The sea breeze carried a strange, sweet scent as the Red-Haired Pirates' ship sailed through calm waters.
Ahead of them, something unbelievable slowly rose from the horizon.
Giovanni leaned over the railing, squinting.
"…What the hell is that?"
Shanks stood beside him with his hands behind his head, smiling casually.
"That," Shanks said, "is Sabaody Archipelago."
Giovanni blinked.
The "island" in front of them didn't look like a normal island at all.
Instead of land and mountains, massive tree trunks stretched high into the sky like pillars of a giant forest rising straight out of the ocean.
And floating everywhere were bubbles.
Hundreds of them.
Thousands.
Shimmering bubbles drifted through the air like soap spheres reflecting rainbow light.
"…Are those bubbles?" Giovanni asked slowly.
Building Snake nodded from the wheel.
"They're natural here."
Giovanni whipped his head toward him.
"Natural?!"
Beckman leaned against the railing, lighting a cigarette.
"The entire archipelago is actually a giant mangrove forest," Beckman explained calmly. "Seventy-nine enormous trees known as Yarukiman Mangroves grow here. Each tree forms its own island called a 'grove.'"
Giovanni stared again.
The closer they got, the clearer it became.
Each giant mangrove tree had buildings, docks, bridges, and towns built on its massive roots.
"So each tree is an island?" Giovanni asked.
"Exactly," Beckman said.
Building Snake added, "There are seventy-nine groves in total. Different areas serve different purposes. Lawless pirate zones, tourism districts, marine bases, shipping ports."
Giovanni rubbed his chin.
"That's actually… pretty clever."
Shanks grinned.
"And the bubbles?"
Giovanni pointed at the floating spheres drifting through the air.
Beckman exhaled smoke.
"The mangrove roots release a special resin that forms bubbles," he said. "It's unique to this environment. The same material is used to coat ships so they can travel underwater to Fish-Man Island."
Giovanni's eyes widened.
"Underwater?!"
Shanks nodded.
"If you want to reach the New World from this side of the Grand Line, you have two choices."
He held up two fingers.
"Either go over the Red Line through Mariejois… or go under it through Fish-Man Island."
Giovanni stared at the floating bubbles again.
"…Why are those the only two options!?."
Shanks laughed.
"Welcome to the Grand Line."
The ship slowly approached the harbor of Grove 12.
Buildings sat atop enormous mangrove roots. Bridges stretched between trunks, and people walked along wooden paths high above the ocean.
Pirates.
Merchants.
Tourists.
Slave traders.
This place was chaos disguised as civilization.
Giovanni hopped down from the railing.
"So where are we going first?"
Shanks stretched his arms.
"Grove 13."
Giovanni tilted his head.
"Why there?"
"That's where you'll find a bar run by someone we know," Shanks said.
Beckman smirked slightly.
"And someone else tends to spend time there."
Giovanni's eyes lit up.
"…Rayleigh?"
Shanks chuckled.
"Yes."
The crew walked through the forest-like grove.
Mangrove roots twisted everywhere like natural pillars supporting small towns.
Colorful bubbles drifted lazily through the air.
Giovanni poked one.
Pop.
"…Nice."
Shanks laughed.
"You're acting like a kid."
"Shut up."
As they moved deeper into Grove 12, Building Snake suddenly slowed.
"…Captain."
Shanks glanced over.
"What is it?"
Snake pointed ahead.
Lying beneath a tree root, stretched out lazily on the ground…
Was a Marine.
Wearing the coat of a high-ranking officer.
Hat tilted over his face.
Completely asleep.
Giovanni frowned.
"…Is that guy a Marine?"
Shanks squinted.
Then he smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
Giovanni blinked.
"Yeah?"
Shanks shrugged.
"That's probably a Vice Admiral or something."
Giovanni froze.
"…Vice Admiral?"
Beckman glanced at the sleeping man.
"Yep."
Tokikake snored softly.
Drool ran down the side of his mouth.
Giovanni stared.
"…That guy?"
Beckman nodded calmly.
"Vice Admirals are the third highest rank in the Marines and can even command Buster Calls."
Giovanni looked again at the sleeping officer.
"…He's digging his nose."
Shanks laughed quietly.
"Don't mind him."
Giovanni looked confused.
"Shouldn't we… like… avoid him or something?"
Beckman shrugged.
"He's asleep."
Building Snake said cautiously, "Shouldn't we wake him?"
Shanks shook his head.
"No, why would we?"
He walked past the sleeping Marine casually.
"Let the man enjoy his nap."
Giovanni stared in disbelief for a second…
Then shrugged and followed.
Beckman and Snake followed behind.
Tokikake snored.
Still asleep.
Completely unaware that the pirates he had been assigned to intercept…
Had just walked past him.
---
The transition from Grove 12 to Grove 13 was surprisingly smooth.
Massive mangrove roots twisted across the ground like natural bridges, and the crew simply followed the wooden walkways built along them. Bubbles drifted lazily through the air, reflecting sunlight in soft rainbow colors.
Giovanni kept looking around as they walked.
Even after the explanation earlier, the place still felt surreal.
