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Everyone present was a pirate of the Grand Line. They were intimately familiar with the appearances and bounty values of many famous figures.
They loved gambling, throwing away fortunes in casinos. Either they won big, or they lost everything.
Wasn't life like that?
Either you won enough gold to cover the ground, or you lost so badly you couldn't even afford a pair of underwear.
It could be said that pirates were people who had seen great figures and witnessed grand events. Yet even so, when facing the owner behind this casino, they couldn't help but feel fear and reverence.
There was only one reason:
The power backing him.
"Y-You're joking, right? The owner of Slender Shad Casino is a subordinate of a great pirate from the New World!"
"Why is he so terrified?"
"Who exactly is that young man in the black military uniform?!"
Everyone trembled slightly as they stared at the scene before them. The owner of Slender Shad Casino stood with his body slightly bent forward, fine beads of sweat continuously forming on his forehead. The sight was unmistakable.
They could all see it clearly.
What did it mean?
It meant that the casino owner, someone with an unrivaled position in Mock Town, was afraid.
No, not afraid, he looked terrified.
And the person he feared was that cold, arrogant-looking young man.
"Oh? You've seen me before?"
"Was it in the New World?"
Trens asked in surprise, his tone still indifferent.
"No… It was at the Sabaody Archipelago." The owner was extremely nervous. Seeing that Trens didn't remember him, he offered a reminder.
"During that war four or five years ago. I was standing far in the back, so you probably don't remember me."
Understanding immediately, Trens became somewhat surprised himself.
Four or five years ago, the Pirate Alliance Movement at Sabaody could be described as a highly successful historical event.
For the first time, pirates had seized control of an island and completely suppressed the Marines.
Had Admiral-level forces not arrived in the end, it would have been extremely difficult for the Marines to retake the island.
At that time, there had been thousands of pirates in the alliance. Naturally, Trens couldn't remember every single one of them.
What he did remember was the final stage of the battle.
Many people had ignored his warning.
As a result, when Akainu and Aokiji arrived, they were beaten into a miserable rout and scattered in all directions.
"I see." Trens nodded lightly. "Then why are you here?"
"This..." The owner awkwardly glanced around him, signaling that it wasn't appropriate to discuss the matter publicly.
Trens didn't press him and went straight to the point.
"Some time ago, you captured a Skypiean…"
Before he could even finish speaking, the owner's expression changed dramatically. He quickly stepped forward and whispered into Trens's ear.
"My lord, this matter isn't suitable for discussion here… Please come with me."
Back during the Sabaody Pirate Alliance campaign, the members of Trens's crew, the Nether Soul Pirates, had been incomparably domineering and powerful, earning the admiration of countless pirates.
Had they not voluntarily withdrawn and refused to take leadership of the alliance, many pirates might have united under their banner to form a true grand alliance.
Trens glanced at the owner and gave a slight nod.
The owner visibly relaxed and hurriedly led the group away from the casino floor and into the rear courtyard.
After finding a quiet room, he invited everyone inside.
Taking a deep breath, the owner smiled bitterly.
"My lord, I don't want to deceive you, nor do I want to oppose you. I know very well how powerful your crew is. So many years have passed, and yet your captain has actually escaped from Impel Down."
"That was truly shocking."
He paused before continuing.
"But the person behind me is someone I can't afford to offend either. The one who wanted that Skypiean was him."
Trens immediately asked: "And who is the person behind you?"
"I can't tell you." The owner of Slender Shad Casino kept his mouth tightly shut. After seeing Trens's cold expression, he shuddered again.
"I can only tell you this: he is a powerhouse like the King of the Beasts himself, someone who simply cannot be defeated under any circumstances!"
"Over the past few years of warfare and conquest, the man behind me has even been hailed as one of the strongest men of the sea, land, and sky! Some people have already begun mentioning him in the same breath as Whitebeard!"
"Heh. Whoever he is, we're not afraid of him." Trens let out a cold laugh.
The current Nether Soul Pirates truly had the confidence to say such words.
With the overwhelmingly powerful Rojen, the return of the crew's three primary combat members, and the steadily growing strength of the Dragon-Elephant Six, they genuinely possessed the might and presence of a great pirate crew.
Even in the powerhouse-filled New World, they would be capable of claiming a place for themselves.
"I understand your strength. But unless you've personally faced that man, you'll never understand how terrifying he is."
Fear filled the owner's eyes as he continuously shook his head.
"Hand over the Skypiean, and we'll leave." Trens had no interest in wasting words.
The owner's expression became ugly.
He had already reported the matter to the person behind him. If he failed to deliver the goods when the appointed time came, he would be the one forced to bear that person's wrath.
But the group standing before him was equally impossible to offend.
"Then there's only one solution."
He neither wanted to suffer the anger of his superior nor make an enemy of Trens.
Thus, the owner suddenly pulled a spiked club from behind his back, his face solemn.
"The Skypiean is being held in the warehouse across from here. Lord Trens, please make sure everyone outside believes that you took him by force!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised the club toward his own forehead and brought it down viciously.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed through the room, causing blood to splatter everywhere.
The owner's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed stiffly to the floor.
Behind Trens, Chaporos, and the Dragon-Elephant Six were completely dumbfounded.
None of them had expected the casino owner to be so straightforward.
What was even more astonishing was that, in order to avoid offending either side, he had chosen to injure himself instead.
"Let's go," Trens said nothing more.
With a wave of his hand, he turned and left.
The rescue operation proceeded smoothly. When they entered the warehouse, the owner had mentioned, they found themselves speechless once again.
Dina's father had been treated exceptionally well.
In fact, he had even gained some weight recently.
When he saw Trens and the others enter, he cheerfully grinned and asked what delicious food had been brought to him this time, mistaking them for employees of the Slender Shad Casino.
…
A quarter of an hour later, Trens and the others returned to Rojen.
The moment Dina saw her father, tears poured down her face.
Father and daughter embraced each other tightly.
"Thank you so much!"
"Thank you for allowing us to reunite!"
Dina's father repeatedly expressed his gratitude, his face filled with emotion.
After gathering everyone back together, Rojen began discussing with the crew how to reach Skypiea. They were holding the discussion inside a tavern, so it was inevitable that parts of their conversation would be overheard.
"I asked around. On the other side of Jaya Island, there's a young man researching Skypiea. Maybe he knows a way to get there."
"Captain, don't you have the ability to summon birds? Couldn't they carry us directly into the sky?"
"Haha! You probably won't believe this, but when I was by the shore today, I saw an enormous winged war god. It was absolutely magnificent!"
"There must be a mysterious island up there in the heavens!"
"It might even be a heavenly palace!"
The group continued discussing the subject among themselves.
At that moment, a voice suddenly came from nearby.
"Ahaha, how ridiculous… There are actually still people dreaming about Skypiea?"
(End Of This Chapter)