After they left the restaurant, they saw a notice board not far away, surrounded by people. Most of them were whispering with their heads lowered like they were discussing something, while a few wore thoughtful expressions.
"Hey, isn't that person on there you?" They walked up and found a wanted poster pinned to the board, and the person on it was Kather·Lynn. Bounty: ten million Beli.
"So it really is you. Your identity's pretty special, huh."
Seeing Kather·Lynn stay silent, Bai Chuan took it as her tacit admission.
"Princess of the Moer Kingdom. Tsk tsk. No wonder the bounty's so high. Turns out you're a big shot from an enemy nation." Bai Chuan looked at her with a meaningful gaze.
"Hey, why are you looking at me like that? Don't tell me you want to turn me in for the reward?" Kather·Lynn hugged herself tightly and stared with wide eyes.
"Are you a mind reader or something? How do you know what I'm thinking?"
"You can't do that! You even said you'd take me to see the outside world. You can't go back on your word!"
"I said that?"
"You did! You literally just said it!"
Kather·Lynn was genuinely scared. If Bai Chuan and the others exposed her identity, she definitely would not be able to escape now.
"Then I really regret it. Because of you, I missed out on a free ten million Beli."
"Then you mean you won't report me?"
"Haha, look at how scared you are. I was just messing with you."
"You bastard, go die!" Kather·Lynn, furious, chopped the back of Bai Chuan's head with a hand strike.
"Aaah!" But the moment her hand hit his head, she let out a sharp scream.
"Is your head made of iron? It hurts like hell!"
"I suggest you take a good look at what's happening around us right now," Bai Chuan said.
"Huh?" Kather·Lynn looked up and realized she had become the center of attention.
"That scream just pulled everyone's eyes over here."
"Look at that woman. Isn't she the one on the wanted poster?"
"Huh? Now that you mention it, she really is."
"Then what are we waiting for? Grab her!" Instantly, a crowd surged toward them, eyes gleaming like wolves.
"Run!" Kather·Lynn yelled. She grabbed Bai Chuan and tried to force a path through the encirclement.
Bai Chuan grabbed Shanks, Shanks grabbed Buggy, and Buggy grabbed Rayleigh. In the end, the only one actually doing any work was Kather·Lynn.
That immediately drew even more attention. More and more people joined the chase, and even more bystanders came to watch the excitement.
"Those are the vice-captain and Bai Chuan's group, right?" Two Roger Pirates members spotted them and spoke to each other.
"Yeah, it's them. What did they do to get chased by this country's guards and civilians?"
"Who knows. Should we go help?"
"No need. You didn't see anyone else move either, and they can't threaten the vice-captain at all."
"True. Then let's keep enjoying ourselves."
"Let's go!" The two of them immediately slung arms over each other's shoulders and started discussing where to have fun.
"What a bunch of disloyal bastards!" Buggy cursed loudly as they ran, since they naturally saw their own crewmates along the way.
"Shanks, let go of my hand already. This has nothing to do with me!" Buggy shouted.
"Haha, sorry. Bai Chuan's the one dragging me, after all. Besides, don't you think this is fun?" Shanks laughed.
"Fun my ass! It's dangerous! Let go. You guys draw attention, and the vice-captain and I can still escape!"
"If you put it that way, then I definitely can't let go. Right, Bai Chuan?"
"You're right. And make Buggy hold onto the vice-captain tight. As long as the vice-captain's with us, we're not in danger."
"Did you hear that, Buggy? Grab the vice-captain's hand!"
"Don't worry, I..." Before Buggy could finish, he suddenly realized one of his hands felt empty. He turned his head, and Rayleigh was gone.
"Sorry, Shanks, Bai Chuan. Looks like we lost the vice-captain."
"What?" Shanks blurted out.
Bai Chuan slammed on the brakes and yanked Kather·Lynn back too.
"That Rayleigh bastard. He ran off and didn't even take us with him. What a jerk," Bai Chuan cursed.
"Then what do we do, Bai Chuan? We won't get caught by them, right?" Buggy asked, panicking.
In this group, Bai Chuan was the strongest, so naturally everyone looked to him as their anchor.
"Haha, you brats, keep causing trouble. I'm not playing with you anymore. I've got to go find some girls," Rayleigh muttered to himself from a higher rooftop, watching the four below.
Then he put on a lecherous grin and left.
"Don't worry. Watch me drop them in one shot," Bai Chuan said to Buggy. If there was ever a time to use Conqueror's Haki, it was now.
Bai Chuan stepped in front of the other three. His Conqueror's Haki erupted instantly, and this time he did not suppress it at all. He released it indiscriminately.
In a flash, everyone blocking the way collapsed, including a handful of Roger Pirates members caught in the area.
"This feeling... was that Bai Chuan?" That was the last thought in one pirate's mind before he blacked out.
"That kid really never settles down," Rayleigh said with a bitter smile as he sensed the burst.
He did not believe Bai Chuan could not have escaped even without using Haki.
"Hey, what is going on?" Kather·Lynn asked with wide eyes behind Bai Chuan. The people who were shouting and charging just a moment ago had dropped in an instant. She could not tell if they were unconscious or dead.
She had only felt the atmosphere turn oppressive for a moment.
"They just passed out. And we need to run now. Once reinforcements arrive, we won't be able to get away," Bai Chuan said.
"Okay."
The four of them ducked into a clothing shop, changed outfits, and smeared some strange makeup on their faces.
"What should we do now?" Shanks asked.
"Take it one step at a time," Bai Chuan said.
"Can you take me home?" Kather·Lynn suddenly said to them.
"Take you home? Do you have any idea how much trouble you've dragged us into?" Buggy demanded angrily.
"Sorry. It's my fault. I implicated you. But right now, the only people I can trust are you," Kather·Lynn said pitifully, and it was hard to tell whether she was acting.
"No. Once the Log Pose records the next island's magnetism, we should leave," Bai Chuan said.
"Then there's no problem. For you to record the next island's magnetism, it'll take three years."
"What? Three years?" The three of them demanded at the same time.
Three years was far too long. Shanks and Buggy had been on the ship for a long time, and they had never seen an island that needed three years to set.
"That's right, three years. On this island, it's not even a secret. Ask anyone and you'll know."
/-\
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