Three of the Four Great Simps had already shown up.
Ron couldn't help but wonder—
"So who's the last one? Tom the cat… or someone even worse?"
The tavern door creaked open.
A nervous, green head poked in.
"I'm… not interrupting, am I?"
The newcomer—a humanoid turtle—stepped inside cautiously.
Rayleigh turned to look, his expression shifting between shock and disappointment.
Shock, because this walking, talking turtle was a creature he'd never seen before—
Disappointment, because it wasn't a soft-shelled turtle.
If it were, add some goji berries, a splash of tonic wine… tonight I'd be a tireless machine,
he thought, with the solemn dignity of a man past his prime.
"Not at all," Ron said, smiling. "Come in and have a seat."
The turtle shuffled to the bar stool, his little claws trembling, eyes darting around the room like a man on the run.
"What would you like to drink?"
"I… I don't usually drink," the turtle mumbled. "I'll just sit and watch."
Ron gestured to Rem, who returned with a bottle of clear liquor and set it gently before him.
"This is Xifeng wine," Ron said. "Give it a try."
The turtle uncorked the bottle—and instantly, the rich aroma filled the air.
His eyes glazed over slightly, the scent alone enough to intoxicate him.
He poured himself a glass. The liquid shimmered clear as crystal.
He took a sip—
—and his whole body came alive.
The taste was mellow and deep, with a sweet aftertone of fruit wrapped in the sting of fire.
He tried to praise it, but the words failed him.
After searching the depths of his turtle vocabulary, he finally croaked:
"Good… good drink."
Ron chuckled.
"If you like it, come by anytime."
The turtle nodded quietly and kept drinking.
Cup after cup, his shell straightened but his eyes dimmed with sorrow.
Within half an hour, the bottle was nearly empty.
Rayleigh frowned, using Haki to murmur directly into Ron's ear:
"You're not going to stop him? Keep this up, and he'll pass out cold."
Ron waved it off.
"Let him be. I've seen that face before. Classic case of failed courtship syndrome."
A heavy thud broke the stillness.
The turtle's claw slammed against the counter.
In his drunken haze, his vision blurred and doubled—until one image emerged, shimmering like a dream:
Xiao Meimei.
His voice cracked, full of pain.
"I'm the one who saved you… so why, when you woke up, did you call for them instead of me?"
Tears welled and rolled down his scaly cheeks.
Memories replayed in his mind, each one stabbing deeper than the last.
Turtle: "If you cry too much, your eyes will swell shut… then you won't see me. And if you can't see me, your heart will hurt even more."
Xiao Meimei: "If I can't see Bubble and Aku, I'd rather go blind!"
Turtle: "Your voice will recover soon, don't worry."
Xiao Meimei: "I'm not worried about me—I'm worried about Bubble! Go cheer him up!"
Xiao Meimei: "I'm so tired."
Turtle: "Climb on my back."
Xiao Meimei: "Your shell's too hard—it'll hurt!"
Turtle: "It's okay… I'll put some waterweed on it. Softer that way."
The more he remembered, the more he wept—
until the bar's air grew salty with it.
Ron sighed inwardly.
So that's why the sea's so salty.
"Are you giving up, then?" Rayleigh asked quietly.
The turtle shook his head, eyes bleary.
"No… just not satisfied. Why is her heart always with Bubble?"
There was a time, he'd wanted to take Xiao Meimei away, start a life somewhere far from all that chaos.
But she refused.
"No," she'd said. "I have to find the True Dragon—with Bubble."
Rayleigh rubbed his temples. He didn't know how to advise this one.
Black Tiger was one thing—a rich, powerful villain with drive and confidence.
But this turtle… weak, timid, cowardly. How was he supposed to compete?
Ron, however, only smiled.
"Rivals aren't scary," he said calmly. "What's scary is when you stop trying."
The turtle blinked, a flicker of hope lighting his eyes.
"Then what should I do?"
"Change," Ron said. "Stop being afraid. Stop hesitating. Become braver—stronger—than Bubble.
That's the only way she'll ever notice you."
"I'll do it!" the turtle shouted—then immediately deflated.
"No, wait… maybe not. If I do that, I might die…"
Rayleigh sighed and shook his head.
"Hopeless."
Ron only smiled, voice low and dangerous.
"Then just stand there and watch as Bubble finds the True Dragon, defeats the Snake King,
and walks off with the girl you love in his arms."
The words hit like lightning.
The turtle's pupils shrank.
Then his body trembled—
triangular scales flaring across his forehead, a fiery aura bursting from his shell.
Flames roared to life around him, evaporating the alcohol in an instant.
When the heat died down, his eyes were sharp again.
"No!" he roared. "Next time we face the Snake King… I'll fight in front!"
Ron raised a brow.
"Well, I'll be damned. Didn't expect that."
He'd assumed this timeline's Double-Faced Turtle was still in his useless phase—
but no, he'd already awakened the Flame Dragon Scales.
An unexpected gift.
"That's more like it," Ron said, smiling. "Girls love heroes. Not cowards."
"Thank you, boss!" The turtle's voice shook but his eyes burned with determination.
"I'll make her see me. I swear it!"
Rayleigh chuckled, raising his glass.
"Then here's to courage."
The turtle lifted his bottle in reply.
"She's the dawn that lights my darkness," he murmured. "I'll keep chasing that light—no matter what."
He drained the last of his drink.
Ron watched silently.
She shines in your eyes, but in hers—you've already faded.
The turtle placed a few coins on the counter and stood.
"I should go. If Xiao Meimei notices I'm gone, she'll worry."
"Come again anytime," Ron said, seeing him to the door.
The turtle nodded, eyes filled with resolve, and disappeared back into his world.
Rayleigh broke the silence first.
"You really do attract the strangest kinds of guests."
Ron smirked.
"Doesn't matter who they are. As long as they pay."
Inwardly, though, he let out a sigh of relief.
Thank heaven it wasn't Tom the Cat today. That would've been impossible to explain.
"Guess I'll leave it at that," Rayleigh muttered, rising from his stool.
"Time to check on that reckless brat, Ace."
He tossed a thick wad of Berries onto the counter and left.
Moments later, the tavern door creaked open once more.
Ron looked up from polishing a glass—and smiled.
"Welcome, Admiral Akainu."
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