Chapter 376: Exploration Part Two
The sudden clash sent the surrounding customers scrambling backward.
Fights were nothing unusual in Sabaody's Lawless Zone, especially in an establishment like this. What made everyone retreat was the sheer force behind that single collision.
Anyone who could create that much destruction with one kick was no ordinary person.
And anyone who could stop it with one arm was even less so.
People who survived in the Lawless Zone learned one rule very quickly: never provoke someone you could not afford to offend.
Clearly, neither Sanji nor Axel was someone worth testing.
Sanji slowly lowered his leg and pulled out a cigarette.
"I heard a woman crying behind her eyes."
He lit it and exhaled a stream of smoke.
"A man who can't help a woman in trouble has no right calling himself a man."
His gaze hardened.
"And I don't approve of what you were doing."
Despite his calm appearance, Sanji was panicking internally.
Damn it.
He had actually kicked Axel.
He had known it was a terrible idea the instant his leg moved, but his body had acted before his brain could catch up.
Should he apologize?
Would that even work?
Run?
Absolutely not. Running away after stepping in for a woman was worse than death.
Sanji's thoughts tangled together.
From everything he had seen of Axel, the guy was hardly forgiving. He manipulated enemies, threatened people without hesitation, and dealt with trouble decisively.
Sanji did not regret interfering.
But that did not mean he wanted to die for it.
To his surprise, Axel did nothing.
No counterattack.
No anger.
Instead, he scratched his head with a genuinely puzzled expression and helped the woman back to her feet.
"Are you stupid?"
Sanji blinked.
"Huh?"
That reaction confused him even more.
Axel brushed debris from the seat beside them.
"What I'm asking is, how did you misunderstand the situation that badly?"
Sanji stared at him.
"Misunderstand?"
He pointed furiously toward the woman.
"You had her pinned down!"
"What else was I supposed to think?"
A few customers nearby laughed knowingly.
Axel glanced around, then back at Sanji.
"That's exactly why I called you stupid."
He shrugged.
"Stop projecting your filthy imagination onto other people."
Sanji's face darkened.
"My imagination?!"
He jabbed a finger toward Axel.
"Then explain what you were doing."
Axel fell silent.
Sanji immediately looked triumphant.
"See?"
"There's no normal explanation, is there?"
Axel thought for a moment.
"It's difficult to explain directly."
Sanji folded his arms.
"Oh?"
"Then try."
Axel glanced toward the woman.
Then at Sanji.
"Who do you think is more attractive, Robin or her?"
Sanji froze.
He turned toward the woman and immediately looked apologetic.
She was attractive.
But Robin was Robin.
Sanji carefully chose his words.
"This young lady is very beautiful, and meeting her is an honor."
He paused.
"But... Miss Robin is still more beautiful."
Axel nodded.
"Exactly."
Sanji frowned.
Axel continued,
"I travel with Robin every day."
"If I were interested in doing what you imagined, why would I ignore her and come all the way here for someone I just met?"
He tilted his head.
"So either my eyesight is broken..."
"Or your brain is."
Sanji's expression twisted.
The reasoning actually made sense.
That only irritated him more.
"You bastard!"
He stepped forward.
"So you've been looking at Miss Robin that way this whole time?!"
Axel sighed.
"It was an example."
"An example simple enough for you to understand."
Before Sanji could continue arguing, another voice interrupted.
"Gentlemen."
The tone was unfriendly.
"You're making things difficult for us."
A large man approached from the rear of the tavern.
The woman beside Axel immediately lowered her head.
Axel noticed.
"And you are?"
"Dylan."
The man gestured toward the damaged furniture.
"I handle security here."
He pointed toward the broken partitions and scattered debris.
"You've caused quite a mess."
"Don't you think compensation is appropriate?"
From farther away, the guard who had arranged the drugging plan stared in disbelief.
Idiot.
He nearly cursed aloud.
Of all people, Dylan had chosen this moment to posture.
Had he forgotten the most basic rule of surviving on Sabaody?
Know the bounty posters.
Know who could kill you.
The owner had intentionally hidden Axel's identity from most of the guards, fearing they might panic or behave strangely around him.
Unfortunately, that decision had now created exactly this situation.
The guard rushed forward.
Dylan had already raised a hand, preparing to slam it against the table for emphasis, when a firm grip caught his shoulder.
Dylan reacted instinctively.
His elbow shot backward with enough force to seriously injure an ordinary man.
The guard caught it cleanly.
Dylan turned sharply.
"...Reggie?"
His eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing here?"
"Aren't you supposed to be guarding the boss?"
Despite using his name respectfully, Dylan's tone carried obvious hostility.
Reggie glared at him.
"Don't do anything stupid."
He leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"That man is not someone you can afford to provoke."
Dylan frowned.
"I already had my men check the recent bounty posters."
"He isn't on them."
He glanced toward Axel and Sanji.
"And they're just two young punks."
"How much trouble could they possibly cause?"
"Enough."
Reggie's voice hardened.
"Back off."
Dylan stared at him.
Reggie continued,
"The boss wants to speak with you."
That finally made Dylan hesitate.
"Now?"
"Yes."
Suspicious but unwilling to ignore a direct summons, Dylan turned and headed toward the rear of the building.
Only after he disappeared did Reggie approach Axel.
He bowed.
"My apologies."
"My name is Reggie."
He glanced at the damaged area.
"Everything you spend here today will be covered."
Then he turned toward the other customers.
"Everyone, please continue enjoying yourselves."
"We'll handle the situation."
The staff quickly guided the crowd away.
