Rayleigh had just left the bar with Cathy a few minutes earlier when a loud commotion came from outside.
"Boss! This is the place! The owner of this shady bar not only beat us all up but also stole all our money..."
"Damn it! They dare to rob my men? Boys, tear this lousy bar to the ground!"
"Yes, boss!"
Both Takumi and Shakky heard the shouts, but neither of them seemed bothered, acting as if nothing was happening.
Then with a loud bang, the door to the bar was kicked off its hinges by the leader of the group, a pirate over two meters tall, muscular, with a scruffy beard that made him look somewhat intimidating.
Takumi, sitting at the bar, didn't even bother to turn around.
Shakky, casually smoking a cigarette, calmly said, "You broke the door. That'll be 500,000 Berries for repairs."
"500,000?" The pirate leader sneered, smashing a nearby table with the large hammer in his hand. "I'm going to tear this place apart and kill you! And you dare ask me for money? You must be insane."
Shakky took another drag from her cigarette, still as calm as ever, "With the table you just broke, it's now 1 million Berries for repairs."
"Hahaha! This woman must be out of her mind! Our boss has a bounty of 20 million Berries! Does she really think he's afraid of her?"
"Ridiculous! Asking for money from the boss? She's signing her death warrant."
"Hey lady, stop acting tough. You're probably shaking in your boots inside. If you kneel and beg our boss for mercy, maybe he'll let you live."
The pirate leader's underlings were laughing, their faces full of smugness.
"20 million, huh?" Shakky mused, unfazed by the commotion. "That's enough to keep the bar running for two or three months." She then turned to Takumi, her lips curling into a smirk. "Hey, Takumi, you're not busy, right? How about you deal with them for me? I'll even pour you another drink."
Takumi: "..."
She could clearly handle them herself, yet she wanted him to do it. What was her game?
"Consider it a return favor," Shakky said with a smile. "I did buy you a drink earlier, didn't I?"
"Hey! I'm talking to you! Don't pretend you can't hear me! Fine, I'll tear this place apart first, then I'll take my time killing you!" the pirate leader bellowed, turning to his crew. "Boys, smash this dump to pieces!"
"Yes, boss!" his crew chorused.
But just as they moved to destroy the bar, Takumi stood up. The moment he turned around, a powerful wave of Haki burst from him, radiating outward. In an instant, everyone in the bar—except Takumi and Shakky—collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Even the pirate leader, who had been full of himself, was knocked out cold.
Shakky, watching with a smirk, said, "That Conqueror's Haki of yours sure comes in handy."
Takumi, ignoring her comment, was about to leave when the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! You've earned Shakky's favor. Progress +10%]
[Ding! Sabaody Archipelago Sign-In Task completed. Reward: Mastery of Water Style: Bubble Jutsu.]
Takumi paused in his tracks. The task... was already complete?
Aside from the initial arrival on the island, he had completed the rest of the tasks in a single day. That was fast.
But... what was with earning Shakky's favor?
Even though she looked like she was in her thirties, Takumi knew she was actually pushing sixty...
Whatever, the task was done, and that's what mattered.
He willed his personal stat panel to appear.
Next destination: Amazon Lily... the legendary island of women.
Takumi noticed that his age had increased by a year. He realized that his birthday had passed just a couple of days ago.
After a moment of silence, Takumi closed his personal stat panel and continued toward the exit.
As he was about to leave, Shakky called out, "Leaving already? How about another drink on me before you go?"
"No, thanks," Takumi replied, raising his hand in a brief wave. "It's time for me to go. See you later, Aunt Shakky."
Shakky blinked, momentarily stunned. It was the first time anyone had called her 'Aunt Shakky,' and to hear it from Takumi of all people. Rayleigh had told her some things about Takumi's past, so she had always seen him as a bit of a stubborn and rude kid. But now, he didn't seem quite as bad as she had thought.
"You're really leaving Sabaody?" Shakky asked just as Takumi reached the door.
Takumi gave a soft hum of acknowledgment. "Yeah. When Rayleigh gets back, let him know."
"Leaving already? Isn't that a bit sudden?"
"I'll be gone by this afternoon. I've got something to take care of first."
With that, Takumi walked out of Shakky's bar and headed toward the shipyard.
When he arrived at the dock where his repaired ship was, he found Enel lounging around. The man had been staying there for a week, barely leaving the shipyard. When he saw Takumi, he didn't even bother to get up, his tone carrying a hint of despair as he asked, "How much longer are we staying on this dump of an island?"
"We leave this afternoon," Takumi said nonchalantly.
Enel blinked, then sprang from his chair in an instant. In a flash, he appeared in front of Takumi, his face alight with excitement. "We're really leaving this afternoon?"
Takumi gave him a small nod.
Enel almost burst out laughing. Finally, they were leaving this boring island!
"Go get Kaku," Takumi said, his tone still calm.
Enel looked puzzled. "What for?"
Takumi replied, "I'm taking you somewhere."
Thinking back to the time Takumi had taken them to Shakky's bar, Enel felt uneasy. "We're not going to some other weird dive bar, are we?"
"No, we're going to Sabaody Park."