52 …. That’s What Their Calling Me?

"Well I will admit that I am familiar with Miss Shakky as you are our neighbor from what young master had told me, and he would like to meet you as well, I hope you don't mind, and you too sir, young master has never seen a Bird Man before so he would wish to meet you, you both being our first customers after all." Archer goes onto say to both of them.

"Oh? So the owner is here still? I thought he had already left from what you said." Shakky said, not too surprised that the owner had known of her when making this place, it's always good to know who lives nearby after all.

"Yes, he's actually in back looking over our Liquor stock, as well getting his office and quarters and in order, but he should be out shortly, in the mean time how about we settle your purchases." He says to her as he begins totaling up all the goods she wanted to buy, mostly just new fashionable clothes and hygiene products.

"Wow, I thought you guys would try and overprice me on all this, but this is all at market price." She says surprised that what was being sold was affordable.

"Well our store maybe in the Lawless Zone here in Shabody, but that was mainly for that the land is free to set up shop here, only things that are on the more expensive side our rare goods, weapons, and Homunculi, besides that everything else is at fair prices." He went onto explain.

"Homunculi? I've never heard of that before." Morgans says before they see the back doors swing open as a young man comes out.

"Oh? We got customers? Well welcome to my store Miss Shakky and…?" I say as I look at the Birdman but a bit confused at who he is, before realizing who after looking at him a bit closely.

"Morgans is the name, I wasn't born this way mind you, damn devilfruit made me like this, and I don't know how to turn myself back so I'm stuck looking like this for the time being…." He said formally introducing himself.

"Hmmm…. Wait a minute, you look familiar, why is that…?" Morgans said as he gave me a once over but couldn't put his finger on it.

"Me? I don't think I've made a name for myself or anything yet, I've just opened this store is all." I look at Morgan's strangely, I mean I haven't done anything yet to become famous.

"Wait, let me see if I'm just mistaken or something." He says as he reaches into his jacket to look for high bounties that have recently shown up.

He begins looking them over before he finds one and looks at it strangely, then puts it down on the table, "Then care to explain this?" He says laying out the bounty before us.

*****

Wanted

Dead or Alive

'The Titan'

550,000,000 Berries

*****

"…. The Titan? Really? Well then again I did just appear out of nowhere and save the remaining members of the Rocks Pirates from an all out fight with the Marines and the Roger Pirates so I guess the bounty is warranted." I said as I looked it over as the picture showed me dwarfing over the size of the fleet of ships in the picture.

"Well yes that's me I guess, just didn't think I would deserve a bounty this big for me doing that." I said as I handed it back to him.

"But I'm not a Pirate and I have no plans of going out and plundering islands for the hell of it, I find making money through trade is so much easier for me to make money after all, this is the first store but I'll be setting more up across the GrandLine and the 4 blues soon enough." I go on to clarify as basically that bounty is because of me saving a very dangerous pirate group and that's it.

"But my name is Hifumi, I run this wonderful establishment, and going back to what you asked before, your wondering what Homunculi are correct?" I introduced myself before going back to the original question they had.

"Yes, I have never heard of these Homunculi before, what is it exactly?" Shakky asks with Morgan's nodding as well in agreement.

"Not it, but what are they, Homunculi, to put it in the most simplistic terms are artificially made people that this store sells, now don't give me those looks, I would like to clarify is that they aren't forced into servitude and slavery like real slaves as Homunculi live to serve their masters as that is their only goal in life is to make thief masters happy and satisfied, they have no real personality before they are purchased, they will gain their personality over time from serving their masters, here follow me I'll show you the Homunculus room." I go onto explain before I head to the large doors as Shakky and Morgan's follow after me.

Soon enough I reached the door before unlocking it with the passcode I set up on the door before leading them in and shutting it behind them.

Inside the homunculus room was tanks upon tanks of homunculi suspended in fluids as the floated peacefully with their eyes closed.

"No, they are not dead, they are in a state of hibernation to say the least, once they are pulled out from their tubes and a few extra modifications are given to them, they will wake up and follow their masters every command." I say as I walk down the massive room that houses every type of race that exists, beside sky Islanders, as a Homunculus.

Their dead give aways were their pale skin and blond hair, and if they open their eyes then you would see the deep crimson eyes they have.

"Fascinating! This, this could easily topple the slave trade alone if those World Nobles can just have the sla- I mean these Homunculi on demand! Then I wouldn't be afraid of being hunted down and I could start my career as a journalist!" Morgans says excitedly at seeing the potential of Homunculi.

"Yes, while I'm not sure about the ethics of homunculi, if it breaks the slave trade because of this then I say this would be for the best as peoples lives won't be ruined by it." Shakky slightly agreed with how the Homunculi would be a better choice at replacing slaves over all.

"Of course, the slave trade is terrible practice, and while some might find the sale of Homunculi unethical, they don't get to live their lives until they are purchased, or else they will remain in this suspended like state." I say shaking my head before turning my head.

"You say you want to be a Journalist right? Well how about we make a deal with one another?" I say as I look at the Birdman.

Best way to get people to look for your store in this world? Through the news and advertisements of course!

(Edit: upped the bounty from 550,000 to 550,000,000 as that makes more sense for the price on his head)