Charles's group of three quickly reached the Sabaody Archipelago, while Bonney had arrived earlier and had been waiting for word from Charles.
They walked into the tavern they'd agreed on. The place had been booked out by the Bonney Pirates. As soon as Charles pushed the door open with Kuma in tow, he saw Bonney at the bar, tapping her foot against the floor.
Now that they were here, Charles wasn't afraid Kuma would run, so he removed the restraints from Kuma.
"Dad… I finally get to see you again!"
Bonney rushed over and wrapped him in a hug, as if afraid he'd disappear again.
Not wanting to intrude on the warmth of a father-daughter reunion, Charles tactfully turned and left.
As soon as he stepped out, a member of the Bonney Pirates brought over a chest full of money.
Charles accepted his payment in good conscience, waved, and headed off.
Stella was still waiting for him. He'd promised to take her to the amusement park on Sabaody.
Originally, Charles planned to have some fun around Sabaody and then head for Fish-Man Island. But the matter of the Summit War made him change his plans.
So before the Straw Hat Pirates reached the archipelago, they received a message from Charles, and the two groups met at Shakky's Rip-Off Bar in Area 13.
Sabaody is quite a special kind of island, formed from the roots of Yarukiman Mangrove trees.
Seventy-nine mangroves together make seventy-nine small islands, and the numbered trees divide those into different zones.
Zones 1 through 29 are an unlawful area concentrated with slave auction houses and pirate and gang bases. Even the Marines turn a blind eye there.
And since Sabaody is the gateway for pirates heading into the New World in the second half of the Grand Line, the number of pirates here is anything but small.
A bar operating in a place like this, and even hanging "rip-off" on its signboard—well, that tells you something.
It called itself a bar, but its main business was selling intelligence. That's not a trade just anyone can do; you need resources, connections, and strength.
There were only two people working the place, and both had frightening backgrounds.
The former queen of the Amazon Kingdom on Daughter Island was the proprietress, and the retired old-timer was the Pirate King's right-hand man, the "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh.
Charles didn't know many places on Sabaody, and this was the only safe spot suited to a serious talk.
As an information broker, Shakky knew exactly who Charles was and readily agreed to let him use the bar.
As for Rayleigh, Shakky said he was off making money at the auction house because he'd run out of booze funds.
His way of "making money" was to sell himself as a slave, pocket the cash, and then slip away. Trust the old-timers of the last era to know how to play.
Before long, the Straw Hats arrived. Luffy was first through the door, and promptly slipped behind the bar to rummage in the fridge. The rest followed him in.
Besides the Straw Hats, there were three others with them.
The octopus fish-man Hachi, the mermaid girl Camie, and the talking starfish Pappagu.
In the original story, it was because Camie got grabbed for the auction and Hachi was shot by a Celestial Dragon that Luffy punched a Celestial Dragon, and Admiral Kizaru showed up. So Charles wasn't surprised they'd come along.
Shakky took a long drag on her cigarette. "So these are the folks little Charles has been waiting for. Surprising you're friends with Hachi."
Hachi had once saved a drowning Rayleigh, so he, Rayleigh, and Shakky were on great terms.
While Hachi stepped up to greet Shakky, the rest of the Straw Hats came over to Charles.
Zoro spoke up. "You said you had something important to tell us. What happened?"
Charles looked at Luffy. "This mainly has to do with you."
With his mouth full, Luffy mumbled, "Got to do with me? Wha's up?"
"Ace was captured by the Marines and will be publicly executed at Marineford," Charles said bluntly.
The fruit Luffy was halfway through dropped from his hand, and his face turned serious in an instant.
"Ace is going to be executed… No. I'm going to save him!"
He vaulted out from behind the bar and made for the door.
Naturally, someone stopped such reckless behavior. Nami, the ship tyrant, cracked a fist down on his head.
Holding the lump on his head, Luffy yelped, "Nami, why'd you hit me!"
Nami showed her shark teeth. "You big idiot. Do you even know where to go to save your brother?"
Luffy blinked and realized it himself. "Oh. I don't even know where Ace is!"
Shakky said, "So the Whitebeard Pirates' second division commander is little Luffy's brother? That's a surprising bit of intel.
But getting him out won't be easy. According to my information, he's already locked up in Impel Down."
"Impel Down?" Luffy's neck stretched up to Shakky's face. "What is that? How do I get there?"
Charles explained, "Impel Down is a special structure in the Calm Belt of the first half of the Grand Line.
Most of it sits underwater, surrounded by Sea Kings. It's incredibly dangerous.
Which is precisely why the Marines use it as a prison for vicious criminals, with an entire Marine fleet guarding it year-round.
Impel Down isn't like Enies Lobby. With your current strength, getting someone out of there is just a dream."
"I don't care about any of that," Luffy shot back. "I'm definitely going to save Ace!"
Zoro clamped a hand on Luffy and looked to Charles. "You didn't call us here just to tell us to give up, right?"
Charles snapped his fingers. "Of course not. So, how about commissioning me to help you rescue him?"
Since he was operating in this world as a Fairy Tail mage, he might as well be professional.
And with someone like Ace, who already had self-destructive tendencies, Charles also needed a formal footing to make Ace accept his help.
Just as Nami's eyes narrowed warily, Luffy lunged forward. "I want to commission you. Whatever the payment, it doesn't matter—just save Ace."
Nami clenched her fist, but seeing Luffy's face, she held back and said nothing.
…
One day later, Luffy, waiting by the Transponder Snail, picked up after a single ring.
"Sorry, Luffy. Ace has already been transferred out of Impel Down! If you want to rescue him now, your only shot will be at the public execution."
Luffy was silent for a long time. Then, in a rare serious tone, he said, "Got it. Then, Charles, I have another commission I hope you'll take."
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