In Grove 13 of the Sabaody Archipelago's lawless zone, there sat a rather suggestive-named bar: "Shakky's Rip-Off Bar."
This was Rayleigh and Shakky's secluded hideout.
"Did the negotiations fail?" Shakky handed Rayleigh a glass of ice water, lit a cigarette for herself, and with her short hair pulled back, seemed to ask, though her tone was clearly certain.
Rayleigh laughed heartily, completely unconcerned. "Yeah, they failed! Not only did they fail, but I was also thoroughly ridiculed, hahahaha..."
"How did Doflamingo describe you?" Shakky leaned forward, her attractive figure noticeably accentuated by the bar counter pressing against her, and asked with interest.
Rayleigh scratched his hair, mimicking Doflamingo's demeanor. "You're nothing but a stray dog."
"How incredibly cutting and sharply incisive," Shakky sighed.
Rayleigh didn't care, self-deprecatingly saying, "He's not wrong! Roger, everyone, the Oro Jackson... I've lost them forever. A pirate who's lost his captain, his comrades, and his pirate ship, what else would he be if not a stray dog?"
"How do you feel about Doflamingo as a person?" Shakky flicked some ash.
Rayleigh considered for a moment, then said, "A complete bastard."
"You should add 'difficult to deal with'," Shakky said, rummaging through a thick stack of intelligence reports from behind the bar. "As a pirate, he's a 'Sea Scourge.' In the five years since the Great Pirate Era began, he's been one of the most remarkable pirates of the new age, a trendsetter leading the era. His personal strength, with his Three Forms of Haki, Rokushiki techniques, and the String-String Fruit, has constantly been on the rise, and his crew has steadily grown stronger as well."
"He's very strict about choosing his companions, prioritizing quality over quantity, just as he's extremely, even abnormally, strict with himself," Shakky frowned. "Do you remember the incident last year where he clashed with 'Kaido of the Beasts'? It wasn't as the World Government propagated, that he repelled 'Kaido of the Beasts.' The truth is he lost to 'Kaido of the Beasts,' but he had Golden Lion intervene, which forced 'Kaido of the Beasts' to retreat."
Rayleigh was surprised. "Hmm... That Golden Lion! When did he become so agreeable, actually taking orders from someone else?"
"That's not the key. The key is that after losing to 'Kaido of the Beasts,' Doflamingo abandoned the Donquixote Family and dedicated himself to extreme training. I've seen news of him appearing in desperate and perilous places more than once," Shakky said to herself. "It was right for you not to fight him immediately. He's like a powder keg right now. Once provoked, he won't care about the time or place. He's an incredibly volatile bandit."
Shakky continued, "As the strongest presence in the underworld, codenamed 'Joker,' he's already a recognized Emperor. 'God of Fortune,' 'Deep-Sea Currents,' 'Undertaker,' 'Concealment Master,' and a large number of other underworld magnates have all submitted to him and are living off him! His businesses include nominally World Government-issued lotteries, gladiatorial fighting tournaments, information brokering, casinos, auctions, brokering... almost all industries. Even if he doesn't directly participate, he has a hand in them."
"Hahahaha... So you mean he's super rich?" Rayleigh said with a mischievous grin.
Shakky raised an eyebrow. "I mean his influence is far more extensive than you can imagine! You absolutely wouldn't believe that he controlled the entire 'Arinland' at just a little over ten years old. Then he went alone to the Big Mom Pirates to negotiate with Big Mom, single-handedly helping Big Mom gather resources to establish Totto Land, thereby making a name for himself in the underworld! His relationship with Golden Lion is even deeper; the specific details are unknown, but Golden Lion willingly forced 'Kaido of the Beasts' to retreat for him, which speaks volumes."
"Anything else?" Rayleigh's expression grew serious.
Shakky took a sip of water. "There's also his status as a Warlord of the Sea cooperating with the World Government. These are the three points that I find most puzzling: First, the World Government once pursued him."
"Which pirate hasn't been pursued by the World Government?" Rayleigh interjected.
Shakky said, "Even before he was a pirate." She met Rayleigh's gaze and continued, "And when he was a pirate, the World Government's bounty poster specifically ordered him to be 'captured alive.' Why? He boldly hijacked the Heavenly Tribute, undoubtedly slapping the World Government in the face. Yet, the World Government, after getting slapped on one cheek, offered him the other for another slap, and he became a Warlord of the Sea, as if... his joining the Warlords caused more loss of face for the World Government than for him."
"Troublesome," Rayleigh slumped against the counter. "What should we do? That kid told me he wouldn't report my whereabouts to the World Government or the Marines. He's waiting for me and the Kuja Pirates at his New World base, telling us to take Hancock by pirate means if we're capable."
"Hancock? What about Sandersonia and Marigold?" Shakky suddenly asked.
Rayleigh was also confused.
"We'll temporarily relocate. I'll notify Elder Nyon and Diane Rhine to meet. You go check the auction house again," Shakky extinguished her cigarette butt. "Although I don't want to say this, but... I hope they abandon their plan to rescue Hancock."
Rayleigh spread his hands. "Just let others sell our friends like commodities, and enslave them?"
Shakky sighed.
Rayleigh jumped over the counter and hugged Shakky. "Even if we're retired pirates, even if we're stray dogs, we can't just stand by! Besides, our goal is to save lives."
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