"Bellamy, I heard you've been looking down on our Captain's dream."
After stepping over the defeated Bellamy, Shirogai walked calmly to the bar counter. He pulled a bottle of wine from the shelf and turned, smiling faintly at the pirates sprawled across the floor.
"Heh… I heard you all mock him? Call him a fool who does nothing but daydream?"
His smile sharpened, voice dropping cold.
"Interesting."
Shirogai glanced toward the dock, lips curling upward.
"Hey, Kizaru, are you trying to die?"
A suffocating wave of killing intent filled the tavern.
"Th-this killing intent… it's terrifying!"
The pirates collapsed, trembling, some even wetting themselves. Not one dared to move under the crushing pressure of Haoshoku Haki. They finally understood—what the Straw Hats had boasted earlier was not an exaggeration. This man's power was real. With just his presence, he could pin them down like insects.
And yet, moments ago, they had mocked Luffy's dream and ridiculed him. Now, the one standing before them was here to demand the price for their insults.
The pirates prayed silently that Shirogai would spare their lives.
Feeling no hostility from Kizaru toward his companions, Shirogai allowed the coldness in his expression to fade.
Bellamy coughed and dragged himself up, glaring through bloodshot eyes. Though his body trembled, he spat out bitterly,
"Fine… I admit you're stronger than me! But your Captain, Straw Hat, he's still just an idiot who loves to brag!"
Shirogai chuckled, amused. "Not bad, you've got guts." He snapped his fingers, looking at the barkeep who was still cowering behind the counter.
"You, bring me two cups and your best bottle of wine."
The suffocating pressure vanished. The barkeep, suddenly lightheaded, scrambled up and rushed to obey.
Shirogai sipped from the bottle, his gaze returning to Bellamy. "You really despise pirates who chase after dreams? Pirates who search for the truth of the world, who pursue the One Piece itself?"
Bellamy gritted his teeth, keeping his head low. "I believe pirates should focus on profits right in front of them. Those chasing dreams are nothing but fools. They don't even deserve to be called pirates!"
Shirogai shook his head, his smile faint and cutting.
"A man's vision determines his potential. Yours is small, which is why your bounty is barely worth mentioning. To the Marines, you're just a nuisance—a thug who robs merchant ships. They'll never see you as someone who can shake the world."
Bellamy, unwilling, roared back, "Then tell me, what makes a truly powerful pirate?!"
Shirogai's lips curved upward. "Pirates fall into four levels. Those who plunder wealth are the lowest. Those who plunder power stand in the middle. Those who can shake the entire world… are upper-class pirates."
Bellamy froze, unable to comprehend. But Shirogai wasn't finished.
"And those who plunder people's hearts… they are legends."
The words echoed in the silent tavern. Every pirate stared blankly, their minds reeling.
Bellamy finally croaked, "So… what does it mean to plunder hearts?"
"When you raise your arm and call, the world itself answers."
Shirogai's calm explanation left them speechless.
"You mock others' dreams because you can't imagine them," he continued. "You refuse to acknowledge others' strength because you fear it. You cling to petty gains, yet laugh at ideals that could change the world. That is why you'll never be more than a weakling playing at piracy."
Bellamy's face burned red. He couldn't argue back. In a world where strength spoke loudest, he had no voice before Shirogai.
Shirogai sneered. "Your existence is pathetic."
His gaze swept across the tavern. "Look at this island. Do you really think it's a paradise for pirates? Don't fool yourselves. If the World Government hasn't bothered to wipe you out, it's because you're not worth the trouble. You're not feared—you're ignored."
The pirates on the ground flushed with humiliation. For years they had thought themselves untouchable, proud that the Marines avoided Mock Town. To realize they weren't feared, but dismissed as trash, was a crushing blow.
Shirogai drank again, shaking his head.
"This isn't a paradise. It's a dump. A junkyard where worthless pirates rot."
His words carved into them deeper than blades. Many of Bellamy's crew, who once boasted so arrogantly, now stared at Shirogai with awe.
Pirates respected only strength, and Shirogai's strength was overwhelming. Their arrogance collapsed into submission. Even some of Bellamy's female crew watched him with desperate, yearning eyes, but Shirogai didn't spare them a glance.
Compared to Robin and Nami—true beauties and women of worth—these gutter-dwellers were beneath notice.
At that moment, a reddish-yellow glow lit the doorway.
"Ahhh, oh my, oh my~ We meet again, Shirogai."
The lazy, drawn-out voice carried through the tavern steps. "This old man represents the World Government. I'm here to negotiate."
"Heh. The World Government?" Shirogai's eyes flashed with dangerous light. "Kizaru, come in."
The weight of his Haoshoku surged again, so fierce that every pirate in the tavern collapsed into unconsciousness.
Kizaru raised an eyebrow as he stepped inside, glancing at the fainted crowd.
"Hooh~ Haoshoku Haki, huh?"
His eyes narrowed slightly, studying the smiling young man at the bar. "Shirogai, you've got the same aptitude as those monsters out there on the seas."
______
Support & Read chapters in advance on patreon.
patreon.com/Zphyr