Shakky extended her invitation.
El thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"Very well… Come to think of it…"
His mind drifted back to the time he had met Rayleigh near the Calm Belt, off the coast of Amazon Lily.
Several days had passed since then, and he wondered if the old man had finished whatever business had taken him away.
"Ah, him…" Shakky shook her head with a faint, bitter smile. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"Even I don't know exactly what that old rascal is up to… Though I wouldn't worry too much. He's more than capable of taking care of himself."
El could easily agree with that. Rayleigh may have been a legend from the previous era, but even now, his strength remained among the very best in the world.
It was always a grave mistake to underestimate the masters of a bygone age.
…
"Actually, if you're looking for someone to coat your ship, the best choice would be to wait until Rayleigh returns."
At Shakky's place, El had mentioned that he needed a reliable ship coater to prepare his vessel for the journey ahead—and this was her advice.
El shook his head gently. "I know Rayleigh would be ideal, but I've already waited two days, and there's still no sign of him coming back."
"Is that so…"
Shakky had already been treating El and his companions to free drinks these past few days.
"If you're in a hurry, I can help you find a few skilled coaters I know personally," she offered.
After all, this was her territory, and she had many connections through her long friendship with Rayleigh.
Finding qualified, trustworthy craftsmen was no great difficulty for her.
"I would be most grateful," El replied sincerely.
In Sabaody Archipelago, as in most places across the world, things went much smoother when you had people you could rely on.
Such unwritten rules applied everywhere in human society, and even among other races.
Shakky and Rayleigh had lived in seclusion here for decades.
Even without actively seeking influence, they had built up a solid network of contacts over the years.
With their support, El would find it far easier to handle matters on the archipelago.
Their connections even extended beyond Sabaody. It was said that Rayleigh also had good relations with the people of Fish-Man Island, deep beneath the ocean.
In fact, both Sabaody and Fish-Man Island were known for their master ship coaters.
To travel into the New World—the second half of the Grand Line—vessels first had to be coated here in Sabaody.
Once they reached Fish-Man Island, they would need to be coated again.
The waterproof film applied in Sabaody merged with the island's protective barrier, so a new coat was required to leave the depths and continue the journey.
The reason Sabaody became the center of this craft lay in its very foundation—the massive Yarukiman Mangrove trees.
The resin used to coat ships was secreted naturally from the trunks of these giant trees.
Their upper sections rose above the water, their tangled branches and roots forming the archipelago itself, while their lower parts stretched all the way down to the ocean floor, rooted deep near Fish-Man Island.
That was why craftsmen there could also harvest the same resin from the submerged trunks and roots, allowing them to coat vessels as well.
With this concern settled, El and his crew spent the next few days resting and relaxing in Sabaody.
By now, the name of the El Pirates had grown increasingly famous.
Though El himself preferred to keep a low profile, the feats they had accomplished along their journey were anything but quiet.
Such a formidable crew could not be ignored.
Across the Grand Line, legends about them were spreading.
Many young pirates looked up to them as role models, and rumors even claimed that the El Pirates had already grown powerful enough to stand alongside the Four Emperors—the most dominant forces in the New World.
Regardless of whether those claims were true, their reputation had firmly taken root.
El had already crossed paths with agents of the World Government and the Marines, and in every encounter, he had held the upper hand.
Even the strongest among them could not stand against him.
Though the Marines had chosen to withdraw and avoid open conflict for now, they would never simply let matters rest.
The Grand Line had existed for countless ages, and the World Government and Marines had ruled over this world for just as long.
They had faced many powerful crews before—the El Pirates were far from the first. In the past, the Rocks Pirates had wreaked far more havoc than the El Pirates ever had.
Even later, the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, while more reasonable by comparison, had still commanded a force of unmatched power.
Legend even said that Roger had once joined forces with the Marines to face a common threat.
After the fall of Rocks and Roger, the Four Emperors rose to dominate the New World.
For decades, these four crews had divided the entire second half of the Grand Line among themselves.
Even the World Government and Marines found it nearly impossible to extend their influence deep into those waters—all because the Emperors fiercely guarded their territories.
Dealing with four such massive powers was already a headache.
The last thing the Government and Marines wanted was another force like the El Pirates rising to challenge their authority.
They had never relaxed their surveillance.
Marine patrols and spies kept watch along the borders of the Four Emperors' territories, and the El Pirates were no exception.
El himself was under constant scrutiny, and he knew it well.
Even the Emperors were fully aware of the Marines' attention.
While they did not shy away from confrontation, the truth remained: in terms of overall strength and resources, no pirate crew could ever truly match the combined might of the Marines and World Government, which had ruled the world for centuries.
The only advantage pirates held lay in the unpredictable and dangerous waters of the Grand Line.
There, both sides faced the same hazards and chaos, allowing the strongest crews to stand their ground.
But if the fight were taken onto the Marines' own turf, even the most fearsome pirates would be outmatched.
History was filled with examples of mighty crews falling at the hands of the Marines—the Rocks Pirates, Shiki's Flying Pirates, and even the legendary Roger Pirates.
These were among the greatest forces the world had ever seen, yet none could stand against the full might of the Government and Marines.
At this point, while El had certainly drawn their attention, he was not yet considered the most dangerous threat they had ever faced.
Still, the World Government and Marines never let their guard down, watching his every move closely.
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