After the Marines withdrew, the chaos of the previous day faded from Ambri Island, leaving behind an eerie quiet. But beneath the calm surface, in the island's dark corners, the true "order" was just beginning to stir.
The "Bloody Rum" was a tavern tucked away in the port's grimiest backstreet. It was a known gathering spot for pirates, bounty hunters, and all sorts of shady figures from the underworld. The air inside was always thick with the stench of cheap liquor, sweat, and old blood. The floors were sticky, and the walls were covered in knife marks and dried bloodstains, each one a silent testament to some long-forgotten act of violence.
Today, the tavern was even more crowded than usual.
In the center of the room, several tables had been pushed together, around which sat all the underworld big shots of Ambri Island. They were the local tyrants, the gang leaders who controlled the smuggling routes, and the villains who ran the underground casinos. Under Doflamingo's rule, they were like hyenas, surviving on the scraps left behind by the Warlord while maintaining the island's dark balance.
A burly, bald man with a scarred face and a thick gold chain slammed his glass on the table, spilling alcohol everywhere. This was "Iron Fist" Baro, the man who controlled the port's smuggling operations.
"Damn it! What rotten luck!" Baro roared, his voice rough. "I lost three whole shipments of goods today! Those damn Marines blocked the port and tore my ships apart! This is all because of that little bastard who showed up out of nowhere!"
"You're telling me," chimed in a skinny man with sinister eyes sitting next to him. He was "Ghost Hand" Domino, the operator of the island's largest illegal casino. "My casino was a ghost town today! All the customers were scared off! So a Celestial Dragon got beaten up? Hmph, it would've been better if those worthless pigs were beaten to death! But it just had to happen on our island! What happens now? Lord Doffy is definitely going to punish us for this!"
At the mention of punishment, everyone at the table nodded, grumbling in agreement.
"That idiot Gollier got what he deserved! Of all the people to mess with, he had to go after the Celestial Dragons and drag us all down with him!"
"If you ask me, that kid Takero is the real problem! A snot-nosed brat who dares to run wild on Ambri Island? Who does he think he is?!"
"Exactly! He thinks just because he beat a few Celestial Dragon guards and some trash Marines, he can do whatever he wants! That proves nothing! Lord Doffy is the one with real power!"
A few of the more thoughtful criminals raised a point. "But I heard that kid is with the Red Hair Pirates."
Baro sneered in disdain. "Heh, that brat just has some connection to them. If he was really one of them, why didn't they take him with them when they left? We don't need to be afraid of him!"
Everyone nodded, finding his logic sound. Fueled by alcohol, these hyenas, who normally wouldn't dare to breathe too loudly in Doflamingo's presence, began to speak recklessly, venting their frustration on the unknown kid.
"I heard," Baro said, taking a large gulp of rum, "that the kid really thinks he's something special. He sent some green-haired punk over to tell us he wants to take control of all our operations and have us follow his orders. What a joke!"
"Hahahaha!" Domino let out a sharp, piercing laugh. "Does he think he's Lord Doffy? A brat who's still wet behind the ears wants to order us around? Is he worthy?!"
"That's right! Who the hell is he?!"
"Tell him to go cry to his mommy!"
The tavern filled with mocking laughter. In their eyes, Takero was just a lucky punk who had stumbled into a fortunate situation. They believed the Red Hair Pirates had done all the work, and he had nothing to do with it.
A seductive woman with scarlet nails, "Poison Scorpion" Maria, who ran the island's intelligence trade, swirled the wine in her glass. "I had someone look into it," she said in a lazy, venomous tone. "Apparently, the kid killed Gollier and took over his villa, along with those two pretty little slaves of his. He's not old, but he's certainly got a big appetite."
"Oh, is that right?" A lecherous glint appeared in Baro's eyes. "Gollier always did have the best goods hidden away. It's a shame that little bastard got to them."
"A shame?" Domino sneered, his eyes shining with greed. "I don't think so. That kid is all alone, with just one follower and two slave girls. How can he possibly hold on to everything Gollier left behind? And how can he… hold on to this island?"
His words landed like a stone in a quiet pond, sending ripples through the crowd. All the big shots at the table began to breathe a little faster as the flames of greed ignited in their eyes. They all knew that Gollier, as one of Doflamingo's most trusted agents, had amassed a fortune on the island. Now that Gollier was dead and Doflamingo was busy dealing with the Celestial Dragon incident, that massive fortune was essentially unguarded. To them, Takero was a child holding a mountain of gold with no way to defend it.
"Domino, what are you saying…?" Baro asked, licking his dry lips.
"It's simple," Domino said, draining his glass and slamming it upside down on the table. His voice was low but full of incitement. "This island used to belong to Lord Doffy, and we were lucky to get the scraps. But now… we don't even know if Lord Doffy is coming back! What right does that kid have to be our new master?!"
He stood up and leaned forward, his hands on the table, his snake-like gaze sweeping over the room. "Instead of waiting for some brat to start bossing us around, why don't we become the masters of this island ourselves? We split Gollier's treasure! We share the island's profits! What do you say?!"
His words were like a devil's whisper, igniting the primal greed in everyone's hearts.
"He's right! Why should some kid get to rule over us!"
"Let's do it! Ambri Island belongs to us!"
"Kill the kid! Take his treasure and his women!"
The crowd erupted. Alcohol and greed had made the hyenas lose their minds.
"Well said!" Baro shouted, slamming the table as he stood up. "That kid only killed Gollier because he got lucky! There are dozens of us, with hundreds of guns! Are we really afraid of him?!" He then added a final, crucial point. "And don't forget, this is Donquixote Family territory! Even if that kid is strong, would he dare to kill all of us? That would be declaring war on the entire Donquixote Family! Lord Doffy would never let him get away with it!"
That was all the encouragement they needed. Yes! There was safety in numbers! Even if the kid was strong, he wouldn't risk making an enemy of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He wouldn't dare.
Realizing this, the criminals grew bolder, their expressions turning arrogant and cruel.
"Tonight, we all go to Gollier's villa!" Baro roared, raising his glass. "We'll make him hand over all his treasure and get off this island! And if he dares to say no…" A ferocious smile spread across his face. "...We'll show him who really runs this island!"
"ROAR—!!!"
Deafening cheers filled the tavern. These hyenas, blinded by greed, were already celebrating their victory.
But none of them noticed a small, cloaked figure hidden in the crowd near the door. Eleven-year-old Nico Robin held her breath, trying not to draw any attention as she watched the chaos unfold.
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