Sabaody Archipelago — Grove 44
Just a few months ago, this port had been reduced to ruins—abandoned entirely by the Marines and all factions.
But now—
with the massive Roman-style arena constructed by Dorry the Blue Ogre and Brogy the Red Ogre—
it had come roaring back to life.
And at this very moment—
thanks to the "Ten Pillars" Selection Tournament, a grand spectacle centered around the infamous Magic Eye Pirates—
the entire area had transformed into a thriving hub of activity.
This wasn't just drawing attention from local merchants and pirates.
Even nobles and wealthy traders from the New World had come to participate in this grand event.
The rebuilt streets of Grove 44 were packed with people.
A vibrant, bustling atmosphere radiated outward from the enormous open-air arena.
Shops lined the streets, their windows filled with dazzling goods.
Food stalls were everywhere, filling the air with the rich aromas of alcohol and street food.
From time to time—
women dressed in provocative outfits—bunny suits, fishnet stockings, and more—walked through the crowd, drawing whistles and cheers.
Yet—
no one dared lay a hand on them.
Because anyone foolish enough to try…
had already been dealt with.
Anyone with even a bit of awareness knew—
these women all belonged to the "Queen of the Pleasure District," Stussy.
And in this place—
no one caused trouble.
Not only because of the Magic Eye Pirates' growing reputation—
but also because of the Underworld Emperors backing this district.
The rapid rise of Grove 44 was no accident.
Stussy had supplied manpower—and beauty.
Meanwhile, the "Loan Shark King," Du Feld, had poured in massive amounts of capital.
It was even said that all betting operations and arena odds in the district were controlled by him.
Of course—
that was only what appeared on the surface.
Rumor had it that other Underworld Emperors were involved as well.
Otherwise—
there was no way Grove 44 could surpass other commercial districts of Sabaody in such a short time.
And that—
was the true reason no one dared stir up trouble here.
In a quiet corner of the bustling street—
an old man with graying hair sat atop an empty barrel, lazily swigging from a bottle of liquor.
His face was flushed, his body reeking of alcohol.
At a glance—
he looked thoroughly drunk.
But if one paid close attention—
a sharp glint occasionally flickered in his hazy eyes.
"Kids these days… really are hard to figure out."
Silvers Rayleigh muttered under his breath, glancing toward the distant arena.
Ever since his brief encounter with Yuuki—
he had sensed it clearly.
That man was dangerous.
Dangerous in a way unlike any ordinary pirate.
Rayleigh had long suspected—
this so-called "Ten Pillars" selection wasn't as simple as it seemed.
And yet—
after observing for days—
he had found nothing out of place.
"Gulp… gulp…"
He took another long drink, exhaling with satisfaction.
"Good stuff."
Jumping down from the barrel, Rayleigh staggered off, blending into the crowd.
"LUFFY, YOU IDIOT! WHERE'S MY MONEY?!"
A furious shout suddenly rang out from down the street.
Then—
chaos erupted.
A bruised and battered Luffy came sprinting forward, dragging Chopper along with him.
Behind them—
a furious orange-haired girl chased after them, fists raised.
"Nami…!"
Pedestrians quickly stepped aside, clearing a path.
"Luffy! Do you think you can win your next match?!" someone shouted from the crowd.
Clearly—
many people recognized him.
As one of the top contenders for the championship—
the Straw Hat crew was already well-known.
Even in his current pathetic state—
no one underestimated him.
His strength had been proven time and again in the arena.
"Of course!"
"I'm the man who's gonna become Pirate King! There's no way I'm losing here!"
Luffy shouted back without even turning around.
Laughter rippled through the crowd—
no one took his final declaration seriously.
Rayleigh watched their retreating figures, gently swirling the bottle in his hand.
"…Straw Hat."
He murmured softly.
Then sighed.
Under normal circumstances—
he wouldn't mind approaching Luffy.
But right now—
with Grove 44 in this state, and Luffy being a high-profile contender—
it wasn't the right time.
Rayleigh resumed his drunken act, disappearing into the crowd.
Clack… clack…
The sound of wooden sandals echoed ahead.
A middle-aged man approached from the opposite direction—
wearing a gray robe,
a large X-shaped scar across his forehead,
his eyes closed,
a cane in hand.
