"Can't you just give me some discounts?"
"No, Zephyr," she replied, arms crossed and completely unimpressed. "If you can't afford to drink here, then maybe you should find somewhere else."
"Come on, Shakky. My crew's arriving today, and I already owe them a small fortune. Thought I could use this reunion as an excuse to clear my tab."
"Why do they need to come here of all places?"
I leaned in conspiratorially. "My captain's bounty is 250 million berries. I don't want to be seen with him—I'm trying to keep things low-profile, you know?"
Shakky's lips curled into a knowing smirk, and I felt a strange chill. "I understand, Phantom Blade Zephyr of North Blue. Former bounty of 25 million berries, officially declared dead three years ago."
I lowered my drink, genuinely caught off guard. "Seems you're good at what you do, Shakuyaku. Former captain of the Kuja Pirates, ex-empress of Amazon Lily... and a woman remarkably good at hiding her age."
The line about her age must've hit a nerve. With a smooth, practiced motion, Shakky snatched the drink right out of my hand. "You've done your homework. Also, drinks just went up to 100,000 berries each."
"Hey!" I protested. "What did I do?"
"Don't you know it's rude to bring up a lady's age?"
"Oh, come on. It was just a joke."
"150,000 berries per drink."
"Tch! No wonder you don't have any customers, Shakky."
Her eyes narrowed. "It's now 200,000."
"Alright, alright!" I threw my hands up in mock surrender. "We go way back, Shakky. Don't be so cruel."
"I met you a week ago. How exactly do we 'go way back'?"
"You know what I mean." I leaned on the bar, giving her my best wounded look. "Cut me some slack, would you?"
She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Behave, and I might consider lowering the price."
I grinned, leaning closer. "I could tell you where your husband is."
Her eyes flickered with interest. "Oh? So you know about him too?"
"Of course. Knowledge is power, after all."
Shakky tilted her head, observing me. "So that's why you're hanging around my bar so often. You need a favor from him?"
"Not really. I mean, he's really great and all. But at this moment, I don't really need anything from him. I honestly like your bar. It's quiet, and useless pirates don't hang out here. Besides, when the time comes, he'll owe me a favor."
"What? Can you see the future or something?" She said it sarcastically.
"You know, you're the second old lady who has told me that."
She narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Did you just call me old?"
"No, no, you must've misheard me." I tried to wave it off, feigning innocence.
Our banter continued for some time.
I liked Shakky. She was chill. Also, I didn't really know anyone in the Archipelago. Well, I knew a few people, but not someone I could actually trust. Shakky knew how to be discreet if she wanted to. Besides, her bar was empty most of the time—probably because of her 'charming' personality.
I'd already sent word to the Heart Pirates about my arrival once I landed here. They were close, so Law told me to wait a week or so. I didn't mind; I had a meeting with Marco in five days, and the Whitebeard Pirates would likely want a detailed account of what happened on Jaya.
Over the past few years, Law has gained a stronger reputation than in the original timeline. He was more ruthless now, more assertive. It seemed my involvement had changed him, pushed him in a new direction.
After a lot of haggling, Shakky and I finally settled on a price of 3,000 berries per drink. Still overpriced but manageable. I had about 400,000 berries left; it'd be enough to cover tonight. And as a precaution, I'd bought a low-quality sword to carry around. Now I had two swords strapped to my waist.
Heart Pirates reached the archipelago around evening on island 17. Our reunion was weird, to say the least. New members didn't know who I was. Other than the founding members, the other old members had mostly retired. Some had settled down. Others have started their own business. Those two years apart had dampened some of the old fire. They'd come to realize the dangers of this life and that their captain couldn't always protect them.
Bepo practically crushed me in a bear hug, sobbing about how much he missed me. Law just gave a slight nod, his way of saying he'd talk with me later. Penguin and Shachi were bickering as usual, and Uni grumbled,
"That fucker's still so weird."
I looked around, half-expecting to see Ikkaku. But I'd heard she'd married some rich, handsome guy, and knowing her, that poor fool was in for a world of pain. She hadn't cut ties with the crew, though. In fact, they got most of their supplies from her company now. Yeah, she had her own company. I was genuinely happy for her; she'd always had a knack for business.
