Around the bonfire on Minion Island, the Barrels Pirates were immersed in a frenzy of revelry.
The smell of cheap rum, mixed with the salty sea breeze, permeated the night air.
After finalizing the trade time and location with Doflamingo, Barrels led his crew to Minion Island first, waiting there.
Pirates didn't have many forms of entertainment, and since they also had to hide their tracks, a feast became the best pastime.
"Six billion Berries! Oh my god, the coated ship I saw in Sabaody last time, I could buy ten of them now!"
An old pirate with a missing front tooth raised his bottle and shouted hoarsely:
"When the time comes, we'll go to Fish-Man Island and catch hundreds of rare species to bring back!"
"Fish-Man Island?"
A young pirate next to him sneered and shook his head:
"If you ask me, with that money, we'll buy an island in the New World! And build a fortress even grander than Marineford!"
In the corner, the red-faced lookout stood up, leaning on a barrel:
"What do you know! If we're going to buy something, let's buy a kingdom to play with! Like Germa, everywhere we go will be our territory!"
These words drew a burst of laughter:
"With just us, we're going to build a country? It'd be good enough if we could hold a single city!"
Amidst the laughter, Barrels grabbed a bottle, took a big gulp, and pointed at the sky, shouting:
"Then we'll build a hundred warships! And blast all those Marine hangers-on to the bottom of the sea!"
Just then, a staggering fat man pushed his way to the center of the crowd:
"Hehehe! Then there'll be no beautiful women I can't find, I'm going to marry a hundred wives!"
This remark actually resonated with quite a few, and everyone began to argue whose wives were more numerous and more beautiful.
You can't expect much depth in the conversations of a group of drunk pirates.
Barrels' gaze swept through the crowd, finally landing on his son, Drake, who was curled up alone in the corner.
Seeing his silent, cold-eyed demeanor, an unknown anger immediately surged within him.
Barrels usually found his son displeasing, and the boy's 'everyone else is drunk but I am sober' attitude in such a lively setting made him even more annoyed.
He staggered to his feet, grabbed the belt leaning against the barrel, and swayed over to Drake, his heavy alcoholic breath spraying on the boy's face:
"All of you are talking nonsense... It's not interesting at all!"
He roughly pulled Drake up from the ground:
"Come on, kid! Put on a show for your uncles!"
With that, he suddenly pushed Drake forward:
"Perform your specialty: getting beaten!"
The surrounding crew members immediately burst into cheers and whistles; the alcohol made them excited about such cruel entertainment.
Crack!
The belt whistled through the air, striking Drake's thin back, immediately leaving a red, swollen mark.
Drake bit his lip, stubbornly refusing to cry out.
This only further enraged Barrels, who felt Drake was making him lose face in front of his subordinates.
"Didn't you eat? Can't even cry?!"
Barrels struck him again with the belt, this time even harder.
Amidst the deafening jeers and wild laughter, Drake silently endured it all.
Though young, he harbored a sense of justice, which was why he eventually returned to the Marine and joined the Sword unit in the original work.
Drake was very dissatisfied with Barrels abandoning his Marine identity to become a pirate, especially after Sakazuki established the NEO Marines, he looked down on his father even more.
Just as the Barrels Pirates were venting their emotions on a child, a voice came from behind them:
"It seems I've come at a bad time."
A pirate, bleary-eyed from drink, followed the sound to the shadows at the edge of the bonfire's light, mumbling incoherently:
"Who is it... If you want to watch, watch quietly... If you want a drink, come get it yourself..."
"Don't spoil our fun..."
The newcomer, emerging from the shadows, wore a barely perceptible cold smile.
He politely waved his hand, his tone steady yet carrying an undeniable authority:
"My apologies, my time is very limited."
His gaze turned to the drunken pirates:
"I seemed to have heard you talking about something like a six-billion-Berries... Devil Fruit?"
He deliberately slowed his speech:
"Could you... let me see it?"
This sudden response stunned the pirates around the bonfire.
They vaguely looked at this uninvited guest, seemingly not yet realizing what this meant.
"You... who are you?"
Finally, a pirate sensed something was wrong. He shivered violently, as if just realizing—he had never heard this deep voice before.
This question, tinged with a hint of panic, was like a piece of ice dropped into boiling water, instantly bringing the surrounding laughter to a halt.
The pirates, who had just been immersed in revelry, sobered up considerably, frantically grabbing their weapons and glaring warily at the man who had appeared silently.
The newcomer ignored the swords pointed at him, his tone still cold and steady:
"Marine, Vergo!"
He made a brief introduction, then smiled and said:
"Didn't expect to meet a group of small-time pirates here?"
"But it doesn't matter..."
"As long as you hand over the Devil Fruit you just mentioned, worth six billion Berries..."
"I can pretend... I didn't see you."
"How about it?"
With Vergo's strength, dealing with this group of pirates was naturally not a problem, but he wanted to see if he could get the Devil Fruit first, to avoid any trouble when he had to silence them.
If a pirate accidentally ate the Ope-Ope no Mi, that would be a huge problem.
Barrels put down the belt in his hand and slowly turned around, flames seemingly burning in his eyes, his drunkenness almost instantly dissipating:
"Marine?"
It's unknown what he experienced during his time in the Marine, but he seemed to have extra emotions regarding this identity.
However, regardless of any past grudges, the Ope-Ope no Mi was his lifeline now.
Let alone a mere Marine of unknown rank, even if Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself showed up... Uh... if Sengoku himself showed up, it might be worth considering.
But Sengoku didn't come, did he?
Thinking of this, Barrels' anger surged, and his courage grew. He pointed a finger at Vergo and ordered:
"He knows the secret of the Ope-Ope no Mi! Don't let him leave alive!"
"Everyone attack! Kill him!"
The pirates around the bonfire also realized the seriousness of the situation. This was the Devil Fruit that concerned their happiness for the rest of their lives, and they immediately roared and charged towards Vergo.
Others also picked up their flintlock pistols and unleashed a volley of fire in Vergo's direction.
Vergo's figure was instantly enveloped in a cloud of smoke.
Amidst the crowd, only the chubby Gris's eyes gleamed with a sharpness that belied his appearance, as he quietly retreated behind everyone.
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