If that really was the legendary Dark King Rayleigh…
Udyr was utterly shaken.
If he could cross paths with such a legendary figure, even as a slave hunter targeting pirates, he would have a story to boast about to his grandchildren for the rest of his life.
And yet, such a powerful man seemed to be well acquainted with Maude.
At first, Udyr had naively assumed that Maude was just another upstart…
No wonder they had taken the time to sweep up rare and precious liquor from a bar on their way here.
Unable to help himself, Udyr glanced at the bottle in Rayleigh's hand, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart while doing his best to minimize his presence.
He had no choice.
This crowd, this atmosphere…
Even the air here carried an air of refinement.
As a mere slave hunter, he didn't just feel out of place—he was afraid he wasn't even qualified to breathe the same air, lest he suffocate from his own insignificance.
Though Udyr managed to maintain his composure, his subordinates were not as mentally resilient. When they looked at Rayleigh, their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Fortunately, they restrained themselves from shouting in shock.
Rayleigh glanced at the fine liquor Udyr and his men were carrying, smiling faintly. Then, as a trace of nostalgia faded from his gaze, he beckoned to Maude and Gaya.
"Come on up, we'll talk inside."
"Alright."
Maude and Gaya led the way, followed closely by the solemn-faced Lafitte and Brook, who tilted his skull slightly, as if lost in thought.
Udyr and his men remained rooted to the spot, watching as Maude and the others ascended the stairs.
They dared not move until Maude spoke.
Noticing their hesitation, Maude turned back and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you just standing there? Come on, bring the liquor inside and set it down in the bar."
"Oh! Right away!"
Snapping out of their daze, Udyr and his men hurriedly followed.
Rayleigh reached the bar's entrance first, pushing the door open and stepping inside.
The others trailed in behind him.
Inside, directly in front of them, was a simple and unembellished bar counter. There were no trendy decorations—just a straightforward, rustic design.
Behind the counter stood a tall, striking woman.
She was the owner of this establishment—Shakky.
A former pirate who had once roamed the seas in the same era as the legendary Marine Vice Admiral Garp.
Like Rayleigh, she had long since retired.
Now, she ran a bar, while Rayleigh ran a coating business.
Shakky leaned on the counter with her left elbow, a cigarette between the fingers of her right hand.
Seeing Rayleigh walk in with Maude's group, she smiled.
"Rayleigh, weren't you supposed to go pick them up? And yet, you ended up just waiting for them outside."
"Haha."
Rayleigh chuckled and explained, "I did pick them up, but there were too many people and too much noise over there. It's not the kind of scene suited for an old man like me, half a step into the grave. So, I came back first."
Shakky flicked the ash off her cigarette and quipped, "That doesn't sound like something a habitual gambler would say."
"Haha."
Rayleigh laughed, brushing off her teasing. He then took a seat at the bar, turned to Maude and the others, and smiled. "Come on, sit down. Order whatever you want—it's on the house."
"Well, we won't say no to that."
Maude grinned and took a seat.
The others followed suit.
Shakky observed Maude with keen interest, while Rayleigh focused on Gaya.
"That Conqueror's Haki just now…"
Gaya met Rayleigh's gaze.
Rayleigh nodded. "That was me."
"Incredible."
Gaya spoke with genuine admiration.
Rayleigh simply smiled, unbothered by the praise.
To him, Gaya was already like a niece.
Thud. Thud…
At that moment, Udyr and his men entered, carrying the liquor.
"Lord Maude, the wine…"
The moment he stepped into the bar, Udyr felt an overwhelming sense of unease, even lowering his voice instinctively.
He was well aware of the bar owner's strength, not to mention what he had just learned about Rayleigh's identity.
Even without that knowledge, he already knew Rayleigh was an unfathomable powerhouse.
"Just set it on the table," Maude said casually.
"Understood."
Udyr gestured to his subordinates to hurry up.
In mere moments, they neatly arranged over a dozen bottles of fine liquor on a table by the window.
"Lord Maude, we've placed the wine. Should we…?"
Udyr hesitated, looking at Maude's back as he sat at the bar.
Maude turned and smiled. "You've done well. Hmm… Leave a contact method."
Understanding immediately, Udyr forced a smile and carefully pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his coat, placing it gently on the table.
"If you need anything, just call this Den Den Mushi."
"Alright."
Maude nodded before tossing a heavy gold bracelet toward Udyr.
Out of reflex, Udyr caught it, momentarily at a loss.
"This is…?"
"It's an advance payment for future tasks I'll need you for."
"..."
Udyr was stunned.
Was this really the same ruthless and cold-blooded butcher he had heard about?
He could have easily used force to command him, yet he chose to offer payment instead…
Could the rumors have been wrong?
After their brief encounters, Udyr still couldn't fully grasp Maude's nature, but he saw in him a set of values different from those of an average pirate.
Or perhaps… an unshakable sense of integrity.
Rayleigh and Shakky exchanged knowing smiles without commenting.
With that, Udyr—grappling with mixed emotions—led his men out of the bar.
What was the connection between Maude's crew and the Dark King Rayleigh?
To warrant Rayleigh personally welcoming them…
Whatever the truth was, one thing was certain—Rayleigh was right here.
With that in mind, Udyr knew he couldn't afford any ill intentions.
Once Udyr and his men had left, Rayleigh introduced Shakky to Maude's crew.
Maude, in turn, introduced Brook.
Though in truth, aside from their latest member, Shakky and Rayleigh were already quite familiar with them.
"So, you ate the Revive-Revive Fruit, huh? Even so, being able to return in skeletal form is quite the sight to behold."
Shakky curiously observed Brook, whose entire body was reduced to bones—except for his impressively well-kept hair.
"Yohoho! The power of Devil Fruits is truly fascinating."
Brook was always eager to make flirtatious remarks around women, but in front of Shakky, he remained unusually reserved.
Still smiling, Shakky pulled out a cigarette case, flicked it open, and asked, "Want one?"
"No thanks. Smoking is bad for the lungs—though I don't have lungs, yohohoho…"
Brook waved his skeletal hand in refusal.
Shakky chuckled. "You're quite the lively one."
With that, she lit another cigarette and pulled a stack of newspapers from the drawer, setting them on the bar counter.
The group's eyes were immediately drawn to the front page—a photo of Maude stabbing Moria through the chest.
"Ever since that reporter 'Dede the Turkey' appeared, I've been following every piece of news about you."
Shakky exhaled a slow puff of smoke and asked seriously, "In the earliest reports, it was mentioned that you wounded Garp. Is that true?"
"Yes."
Maude nodded.
Hearing this, even the ever-composed Shakky couldn't hide her astonishment.
She had been dealing with Garp for nearly four decades.
Or rather—running from his fists.
So she knew better than anyone how formidable he was.
Rayleigh smirked, idly twirling his glass.
When it came to Garp, he was certainly interested.
But what intrigued him more was the young man who had inherited the name of his old friend.
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