"No, absolutely not, I don't agree with you going!"
In the empty Rip-off Bar, Shakuyaku's slender fingers forcefully crushed the cigarette she was holding. Her angry voice instantly froze the atmosphere.
"Do you even know what Mary Geoise is?"
"Even if you're called the 'Dark King' by the world, you're not the real 'Dark King.' You can't destroy all of Mary Geoise with a single shot!"
"Or are you planning to die for Roger? Don't you think it's a bit late for that?!"
Rayleigh stared blankly at the agitated Shakuyaku. It was the first time he had seen her so upset. This woman was usually so carefree and gentle, even when she was beating someone up, she always seemed calm.
"Hahaha, I'm just going to investigate a little. I'm not planning to cause chaos in Mary Geoise. I'll sneak in and sneak out."
He spoke with great confidence. After all, as one of the top powerhouses of the era, confidence was a necessary trait.
"You're not allowed to go!"
Shakuyaku glared coldly at Rayleigh and said, "If you go, don't even think about stepping foot in this bar again. You should know very well that I'm not joking right now."
"..."
Rayleigh remained silent, lowering his head and continuing to sip the whiskey in his glass.
[Ding-ding-ding]
At that moment, a crisp and pleasant wind chime rang outside the door.
Immediately after, the door was gently pushed open, and a tall man walked in. He was about 2.5 meters tall, dressed in a green suit and black leather boots, with a white coat draped over his shoulders. His black hair and composed demeanor made him stand out.
"Excuse me, could I get a glass of juice? If you have milk cake, that would be even better."
The Marine officer calmly sat down at the bar, two high-backed wooden chairs away from Rayleigh. His presence silenced the other two.
They, of course, recognized who he was.
"I never expected Base Commander Dragon to visit my little shop. But this is a bar, you know. Juice and milk cake might not be the most fitting choices."
Shakuyaku naturally teased him, then took out a glass of juice and a dark brown cake from the fridge. She smiled and said, "We don't have milk cake, but I personally prefer chocolate cake. How about that?"
"Is it bitter?"
Dragon asked with a slightly conflicted expression.
"A little."
"Then never mind, just the juice will do."
The simple exchange genuinely felt like a conversation between a regular shop owner and a customer. At this point, Rayleigh spoke up, asking, "How did you find me?"
"Whispers on the wind. Where there's wind, there are no secrets," Dragon replied after taking a sip of the sweet juice.
"So, are you here to arrest me?"
"I'd like to."
"And?" Rayleigh asked with a smile. Dragon pondered for a moment before saying, "I want you to leave this place."
Ever since he discovered Rayleigh on the night of Liberation Day, he had considered capturing this former member of the Roger Pirates. But after much thought, he decided against it.
It wasn't that he was afraid of Rayleigh. Although his own strength might not be enough, this was Sabaody Archipelago, right next to Marine Headquarters. He could call for Marine Admirals and reinforcements at any moment.
Dragon's main concern was not wanting a battle to break out within Sabaody Archipelago.
He knew all too well the terrifying environmental destruction that could result from a clash between top-tier fighters.
Even if the Navy forcibly suppressed the 'Dark King' Rayleigh and this former member of the Rocks Pirates, Shakuyaku, this island that had just begun a beautiful life would be utterly destroyed.
Rayleigh and Shakuyaku exchanged a glance and immediately understood Dragon's concerns. The former shook the ice and liquor in his glass.
"I actually think staying here would be safer. If we go out, what if we get surrounded and annihilated by you Navy folks?"
Shakuyaku then chuckled, "Vice Admiral Dragon, he and I have already retired. We won't cause you any trouble. Surely, such a large place as the Sabaody Archipelago can accommodate a bar owner and a Coating Craftsman, can't it?"
Dragon raised his head and narrowed his eyes.
"A bar owner capable of gathering intelligence from all over the world and a craftsman who coats potential pirate ships at night?"
"..."
The two fell silent again.
"Well, it seems you've heard quite a bit about me from Garp. Otherwise, a regular Vice Admiral wouldn't know about my affairs~" Shakuyaku teased lightly.
Rayleigh also laughed, "You even know about me coating pirate ships. It seems nothing escapes you. Is this your ability?"
He had recently mastered the technique of coating, though not yet proficiently. Still, spending some time coating pirate ships was no problem.
"Because the two ships you coated before have already sunk to the bottom of the sea to feed the fish."
Dragon looked at Rayleigh expressionlessly and continued, "You can coat the pirate ships you fancy now, but what if you encounter even more promising pirates in the future? Will you teach them a few tricks, like Haki?"
The method of cultivating Haki is an extremely scarce resource in the first half of the Grand Line. Only those with exceptional talent can grasp it through self-realization.
Seeing Rayleigh stumped, Shakuyaku smiled and changed the subject, "I've heard a rumor that Vice Admiral Dragon once tried to defect from the Navy. Is that true?"
"Huh?"
Rayleigh looked at Dragon in surprise. The son of the Navy hero Garp was actually planning to betray the Navy? What kind of dramatic plot was this? Dragon, however, answered evasively, "The World Government is changing."
"No matter how it changes, it's still the World Government of the Celestial Dragons. Its essence remains the same!" Rayleigh's tone grew heavier as he looked at Dragon seriously.
"But it gives me hope," Dragon said in a low voice, glancing at the newspaper on Rayleigh's table.
"You have no idea about the history of the World Government. If you knew—" Just as Rayleigh was about to continue, Dragon interrupted him, countering, "What if I did? No matter how disgraceful the past was, as long as the present and future are bright, it's meaningless."
In his view, the past was already gone. Only the future mattered.
"I'll give you three days. I hope you'll be gone by then." With that, Dragon stood up and was about to leave the bar when Rayleigh's voice came from behind.
"Kid, what if we don't leave?"
"If that's the case, someone will come to have a chat with you—someone who only knows how to speak with his fists."
Amid the tinkling of wind chimes, Dragon's figure vanished from the sight of the two, but his mind was already contemplating how to isolate this area. If sacrificing one region could eliminate Rayleigh, it would be an acceptable price.
"Ah, what a headache. It seems I've been targeted!" Rayleigh chuckled.
"I can get you out safely," Shakuyaku said softly, her expertise lying in gathering intelligence, which made her particularly adept at escaping. Even Garp had failed to catch her back in the day.
"That's good to hear. Now I can rest easy," Rayleigh exhaled a long breath, feigning relief, then stood up and left the bar, leaving Shakuyaku behind, frowning as she watched his retreating figure.
That night, within the Marine base, Dragon sensed Rayleigh's presence leaving, and it never returned.