He was truly an extraordinary man.
A gleam of light flickered in Shakky’s eyes.
If she were twenty years younger, she might have fallen for this man…
after all, someone who carries such a sense of responsibility deep within his heart is incredibly attractive.
Even just being good friends with him gave off a deep sense of security.
“Where are you heading next?” If they were traveling, the first half of this route probably didn’t have much left worth exploring…
most of it was World Government’s territory, or affiliated member states under their control.
So it had to be the latter half.
“If you really want to go to the latter half, you’ll probably have to pass through the Marine’s checkpoint to get there.” Richard rubbed his chin.
He’d been thinking about this the entire way here.
Now that Zephyr and Garp were both away, the only Marine he knew was Borsalino…
but theirs was just a drinking acquaintance.
He wasn’t sure if Borsalino would be willing to open that door for him.
“Anyway…
I need to go see the latter half for myself.
They say it’s far more spectacular than the first half.” “Come back soon.
Within a month, I should have everything you asked for sorted out.” “Then I’ll owe you one, Sister Shakky.” Richard smiled, his left hand resting on the hilt of Shintei at his waist as he turned and walked away.
The breeze caught the hem of his coat, making him look exceptionally dashing.
…
Arriving at the Marine garrison at Grove 60, Borsalino was still on duty, but he seemed much more lackadaisical than before.
“Is that so…” Borsalino rubbed his chin, a glint of light in his eyes.
“If it’s Mr.
Richard who wants to pass through, I have no reason to stop you.
But once you’re in the latter half…
please don’t go around slicing up other people’s ships, especially Marine ones…
If that happens, the higher-ups will ask questions, and I’ll be in a difficult spot.” “Ahaha,” Richard scratched his head apologetically.
So I’d been found out…
it seemed my reputation had spread far and wide lately.
“I understand.
I’ll do my best not to cause trouble for Mr.
Borsalino.” After all, he was getting a green light, and Borsalino was genuinely doing him a favor.
What Richard didn’t know was that Borsalino was actually a fairly ambitious person.
Because his looks weren’t particularly distinguished, he had poured all his energy into building his strength and career as a man.
He had always been driven by ambition.
But after that meal with Richard and hearing his interpretation of justice, something had suddenly clicked.
Although those words were originally meant for Zephyr, the speaker might not have intended it, but the listener took it to heart.
Borsalino simply couldn’t forget them.
So now he had started slacking off, and planned to keep slacking off for the long haul.
Why bother striving for Admiral?
Wasn’t it better to just stay stationed at Headquarters and take it easy?
After all, the “justice” he believed in might very well be twisted by those above him into a justification for aggression and evil.
It was truly tragic.
Being used as a pawn and enjoying it…
now that was absurd.
At the Marine garrison, a passage was opened.
With voice communication and written documentation from Vice Admiral like Borsalino, Richard and Mihawk were classified as “Pilgrims” and granted passage.
In maritime tradition, “Pilgrims” traveled the seas to spread righteous teachings based on their own knowledge and principles…
they were also called “Monastic Priests” and could travel with just clothes on their backs.
In any case, it was a legitimate identity, and Richard didn’t really care.
…
Days passed one after another, and the two brothers arrived at the latter-half seas.
The ocean was vast, and this constructed parallel world was enormous.
The Grand Line was merely a single circumnavigational route around the entire globe, yet it already required twenty or even thirty years to conquer.
And the vast majority of people would never reach the end in their entire lifetime.
In the latter half, there was a sea region called Blue Sky.
It was a fragmented territory, teeming with lawless scum and pirates who gathered in a town called Lucien.
The word “Lucien” held a certain symbolic meaning in some belief systems…
it meant “Light.” So it was widely recognized as a sanctuary for pirates.
Located at the heart of the Blue Sky Sea, pirates here would tacitly keep the peace, avoid trouble, and maintain a calm and harmonious atmosphere so they could exchange secret information with one another.
The bustling tavern was established by a pirate named Biggs, who had a bounty of 830 million Berry.
He didn’t kill, but he was skilled at making friends.
Now in his mid-forties, he was a seasoned veteran.
In his younger days, he had friends everywhere.
The greatest and most respected thing he had ever done had already become a legend.
It was said that Biggs had once had a teacher…
a truly heinous and notorious pirate who had made too many enemies.
In his later years, when he retired from the stage and sought a peaceful life, a fleet of vengeful pirates had cornered him, nearly trapping him to death on some island.
Biggs, who was traveling at the time, abandoned his pirate crew and came alone with his sword to that island.
But he discovered that most of these vengeful pirates were actually friends he had made during his years of wandering the seas.
Friends he had drunk with, eaten with, and celebrated with.
So Biggs “drank to sever their bonds” with them…
since he could not betray his teacher’s grace, severing the ties of friendship would then allow them to seek vengeance.
That day, he drank twenty-eight bottles of wine and cut down twenty-eight famous pirates.
He lost one arm in the process, bathed in blood like a demon, protecting his teacher until, at the teacher’s furious command, he finally left the island.
“At that time, my teacher shouted at me: ‘You fool!!
Throwing away your bright future for a dying old man’s life…
I have no disciple like you!!
Get lost!!'” Biggs imitated his teacher, speaking in a gruff, old-fashioned tone.
He tilted his head back and downed a bowl of “Tusu Wine”…
its soft, refreshing taste slid smoothly down his throat like a single thread, making him smack his lips in amazement.
“Excellent wine!!!
Young master…
how much more of this wine do you have!?” Richard sat on the second floor of the tavern.
Biggs had given him the utmost respect, addressing him repeatedly as “young master.” As a pirate with an 830-million-Berry bounty, his skills were certainly no less impressive than those of the pirates whose names would later shake the world.
Mihawk sat beside him, his expression cool.
With his hawk-like gaze fixed straight ahead, he took a small sip of his drink.
Hard to drink…
how could this be considered good wine?
Richard raised his cup and smiled: “As long as you keep telling stories, there’ll always be wine.”