1 Introduction

Sabaody Archipelago

Grove 13

The constant sound of bubbles popping was becoming more and more familiar to the man standing in the middle of the nearly aquamarine grass. The same tall grass that was waving with the breeze and caressing his calves.

Wearing nothing but black shorts, held up by a dark blue belt with seemingly luminous lightning-like marks on it, and a very long and big dark scarf that covered nearly half his pectorals just bey being rolled around his neck, he couldn't help but feel like, considering the tickling sensation that his legs were subjected to each time the grass grazed it, that he should invest into some long pants.

The surroundings were relatively empty, but the loud, joyous, boisterous, threatening, and sad voices of the variety of ruffians living their life here could be heard even from afar, making the man feel life bubbling on the archipelago.

Despite being a place full of crime, from the young thieves to the controlling gangs, the man couldn't help but think that this place was much brighter than what he was used to.

Compared to Trash Valley, this was almost cute in a way.

Still, Trash Valley or not, generally, in these environments, joy had to be private because that sliver of positivity would be quick to be snuffed out.

It was an indisputable truth that the man learned rather brutally when he came here.

In this world.

The delicate melody from the instruments of the human condition itself came ringing to his ears.

The glee in happiness, the cries, and screams of rage, the tears of grief and love, the silent pressure of pain…

He could hear it all. Every naked thought was free to wander the streets and he could hear it all.

Perhaps the man could hear too well.

The voice of the trees and humongous creatures of the earth were whispering into his ears, happy to find someone that could understand them. They were eager to share their wisdom, being old, thousands of years old, having seen the world go through so much change.

They were anxious about the future, being young, only thousands of years old.

The loudest noises took over the quiet, calm, and deep rumbling of the trees, from the calming cool woosh of the breeze he picked up the sound of arousal, the sound of lovemaking to the sound of the world losing yet another life, of a slick cut, the squishy sounds of flesh and gasps for breath, the very sound of death, swears and all, exactly the resulting sound of a bloody brawl. He could hear two unlucky souls meet in the road from and to the physical world.

How sweet.

Yes, indeed, the man could hear too well

'It's fine,' thought the man.

He was used to it, he had to deal with it for a while now and he knew how to turn his attention away from the voices of the world. He probably would have gone insane if he couldn't do so.

As he turned the volume down to come back to where he could function properly, he realized that he had been standing there in front of the building, that he sailed the seas to get to, for a while now.

'I hope I'll get some answers,' thought the man as he opened the door of Shakky's Rip-off Bar, as written on the old sign on the top of the building, starting to get invaded by moss.

'Different answers.'

The scent of lavender invaded his nostrils as he stepped into the bar.

He had to bend over to enter the building since he was too big for the small doors that decorated most structures of this island.

'The scent is probably to hide the smell of alcohol and tobacco in the background' mused the man.

Although his hearing was truly developed, to the point that he had an advantage over the entire animal kingdom, it wasn't like his other senses were left in the dust. Thanks to his circumstances, he had been enhanced in every aspect.

The bell attached to the door went back and forth, tinkling melodiously, the moment he made his entry, and the woman sitting behind the counter lifted her eye off of the magazine she was reading to greet him.

Considering the reputation of the parts of the archipelago this bar was placed into, it wasn't surprising for the tall man that she immediately started to observe him as he walked through the establishment and sat on one of the bigger chairs near the counter.

"Welcome, what can I do for you? " she said as a smile graced her features, seemingly confident despite the size of the mysterious man.

Standing at 6'1'', she was taller than most women he had the chance to meet so far. She was even taller than most of the men he met.

Compared to him, she looked positively tiny.

At 10 feet tall, very few could stand shoulder to shoulder with this man, even in this world.

Built like a brick house, his frame would look downright demonic and horrifying in his previous world.

It didn't mean much to Shakuyaku.

Looking at her, the man had to remind himself that she was old enough to be his grandmother, considering her face would beat the vast majority of women in his old world.

But that was something he learned to deal with ever since arriving here.

His face was quite handsome, even if it was a little bit boyish. Taking into account that he was only 16 years old, his scarred and bulging body didn't match his face at all.

Or at least it would be the case if it wasn't for the tired eyes the man had, or for the two linear and vertical scars his left eye presented.

He had medium-length golden hair, luscious and slicked back, and a goatee in stripes.

For Shakky, the tall man painted a very familiar picture, if only decades younger and inches taller.

