Chapter 7: The Sabaody Archipelago

Bardock's face immediately darkened, "You guess if I'll guess?"

"Alright, enough joking around. I also heard you mention something about the 'Will of D,' 'Will of F,' but couldn't catch the rest. Where did you learn about these things? Are you also part of the 'D' clan?" Shanks asked, his tone growing serious.

"Hah, what 'D' clan? D and F both refer to a woman's broad... embrace, don't they?"

"You bastard, stay away from Uta!" Shanks, in a sudden change, grabbed Bardock by the collar, resembling Nami in his outburst.

"Come on now, I don't like 'little' girls. I only like 'big' sisters."

"Uta will grow up too..." Shanks suddenly realized what he was saying, swallowed the rest of his words, and waved Bardock off, indicating for him to leave.

But Bardock didn't leave immediately. Instead, he asked, "Shanks, have you heard the legend of the Demon King of Song?"

"The Demon King of Song? Is that some powerful figure?"

"It's said that on Music Island, within the Kingdom of Elegia, a Demon King is sealed. Although sealed, the key to unlocking it—a mysterious musical score—was left behind. If a user of the Sing-Sing Fruit performs the score, the Demon King will revive and destroy everything in sight. Uta ate the Sing-Sing Fruit, right? It's said that the score will eventually find its way to the user of the Sing-Sing Fruit." Bardock paused for a moment before continuing, "But you don't need to worry too much. The key can't stray far from the Demon King. As long as you avoid Elegia, the score won't reach Uta."

"Oh, an immortal Demon King, huh? Well, no matter what, I will protect Uta. Thanks, Bardock."

Bardock scratched his head, unsure if Shanks truly understood. He couldn't provide more details anyway—not about Shanks' left arm, nor Ace's existence. Such things weren't for Bardock to know.

"Shanks, do you have a map of the Sabaody Archipelago?"

"A map? Beckman probably has one. Are you sure you want to disembark here? Sabaody has plenty of pirates, you know. With your current strength, handling them might be troublesome."

Shanks' words were a bit of an understatement. It wouldn't just be troublesome—it could very well be impossible to handle.

The Sabaody Archipelago is located at the midpoint of the Grand Line, right in front of the Red Line. The islands are formed from the roots of the world's largest trees—the Yarukiman Mangroves. Since it's a necessary stop on the way to the New World, the island is crowded with pirates, merchants, and bounty hunters. Among the pirates, there are many known as Supernovas, with bounties exceeding 100 million Beli in a short amount of time. Take Luffy's generation of Supernovas, for example. Though Kizaru made short work of them, they weren't to be underestimated. Even Shanks, who stood by Bardock's side, was once a Supernova himself, although he hadn't rushed into the New World.

"Haha, don't worry. I'm just here to wait for a ship back to the West Blue. I won't be staying for long."

Bardock had considered staying on the Sabaody Archipelago, but unfortunately, his strength wasn't enough at the moment. He needed a safer place to develop. Unlike Luffy, he didn't have the plot armor that would allow him to survive every peril. The West Blue was his first choice, and he also wanted to visit his original host's home, even though his family was no longer there. Sabaody also had its share of Celestial Dragons, and common folk were expected to kneel before them. Knowing his own personality, Bardock knew he could never kneel to the world's so-called nobles. If he couldn't hold back, he might accidentally end up in Impel Down.

"Going back to the West Blue, huh? What a pity. We're headed for the East Blue next."

"The East Blue? That's the hometown of the Navy hero Garp! Aren't you worried that you'll catch his attention, being such a big pirate? Even I know Garp regularly sweeps through the East Blue, hunting pirates."

"Old man Garp, huh? Yeah, his punches do hurt, but we can just avoid him when the time comes... Wait, why are you looking at me like that?"

What kind of look? It was the look of someone staring at a liar! Avoiding him, only to end up in his homeland and dragging his grandson into piracy? If I were Garp, I wouldn't do anything else for the rest of my naval career—I'd just chase you down.

"Nothing, just thinking you're pretty brave. Anyway, I'm off to find Beckman."

"Tch, feels like there's a hidden meaning in that."

...

Beckman had one notable trait—he always had a cigarette in his mouth. Every time Bardock saw him, he was smoking, and today was no different. Beckman was busy organizing the crew, as they were about to dock. Shanks, of course, was as hands-off as ever, leaving everything for Beckman to manage. He was assigning tasks like who would handle food procurement, who would get the alcohol, who would take care of weapons and ammunition, who was responsible for medicine and medical equipment, and who would deal with the spoils from other pirate crews.

Despite the workload, everything was in perfect order. No wonder Oda had designated him as the smartest pirate.

"Bardock, you need something?"

"Beckman, I'd like to borrow a map of the Sabaody Archipelago. Are you free right now?"

"A map of Sabaody? I only have a simplified version, but it includes all the notable locations on the island. It's on that bookshelf, labeled accordingly."

"Oh, thanks."

Bardock easily found the map. The bookshelf contained various maps, arranged chronologically, which seemed to be from all the islands they had visited. Considering the uninhabited ones as well, the Red-Haired Pirates had certainly traveled far and wide. Unlike the Straw Hats, who were rushing toward Laugh Tale.

Unfolding the map, Bardock examined it carefully.

The Sabaody Archipelago consists of 79 trees, each corresponding to a numbered area. Each tree's roots host towns and various facilities. Areas 1 to 29 house slave trading shops, human auctions, and lawless zones—this is where most pirates gather, and it's also a place where the Celestial Dragons frequently appear. Areas 30 to 39 contain amusement parks and shopping streets, offering fun spots like the Bubble Park and the Bubble Ferris Wheel. Areas 40 to 49 are for sightseeing, with vendors selling various Sabaody specialties. Areas 50 to 59 are shipyards with coating engineers, but pirates are often encountered here as well. Areas 60 to 69 are where the Navy is stationed, and it also serves as an entry point for the World Government. Finally, Areas 70 to 79 contain inns and other accommodations.

"Hmm, I'll limit my activities to Areas 30 to 49. That zone is relatively safe, as long as I stay clear of the Celestial Dragons." Bardock made up his mind and returned the map to its place.

By this time, Beckman had gone elsewhere, and Bardock headed back to his quarters to pack up. It was almost time to disembark. Shanks hadn't charged Bardock any fare for the trip, and the furs, tiger teeth, and deer antlers Bardock had brought with him were still untouched. He'd even managed to snag a free set of clothes.

The ship trembled slightly, signaling that they had arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago.