A while later, a large crowd gathered along the shores of Skypiea. They were Sky Islanders and Shandians alike. Wyper and Gan Fall had also come.
Regardless of Allen's personality, the young man had saved both of their peoples from Enel at a relatively small cost.
Just one hundred million Berries from each village, collected as "taxes."
Was it shameless to ask for a reward after taking dozens of tons of gold from the Ark Maxim?
Not according to Allen. Besides, neither the Shandians nor the Sky Islanders knew anything about that, and Allen certainly wasn't going to tell them. As far as they were concerned, what Enel had done with the gold from the Golden City would remain a mystery.
"Take care, Conis-chan," Gan Fall said.
Standing beside the old man was Pagaya, wiping away tears as he watched his daughter leave. He had struggled to convince himself to let her go, because in his eyes, his daughter wasn't made for a life of adventure.
The captain himself had to step in and assure the man that he would protect his daughter with his life and that there was nothing to worry about.
Pagaya had no choice but to accept. After all, Conis wasn't a little girl anymore, and Allen himself had defeated Enel, so she should be safe... right?
As the group prepared to leave, a little girl silently watched Allen. It was Aisa, the young Shandian girl born with such powerful Mantra that she could sense everything happening throughout Upper Yard from her hiding place among the cloud islands.
Allen smiled at her, and the girl immediately hid behind Laki, who could only smile wryly.
The young man winked at Laki, making her blush and avert her gaze as she remembered certain things that had happened over the past few weeks, things she had decided to keep to herself.
On the ship, the girls cheerfully said their goodbyes. Although the first day had been a disaster with Enel ruling the skies as a tyrant, the rest of their stay had been like paradise.
Not only because Skypiea was a beautiful place, but because they didn't have to worry about the Marines. So while they waited for Lenalee to wake up, it had felt like a vacation.
"Hey, Captain," Uta whispered to Allen, "are you really okay with not taking the Golden Bell too?"
The other girls who overheard looked at Allen as well. He had taken all the gold from the Golden City without hesitation or guilt, yet he hadn't touched the Golden Bell.
"I feel like that would've been a bit too much. You know, the Shandians are my subjects now, and taking all of their treasures feels a little inappropriate," Allen sighed. "Next time I'll make sure to loot them properly before making them my subjects."
The girls burst into laughter at Allen's shamelessness.
The Black Pearl set sail toward the Blue Sea, unaware that fate itself was also redoubling its efforts, pushing the world toward global chaos just as it had since the Void Century.
At the same time, a ship with a chicken figurehead was being carried skyward by the monstrous Knock Up Stream, the same massive current that had once launched Upper Yard into the heavens.
These were the Straw Hat Pirates, who, despite the hardships along the way, had finally begun their journey to the Sky Island, though still one step behind Allen.
It was unfortunate for the future King of the Pirates that there were no longer any enemies left to defeat in the sky. Still, since Allen hadn't stolen the Golden Bell, perhaps Luffy could still fulfill the promise he had made to the man who helped him reach Skypiea. But that no longer had anything to do with Allen and his crew.
...
On Banaro Island, located near Water 7, Teach's crew came ashore.
This group of pirates had originally intended to capture Allen to earn the vacant position of Shichibukai. However, that plan failed—or rather, they abandoned it after realizing they might lose their lives trying.
Allen was simply a monster they weren't ready to face.
So Teach changed his target, setting his sights on a smaller fish instead: Monkey D. Luffy, the rookie with a one hundred million Berry bounty who had already accomplished several notable feats and might be enough to qualify for the position of Shichibukai.
Little did they know that Portgas D. Ace, Luffy's brother, was following close behind. When he learned of Teach's intentions, he flew into a rage, and a battle erupted that nearly destroyed the island. But the ending had already been written.
Ace lost. He was captured by Teach, who handed him over to the Marines in exchange for the vacant Shichibukai position.
This event shook the entire world, because Portgas D. Ace wasn't just a pirate worth a five-hundred-million-bounty, but also the Second Division Commander of the strongest pirate in the world.
Edward Newgate, "Whitebeard."
The message sent to the world was unmistakable.
The Marines wanted war against a Yonko!
...
One week later...
After descending from the sky, the first thing they encountered was a Marine base known as G-8. The Marines had tried to arrest them, but they were easily subdued.
At Hina and Tashigi's request, Allen didn't kill anyone this time, but only on the condition that the two of them fought personally.