That's why when she saw him enter her establishment, she was determined to get information out of him.

If she was correct in her suspicion, then Rayleigh had some questions to answer.

She wasn't a restrictive partner, but hiding a kid from her for so long wasn't something she would just take lying down.

'Should I tell Rayleigh to wear ear piercings?' she entertained the idea as she studied the face in front of her and noticed the ear piercings he wore embellished his appeal.

"The strongest alcohol you have would be good, to begin with." the man answered with a deep voice, one that seemed to resonate on the walls of the bar.

'Well, at least he has a voice to go with this body' thought Shakky, amused.

Indeed, she just smiled and went to get her best liquor. One of the advantages of the place she chose to establish her bar, is that the people visiting her bar always wanted to drink the strongest liquors she had.

Her strongest liquors were also the most expensive. Despite her reputation, she was always getting more money.

When she came back with the bottle, she saw the tall man concentrating on the air, as if he was reading something.

'Maybe a devil fruit?' wondered Shakky. As a bar owner in the less savory parts of this island, she had to always be aware of the potential dangers that could come knocking at her door.

Although she was strong, strong enough to beat the majority of the criminals living here, she would avoid fighting against the man in front of her. After all, she recognized the aura seeping out of the man that entered her bar. She could feel it the moment he approached her bar.

She was well versed in Observation Haki after all.

It was the same kind of aura Rayleigh had.

'Conqueror's Haki huh...' She did not know if he could call upon it, but she was sure enough to bet money that he could at least have it.

And if she trusted her experience, no Average Joe had the qualifications necessary.

She pulled out a glass and started to pour the bronze-colored liquor. But before she could open her mouth to start a conversation, her interlocutor beat her to it,

"My name is Gil."

He reached out for the filled glass as Shakky questioned

"Just Gil?" with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

Gil proceeded to down the whole glass in one go and slammed it on the wooden counter.

"Yes… just Gil."

Shakky's smirk got a little bigger after his words and then decided to just put the bottle in front of him since she saw that he was ready to consume a lot of alcohol.

"Well then, just Gil… What's a new face like you doing here?" asked Shakky as she leaned on the counter in front of him, lighting up her cigarette once more.

Gil didn't answer immediately, he first poured himself another glass and watched his reflection on the glossy bronze surface of his drink. Seemingly pensive, he sighed before answering the question.

"I... I needed a new perspective on things." his words were curt, and his answer didn't seem to leave much place for any follow-up, but Shakky pressed on anyway.

"A new perspective? It seems a bit weird to try to get one at a place so full of criminals… except if you're one of them."

"I'm… something of a pirate so…" Gil scoffed before continuing, "I'm not too different from those living around these parts."

"Oh? A pirate not too proud of his profession?" continued Shakky with her eyebrow raised, her smirk was gone.

"You could say that. Although…" started Gil before drinking entirely the content of his glass.

He sighed in satisfaction before looking down at Shakky's inquiring gaze and continued to express his train of thoughts, "There are good people among pirates, or at least those that have good intentions…"

He allowed himself a small pause as he gulped for what he would have hoped was the aftertaste of the strong alcohol while Shakky released another puff of smoke.

"I'm just not one of them."

Silence settled in the bar for a while after Gil's words. Ultimately, Shakky was the one to break it and resumed the conversation.

"You see… After hearing that normally, I would have laughed. I know every wanted pirate that goes through the seas of the world if they're worth anything, and you're not one of them. So the idea of a rookie being malevolent on any big scale is contradictory to me." She released another puff of smoke in the air.

"But I guess I'll listen to you. Anyway, you needed a change in perspective, maybe I could be the one to give it to you, who knows?"

Gil filled his glass once more and smirked. "I'm honored to have you interested in a young squirt that hasn't even made his debut in the wider world yet."

"I don't know about that… you might seem young but your aura says something different," answered Shakky with a small laugh.

Gil paused at her words. "My aura..."

He downed the glass and stood up.

Shakky seemed surprised at his action but didn't stop him and observed him in silence.

"What if… what if, that very aura you speak of, was fake?" asked Gil, looking straight into Shakky's eyes.

The intensity in his gaze made her pause from the first answer she would've said. The blank expression, but the acute look she was at the receiving end of made it very clear that this part was very important to the young man in front of her.

"That kind of aura can't be faked… It comes from experience and natural birthright, Gil-chan."

Gil kept looking into her eyes for a few seconds before his gaze dropped, seemingly both relieved and disappointed by her answer.

