Elbaf. Ida's Tavern.
York's words plunged the room into silence.
The Rocks Pirates exchanged glances. Even the usually boisterous Shiki leaned forward, his cigar dangling from his lips.
"Hey, York! What is this 'Secret of the Flowers' in Mary Geoise you're talking about?"
York smiled but said nothing. He simply cut another slice of the giant steak.
Rocks saw this and released his grip on York's shoulder. He knew better than anyone that some secrets were heavy enough to crush the world.
"Nothing," Rocks muttered, waving Shiki off. "It's not time to talk about that yet."
He jumped back to the bar, refilling his tankard.
"Hey, Harald! You heard the boy. Even if you don't join us, stop licking the World Government's boots!"
Rocks slammed the bar top.
"Elbaf has its own glory! By begging them, you are abandoning that glory!"
Harald remained silent, staring into his ale. York's 6-Step Plan had struck a nerve. But knowing the path and walking it were two different things.
Behind the bar, a small Giant child was watching.
He wore a horned helmet that covered his eyes, effectively blindfolding him. He was Loki, the second son of Harald, born with the pure, ancient blood of the warrior kings.
He tilted his head, listening to the words of the strange human named York.
"Diplomacy is just the shadow cast by your cannons."
The words settled deep in the young prince's mind.
The meeting concluded uncomfortably.
Rocks led his crew back to the ship. They had arrived with high hopes of recruiting the Giant King, but they left with nothing but full stomachs and a heavy atmosphere.
Hachinosu Island. Half a month later.
Life returned to normal. Rocks brooded in his castle, issuing no new orders.
Then, the News Coo arrived.
"Guys! Big news!!"
The pirate selling papers at the docks was weeping openly, tears streaming down his ugly face.
"Shakky of the Kuja Pirates! The Empress of the previous generation! She has officially retired from piracy! We will never see her at sea again!!"
"WHAT?!"
The pirates of Hachinosu were shocked. They scrambled to buy the papers.
It was true. Shakuyaku, the lethal beauty known for being hunted by Garp, had vanished.
Countless pirates fell to their knees in despair.
"My youth... is over!!"
"Shakkyyyyy!! Why have you forsaken us?!"
Skull Mountain. Residential Quarters.
Gloriosa sat on York's lap, leaning comfortably into his chest as he read the newspaper.
"What is Shakky thinking?" Gloriosa mused, tracing a pattern on York's chest. "Is she chasing a man too?"
"It seems even Amazon Lily isn't immune to romance," York replied, stroking her reddish-pink hair.
Charlotte Linlin sat on a nearby sofa, watching her children—the Katakuri triplets—wrestle on the rug.
"You pop out babies like a factory, Linlin," Gloriosa teased. "You wouldn't understand the troubles of love. But knowing Shakky... if the object of her affection is that scoundrel Rayleigh, I might actually forgive her."
"Are you still thinking about men?" Linlin grinned mischievously. "York, you need to teach her a lesson tonight!"
York smirked and gave Gloriosa's perky behind a firm slap.
Smack.
"Ah~"
Gloriosa let out a soft moan. She wrapped her arms around York's neck and pecked him on the cheek, her eyes filled with adoration.
"My body and heart belong completely to York now! I stopped caring about Roger a long time ago."
She rested her head on his shoulder.
"It's just... as someone who's been through it, I really don't want my sister to repeat my mistakes."
Linlin rolled her eyes. She finally understood that Gloriosa only brought up Roger to tease York—it was their little game. The Empress was thoroughly broken in.
On the other side of the room, Stussy watched them.
She sighed softly. "Everyone is talking about Shakky, Shakky..."
She turned to Whitebeard, who was polishing his bisento.
"Newgate! You are devoted to me, right?"
"I've never been devoted to you," Whitebeard rumbled without looking up.
Stussy flinched. It had been two years, and he was still a stone wall.
"They say when a woman chases a man, only a thin veil separates them," Stussy muttered bitterly. "But with you, it feels like the Red Line is in the way."
She feigned annoyance, flipping her blonde hair. "I am Miss Buckingham Stussy! I have many admirers, Newgate!!"
"Good for you," Whitebeard grunted. "Go bother one of them."
"No! I only want you!!"
Whitebeard didn't respond. Stussy's gaze dropped.
She turned her head, looking at York. He was whispering something into Gloriosa's ear that made the former Empress blush furiously. Since Gloriosa's arrival, York had barely spared Stussy a glance.
Her beautiful eyes flickered with a complex emotion.
Linlin, watching the show, grinned.
'Stussy is cracking. It's only a matter of time.'
Three Days Later.
"EVENT!! BIG EVENT!!"
"A SHIP! IT'S A KUJA SHIP AT THE DOCK!!"
Hachinosu, usually a hive of violence, erupted into chaos.
A ship with the distinct Yuda snakes of Amazon Lily docked. A woman stepped onto the gangplank.
Short black hair. A cigarette holder. Cool, intelligent eyes.
Shakuyaku.
Countless pirates instantly formed a corridor, kneeling on the dirty ground.
"An angel has descended!"
"Now I can die in peace!"
"What brings you here, Goddess?!"
"This island is too dirty for your feet!"
Shakky looked at the crowd of drooling, heart-eyed men. She didn't look disgusted; she looked bored.
"I want to live here for a while," she said simply.
"WHAT?!"
The pirates felt their hearts stop.
"I am a retired pirate," Shakky said, taking a drag of her cigarette. "The Marines will always chase me. I need a place to hide."
She paused, offering a rare, captivating smile.
"Will you protect me?"
BOOM!
The collective testosterone of Hachinosu exploded. Pink clouds of lust seemed to cover the island.
"WE WILL PROTECT YOU!!"
The roar shook the heavens.
Shakky wrinkled her nose. "This place smells musty."
"WE WILL CLEAN IT FOR YOU!!"
Shakky: "I want to open a shop. Maybe a bar."
"WE WILL BUILD IT IMMEDIATELY!!"
"WE WILL PLANT FLOWERS!!"
"WE WILL BE YOUR CHAIRS!!"
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