Stepping inside the tavern, Rayleigh led Shirakawa straight behind the bar, where a hidden door lay concealed. Shirakawa followed Rayleigh through it.
"A stranger who wants to get in here needs an old regular to guide them," Rayleigh explained.
"I figured as much." All along the way, Shirakawa had sensed three separate gazes tracking their every move.
"Yo, didn't you just leave? What are you doing back already?" a man teased Rayleigh.
Even with an eyepatch on, Rayleigh's identity was something certain people could pick up on. By now, most of the patrons here already knew exactly who he was.
At first, sure, they'd been a little intimidated. But after spending enough time around him, they'd come to realize — he was just... like that. No different from any ordinary middle-aged man. Not a shred of the Pirate King's First Mate about him.
"And you've brought a new face along," the man added, spotting Shirakawa behind Rayleigh.
"Showing a rookie the ropes." Since Shirakawa had his entire face covered, the man had no way of discerning who he really was.
The gambling den wasn't large, but it was fully equipped. The crowd was small, but every last one of them was a major player.
With a single sweep of his eyes, Shirakawa spotted his target.
The man's physical appearance was far too distinctive — he maintained his Devil Fruit ability state at all times, which meant he didn't need any kind of disguise whatsoever. Nobody knew what his true face looked like anyway.
So Rayleigh and Shirakawa headed straight for him.
Morgans had naturally noticed the two men approaching. He was, of course, one of those who had long known Rayleigh's identity. But the figure behind Rayleigh gave him pause.
Could he be another member of the Roger Pirates? Morgans wondered silently.
Then his eyes landed on the sword strapped to Shirakawa's back, and they lit up at once. That blade — he knew it far too well. His papers had covered it extensively just a short while ago.
Connecting the sword's owner with his relationship to Rayleigh, a grin spread across Morgans' face. It's him, alright.
"Yo, Morgans. Long time no see."
Rayleigh grabbed his chair and dragged him, seat and all, right off the gambling table.
"Has it been that long? I recall we ran into each other just a few dozen minutes ago."
Morgans arched a brow, his tone playful.
He had a rough idea what Rayleigh and his companion wanted from him — nothing more than prying for information. After all, one could say there was practically nothing in this world that he didn't know about.
"Ha, no need to get hung up on the little things," Rayleigh said with an awkward chuckle.
"Just get to the point. What do you two want with me?"
Though Morgans couldn't beat Rayleigh in a fight — and certainly couldn't beat Shirakawa either — he showed no sign of being cowed before either of them. He spoke with perfect composure.
"I'm here to ask you about the whereabouts of the Treasure Tree Adam."
This time, it was Shirakawa, standing behind him, who spoke.
"If I'm not mistaken... you're supposed to be a dead man."
Morgans crossed one leg over the other.
At those words, Shirakawa's eyes narrowed. A bone-chilling wave of killing intent crashed over Morgans.
Feeling that surge of bloodlust, Morgans' feathers instantly stood on end. His expression shifted, and cold sweat beaded across his forehead in an instant.
"Shirakawa."
Rayleigh snapped his name in reprimand. Shirakawa immediately withdrew his killing intent, and only then did Morgans slowly recover, wiping the cold sweat from his brow with the profound relief of a man who had just narrowly escaped death.
He had plenty of tricks for saving his own skin, but even so, he wasn't confident he could slip away from the grasp of both Shirakawa and Rayleigh.
"I didn't expect to have hit the mark. To think you actually managed to fool the Marines."
A moment ago, Morgans had been about eighty percent certain. Now, he was one hundred percent.
"Let's talk outside."
Rayleigh clamped a hand on Morgans' shoulder, giving him zero opportunity to refuse.
"Sure, why not."
Since things had already come to this, how could Morgans possibly say no?
Rayleigh and Shirakawa flanked him on either side, leaving him absolutely no opening to flee.
"I have to say, you two — is all this really necessary? It's not like I'm going to run."
Morgans' voice dripped with exasperation. Why did he feel like a criminal caught between these two?
"Who knows? I'm not familiar with you. I don't trust you enough to let my guard down."
"It's fine if you're not familiar with me — but Rayleigh knows me well. Right, Rayleigh? You know my character better than anyone."
"Uh... your character is exactly what I don't trust."
The Roger Pirates had crossed paths with Morgans' news agency more times than they could count, so both sides were thoroughly acquainted with each other. Rayleigh's remark was just a joke.
"That's it. Rayleigh, you've turned cold and ruthless. You've become the kind of man who turns his back on old friends."
Morgans' tone carried a note of tearful grievance — the kind that could make any listener's heart ache and eyes well up.
"Shut up."
The moment he heard that voice, Rayleigh snapped at him. That tone did not suit you in the slightest.
"Haha."
Shirakawa let out a couple of laughs. But seeing the rapport between Morgans and Rayleigh, he relaxed his guard somewhat.
Shirakawa hadn't known that Roger had so many dealings with Morgans — during his time on the ship, he'd never noticed anything of the sort.
The two men escorted Morgans to Shakky's bar — the one safe place where Shirakawa could show his face openly.
"Yo, young man. You're back again."
Seeing Shirakawa walk in once more, Shakky greeted him with a smile.
"I'll be dropping by regularly from now on."
"Good." Shakky grinned and slid three drinks across the counter to the three of them.
"These drinks are free, right?"
Eyeing the glass in front of him, Morgans asked Shakky. Clearly, he too had once been on the receiving end of her fleecing.
"What do you think?" Shakky answered, her face still smiling.
"If I've got to pay, then I'm not drinking." Morgans shook his head and pushed the glass back.
"Don't worry. I fleeced a big spender today, so this round's on the house."
"Well, that's fine then."
At the words "big spender," Shirakawa coughed. Why did he get the feeling she was talking about him?
Seeing Shirakawa remove his mask, Morgans wore an expression that said just as I thought.
"I'm genuinely curious — how did you manage to survive Sengoku?"
Morgans posed the question to Shirakawa. Given Shirakawa's strength, his odds of walking away alive from that group were practically zero.
"That's not something I feel any need to tell you."
"Fair enough. So tell me — what exactly do you want from me?"
"I want to know where the Treasure Tree Adam can still be found."
Shirakawa asked his question directly.
Morgans' expression showed not the slightest surprise. If it had been something simple, they wouldn't have bothered coming to him in the first place.
/-\
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