Rayleigh

Shakky’s Rip-off Bar had quite a reputation on Island 13—and it was a notorious one. Anyone who had been taken advantage of there gritted their teeth in hatred at the mention of the place.

This bar, built atop the roots of a giant tree, charged prices so outrageous they bordered on extortion. If the dining environment had been elegant, the food renowned far and wide, and cute girls in fanservice outfits had sweetly called out, "Master," then perhaps the high prices could have been tolerated. But this lousy bar had average food, average surroundings, practically nonexistent service, and its only woman was the landlady, who often drifted into memories from forty years ago. That was truly infuriating.

You didn’t even offer any special services, so what gave you the right to charge so much?

When customers came to settle their bills and saw the exorbitant total, they would ask for a reasonable explanation. More often than not, they would receive a savage beating, have their wallets emptied by the landlady, and be thrown out the door.

Outsiders saw it as a joke, but insiders understood the trick. Aside from newcomers from elsewhere, locals never spent money here. That was because Shakky, the landlady, did not sell alcohol or food—she sold information. This bar was the most highly regarded information exchange on Island 13, and Shakky herself was a famous intelligence broker.

What she sold was high-priced luxury merchandise. Every dish carried a deeper meaning, so naturally it cost a fortune. Those who got fleeced simply ordered blindly without understanding the rules. They deserved to be bled dry into bankruptcy.

Duke gently pushed open the bar’s door. Beneath the aged decor, rows of empty seats showed that business was terrible today.

It was not completely empty. In a corner, a white-haired old man slept soundly against the wall, with empty liquor bottles scattered haphazardly around his feet.

Silvers Rayleigh!

Duke studied the living legend with great interest. According to the analysis of some fanatics on an online forum, if the Pirate King’s right-hand man had not joined Roger’s ship and had instead chosen to become a captain himself, he would at least have reached the level of a Four Emperor and stood on equal footing with Whitebeard.

There were no ifs in this world. Assumptions would always remain assumptions. It was hard to say what level of pirate Rayleigh was, but one thing was certain: without him, there would have been no Pirate King Roger.

"Welcome, three guests… What would you like?" Shakky, the still-charming landlady, greeted them as usual. But when she saw Duke and Robin’s attire clearly, her voice noticeably faltered, and the cigarette in her mouth was moved between her fingers.

"We came here to visit Mr. Silvers Rayleigh, the ‘Dark King.’" Duke nodded politely, then turned his gaze toward Rayleigh.

"How could someone that important possibly be here? Other than a beautiful landlady and a drunken old fool, there’s no one else in this bar. You’ve come to the wrong place." Duke’s appearance had caused another misunderstanding. This time, the victim was the intelligence broker Shakky.

"Even asleep, a lion can make the world tremble. Such Haki is rare even on the seas. It cannot belong to a drunken old fool. He is Rayleigh." Duke spoke with certainty.

Shakky took a deep drag from her cigarette. After a long silence, she said ambiguously, "Now this is truly a headache."

Before Roger turned himself in, he disbanded his Pirate Crew. Rayleigh, Gaban, and the others vanished from sight as well. Of course, it was impossible for them to disappear entirely. The Pirate King’s crew was too dangerous, and the government would never allow them to leave its watch.

Rayleigh was one such case. The Navy’s upper ranks all knew he was hiding in the Sabaody Archipelago, yet they had never moved to arrest him, merely issuing a symbolic wanted poster. The reason was simple. For someone at Rayleigh’s level, whether killing or capturing him carried enormous risks. In the worst-case scenario, they might even lose an Admiral.

Trading an Admiral for a pirate who had already washed his hands of the business was a losing deal no matter how one looked at it. The Navy was not that foolish. Besides, Rayleigh had kept his head down and honestly worked as a coating mechanic, looking every bit like a man who had retired from the world. Arresting him or leaving him alone made little difference, so the Navy chose to turn a blind eye.

For nearly twenty years, Rayleigh had not caused trouble, and the Navy had left him alone. Neither side crossed the other, maintaining a delicate balance. Shakky had thought it would remain that way, never expecting people from the World Government to come knocking today.

"What do the World Government’s people want with Rayleigh?" Faced with the sudden arrival of the World Government, Shakky decided to take things one step at a time.

