anger on his face briefly gave way to recognition.
He pointed across the hall.
"Hey! You're that guy with the huge bounty!"
Usopp grabbed both sides of his head.
"Luffy, this is not the time!"
Luffy ignored him and pointed at himself with his thumb.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy—the man who's going to become King of the Pirates!"
Kid's grin vanished as a vein bulged on his forehead.
"That bastard…"
Law covered the lower half of his face with one hand, though the amusement in his eyes was clear.
Shiki studied Luffy for a moment before giving him a brief nod, and though the response was simple, Luffy's grin widened.
Charlos had no interest in their exchange, his gaze already fixed on Vivi as her long blue hair immediately caught his attention.
For the first time since entering the auction house, Charlos forgot about Camie.
There was something familiar about the woman standing beside that untouchable.
The blue hair reminded him of someone he had seen many times within the Holy Land.
Saint Manmayer Gunko.
She was one of the Knights of God, a woman who walked through Mary Geoise with an authority that even ordinary World Nobles could not ignore.
Charlos had watched her from a distance more than once.
However, Gunko was beyond his reach.
Her position, power, and standing among the Knights of God placed her far above the women he normally took whenever they caught his attention.
Even Charlos understood that he could never demand that Gunko become one of his wives.
The blue-haired woman below possessed none of Gunko's authority or so Charlos believed and his mouth fell open as he stared at Vivi.
"I want that one."
Charlos pointed directly at her.
"The blue-haired woman."
"I don't need the starfish anymore."
Pappag's eyes widened slightly.
Charlos waved dismissively toward Camie's tank.
"I already bought the mermaid. Take the blue-haired woman too. She'll become my next wife."
Charlos struck the slave beneath him with his heel.
"What are you waiting for?"
He pointed at the guards.
"Capture her!"
The guards did not move. Some had gone pale, while others stared at Shiki with sweat running down their faces.
They had all seen his wanted poster, and a bounty of nine hundred million Berries was not something anyone on Sabaody could ignore.
Charlos's face twisted.
"Didn't you hear me?!"
He jumped down from his slave's back and struck the nearest guard with the handle of his pistol.
"Go!"
"Why are none of you moving?!"
"They have more sense than you do."
Shiki looked at the Celestial Dragon as though he were something unpleasant that had crawled beneath his shoe.
"Even they can tell when they shouldn't take another step."
His gaze briefly moved over Charlos's bubble-covered head.
"You brain-dead fool."
The auction house fell completely silent.
Charlos's mouth fell open, stunned that anyone would dare speak to him that way.
"You…"
His entire body began trembling.
"You called me—"
"Nami."
Shiki did not allow him to finish.
Nami released a long sigh.
"I knew this would happen."
She stepped forward and raised one hand.
Her earlier anger disappeared behind a brilliant smile.
The guards surrounding the platform suddenly felt every hair upon their bodies stand upright.
White-blue light gathered around Nami's raised fingers.
"Try not to die."
Lightning erupted through the auction house, tearing through every guard before they could react. Bodies crashed into seats and walls until none remained standing.
Nami lowered her hand with a bright smile.
"There."
Usopp stared at her, his mouth hanging comically wide open.
"She defeated all of them at once!"
Chopper's mouth had fallen open.
"What kind of power was that?!"
Sanji's eyes transformed into hearts.
"What a beautiful and terrifying lady!"
Carina struck him across the back of the head.
"Focus on Camie and Pappag!"
Luffy tilted his head as he looked at Nami.
"She's strong."
Saint Rosward rose from his seat, his face purple with rage.
"How dare you attack our guards!"
Saint Shalria stared at the unconscious men in disbelief.
"Father, these pirates have lost their minds!"
Charlos raised his pistol toward Nami.
"I'll kill all of you!"
Vivi, who had remained silent with her head lowered, slowly looked up.
A vein bulged across her forehead, and a dark shadow covered her eyes. Even Nami and the others froze. None of them had ever seen Vivi this furious before.
Shiki let out a sigh and placed a hand on her head.
In the next instant, an overwhelming force slammed down across the hall.
"Gah—?!"
The Celestial Dragons were driven onto their knees, their faces crashing toward the floor before any of them could understand what had happened.
Shiki glanced down at Vivi, and the shadow over her face vanished as she looked up at him with a bright smile.
Vines burst from the floor around the Celestial Dragons, winding around their necks and twisting into thick collars. The remaining vines stretched outward like leashes before gathering neatly in Shiki's hand.
"Please hold them securely, Shiki-san."
Shiki stood there holding the World Nobles on their leashes like a pack of disobedient dogs, while Vivi smiled proudly beside him with her hands clasped behind her back.
The entire auction house fell dead silent.
Not a single person had even noticed Silvers Rayleigh enter the hall.
Even the Dark King could only stare at the scene with wide eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"What in the world did I just walk into…?"
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