It had been a very strange situation for them, as they had been forced to fight fellow Marines. It would probably lead to their expulsion from the Marines, as they were unaware of the agreement Allen had made with them.
The next thing they encountered was a pirate named Foxy. The man had apparently wanted something from Allen, but Allen instantly destroyed his ship with a Gura Gura attack.
Allen despised Foxy. In his eyes, the man was a disgrace to piracy who possessed an incredible Devil Fruit like the Noro Noro no Mi yet wasn't even capable of using it properly, so Allen took it away from him.
After leaving those incidents behind, they headed for Water 7, the greatest shipyard in the world.
The sea stretched out like a mirror beneath the clear sky.
The proud Black Pearl, now restored to its original length of over fifty meters, cut through the waves as it approached its next destination.
Water 7...
Even from a distance, the place looked incredible. It resembled a gigantic fountain, with water cascading in every direction from the highest point. This was where the world's finest ships were built. Even the Pirate King's ship had been crafted here.
"Amazing... so this is Water 7," Conis said, her eyes sparkling.
"That's right!" Kaya replied with the same look.
Neither of the girls could stop marveling at everything they saw. For Conis, seeing the Blue Sea was a dream come true. More than that, every island here was made of Vearth, something worshiped in the sky.
As for Kaya, having spent most of her life confined to her room, everything felt like a brand-new adventure.
The others couldn't help but smile at the sight of the two girls, who looked like angels of peace.
"We finally made it to a real city!" Mikita exclaimed, eager to go shopping.
"Nami, don't be stingy this time," Allen said.
They had received an additional two hundred million Berries from the people of Skypiea and Shandia. Lenalee hadn't "eaten" that money, so it served as the crew's budget. Still, with Nami's personality, she guarded every last Berry.
"Don't say that..." Nami pouted, but Allen didn't give in.
"This is a huge city, and we won't see another one until Sabaody. Just let the girls have fun and buy whatever they want," Allen said with a grin. "Who knows? Maybe we'll find even more money somewhere in this city."
Nami's eyes lit up. She jumped onto Allen, hugged him, and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you, Captain! ❤️~"
The rest of the girls rolled their eyes at the money-obsessed pair. Still, they were already used to it.
Before disembarking, the girls changed into different clothes. Among them, Tashigi and Hina stood out, now wearing casual outfits after putting away their Marine coats.
That drew a smile from Allen, irritating Tashigi enough that she grabbed him by the collar and warned him not to get the wrong idea, because this didn't mean anything.
Allen's arrival didn't go unnoticed—or rather, everyone already knew it was coming. After all, the route he had taken through the first half of the Grand Line was public knowledge.
Because of that, it was easy to predict exactly when he would arrive at Water 7.
...
The most important building in Water 7 was where the current mayor's office was located.
The man's name was Iceburg.
He was a middle-aged man with neatly combed short dark-blue hair. He wore a brown-and-orange striped suit jacket over an orange shirt, along with black pants.
The man had two identities: Mayor of Water 7 and President of the Galley-La Company, the city's leading shipbuilding company.
At that moment, Iceburg had lost his usual calm demeanor and sharp gaze because a monster was about to arrive in Water 7.
He couldn't stop staring at the wanted poster lying on his desk.
It was Allen Walker's.
Iceburg had no issues with pirates. They were a common sight here, and as long as they behaved themselves, he wouldn't go looking for trouble.
But Allen was different.
It was no secret that this young pirate had clashed with both the Hero of the Marines and an Admiral—and survived.
That meant his current bounty didn't accurately represent the threat he posed.
"My God... what are we going to do?" Iceburg sighed.
"That's sexual harassment," a woman said as she adjusted her glasses.
Iceburg laughed awkwardly. The woman standing before him was a beauty with long blonde hair. She wore a light-brown jacket with long sleeves, a black skirt, and black boots. Her name was Kalifa, Iceburg's secretary.
"Did I do something to deserve that accusation?" Iceburg asked.
Kalifa adjusted her glasses without changing her expression.
"I'm sorry. It's just that your gaze seemed perverted."
The man had only sighed, showing his concern. What was perverted about that?
Still, he said nothing because he knew it was impossible to interact with the woman on a personal level. She always accused people of sexual harassment for no reason.
Kalifa looked at the wanted poster on the desk. A sharp gleam flashed through her eyes before vanishing an instant later.
"President, is something troubling you?"
Iceburg stood up and looked out the window.
"The King of the World is about to arrive in Water 7... or perhaps he's already here."