If it was a blessing, it was not a disaster; if it was a disaster, it could not be avoided. Even if disaster truly came knocking, she and Rayleigh were no soft persimmons to be kneaded at will.

"Shakky, you’re mistaken." Rayleigh, who had been snoring moments ago, suddenly spoke. He raised a bottle and poured the liquor into his mouth. It ran down his neck, and he casually wiped it away before smiling. "This young man is not from the government. A castrated lapdog could never possess such proud Haki."

"Not from the government?" Shakky froze. Duke had specifically come looking for Rayleigh, so she had assumed CP0 had arrived.

"I’m Rayleigh! Young man, what should I call you?" Rayleigh asked cheerfully.

Without another word, Duke removed the mask from his face, revealing his true appearance. His face was still highly recognizable across the seas. Shakky, an intelligence broker, was familiar with it, and Rayleigh, who constantly kept watch on the world, recognized him at once.

"’Navy Traitor’ Duke… So it’s you!" Shakky was startled at first, but quickly smiled. "An unexpected guest, but still better than someone from the government."

Rayleigh burst into laughter. "What an extraordinary personage!"

"Before a true great figure, I cannot bear that title." Duke immediately returned the compliment. He had come today to discuss business, so naturally his tone had to be more courteous. Otherwise, if petty Rayleigh left a hole in his ship’s coating, wouldn’t he die an unjust death?

"Hahaha, this is your era now. What kind of great figure is an outdated old man like me?" Rayleigh waved his hand modestly. Then he could not help looking curiously at Robin, wanting to know who Duke’s companion was.

As for Perona, she was simply ignored!

Robin cooperatively removed her mask, and the room immediately fell silent. Shakky in particular, as an intelligence broker, had already begun piecing together why these two had come together.

"’Demon Child’ Nico Robin, another dangerous person capable of overturning the world." Rayleigh took a drink and said brightly, "You two, has anyone ever told you that your combination is extremely dangerous?"

"Precisely because it is dangerous, we conceal our identities. Once we reach the New World, things will be fine. The Navy’s influence cannot reach that far."

"Are you serious?" Rayleigh raised a brow and drained the rest of his liquor in one gulp. "The seas do not only have the Navy. There are also many people in the New World coveting the Poneglyphs, especially King of the Beasts and Big Mom…"

Duke cut Rayleigh off before he could finish. "Mr. Rayleigh, among the Four Emperors, who do you think is most likely to become the Pirate King?"

"Why ask that?" Rayleigh became interested.

"Whitebeard is the person closest to becoming Pirate King, but he has no ambition for it, so he is the least likely to become Pirate King. Red-Haired Shanks gambled an arm on the future and has already withdrawn from the competition for Pirate King, so he cannot become Pirate King either. King of the Beasts and Big Mom have the strongest forces, but while they have more than enough Haki, they lack the bearing of kings. Neither is fit to become Pirate King. The so-called Four Emperors will all become supporting characters in the future. Why should I fear them?" Duke stared directly into Rayleigh’s eyes and spoke each word clearly.

"Hahaha, what an extraordinary fellow. You’ve seen right through them all!" Rayleigh laughed heartily. "You’re absolutely right. None of those four can become Pirate King. They are far inferior to Roger and the others. But…"

"How did you know about Shanks?" Rayleigh asked in confusion.

"I have my own sources of intelligence." Duke smiled mysteriously, making Robin beside him roll her eyes.

"That truly is frightening." Rayleigh sighed. Few people knew about Red-Haired Shanks. Most only knew that he had lost an arm in the East Blue and knew nothing else, yet Duke understood the key details. How could Rayleigh not be surprised?

"I came this time to ask Mr. Rayleigh to coat my ship. And while I’m here, I’d also like to ask what major events have happened recently."

"The coating is no problem… but my price is rather high. Are you sure you want me?"

"Of course. When lives are at stake, one must find someone trustworthy."

"I’m honored by the compliment. Then let me tell you about the recent major events." Rayleigh reminisced for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Some time ago, the Supernovas entered the New World from the Sabaody Archipelago and caused the Navy quite a lot of trouble."

"Supernovas?"

"There’s a kid called Portgas D. Ace. He seems quite formidable!"

"Portgas…" Duke smiled deeply. "That surname is quite interesting, Mr. Rayleigh. What do you think?"

Rayleigh fell silent, and his expression immediately turned serious. "Who is your source of intelligence?"