Leaning lightly on his cane, Riberra Sami strolled through the streets of Area 43 in the Sabaody Archipelago like a leisurely tourist.
The surroundings were indeed overflowing with exotic charm.
Street stalls sold colorful bubble toys and local snacks. Lavishly decorated shopping centers lined the roads. Tourists stopped everywhere to take commemorative photos.
The sweet scent of desserts and cheerful music drifted through the air.
"Specialty foods, shopping malls… come to think of it, this place is basically one giant tourist attraction, huh?"
Riberra Sami looked around with interest.
"I vaguely remember there being souvenir shops too… This should be one of the sightseeing districts."
Since he was already here to experience the local culture, Riberra Sami quickly found a bubble bike rental shop by the roadside.
Large and small transparent bubbles of various colors were attached to metal frames fitted with pedals and simple steering mechanisms, hovering about half a foot above the ground.
"Oh my, sir! Interested in buying a bubble bike?" the shop owner greeted enthusiastically.
Riberra Sami stopped and examined the vehicles curiously.
"No need to buy one. Renting sounds more fun."
"For rentals, it's 200 Beli per day!"
Riberra Sami paid without hesitation.
After a brief explanation from the owner, he quickly grasped how the strange vehicle worked.
The lower section functioned similarly to a bicycle pedal system. Once the rider pedaled, a small turbine at the rear would spin and release airflow to propel the vehicle forward.
Overall, it felt like riding a half-floating bicycle.
"Hah… this is actually pretty interesting."
After getting used to the controls, Riberra Sami slowly glided forward on the bubble bike.
It was certainly more relaxing than walking.
As he rode casually along, he asked the shopkeeper in an offhand tone,
"By the way, Boss, I noticed every area on the island is marked with numbers. How exactly are they divided up? I'm new here, and I'd rather not accidentally wander somewhere I shouldn't."
"Oh, you mean that!" the owner replied warmly.
"Areas 1 through 29 are the lawless zones. Dangerous places. Best not to wander over there, sir."
"Areas 30 to 39 are mainly bubble theme parks and entertainment facilities."
"Like where we are now—Areas 40 to 49 are mostly sightseeing districts, souvenir shops, and restaurants."
"Areas 50 to 59 are where the shipyards and coating craftsmen work."
"Areas 60 to 69 are under Marine jurisdiction. They've got bases there."
"And Areas 70 to 79 are mostly hotels and inns for travelers."
"I see. Thanks for the explanation."
Riberra Sami smiled and mentally noted down the information.
After riding a little farther, he muttered quietly to himself,
"Areas 1 to 29… the lawless zone…"
"If I'm looking for information about Gillian, it'll probably be easier to find there."
He turned the bubble bike around and headed toward the lower-numbered districts.
As the GR numbers decreased, the atmosphere around him subtly changed.
The bright, bustling shops gradually gave way to worn-down establishments with suspicious-looking signs.
The number of elegantly dressed tourists diminished, replaced by wary-eyed figures moving hurriedly through the streets.
The entire mood shifted from lively and cheerful to oppressive and dangerous.
When Riberra Sami finally stopped his wildly out-of-place sightseeing bubble bike in front of a rusted iron sign, the contrast reached its peak.
"Marines Forbidden Beyond This Point?"
Looking at the iron sign decorated with broken swords and rusted weapons, Riberra Sami nodded slightly.
"So this is it… GR 18."
He parked the bubble bike and was about to confirm his surroundings again—
When suddenly, over a dozen armed figures burst out from the shadows on both sides of the alley, instantly surrounding him.
"Hey, kid!"
A burly man with a scar across his face stepped forward, a cleaver resting on his shoulder.
"Looking at your soft skin and fancy clothes…"
"Do you even know what kind of place this is?"
Riberra Sami slowly raised his head.
Beneath the shadow of his top hat, the corner of his lips seemed to curl upward slightly.
Not only did he show no panic, he calmly stood up straight as if entirely at ease.
"Oh?"
"I'd love to hear the explanation."
The scar-faced man froze for a second at his composure before viciously spitting to the side.
"Tch! Acting tough, huh?"
"Listen carefully. This is GR 18—the lawless district of Sabaody!"
"We're the Blood Hook Slave Hunting Crew!"
"With your looks and the way you're dressed, if you obediently come with us, you'll fetch a great price at the auction house!"
"Oh?" Riberra Sami tilted his head slightly.
"So you're slavers?"
"Now you're scared? Too late!"
"Get him, boys!"
At the order, the surrounding thugs roared and charged from every direction, blades raised high, sealing off every possible escape route.
Riberra Sami let out a soft sigh, almost sounding disappointed.
"Slavers, huh…"
The next second—
Bang! Crack! Thud! Aaaagh—!
A rapid string of muffled impacts, collisions, and agonized screams exploded almost simultaneously.
The bystanders could barely process what had happened.
They only saw a blur as the dark-suited figure seemed to sway slightly a few times.
Then all the charging thugs flew backward even faster than they had attacked, crashing across the ground in every direction.
Bruised and battered, they lay sprawled out groaning in pain.
Meanwhile, Riberra Sami still stood calmly in the exact same spot.
Even his hat had not shifted.
He leisurely brushed nonexistent dust from his sleeve, as though he had merely swatted away a few annoying flies.
The scar-faced leader stared at the terrifyingly unfathomable noble-looking gentleman before him.
His entire body began trembling violently.
All his previous arrogance had vanished, replaced only by overwhelming terror.
"S-Sumimasen (I'm sorry)!"
"My lord, we were blind! Please spare us!"
He and the surviving lackeys immediately slammed their heads against the ground, begging frantically for mercy.
Riberra Sami slowly walked over to the scar-faced leader and bent down slightly.
His calm gaze alone made the man feel as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.
"Now then," Riberra Sami said gently, his voice still perfectly polite,
"Can you answer my questions properly?"
"About someone named Gillian."
"What do you know about him?"
"Is he still active in Sabaody these days?"
"G-Gillian?" the scar-faced man stammered.
"I-I know him… Y-Yes, he's definitely still active on the islands."
His eyes flickered nervously.
His lips twitched as if he wanted to say something but swallowed the words instead.
Riberra Sami immediately caught the hesitation.
"What happened around four months ago?"
"Anything unusual involving him?"
"F-Four months ago…?"
The man tried desperately to remember.
"I-I honestly don't know the details!"
"But… but his boss, Spade, definitely went personally to the Marine base at GR 66 around that time!"
"I think… I think it was to pull someone out!"
Riberra Sami slowly straightened back up and nodded faintly.
Just as I suspected.
Gillian got caught, and his boss Spade stepped in to smooth things over.
"Then where can Gillian usually be found now?"
At this point, the scar-faced man no longer dared hide anything.
"Usually… he's around the big auction house district between GR 3 and GR 5!"
"That's Spade's territory!"
"He handles a lot of business there!"
"Very good."
Riberra Sami had obtained the answer he wanted.
"You've been cooperative."
"Now get lost."
"And don't let me see you again."
The moment the final word fell, the scar-faced man looked as though he had received a royal pardon.
Scrambling desperately to his feet, he dragged along every subordinate still capable of moving as they fled headlong without daring to look back.
Riberra Sami paid no further attention to the panicked figures.
He adjusted the brim of his hat once more and gazed toward the even lower-numbered GR districts in the distance.
"GR 3 to GR 5…"
"The auction houses…"
he murmured softly as he climbed back onto the bubble bike.
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