On a dim and gloomy sea, a battered pirate ship was pushed along by the waves.
Although the sail, marked with two red boxing gloves, was relatively intact, allowing the ship to navigate these perilous waters, its owners had lost their former spirit of sailing against the wind and waves.
The crew, along with their captain, lay sprawled across the deck, their bodies bruised and spirits utterly downcast.
Jeff Lagg, the captain of the Electromagnetic Kid Pirates, lay face down in a starfish position, his tattered electric gloves scattered beside him.
The supernova who once aspired to be the Pirate King now had a downcast expression, burying his face deep in the deck, exuding an aura of existential doubt.
Lagg's mind kept replaying the image of the man in the black coat, wielding dual swords and bathed in dazzling lightning.
That man was like an insurmountable mountain, standing stark and vivid at the end of his vision.
"So, kid who likes playing pirate games, what did you say you were going to become again?" The man's words echoed in Lagg's ears, and thinking of the terrifying ability called "Haki," Lagg couldn't help but clench his fists tightly.
Too strong—whether in speed, defense, or destructive power, that man far exceeded any opponent they had encountered before! In that encounter, they had almost no power to resist!
"Is that what a strong person in the New World is like? We really are too weak..." The swordsman of the Electromagnetic Kid Pirates squatted on the ground, staring at the shattered pieces of his once-prized sword, feeling as if his heart was bleeding.
"If the owner of a sea restaurant we never heard of is that powerful, what about those Warlords of the Sea and Emperors of the Sea? Just how terrifying must they be..."
The other crew members felt the same deep despair.
Only after witnessing the terrifying abilities that many New World pirates excelled at did they realize how ridiculous their previous dreams were.
Without this unexpected encounter, they couldn't imagine what their stubborn entrance into the New World would have led to!
Thankfully, the opponent wasn't a ruthless pirate; after a simple meal of fried rice, they kept their word and let them go.
Though they had paid fifty million Berries for that meal...
"Guys, I've made up my mind!" Suddenly, Lagg got up from the deck, as if making a significant decision, and walked steadily to pick up his fallen gloves.
"The New World is indeed too far for us now, so..."
"We'll keep adventuring in the first half of the Grand Line. A year from now, we'll enter the New World again and take revenge on that bastard owner!!"
The radiant smile reappeared on his face, now with more depth than before they encountered Zyhark.
Clearly, for such a pure and determined adventurer, one or two setbacks couldn't crush his spirit.
They would only grow stronger!
Influenced by this infectious smile, the despondent expressions on his comrades' faces also dissipated:
"That's right, we need to get that meal money back!"
In their high spirits, none of them noticed the dark, ominous clouds slowly creeping over their path.
That dense, terrifyingly atmospheric dark sea was the infamous...
Florian Triangle!
...
On the other side, the crew of the Endless Dream, now the future target of the Electromagnetic Kid Pirates, had successfully reached the Sabaody Archipelago and were enjoying the unique bubble cars.
"Ha ha ha, Zyhark, can you keep up? Riding a bike this slow!"
On the grassy plains, a bubble car sped past.
Aqua, controlling the water flow to forcefully accelerate the bubble car, proudly gave Zyhark the finger.
Seriously, where did this foolish goddess get the courage to compete in speed with a Goro Goro no Mi user?
Zyhark couldn't be bothered to respond to the childish antics, leisurely riding the bubble car and admiring the fantastic scenery of the Sabaody Archipelago.
They were far from the streets and auction houses, and after ensuring there were no suspicious figures in the area through his electrical grid, he let the foolish goddess run wild.
"Islands in the sky produce all kinds of strange shells, and now here it's weird bubbles, meow?"
Meowth was riding a small bubble car for kids, struggling with its short legs.
For its small size, it was indeed challenging.
In contrast, King was already showing off various stunts and maneuvers.
It had to be said, this guy really had a knack for fine control!
The group continued leisurely.
Their first destination on the Sabaody Archipelago was Shakky's Rip-off Bar, where the Dark King Rayleigh, the Pirate King's right-hand man, resided.
Taking down a Celestial Dragon was undoubtedly risky and could provoke an Admiral.
So, Zyhark wanted to meet this old powerhouse, burdened with the reputation of a "mediocre teacher" after missing the version update.
If all went well, they could also gather information about the current situation on the archipelago from Shakky, the information broker.
The comment from Electromagnetic Kid about a "strong Navy Captain" had piqued his interest.
After all, what they were about to do couldn't afford any mistakes!
Crossing several intertwined giant red tree roots, they soon arrived at a dilapidated town ruin.
From the bubble car seller, they learned this was where Shakky's Rip-off Bar was located, at the 13th Grove of the Yarchiman Mangrove.
Located on a sturdy tree root, the bar with a sign at the entrance was easy to find.
Pushing open the wooden double doors, they were greeted by a splash of blood.
The proprietress, Shakky, the former empress of Amazon Lily several generations ago, was in the middle of teaching a pirate trying to dine and dash a lesson.
Seeing Zyhark and his companions enter, Shakky threw the unconscious pirate out the window, dusted off her hands, and smiled:
"Yo, welcome to Shakky's Rip-off Bar. What can I get you to drink?"
Looking at this rare beauty among legendary pirates, Zyhark cleared his throat and got straight to the point:
"Shakky, we're not here for drinks. We want to buy some information."
"Oh?"
Hearing that he knew her name, Shakky's expression became more serious, "What do you want to know?"
However, Zyhark's next words made her calm eyes widen suddenly.
"The whereabouts of Silvers Rayleigh, the right-hand man of the Pirate King."
(End of Chapter)