By the time Badak returned, Sandersonia and Marigold had woken up. Shaki and Hancock were chatting with them, but they all fell silent and turned to look at Badak when he entered.
Badak scratched the back of his head, feeling like a homeroom teacher who'd just walked into a lively classroom—completely out of place.
"Badak, we heard you saved us. Thank you!"
"Thank you, Badak."
Sandersonia and Marigold's gratitude broke the awkwardness.
"Haha, no problem. I just brought you here—didn't do much else."
"Badak, I heard you've also awakened Conqueror's Haki?"
Hancock eyed him suspiciously.
Looking back now, she felt the person whose Conqueror's Haki had clashed with hers must have been Badak. His Haki was only slightly stronger than hers, and she'd fainted more from exhaustion after the collision than anything else. Otherwise, who would rescue someone only to abandon them halfway? But she had no proof.
"Well, just a little."
Badak glanced around nervously, like Luffy caught red-handed stealing food.Hancock already understood, but she didn't press the issue. After all, she had been at her limit back then and couldn't quickly escape with her two sisters. Enemy reinforcements could have arrived at any moment. Badak had knocked her unconscious, but in doing so, he had also saved the three sisters.
"Badak, I heard you're planning to look for the princess of the dwarves?"
At this point, Shaki spoke up, easing Badak's awkwardness.
"That's right. I heard the princess of the dwarves has the ability to heal anything. I want to recruit her as a companion for my travels and adventures."
"I remember Shanks mentioned your next journey was returning to the West Blue. Is the dwarven princess in the West Blue?"
"Not the West Blue—it's Green Bit in the New World. Originally, I planned to apply to cross the Red Line to get to the West Blue, but there were too many applicants, and I couldn't get approval. So, I stayed on Sabaody for a while, intending to train my abilities and fly back myself."
Badak shrugged and continued, "Later, I ran into a guy at a restaurant who was bragging. He claimed to be well-informed, saying there was nothing on the seas he didn't know. I wasn't buying it, so I asked him right then, 'Do you know who I am?' Guess how he responded?"
"How did he answer?"
Sandersonia played along perfectly, proving to be an excellent listener.
"He looked at me once, then looked again, and started muttering weirdly, saying things like 'impossible' and 'it can't be.' I figured he was just some drunkard spouting nonsense and tried to leave, but he wouldn't let me. He insisted on proving himself and told me to ask him something else. Want to know what I asked next?"
"What did you ask?"
This time, there were two eager listeners—Sandersonia and Marigold.
"I asked him, 'What is the One Piece, the treasure of the Pirate King?'"
"How did he answer?" Hancock asked, intrigued.
"He said he couldn't tell me and told me to ask something else. I got so annoyed I almost kicked him."
"Right now, I feel like kicking you," Hancock snapped.
"Hold on, there's more. I ended up firing off a bunch of questions: How many sons has Whitebeard adopted? What's Garp's record for eating doughnuts? Who is Kaido's wife? Which is the strongest Devil Fruit? Did Big Mom and Kaido have a thing? How does Mihawk handle his… personal needs on that tiny boat—does he row with his sword? And since Snake-Snake Fruit users' legs turn into tails, do they still wear underwear?"
"What did he say?" This time, even Shaki grew curious.
Sandersonia and Marigold, meanwhile, started blushing.
"He said Whitebeard's number of adopted sons keeps growing every year; Garp's doughnut-eating record is constantly being broken; Kaido hasn't decided on a wife yet, but his daughter's name is Yamato; the strongest Devil Fruit is the Nika Fruit; Big Mom has a huge debt of gratitude toward Kaido; I should go ask Hawkeye myself if his sword is sharp enough; and the last question needed to be censored."
"Saying all that is the same as saying nothing. The Nika Fruit? Never heard of it," Hancock said with disdain.
Shaki, however, grew serious. She knew about the Nika Fruit—but that secret should only be known by a select few. That man wasn't ordinary at all."Brother Badak, did you ask anything else later? Otherwise, why would you think to look for the princess of the dwarves?"
"Later... later he wouldn't let me ask anymore. He started talking on his own."
Badak paused deliberately, taking a long breath for effect. Seeing the unfriendly expressions on the faces of those opposite him, he smirked mischievously before continuing, "He said the world's greatest swordsman would be Jorackle Mihawk; he said there would be four overlords in the New World called the Four Emperors, with Shanks being the last one; he said a fruit capable of performing an immortality surgery—the Op-Op Fruit—would appear in the North Blue, and only the princess of the dwarves from Green Bit could rival its healing abilities. Of course, he also mentioned things like the golden city of Shandora on Sky Island and the world's most beautiful woman."
"It's predictable that Shanks would become an overlord, but to be called one of the Four Emperors? Old Ray would be thrilled."
"Is there really such a thing as an immortality surgery?"
"Does the golden city truly exist?"
"The world's most beautiful woman?"
"No," Shaki was the first to react, "some of the things he mentioned haven't happened yet. Could he be predicting the future? What was that man's name, young Badak?"
"Oh, he said his name was Oda, a manga artist."
"Oda... that sounds like a name from Wano Country. But a manga artist? That seems too casual. Is he still on Sabaody Archipelago?"
"I'm not sure. I only met him once. But after seeing Hawkeye Mihawk and Shanks fight, I think what he said was true. Anyway, I wanted to see what the dwarves are like, so I might as well verify it."
"Badak, I'll go with you to find the dwarven princess."
Hancock said seriously.
"Sister, we'll accompany you."
"No, your bodies are too depleted right now. You need proper rest, or it will affect your future strength."
"But..."
"Listen to me. I will definitely find a way to remove this shame."
Hancock's expression was resolute as she turned to Badak. "Badak, when do you plan to depart?"
"Me? I'm ready anytime, but it'd be best to have a full meal and a good sleep first, then set off in peak condition."
"Good, we'll leave together tomorrow."
"Alright, I'll leave my ship here and come find you tomorrow."
With that, Badak bid farewell to everyone. He also needed to pack his luggage and bring necessary items.
"Shaki, please take care of my sisters."
"Silly girl, save those words for when we're about to leave." Shaki gently stroked Hancock's hair as she spoke softly.