Chapter 40: The Pirate Prince's Grudge
"I'm starting to worry about myself," Shakky said, blowing out a puff of smoke with a look of nostalgic amusement. She claimed to be worried, but her expression showed no trace of fear whatsoever.
"Don't flatter me like that," Ian replied with a casual wave of his hand. "That's all just sensationalist nonsense written by the newspapers. The world is vast, and pirates are everywhere. Wiping them all out is an impossible task. I'm not particularly interested in your past, Sister Shakky, and I have no intention of arresting a simple bar owner." He added with a wry grin, "You say that as if I could actually beat you."
Recalling their brief clash, Ian was genuinely surprised by the powerful Armament Haki Shakky had suddenly unleashed. The women of Amazon Lily possessed an innate talent for Haki. The fact that she could effortlessly handle any unruly pirates in her bar, combined with her history as a former empress, spoke volumes about her true strength. It was no wonder a legend like Vice Admiral Garp had been the one sent to hunt her down. Their skirmish had lasted less than a minute, and with both sides holding back, neither had gained an advantage. He wouldn't be earning any enhancement points from her today, at least. His purpose in coming here wasn't to fight Shakky or to confront the "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh who stood behind her.
Shakky, he reasoned, undoubtedly knew more about the pirate movements on the island than he did. If he could get some useful information from her, this trip would be well worth it.
"Commodore Ian," Shakky said, her eyes twinkling with perception, "you didn't come here just for a drink, and you certainly didn't come to arrest me. Let me see... you're trying to get information from me, right?"
She was far too clever for him to bother with deception. When dealing with someone so sharp, blunt honesty was often the most effective approach.
"Got it in one, Sister Shakky," Ian admitted, giving her a thumbs-up and not even attempting to refute her guess.
"Haha, the drinks are on the house," she said with a light laugh. "But if you want intelligence, that's a different price, kid." She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a more conspiratorial tone. "However, there is one piece of information I can give you for free. Even if I don't tell you, you'll find out soon enough."
Shakky put down her glass, closing the distance between them. The scent of fine liquor mixed with her subtle perfume, creating a pleasant, intoxicating aroma.
"Being in the Navy is such a tough job. There's no money to be made there," Ian sighed dramatically, playing along. "I want to buy your information, but I could never afford your prices, Sister Shakky. Free news? You're not just going to tell me some useless gossip to trick me, are you? Isn't cooperation between the military and civilians perfectly normal?" As he spoke, he boldly placed a friendly hand on Shakky's shoulder.
Shakky glanced at his hand, then back at his meaningfully playful smile, and continued to chuckle. "You are such an interesting and wicked kid. It's truly rare to find one like you in the Navy. None of the intelligence I possess is worthless." Her expression turned slightly more serious. "Last night, a certain pirate crew arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, attracting almost no attention. Their captain was extremely unhappy with the complete lack of fanfare for his landing. He's publicly threatened to personally kill the man who stole his thunder!"
Ian fell into deep thought, quickly filtering through all the notable pirate crews in his mind. A pirate who craved the spotlight, who was both valuable and well-known during this period...
"'White Horse' Cavendish!" he concluded aloud.
"How clever!" Shakky's smile widened. "It seems our 'Adjudicator of the Sea' has done his homework. Yes, it's the 'Pirate Prince' who once caused a sensation on the seas—the handsome Captain Cavendish! If you hadn't landed a day earlier and had your bold declaration plastered across the newspapers, stealing all the attention from the reporters and spies on the island, he would have been the much-anticipated 'Gorgeous Supernova.' Even if I didn't tell you, I suspect he will come looking for you on his own."
Cavendish. Bounty: 280,000,000 Berries. He had set sail about a year earlier than Luffy and had just arrived at Sabaody. The man was born a noble but was exiled from his kingdom, largely because his devastatingly handsome face caused so many young women to become infatuated with him that they refused to marry anyone else. He was profoundly narcissistic and lived for the feeling of being the center of the world's attention. His hostility toward Ian was simple: Ian's actions had completely stolen his spotlight.
The "Navy Supernova" who vowed to purge all pirates versus the gorgeous and flamboyant "Pirate Supernova." It was obvious who would get more headlines. With his level of combat power, Cavendish was the perfect whetstone for Ian to sharpen himself against right now.
Buru buru! Buru buru!
The sudden sound broke the atmosphere inside the bar. The portable Den Den Mushi on Peacock's belt was ringing. Peacock retrieved the snail and glanced at Ian, a silent question in her eyes about whether she should take the call outside. With Shakky still present, it might be unwise if the call contained sensitive Marine information.
"Just answer it here, it's fine," Ian said, giving his permission.
Peacock pressed the answer button. The Den Den Mushi instantly mimicked Nami's panicked expression. "Commodore Ian, there's an emergency! This is Civilian Street in Grove 31! Colonel T-Bone and I are on patrol, and we've been attacked! The opponent is... it's the 'White Horse' Cavendish!"
Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 31, Civilian Street
Chaos reigned, and the situation was spiraling out of control. Of the hundreds of people gathered on the street, most were civilians, and the vast majority of those were young girls, all ignoring the ongoing conflict.
"Young Master! It's really the Young Master from the newspapers! Oh my god, he's so handsome!"
"Wow!! He's even this dazzling in a fight?! I have his wanted poster at home!"
"I finally saw him on Sabaody! Were those roses he just scattered?!"
"Oh my god, look over here! My heart can't take it!"
The screams of the enamored girls echoed everywhere. No one seemed to care about the danger of the ongoing battle; they were all desperate to catch a glimpse of the "Pirate Prince." This kind of hysterical adoration was Cavendish's norm. Born into the royal family of the Bourgeois Kingdom only to be exiled, his life had been upended precisely because his extreme good looks caused widespread obsession, making him a disruptive force. The mindless belief that appearance equaled justice was a rare, but powerful, phenomenon even in the world of pirates.
"Back off! Everyone, get back!" Nami shouted, straining to maintain some semblance of order and at least prevent the star-struck girls from wandering directly into the line of fire.
"What's so interesting about a pirate? Are you all crazy? This is a battlefield! You could get yourselves killed!"
The Marine soldiers forming a perimeter around Cavendish and his crew were already struggling. They were forced to divert a significant number of their ranks just to protect the civilians who were cheering for their attacker, making an already difficult situation nearly impossible.
In the center of the street, standing within the battle circle, Cavendish cut a flamboyant figure. He wore a pristine white cloak, his long, golden curls spilling out from under a fancy top hat adorned with fur. His expression was one of utter contempt as he surveyed the Marines, his handsome face twisted with displeasure at having his grand entrance so thoroughly upstaged.