Within moments, Axel's corner became far quieter.
Reggie had deliberately introduced only himself.
Not his employer.
It was intentional.
If Axel remembered this small favor later, it might save Reggie's life.
And offering free service cost him nothing personally. The owner would gladly sacrifice some profit if doing so removed a dangerous variable.
Axel watched him.
"You know who I am."
Reggie did not bother lying.
"Yes."
Axel studied his face.
Then recognition clicked.
"I know you too."
Reggie's expression changed.
"Bounty Hunter Reggie."
"You once captured two pirate captains with bounties in the tens of millions."
"You were considered a rising name among bounty hunters."
Axel's eyes moved toward the collar around Reggie's neck.
"Then you disappeared."
He paused.
"I didn't expect you to end up a slave."
Reggie instinctively raised a hand toward the collar.
Then stopped himself.
The words stung, but there was no point denying reality.
"I'm surprised someone like you remembers a small-time bounty hunter."
"I remember almost everything I see."
Axel answered casually.
"I went through a lot of bounty hunter records once."
Reggie nodded.
He did not care much about the explanation.
"In that case, please enjoy your time here."
He turned to leave.
"Wait."
Reggie stopped.
Axel looked between him and the woman.
"Shouldn't you explain your relationship with her?"
Reggie's body stiffened.
Axel continued,
"When someone tries too hard to hide something, the disguise itself becomes suspicious."
He tilted his head.
"Someone once told me that."
His gaze sharpened.
"You and this woman know each other unusually well, don't you?"
Reggie's voice became strained.
"I don't know what you mean."
Axel's expression cooled.
"I suggest being honest."
"My patience isn't particularly good."
Reggie's face darkened.
Not because Axel was wrong.
Because several workers were still nearby.
That made everything worse.
A guard having a relationship with one of the tavern's workers was hardly unusual.
But this woman had just been involved in delivering the drugged drink.
The powder had come from Reggie.
If the owner learned Reggie had secretly coordinated with her while concealing their relationship, betrayal would be the obvious conclusion.
No merchant in the Lawless Zone kept potential traitors close.
Reggie looked into Axel's crimson eyes.
There was amusement there.
He had done this deliberately.
But why?
If Axel wanted to destroy the tavern, he could probably do it directly.
Even the Marines often ignored violence within the Lawless Zone unless something threatened the Celestial Dragons or wider order.
So why bother manipulating people here?
After a moment, Reggie made his choice.
"Yes."
He exhaled.
"Emma is my woman."
The woman's eyes shifted slightly.
Emma.
She lowered her gaze.
Reggie looked toward her.
His position in the establishment was one of the reasons she had survived this long.
That was also why he had trusted her with the drug.
Axel nodded slowly.
"That explains why she kept thinking through every word while talking to me."
He looked toward Reggie.
"You gave her instructions."
Reggie remained silent.
"Something like..."
Axel smiled faintly.
"Find a way to push me into destroying this place?"
Reggie closed his eyes for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Yes."
Sanji looked between them.
Axel turned toward him.
"Sanji."
"What?"
"Keep an eye on Emma."
Sanji immediately straightened.
Axel added,
"If you want her to stay alive."
Emma withdrew slightly before Sanji even moved.
She understood the warning herself.
Reggie remained silent for several seconds.
Finally, he looked directly at Axel.
Whatever Axel's goal was, Reggie had already reached the point where staying loyal to the owner offered him nothing but a slow death.
Between Axel's overwhelming strength and the possibility of freedom, the choice was obvious.
"What do you need me to do?"
Axel smiled.
"You sound very confident that you can help me."
Reggie did not flinch.
"I don't know why you came here."
"But if you had no purpose, you wouldn't spend this much time talking to someone like me."
He gestured toward his collar.
"So let's make a deal."
"You give me freedom."
"And I help you with anything within my ability."
"That seems fair."
Axel shook his head.
"No."
Reggie frowned.
"You're not the only person who could help me."
Axel pointed lightly toward the collar.
"But right now, I may be the only person who can give you freedom."
Reggie stared at him.
Then answered quietly,
"Then name your terms."
Around them, the tavern continued as if nothing had happened.
Laughter.
Music.
Conversation.
Reggie ignored all of it.
This was an opportunity.
A narrow bridge with no room to turn around.
If he stepped onto it and failed, the owner would kill him.
If he refused, nothing in his life would change.
Axel regarded him for a moment.
"Some people say freedom is worth more than life."
Reggie waited.
"So how about trading your life for it?"
Reggie's face tightened.
"If I lose my life, what freedom would I have?"
"I'm not asking you to die."
Axel spoke calmly.
"I'm saying that instead of serving your current owner..."
"You serve me."
Reggie said nothing.
"Whether you live, and how long, will depend on what happens afterward."
Axel glanced toward Emma.
"She comes with you."
Emma immediately looked at Reggie.
At some point, he had become the one person she trusted enough to rely on.
She had already fallen deep into the darkness of this place when Reggie reached out to her.
Without him, Dylan and others like him would likely have broken her long ago.
Perhaps that was why she still had the courage to dream of escaping at all.
Reggie met her eyes.
Then looked back at Axel.
"...Fine."
Axel smiled.
"Good."
He leaned back.
"Then here's your first task."
Reggie listened carefully.
"Take control of this tavern."
His eyes sharpened.
"And I need you to find someone."
"Someone who visits this place fairly often."
Reggie waited.
Axel described him.
"An older man."
"Long, curly silver hair."
"A beard along his chin."
"Glasses."
"And a scar over his right eye."
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