"Knocked Tea Dolphin out cold?"
"And… that kid's words actually made sense, too."
From the shadows behind the Extortion Tavern, Silvers Rayleigh watched in disbelief.
Who was that young man? Someone strong enough to flatten a Marine Rear Admiral candidate — yet he'd never heard the name before.
But before Rayleigh could process it, what happened next made his jaw drop even further.
Ron bent down beside the unconscious Tea Dolphin, rummaged through his coat, and pulled out a Transponder Snail.
Moments later, the snail blinked awake, and a voice that Rayleigh knew very well echoed through the air:
"What is it?"
"Tea Dolphin's drunk," Ron said cheerfully. "Could you send someone to pick him up? Oh — and about the tab. He hasn't paid for his drinks yet. Between the bill and the damages he caused, that's a total of thirty million Berries."
Extortion — no, "collecting the tab" — was the real reason Ron had knocked him out.
After all, running a tavern wasn't just about feeding himself — he also had to provide for Rem and Ram.
If he didn't bleed the Marines dry once in a while, it'd be a waste of opportunity.
The line went silent.
Drunk?
Thirty million Berries?
Has Tea Dolphin lost his mind?
It was one thing to drink on duty — but wrecking a tavern? And now he had to foot the bill?
After a pause, the voice finally returned.
"The money will be sent."
Rayleigh, hidden in the dark, nearly choked.
"This brat's insane… did he just extort Sengoku?"
Yes — the voice on the other end was none other than Fleet Admiral Sengoku the Buddha.
For a moment, Rayleigh could only stare in dumbfounded silence.
First, the tavern's strange liquor. Then this mysterious youth flooring a Marine commander — and now, blackmailing the Fleet Admiral himself.
His curiosity burned hotter by the second.
He wanted to know more — about both the wine and the man who served it.
But he sighed and turned away. The racket was sure to draw Marines soon.
"Guess I'll come back another day for a drink," he muttered.
"If the one delivering the payment turns out to be Sengoku himself… that'd be trouble."
With a wry smile, he slipped on his sandals and strolled toward the nearest casino.
The next morning — Marineford outskirts.
In a private villa, Tea Dolphin jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat. Ron's voice still echoed endlessly in his skull:
"You're a Marine. Your duty is to guard the sea — not chase some damn romantic fantasy."
That one sentence had haunted his entire night.
In his dream, he'd let go of Momousagi, devoted himself fully to justice, and through countless missions and achievements, finally became a full Admiral.
But that night — the night of his promotion — he passed by Momousagi's home.
Through the window curtain, he saw her silhouette… and another man's.
The two moved together, sweat glistening under the dim light.
That sound — "pop!" — like a cork bursting from a bottle of champagne — jolted him awake.
And before the dream faded, he saw the man's face.
It was Ron.
"THIS IS A HORROR STORY!" Tea Dolphin shouted, clutching his head.
"No… no, it was just a dream. It wasn't real…" he muttered, shaking his head violently.
Just then, his Transponder Snail rang.
Burururu… burururu…
He answered, still pale.
"Get to Headquarters. Meeting. Now," came Sengoku's terse voice.
Then the snail fell asleep again.
Marine Headquarters, Briefing Room.
The meeting had barely begun when Sengoku slammed both hands on the table.
"Tea Dolphin! Did Ace and Blackbeard knock your brains loose?!" he barked.
"Thirty million Berries on booze?!"
"Explain. Now."
Money wasn't the real issue — they could dock his salary for that.
What bothered Sengoku was the incident. The shockwaves from Area 13 had caused tremors across Sabaody. Nobles were furious.
And those same nobles were key to Marine funding.
Tea Dolphin scratched his neck awkwardly. "Just got drunk and… fought a bartender."
A puff of smoke curled through the room. Akainu, chewing his cigar, frowned.
"Just a bartender? You left a crater big enough to park a warship."
"Whoever that man was — he knocked you out and disappeared clean. No records, no background. Even the tavern itself came out of nowhere."
The room fell silent. Momousagi, Kizaru, and Vice Admiral Tsuru all exchanged glances.
If the Marines' intelligence network found nothing, that could only mean one thing — the tavern owner was tied to a major power.
Either a Yonko's agent, or worse — a remnant of the Rocks Pirates.
Sengoku sighed and rubbed his temples. "Thirty million Berries will come out of your pay. You have three days. If we can't find out who he is… you'll arrest him along with Ace and Blackbeard."
Vice Admiral Tsuru adjusted her glasses, her tone calm.
"No need to rush. If he dared to extort the Marines, his hands are likely clean. Why not send Sengoku himself to the tavern? Have a drink, relax, and… perhaps recruit him."
"Anyone who can defeat Tea Dolphin and walk away untouched — we can't afford to waste that kind of talent."
Tea Dolphin's heart clenched.
Kill me if you must, but stop twisting the knife!
Sengoku's glare softened as Tsuru's logic sank in.
She was right. If the man were an enemy, he wouldn't be so brazen.
"Very well," Sengoku said at last. "Tomorrow, Momousagi and I will visit. If he's clean, we'll invite him to join the Marines."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Before adjourning, Sengoku's eyes drifted back to Tea Dolphin.
"Catch Fire Fist Ace, and the Marines will cover your thirty million tab."
Tea Dolphin grimaced but saluted. "Understood. I'll redeploy immediately."
He had no choice. Catching Ace was already his assignment — and now he had a debt to pay.
As the officers left the conference room, one realization struck them all.
That day, Tea Dolphin hadn't even tried to flirt with Momousagi.
Meanwhile, back at Sabaody Archipelago — the Multiverse Tavern welcomed its second guest.
An old man with silver hair and a scar over his right eye entered. Round glasses perched on his nose, his calm aura hiding the wild spirit beneath.
Ron looked up from behind the counter, recognizing him instantly.
"Welcome, Mr. Rayleigh," he said with a knowing smile. "I'm Ron — owner of this tavern."
Silvers Rayleigh.
The Dark King, former first mate of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. A living legend.
Rayleigh froze mid-step, then turned toward the door. "My apologies. Seems this isn't the place for an old man."
He hadn't been called by that name in over a decade.
If a young stranger could recognize him so easily, caution was the only response.
Ron didn't stop him — just chuckled.
"A great man from my homeland once said — even if a place turns into a black hole, I'll still explore it if I want to know what's inside."
"Tell me, Rayleigh — have you grown so old that you've lost the courage to explore?"
The old pirate paused at the door, then smiled faintly.
"A crude provocation," he said, "but congratulations — it worked."
He turned back, his eyes glinting with amusement.
"And for the record — even an old sausage from the past can still humble a little stick from the new age."
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