OPTC Chapter 167 If Tom Hides the Key
A glint of intelligence seemed to shine in Rayleigh's eyes. "It seems the young man doesn't want his identity revealed?"
"Yes." Zhang Da Ye wasn't worried seeing him like this. "Not just me—you probably don't want your identity exposed either, right?"
Seeing the two of them talking, the nearby slaves grew even more curious. "You're so familiar with Heaven's Light. Old man, who exactly are you?"
Rayleigh didn't answer. Instead, his eyes widened slightly, and an invisible ripple radiated from him. All the slaves in the shop rolled their eyes and collapsed.
"Ah? What's happening?" Rui Meng Meng was surprised; she had never seen anything like this before.
"That's the Conqueror's Haki Jinbe mentioned last time," Artoria explained. "It's like using a mental strike to knock them out."
Because Rayleigh controlled it precisely, Zhang Da Ye and the others weren't affected, so Artoria didn't intervene.
"If I were exposed, it could be a small but troublesome problem," Rayleigh said with a gentle smile. "Talking like this makes things easier."
He meant exposure to the public eye. The Navy Headquarters might even send a fleet admiral just for appearances, and then he wouldn't have peace.
"Your talking is easier, but our rescuing isn't," Zhang Da Ye complained. "You just knocked out over thirty people. How are we supposed to handle this?"
"Hahaha, sorry, sorry," Rayleigh laughed heartily. "But don't worry. I have control—they'll wake up soon."
Zhang Da Ye found a key, opened a slave's cabinet, tried patting faces, pressing pressure points, and splashing cold water, but nothing woke them up. This wasn't ordinary unconsciousness.
"Move the people from outside in first, then remove the collars and shackles from these people," Zhang Da Ye said. He had no choice but to handle what he could and wait for the rest to regain consciousness.
"Why do you do this?" Rayleigh asked.
"Your tone makes it sound like we're doing something wrong," Zhang Da Ye replied. "We do it because it feels right. We do what we can. Why? Because it feels good."
Rayleigh somewhat understood Zhang Da Ye's mindset—intervening when witnessing injustice—but thought it was a limited perspective. "Doing this won't change anything. As long as they exist, people will keep becoming slaves."
"Won't change anything?" Zhang Da Ye picked up a collar and threw it to the ground with a crisp metallic sound. "At least this collar hitting the floor changed someone's fate. Better than doing nothing, better than those who just watch and mock."
"I mean, young people with potential like you should…" Rayleigh paused, shook his head. "Never mind. I'm retired. You're young. You'll see the truth eventually."
"Oh." Zhang Da Ye ignored him, annoyed by people who knew the truth but wouldn't say it. Why couldn't he just time travel after the pirate finale and avoid such suspense?
Rayleigh didn't rush. He just watched as Zhang Da Ye and the others worked, opening cabinets and locks, intentionally leaving some people, including himself, aside.
By now, Zhang Da Ye and Tom were searching for clothes and valuables in the shop. Rayleigh couldn't help asking, "Why not save them too?"
"What pirate hunter saves pirates? At most, we let them have one thrill." Zhang Da Ye tossed the key to Tom. "Keep it safe. If it's stolen, no milk for you tomorrow morning."
Tom was terrified; the consequences were too severe. Holding the key, he felt uneasy.
Rayleigh chuckled. Tom was trying to find an excuse to keep the key for himself. The young man's principles wouldn't allow him to compromise to save a pirate, so he came up with this idea.
Tom ran left and right, searching for a hiding place, then had a clever thought. He opened his mouth and swallowed the key, finally relieved.
Rayleigh: …
He now confirmed this was the cat he had seen before. Wouldn't it die? Also, he realized he had overthought it earlier. Awkward.
After collecting the necessary items, the unconscious people slowly woke up. Zhang Da Ye handed them travel money, helped them change clothes, and sent them on their way.
Some pirates never woke from their crimes, ending their lives before the chapter of freedom. Rayleigh considered intervening but ultimately didn't.
He wasn't a babysitter for all pirates and wanted to wait quietly for the one who would inherit Roger's will, avoiding unnecessary commotion.
The freed slaves didn't fully understand why they were knocked out or who their benefactors were, but their joy overshadowed such questions. They left in high spirits, planning to leave by ship the next morning.
Finally, Zhang Da Ye looked at the empty shop and said, "Old man, are you leaving? We're burning the place down."
"You have no consideration for the elderly," Rayleigh said, gripping his collar. It instantly deformed and broke, flying into the air with a loud bang.
He then tore off his shackles, moved his limbs slightly, and casually walked out the door.
The movements were smooth, clearly practiced many times, fooling several buyers.
Zhang Da Ye struck a match on Tom's paw, flicked it toward the door. A small flame ignited a corner of the wooden frame.
Rayleigh was confused. He understood fire—his own house had been burned, leading him to encounter Roger—but lighting a single match and waiting like this?
Then the incredible happened. From a distance, Zhang Da Ye blew gently. The tiny flame surged, engulfing the entire shop.
But even more shocking, in less than a second, the shop turned to black dust, the fire extinguishing instantly.
Rayleigh swore by the heavens that no normal house could burn that cleanly in three days and nights.
"Was he a Devil Fruit user?" Rayleigh could only speculate.
Artoria and Rui Meng Meng were used to such events. Zhang Da Ye waved them off and casually left. "Pretend you didn't see us. Even if you say you did, I won't admit it."
"Doing it just because it should be done? Is this 'freedom'?" Rayleigh murmured, watching Zhang Da Ye's back.
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