Issho—Fujitora.
As the two passed each other—
they both paused ever so slightly.
Then—
continued on as if nothing had happened.
"Ever since that brat stirred things up in Sabaody…"
Rayleigh scratched his messy hair.
"Sure, those damned Celestial Dragons are gone."
"But this place…"
"…has only gotten more lively."
The Arena — VIP Viewing Room
Inside a lavish private room overlooking the arena—
Yuuki stood before a massive glass window.
From here—
the entire coliseum was visible.
At the moment—
it was empty.
The semifinals would take place tomorrow—
serving as both climax and spectacle.
"Captain, this is the revenue report for the past few days."
Robin, dressed elegantly, stepped forward and handed him a document.
Yuuki skimmed through it—
then raised an eyebrow.
He hadn't intended to make money from the tournament—
but even so…
50 million Berries per day.
"…That's more than I expected."
Robin smiled knowingly.
"This level of prosperity is largely thanks to the Underworld figures involved."
"They may not be powerful fighters—but when it comes to business…"
"They're exceptional."
She paused.
"Those individuals have heard that you've arrived in Sabaody."
"They'd like to pay you a visit."
"Shall I arrange it?"
"A visit?"
Yuuki chuckled.
"No need."
"I'm not interested in that kind of thing."
"And besides…"
"In a few days, they'll probably be avoiding us altogether."
Robin's expression sharpened slightly.
So… something big is coming.
She didn't press further.
"I understand."
She handed him another document.
"These are the four finalists."
"Three are Supernovas."
"The fourth… is a bit more complicated."
"Oh?"
That piqued his interest.
He flipped through the file.
Luffy.
Kid.
Law.
As expected.
The only slight disappointment—
Jewelry Bonney hadn't participated.
I'll have to approach her separately.
Then—
he turned to the final page.
His expression shifted.
"…Rob Lucci?"
Former CP9.
Defeated at Enies Lobby.
Now a fugitive.
And yet—
he had entered this tournament.
Interesting.
"What's tomorrow's match lineup?" Yuuki asked.
"Luffy vs. Lucci."
"Law vs. Kid."
Robin replied immediately.
"Should we change it?"
"No need."
Yuuki waved it off.
He turned to the room.
All the Magic Eye Pirates were gathered.
"The matches start tomorrow."
"If you want to explore, shop, or relax—go ahead."
"No need to stay here."
"This place can't compare to our Grand Tesoro," Buggy scoffed.
He still hadn't forgotten his humiliation.
He absolutely refused—
to be used as a hostage again.
Mochi, on the other hand, was excited.
"Last time we came, we didn't get to explore properly!"
"Cabaji, you must know some fun spots, right?"
Cabaji folded his arms.
"If anything—"
"The auction house."
"Some… interesting items there."
"Say no more!"
Mochi dashed out immediately.
Buggy whispered something to Cabaji—
earning a surprised look—
before the two followed.
Uta's eyes sparkled.
"A city built on giant trees…"
"I really want to explore!"
Yuuki pulled out Luffy's file and handed it to her.
"Here."
"Hm?"
Uta blinked—
then froze.
"…Luffy!"
Robin glanced at her, surprised.
So, they knew each other.
"So, he really became a pirate…"
Uta whispered, her expression filled with nostalgia and conflict.
Though she had changed—
her ideals remained.
She still hated pirates.
Still wanted to bring happiness through song.
But in her eyes—
Yuuki and his crew…
were something else entirely.
"Want to go see him?" Yuuki asked.
Uta looked up.
"How did you know we knew each other?"
"Trade secret."
He smiled.
She shot him a resentful glance.
Then shook her head.
"…After the match."
She smiled again.
"Let's go shopping together!"
She grabbed Marianne's arm enthusiastically.
Yuuki raised his hands.
"I'll pass."
Robin smiled apologetically.
"Same here."
"Aww… what a shame."
Soon—
everyone left.
Only Yuuki and Robin remained.
"You're not going with them?" he asked.
"I'm not interested in shopping," Robin replied calmly.
"I'd rather study the materials we obtained from Vegapunk."
Yuuki's eyes lit up.
"You found something?"
Robin nodded seriously.
"I did."
(End of Chapter)
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