"I'll probably not be coming back later this day Shakky-san," Gil said as he searched through his pocket and pulled enough berries to cover the alcohol, and started to leave.

Picking up the money, Shakky stopped for a second as she watched the intriguing man leave her bar.

"I guess… " she started, as Gil stopped at her words.

"If the aura is faked somehow then… wouldn't it be good to work towards the qualifications? If worthiness is the issue, I mean… "

Gil didn't move for a few seconds.

"...Yes, surely," he said in a small voice, with no tone or strength of emotion.

Creaak!

Click.

and left the bar.

"It's only fitting for a usurper like me."​

#####

While Gil returned to his boat, he was greeted by one feminine figure. She was very tall, simply not enough to come close to the behemoth-like stature of the golden-haired man.

At 7', which would have been unusual if it was in his previous world, the girl could safely look down on the majority of the world population. In this one, both he and she didn't seem to stick out nearly as much as they should.

The tall woman had long blonde hair, a color not unlike Gil's, that seemed to glow with the light of the sun. They cascaded down her back in a wavy manner that seemed nearly hypnotic. She had beautiful purple eyes, sporting a golden ring around the edges of her pupils. This ring pulsed with light and gave her an almost hypnotic gaze.

She wore a golden jacket with shining edges and no sleeves that bared her midriff with the addition of a tight low cut black crop top. She paired her upper outfit with black tight shorts, covered by a wavy black skirt that reached her knees with gleaming golden tribal marks. All of this was kept in place by a yellow-tainted leather belt.

Her hands were covered by what seemed to be steel-plated gloves, covered in black paint, and had the same seemingly alive sparkling golden tribal marks as her skirt. With her clothes that appeared to brim with power, she had a bright golden-colored tribal tattoo going from her left cheek to her left calf.

"So, did you get the answers you wanted?" She said to Gil as she smiled and put her hands on her waist.

"Hmm... I guess what I got was something I already knew," Gil paused as he approached her, took her by the waist, and lifted her until she was at the same level as him.

It was as if an electric current went between them. Both shuddered the moment Gil's hands reached her. The feeling that connected their souls intensified at the physical contact. She stuck her body close to him and wrapped her hands around his neck.

Even this kind of small gesture made her feel a great deal of pleasure.

Feeling her abnormal heat, seeing her smirk and her eyes becoming a bit glassy, Gil didn't hesitate to close the distance between them and kissed her.

The passion blossomed in the mind of the girl as she became more and more heated. She ran her hands through Gil's hair, wanting to feel more of him.

Gil answered in the same fashion, possessively pressing on her waist, a move that elicited a muffled moan from the blonde woman.

The kiss quickly devolved into a make-out session once they both realized that they were unwilling to let go of each other. The girl felt like she was melting in the arms of her beloved, and Gil would be able to confirm that statement if he was not occupied trying to smother her with his fervor, considering he could feel the warmth her body gave off increase.

After a few more seconds, Gil released his woman and chuckled at the annoyed moan her mouth sensually breathed out when it ended.

"I guess I also knew what I had to do, to begin with."

Seemingly unsatisfied with the duration of the kiss, once the girl was liberated, she walked back towards the boat. Of course, she immediately started to swing her hips to entice her lover. This prompted Gil to groan as he followed her.

Since she could feel his arousal through the mental link they shared, she giggled and continued to put all of her effort to make her walk sexier. Considering her skirt easily revealed her shape while she walked, the spike of emotion coming from Gil confirmed her choice of clothing.

Swirling around as if she was a child with too much energy, a thought made the girl stop for a second. "So, what's the plan now? We have a White Tiger to go search for in the New World right?"

"Yes, that should be our next destination. That's why from now on, it's training time. We can't just arrive there without being at the top of our game, there's too much danger."

"I mean..." the girl trailed off, " If we're going in the first place then that means that you're confident that we can beat them up, right?"

Gil was silent for a while, seemingly in thought, before answering, "Everyone except the big bad boy should be within our range. Plus the way we are, we should get fairly stronger as we fight so there's no problem. Plus, as you know, our objective isn't to beat everyone, it's just to take the bag and get out."

The girl laughed at his words and seemed to be pumped up for this operation.

"So let's go, O captain of mine!" She exclaimed, taking his hand and rushing towards their boat while laughing, forgetting that she was supposed to rile him up.

"You're always so feisty, Yang..."