Kalifa narrowed her eyes as the reflection on her glasses concealed her expression.
"Kalifa, may I ask you a favor?"
"That's sexual harassment," the woman replied coldly.
Iceburg nearly stumbled.
"No, that's not it. I was hoping you could welcome Allen Walker and do everything you can to keep him from causing trouble. From what I've heard, he hasn't harmed any women, and even though he has Marine hostages aboard his crew, no reports are indicating that he's mistreated them."
Kalifa's expression didn't change, but she looked at Iceburg coldly.
If Kalifa had been an ordinary woman, she might have been fooled by Iceburg's words.
But she was secretly an agent of the World Government, a member of an organization called Cipher Pol.
She immediately realized that Iceburg was essentially sending her to Allen as a peace offering.
Iceburg felt uncomfortable under Kalifa's silence.
"Kalifa... if you don't want to, you don't have to..." the man said, though it was obvious he hoped she would accept.
"Understood, President."
The woman turned around and left the office, leaving Iceburg to let out a sigh of relief and silently apologize to her in his heart.
...
The Black Pearl docked at the harbor closest to the city.
This time, the streets didn't empty as they had on Jaya Island.
The farther one advanced through the Grand Line, the higher pirate bounties became. Naturally, Allen's bounty was no longer as shocking in Water 7, though it still attracted plenty of attention.
Most of those looks, however, were due to his appearance, his crew, and their incredible exploits.
"Whoa, this really is a huge city!" Uta said.
"Don't forget we need to restock the pantry," Nojiko reminded the girl, who looked ready to run off exploring.
"I know~" Uta replied cheerfully. "Then let's go together."
"That's how it is, Captain," Nojiko said, winking at Allen.
"Be careful," Allen replied.
The two girls headed off together to shop around the city.
"I want to buy lots of medical supplies too," Kaya said, already making a mental list.
Allen signaled Hina and Mikita to accompany Kaya and keep her safe, even though she could take care of herself.
Hina agreed immediately, but Mikita pouted.
She wanted a date with Allen around the city.
"There'll be time for that later," Allen said, noticing her dissatisfaction.
"You promise?" Mikita asked with puppy-dog eyes.
Allen flicked her forehead, and the girl stuck out her tongue before leaving with the other two.
"I want to visit the weapon shops and see if they have any Meito," Tashigi said.
"Hey, aren't you forgetting you're still a hostage?" Allen asked.
Tashigi crossed her arms beneath her chest and gave him a defiant look, as if saying, "At this point?" What are you even talking about?
"Fine. Just don't run away," Allen said with a smile.
"Hmph."
Tashigi started walking away.
"I'll make sure she's okay," Vivi said as she gently touched Allen's arm.
"Yeah, be careful," Allen replied.
Vivi smiled sweetly, revealing a closeness that went beyond ordinary friends or crewmates, before following after Tashigi.
"I'm going shopping. Want to come with me, Conis?~" Nami said.
"Hm? Y-Yes, of course," Conis replied. She was still a little nervous about being surrounded by so many people from the Blue Sea, but she decided to be brave. After all, she was now part of the World King's crew.
Once all the girls had left, only Allen, Robin, and Lenalee remained.
"I guess I have to protect my big sister from any perverts who might get too close," Allen teased as he took Robin's hand.
Robin blushed, but instead of pulling away, she intertwined her fingers with his and leaned against his shoulder.
"You're becoming more shameless every day," Robin said with a faint smile.
The scene was being watched by a pigeon not too far away.
When Allen glanced toward it, the pigeon flew away, bringing a smile to his face.
"Is something wrong?" Robin asked.
"Nah. It's just that the pigeon was wearing a little red necktie."
Robin blinked before laughing softly.
"There really are strange things in this world."
"Well, setting that aside, want to go see the famous Sea Train?" Allen asked with a smile.
"That sounds interesting."
[I don't know whether to feel sorry for whoever tries to cause trouble... or just laugh at them.~]
...
The pigeon flew to the top of a building and landed on a man's shoulder.
He had long, thick black hair, wore a black top hat, a spotless white shirt, and brown pants held up by red suspenders.
The man was a foreman at the Galley-La Company.
Rob Lucci.
"He's here..." Lucci said, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. "The man who must be eliminated."
====
A/N: Some might call Iceburg a bastard, but the man is a visionary; he's already laying the groundwork to earn himself a good position in the new administration. 🍷🗿
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