First impressions matter, which is why this team places a strong emphasis on appearance. At the very least, the Wilson family felt a bit more at ease when they looked at the polite person in front of them.
"You all..."
"If you're worried, you can call House to confirm. He's off duty today."
The New World was far from peaceful, so it was normal to have concerns. It wasn't his first time doing this, so he remained patient. Soon, Wilson confirmed over the phone that this person was indeed here to escort them.
"Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome. But it seems you've run into a bit of trouble?"
His skill at reading people was superb; he could tell from their expressions that this family seemed to be in a bind.
"It's nothing, just lost our wallet."
Wilson answered casually, not expecting the other party to be of any help. However, to a member of the Beasts Pirates, this was an opportunity to show their prowess.
"Hold on a moment."
It wasn't his first time here, so he knew exactly who was in charge around the dock. It didn't take him long to locate the person responsible.
"Hey, our people lost a wallet here."
His tone was anything but polite. Facing away from the Wilson family, his gaze even carried a hint of killing intent.
This team wasn't full of goody-two-shoes. Although they rarely took on combat missions, they were still part of the Beasts Pirates. He wore two earrings on one ear, together forming the number "99."
Even if he ranks very low, he was still a member of the Numbers.
As one of the New World's underworld tycoon, and an indisputable overlord on the seas, no one here was worthy of him showing courtesy.
"Oh no, this must be a misunderstanding! Give me 30 minutes, I'll find the wallet for sure!"
"10 minutes, no more."
"Understood..."
Everyone understood the unspoken rules here. To have become the dock's manager, this person had his own backers, but compared to the Emperor of the Sea, they were nothing.
Even if this person was just a low-level officer, he was not someone the dock manager could afford to offend.
After a quick scolding over Den Den Mushi, it wasn't even ten minutes before several wallets appeared in front of them.
In places like this, only fists could maintain order. If you knew the right people, they could find anything, even a needle. Without those connections, though, you'd just have to accept your bad luck.
"Next time, be careful. Mess with our people again, and you can kiss your hand goodbye."
He glanced through the documents in the wallets to confirm which one he needed, then turned back to leave, bringing the Wilson family along.
On the ship, Wilson saw people from all walks of life—cooks, doctors, craftsmen, accountants—covering nearly every profession. Meanwhile, the Beasts Pirates members maintained friendly expressions.
Seeing how approachable they seemed, he mustered the courage to ask a question.
"Uh… excuse me, I heard you have some sort of mysterious creature that can diagnose a person just by listening. Could I see it?"
"Hmm? You're not qualified enough right now. Once you've proven yourself and moved on to a higher-level job, you'll naturally be able to see them. It's just that they may not necessarily cooperate with you."
[After all, those are the beings created by that Lord...]
He left his sentence unfinished, leaving certain things unsaid. Meanwhile, the one he referred to—Arceus—had just returned to Wano Country as the new year approached.
…
"What on earth is Queen doing?"
Shayna threw off the streamers sprinkled over her head, and looked at Queen, who was holding a pile of paper confetti. She was certain that something was wrong with his brain.
"He probably heard something from Miss Yamato," Amalee chimed in. They all knew that Arceus had allowed Yamato to share the news in advance, and it seemed that Queen was quite excited.
"He's never been this excited before. Lord Sacred Beast, I don't think you need to reward him. He usually doesn't have much respect for you."
Shayna turned around and made a suggestion that would make Queen suffer, but he, still above the harbor, didn't hear it.
"It's fine. People like him are rare. It's no big deal if he loses his composure once in a while."
As a scapegoat, Arceus would definitely ensure his safety. In the past, he had taken the blame so many times without running into any danger. This time, if he didn't step outside, nothing would have happened at all.
It's just that while many people take the blame, Queen has set a precedent by willingly becoming a scapegoat.
At that moment, Queen arrived on the ship, his expression fawning, clearly making his intentions known.
"Lord Arceus, welcome back. Uh..."
"Queen, get a grip. Lord Sacred Beast has never gone back on his word. Do you really need to act this impatient?"
"Ahem, give me a break. I've had a rough time recently. You have no idea how terrifying it is when both Lord Arceus and Miss Yamato are gone."
This meant that Kaido would be left unchecked, losing his favorite target. Who would suffer in their place became a matter of chance, and because of his reputation, Queen had become Kaido's second go-to target after Yamato, making it very likely for him to face Kaido's extra training.
"Heh, you should think about this. Won't it be troublesome for you to go out again in the future? After this incident, you haven't left Wano Country, have you? You're quite famous on the seas now, and a lot of people are aiming to make a name for themselves by taking your head."
"???"
Queen looked baffled by Shayna's words. He really hadn't been paying attention to what was happening outside.
"You really don't know? Quite a few people are after your head. You're familiar with those hot-headed types, right? Aside from them, there are even some pirates from the New World aiming to make a name off of you."
In fact, the seas were never short of people who wanted to rise to fame by stepping on veterans. Queen's massive 2.7 billion bounty has made him a target for many.
No one knows the strength of the Emperor of the Sea, so before targeting one, many saw Queen, a senior officer, as an ideal smaller goal.
"Good luck. I hope you manage to stay alive. After all, I haven't found another punching bag as reliable as you."
"....."
Queen didn't retort. He hadn't thought about it that way before and had forgotten that fame could bring more trouble. For some reason, he again felt the future was bleak.
"My lord, do you really want me to follow this guy? He looks so useless."
At that moment, a soft, feminine voice spoke from beside Arceus's feet. Queen was certain he had never heard this voice before. Following the voice, he spotted a creature with a hedgehog-like appearance, timidly peeking out from behind Arceus' leg and sizing him up.
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