After resting a while, Rorin D. Sol felt his body had recovered enough to move. With Ganwu Zhua strapped across his back, he strolled toward the island's harbor.
His clash with Big Mom hadn't touched the docks; trade was still in full swing. Merchants bustled about, loading supplies onto ships bound for other islands.
Sol's eyes landed on a particularly grand merchant vessel. Without hesitation, he crouched, then leapt. In one smooth motion, he landed on deck as if gravity didn't apply to him.
"Move your asses! Faster, damn it! You slack off, you don't eat tonight!"
A burly man with a wild beard cracked his whip mercilessly. Anyone who moved too slow felt leather bite into their skin, leaving bloody welts.
It was obvious—the men on board weren't free. They were slaves, beaten into submission, denied dignity.
Sol's gaze darkened. So this is the pirate world—survival of the fittest, cruelty without end.
The slaver finally noticed Sol standing calmly at the ship's rail. Scowling, he lifted his whip."You little punk! Don't you know this is one of Big Mom's merchant ships? Looking to die, are you?!"
His voice dripped with arrogance and filth. Sol's brows furrowed. His hand slid to the hilt of Ganwu Zhua. For an instant, sword energy split the air like a streak of lightning, then faded as quickly as it came.
Sol's hand fell back to his side. "That was your punishment for running your filthy mouth. Now—set sail. I want to be off this island before nightfall. Understand?"
"You bastard—!" The slaver raised his whip, but froze mid-swing.
A beat later, his scream tore through the deck. Blood sprayed as he realized his right arm—whip and all—was gone. It had been severed so cleanly he hadn't even registered it until pain exploded.
The slaves stared, mouths agape, minds blank.
Ding! Slave A was shocked by the host's overwhelming display of power. Evaluation: E. Reward: One bottle of Coca-Cola.Ding! Slave B was shocked by the host's overwhelming display of power. Evaluation: E. Reward: One skewer of spicy grilled meat.Ding! Slave C was shocked by the host's overwhelming display of power. Evaluation: E. Reward: One candid photo of Jobilo.
…
"System, cut it out already!" Sol snarled in his head. He shut off the damn alerts before they spat out anything else weird. If it coughed up one more cursed Jobilo photo, he really would spit blood.
By the time Sol wandered into the captain's cabin, the slaver had finally recovered enough to shriek. "Bandage me! Somebody wrap this, now!!"
Meanwhile, at Whole Cake Island's port, the lavish merchant ship slowly pulled away from the docks. Inside, the pale-faced, one-armed slaver bowed his head, sticking close to Sol like a dog at heel.
"Boss, the galley's fully stocked. Tell me what you'd like, and I'll have the cook prepare it right away~"
"Food, huh?" Sol rubbed his stomach. Ever since arriving in this world, he hadn't tasted a proper meal. Just thinking of Luffy's giant meat skewers from the original story made his mouth water. Denying it would've been a lie.
"Meat. Big chunks of it. I want the kind that makes you feel alive when you eat it."
"I-I understand! At once!"
The slaver bobbed his head frantically, ignoring the blood soaking through his bandages as he scurried toward the kitchen.
But the moment he turned, the smile fell off his face, replaced by raw hatred.
That bastard dares order me around? Let's see how he enjoys choking on poison.
From his pocket, he pulled a small porcelain vial. Inside was a lethal extract from the Buried Blossom—a poison that left no survivors. He was certain it could kill Sol.
Even so, he wasn't done covering his bases.
Inside the galley, he pried open a hidden compartment and dragged out a Den Den Mushi. Dialing a number only those in the trade knew, he contacted one of Big Mom's officers—the official in charge of guarding merchant ships.
"Lord, this is Jak Bovan of the merchant fleet. There's an intruder on board—"
He quickly spun the story, layering on exaggerations and panic before snapping the call shut. A wicked grin spread across his face.
Poison, reinforcements, and Mama's wrath. Let's see you crawl out of this one, bastard.