So for procedures like this, Roger always felt they were pointless.
The people brought here were almost never good people. That included himself.
How could a simple question make them obediently hand over their treasure?
Listening to the curses around him, Roger sighed. "I hope your bones are tough. Try not to scream too loudly. That kind of flame burns straight into the soul."
In the next moment, with authorization granted, Roger waved his hand.
Black flames ignited in all seventeen cells.
They did not burn the body, but they scorched the soul.
"AHHH!"
"What is this?!"
"Damn it! It hurts!"
"Let us out! Let us out!"
"I have eleven million three hundred and twenty thousand Beli! I'll give it all to you!"
Sixteen cells erupted in screams.
Only the fat old woman remained silent.
Even so, her soul trembled violently, her entire body tense as she endured the pain.
Roger grinned. "Not bad. At least there's one tough one this time. Last batch, none lasted even a minute."
But the moment he finished speaking, the mass of flesh in that cell began rolling around.
The blackened figure tumbled wildly, letting out deafening screams.
"I'll give it! I'll give it all to you! Stop it!"
"I have 1.2 billion Beli! It's all yours!"
"I can't take it! Stop!"
Roger's expression stiffened.
So it was just too painful for her to even make a sound earlier?
Ridiculous.
He clapped his hands, and the black flames slowly faded.
Everyone slumped in relief.
Their souls were unharmed, but none of them wanted to experience that again.
"Alright. One by one, report everything. If I can't find it, you'll get another round."
The old woman looked at Roger. "You're a soul too. What use is wealth to you? Or are you still alive?"
Roger let out a long sigh. "I wish I were alive. I came here the same way as you. Dead. Just working for the young boss now. Maybe I'll get to see the future twenty years from now."
"Young boss?"
Roger waved his hand. "You won't be seeing him. He only shows up to open treasure chests these days. Alright, let's begin. You go first."
Sabaody Archipelago, Area 13.
Rowan brought Hikichiro into a bar.
Behind the counter, a woman was wiping glasses.
Her gaze swept over the three suitcases Hikichiro carried, then shifted to Rowan's cloak. A smile appeared on her lips.
"What would you like to drink?"
Rowan raised his head slightly. "If I don't know the price, I wouldn't dare drink anything here."
The woman chuckled. "You sound like a regular, but your face looks unfamiliar. Did you just come from the auction? I heard quite a few attendees have died recently."
Rowan didn't deny it. "How much for two glasses of water? Also, I want to know where the Pirate King's first mate, Rayleigh, is right now."
Rayleigh's location, and the certainty he was on this island.
Shakky raised one finger. "Two glasses of water, one hundred thousand Beli. As for information, I don't sell everything."
Rowan replied, "Then two glasses of water first. You retired seventeen years ago. Rayleigh and Roger set sail twenty-nine years ago. You must have known each other for a long time."
He glanced at Hikichiro. "He's from Wano. His lord was on the same ship as Rayleigh. He has something to ask of him."
Hikichiro's eyes widened.
Shakky's expression changed slightly. "Your information is quite old. But the person you brought doesn't seem to agree with you."
Hikichiro quickly understood.
Rayleigh…
A former crewmate of Kozuki Oden.
So his mission… could it finally be fulfilled?
"No. I was only surprised by how much this benefactor knows about me. I have indeed been searching for Captain Roger."
Shakky studied him carefully.
After a while, she lit a cigarette. "You were one of the Marines at Loguetown, weren't you? The execution. Your name wasn't recorded, but you appeared in the images."
Hikichiro nodded. "That was Captain Roger's choice. He was already dying. He told me to seek help from the Whitebeard Pirates. That is why I left the Marines to head for the New World."
Rowan spoke again. "As a Marine, you managed to speak to Roger alone. So the one who asked that question in the crowd… that was arranged by you?"
He paused. "And during the execution, you were waiting for him to finish speaking. That connects everything."
Hikichiro silently acknowledged it.
Then he stood, faced Shakky, and dropped to his knees.
"Thud."
He pressed his body to the ground, hands flat.
"I carry the future of all people in Wano. My life means nothing, but they are waiting for me."
"If you do not believe me, you may take my life. I will not resist. But please, inform Lord Rayleigh. Wano has been occupied by Kaido. Lord Oden could not defeat him and has been forced to endure humiliation."
As he spoke, Hikichiro drew his blade and turned it toward his own abdomen.
His resolve was absolute.
"Whoosh."
A cigarette flicked through the air, striking his thumb.
Pain forced him to drop the blade.
"Wano, huh… I've heard of it. People there seem to love cutting themselves open."
Shakky lit another cigarette and exhaled slowly. "You know how important your mission is, yet you're willing to die here. And how do you know I even know Rayleigh? Or that he would go help Wano? Even if he did, he alone might not be able to defeat Kaido."
She sighed, meeting Hikichiro's hopeful gaze. "Rayleigh isn't here right now. He did mention wanting to settle in Sabaody. You can wait if you want, but I can't contact him either."
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