"Alright, guys, let's go party!" I raised my voice, rallying the crew. Pirates know how to throw a party, and the conversation flowed freely as we laughed and drank together. When I went back to the bar for another round, Shakky poured the drinks and made small talk.
"So, this is your crew?"
"You could say that. Most of them are new."
"Your captain seems strong."
"He is."
"But you could easily take down everyone here, couldn't you?"
I chuckled, admiring her sharp intuition. "You've got good senses, Shakky."
"Why are you still in 'Paradise,' Zephyr? With your strength, you could be venturing into the New World. You could build your own crew—you'd have plenty of followers."
I was pretty drunk by this point, so maybe that's why I answered honestly. "I don't want a crew, Shakky. Too much responsibility. I'm a selfish person, you know? My goals and ambitions come first. Sure, a crew might help me get there, but I don't want anyone's help. I want to achieve my dreams on my own terms. I don't want to drag others into my own ambitions. Does that make sense?"
Shakky nodded quietly. "It does."
I smiled, raising my drink to her. "You're a good barkeep, Shakky. I'm spilling my guts here because I'm drunk. Don't tell anyone, and I'll give you 50,000 berries."
She just smiled back. "It's on the house."
"Thanks." I grabbed the beers, bringing them back to the table where everyone erupted in cheers. I handed one to Law and sat down next to him.
"So, do you want to talk right now?"
"No, not now. After they're finished. I can easily sober you up using my devil fruit powers."
"Good, I'd rather have this conversation without anyone present."
Law nodded, understanding that we had things to discuss. We both knew I'd outgrown the Heart Pirates, at least in terms of raw strength. Once the crew fell asleep, Law used a quick technique to clear my head—a handy skill, to be sure.
"What the hell happened to you, Z? How are you so strong?"
"A lot of things." I shrugged. "Let's just say I had the perfect training environment and a couple of giants who made excellent training partners."
Law raised an eyebrow. "That's… vague."
"It's a long story." I held his gaze. "But tell me, Law—what's your true ambition?" I asked him suddenly.
He started, "You know what my goal is..."
But I cut him off. "Don't give me that bullshit about Doflamingo. Yes, he is your goal to achieve, your revenge for Cora-san. But what will you do after you've defeated him? What do you want to do after you've paid him back? What will you do after revenge? What do you want to live for? For what are you willing to risk everything?"
The bar was silent as Law seemed to think about my question. He knew that I wasn't going to accept any bullshit reason. It seemed as if he himself didn't know what he lived for. He was still that little kid who wanted revenge for his friend. He was still without any ambition. He was still so restricted.
The will of D flowed through his veins. And yet he hadn't unlocked his conqueror's haki in the original timeline. It wasn't because he was weak. No, Law was strong. He had a devil fruit, which literally made him a god within a domain. And he had the necessary knowledge to use it properly.
Strength has never been his problem. His problem has always been his ambition. He had never thought past that point. The point after Doflamingo's defeat. He did not have that will, the will of a conqueror.
I might've ignored these things and never confronted him about it. But I couldn't do that. He was my friend. My first friend in both my lives. And I'd hate to see my friend, who had so much potential be wasted away. He had the potential to be a king, and he was satisfied to be the next best thing. I can't let that happen. Not while I'm still here. But it wasn't dependent upon me, was it? It was totally up to Law. What does he want to do?
"I honestly don't know. I've never thought about it."
"Then start thinking about it. A new era is coming, Law. A new era means old powerhouses that had existed for decades will crumble down in front of a more promising younger generation. This new era is full of opportunities. You have to take what you can, Law. You have to. You must dream bigger. Otherwise, you will just be another pirate who was just another step short of achieving their destiny."
Law gave a slight nod, looking pensive. I didn't need any verbal confirmation to know that Law had taken my words seriously. We knew each other well enough to have conversations without uttering a single word. Still, Law asked, "So... you're leaving the Heart Pirates, aren't you?"
"Yeah." I sighed, feeling the weight of the moment. "I would've loved to keep sailing with you guys. But I have my own path to follow, my own goals. I can't hold back anymore."
We both knew this day was inevitable. Still, I'd always have his back.
"So, my friend," I said with a grin, raising my glass one last time, "how do you plan on defeating Doflamingo?"