Chapter 17: 17. Legendary Characters
Ding dong, ding dong.
The sound, like a countdown, echoed through the empty street square.
"What's that sound?" Luffy looked around suspiciously.
"It's the collar that keeps slaves from running away. If they stray too far from their master for too long, it blows up," Hatchan explained with a grim expression.
Back when he was with the Sun Pirates, Hatchan had saved many slaves and had seen plenty of these collars before.
"It's come to this at last. Still, no chance to go back home," the slave man muttered with a mix of resignation and relief in his eyes.
Ever since he'd been captured by human traffickers and forced into servitude by the Celestial Dragons, he knew it would likely end like this. But the hope of returning home had kept him going.
In the end, he wouldn't get to see his wife and kids one last time.
Ding dong, ding dong. The frequency of the collar's triggering sound kept increasing, like a countdown to the end of life.
"I'll handle this, Straw Hat," Rayleigh stepped forward from the shadows, brandishing a long sword.
"With my powers, I can remove the collar without setting it off. Just watch..."
Boom.
An explosion rocked the commercial street, cutting off Rayleigh's words mid-sentence.
Luffy, however, acted swiftly. He placed his hands on the slave man's collar and ripped it off forcefully, tossing it aside without triggering the explosion.
But according to logic, ripping it off should have set it off immediately.
"What were you saying?" Luffy turned to the bewildered law, his expression tinged with doubt.
He'd been focused on trying to manipulate Armament Haki to remove the collar so he hadn't caught what Rayleigh was saying earlier. Plus, he didn't recognize the man with the long knife.
"How did you manage that?" Law asked, still taken aback.
"Just a bit of Armament, Haki," Luffy replied with a grin, flexing his arm. "I haven't used it much before, but it worked out this time."
With a hearty laugh, Luffy clapped the freed slave on the shoulder. "Looks like luck's on your side, old timer!"
"Collar's off?" The slave stood frozen, disbelief and gratitude written all over his face.
After a moment, he buried his face in his hands, tears streaming down. "Alive, free... I can finally go home."
Watching the emotional scene, Camie gripped Hatchan's sleeve tightly, still shaken by the experience.
Seeing the weeping man, she saw a reflection of her own past as a slave.
"Armament Haki... has Straw Hat really mastered it?" Rayleigh pondered. He'd spent time in the New World and knew a lot about Conqueror's Haki.
While many in the New World had mastered Armament Haki, it was rare in the first half of the Grand Line, especially for a relatively new pirate like Luffy.
Furthermore, compared to the users of Armament Haki he's encountered before, none have demonstrated such mastery.
But after pondering for a while, Rayleigh brushed aside the issue. Haki was a tool of the strong, but it didn't necessarily surpass abilities. Ultimately, it came down to the strength of the user.
Now, the priority was escaping.
Playing with Celestial Dragons might be tempting, but it was also dangerous. Most folks on Sabaody wanted them gone, but few dared to act on it.
Enter the Marine Admiral.
"It's not safe here anymore, Straw Hat captain. You should leave this island quickly," Rayleigh advised before parting ways. "If we meet again in the New World, I'd like to work together."
Rayleigh harboured a grudge, but it wasn't the time. The Straw Hat Pirates were strong enough, and rookie pirates like Luffy fit his plans for allies. But it was too soon to act.
Sabaody was too close to Marine Headquarters. The local Marines likely reported the incident, and an Admiral would be on their way soon. The discussion could wait until they were free from the Admiral's reach.
With that, Rayleigh departed with his Heart Pirates.
As for Luffy, he watched Rayleigh leave, puzzled. "Who's that guy?"
"Trafalgar Law, one of the supernovas. His bounty's 200 million berries, making him one of the stronger ones," came the explanation.
Nami chimed in from the side to explain.
Sanji, wearing a calm expression, turned to Luffy. "What's the plan, Captain? The Admiral will be here soon."
Despite his confidence in their strength, Sanji couldn't shake off the shadow cast by encounters with Admirals like Aokiji. Facing them head-on stirred a hint of guilt in him.
Luffy grinned, initially contemplating a direct confrontation with the Admiral. But he sensed the fear in Camie and Hatchan, and that gave him pause.
Considering their feelings, Luffy scrapped the bold idea. "Let's find Uncle Rayleigh first for coating. As for the Admiral, it's a big island—we can hide for a couple of days."
Luffy adjusted his hat with a playful smirk. "Besides, being chased by an Admiral sounds kinda fun, doesn't it?"
"Not funny at all," Nami retorted, landing a punch on Luffy's head, which, being made of rubber, didn't hurt him.
"But can we even find Rayleigh now?" Hatchan interjected, sounding anxious. With such a vast island, locating someone was no easy task.
"Don't worry about that," Luffy reassured, his excitement evident. He shared a knowing glance with Sanji and Zoro.
"You guys feel it, too, right? Zoro, Sanji?" Luffy glanced at his crewmates.
"Hard not to, with that ominous presence lurking around the island," Zoro remarked, his hand resting on his sword hilt as he sipped his wine. He gazed towards a particular direction of the island, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Just a brief moment, but that aura felt monstrous. Rayleigh must've known about it long before. It's probably that legendary figure," Zoro continued.
Sanji let out a light exhale, maintaining his composure. "Didn't expect someone of such stature to be hiding out here."
"What's with all the mystery?" Franky piped up, pushing his sunglasses up. "I think I might have an idea, but it doesn't match what's written in the books."
"I have a hunch, too," Robin added, her expression pensive. "It might not be confirmed yet, but it's worth investigating."
"We'll find out when we get there. Let's go take a look," Luffy declared, his curiosity piqued.
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