"Seventy-nine groves," Giovanni muttered, glancing at the carved number markers on the tree roots. "An island made of trees that produce bubbles… and people live on them like it's normal."
Shanks walked ahead with his hands behind his head.
"You'll stop noticing it after a while," he said casually.
"I doubt that," Giovanni replied.
Beckman took a drag from his cigarette.
"Wait until you see Fish-Man Island."
Giovanni looked back.
"Let me guess… it's even weirder."
Beckman exhaled smoke.
"Much."
A wooden sign came into view up ahead.
GROVE 13
Shanks clapped his hands once.
"Alright, we're here."
Giovanni raised an eyebrow.
"So this is where Rayleigh hangs out?"
"Yes," Shanks said.
They continued a short distance until a small bar built between two mangrove roots came into view.
A wooden sign hung above the door.
Shakky's Rip-Off Bar
Giovanni stopped.
"…Does that sign say rip-off?"
Shanks pushed the door open.
"Yep."
The bell above the entrance rang softly.
"Welcome to Shakky's place."
Inside, the bar was quiet.
A handful of empty tables sat scattered across the room, and a long wooden counter stretched along the back wall.
Behind the counter stood a woman with short black hair and a cigarette resting between her fingers.
She looked up as the group entered.
Her sharp eyes immediately recognized two of them.
"Well now," she said calmly, smoke curling upward as she spoke. "If it isn't Shanks and Beckman."
Shanks grinned brightly.
"Shakky!"
The woman behind the counter. Shakuyaku smiled faintly.
"It's been a while."
Beckman nodded politely.
"Good to see you again."
Shakky leaned her elbows on the counter and studied the rest of the group.
"And who are these two?"
Shanks stepped forward and pointed toward the tall man beside him.
"This is Building Snake, our navigator."
Building Snake gave a respectful nod.
"It's an honor to meet you."
Shakky gave him a brief look before nodding back.
Then Shanks swung his arm around Giovanni's shoulder.
"And this is Giovanni. Our swordsman and second-in command"
Giovanni raised a hand casually.
"Nice to meet you."
Shakky observed him for a moment.
There was something playful in his expression. Confidence without arrogance.
Interesting.
She took a slow drag from her cigarette.
"So," she said, exhaling smoke, "why did you become a pirate?"
Giovanni didn't even pause to think.
"Because it sounded fun."
The room went quiet.
Then Shakky laughed.
"I like that answer."
Shanks grinned widely.
"Right?!"
"Most pirates that come through here talk about freedom, revenge, dreams or treasure," Shakky said. "You're the first one who just said it sounded fun."
Giovanni shrugged.
"Well… it does."
Beckman rubbed his temple.
"You're too honest sometimes."
Shakky flicked ash into the tray.
"Speaking of pirates," she said casually, "you boys might want to see this."
She reached under the counter and pulled out three papers.
Wanted posters.
She placed them on the counter.
"Your bounties came in."
Shanks leaned forward instantly.
"No way."
Giovanni blinked.
"Already?"
Beckman calmly unfolded the first poster.
A large photo stared back.
RED-HAIRED SHANKS
BOUNTY: 300,000,000 BERRIES
Shanks' jaw dropped.
"THREE HUNDRED MILLION?!"
He jumped up from his seat.
"That's insane!"
Giovanni grabbed the next poster.
BENN BECKMAN — 218,000,000 BERRIES
He whistled.
"Beckman… that's ridiculous."
Beckman looked unimpressed.
"It's so inconvenient for me."
Giovanni rolled his eyes and grabbed the final poster.
GIOVANNI — 78,000,000 BERRIES
He stared at it.
"…Seventy-eight million."
Shanks leaned over his shoulder.
"Not bad for your first bounty."
Giovanni slowly turned his head toward him.
"…Not bad?"
He jabbed his finger toward Shanks' poster.
"You got THREE HUNDRED MILLION!"
Shanks puffed his chest out proudly.
"Well yeah."
Giovanni frowned.
"That's not fair."
Shakky smirked.
"Oh my, are you jealous Giovanni?"
"I am NOT jealous!"
Shanks laughed.
"You're totally jealous."
Giovanni pointed at him.
"Give me a year."
Shanks crossed his arms.
"Oh?"
"I'll surpass you."
Shanks grinned.
"You're on."
Beckman sighed quietly.
"…You two are going to turn this into a competition, aren't you?"
"Absolutely," Giovanni and Shanks said at the same time.
Shakky chuckled and leaned back against the counter.
"Pirates arguing about bounties. Some things never change."
Beckman took another drag from his cigarette.
Then he looked up.
"Shakky."
She glanced at him.
"Yes?"
"Where's Rayleigh?"
Shakky tilted her head slightly.
"Haven't seen him in about six months."
Giovanni blinked.
"…Six months!?"
Shakky nodded calmly.
"That man disappears whenever he feels like it."
Shanks scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah… that sounds like Rayleigh."
Shakky took another drag from her cigarette.
"Knowing him, he's probably gambling somewhere."
Giovanni leaned against the counter.
"…This guy is the right-hand man of the Pirate King and he spends his time gambling?"
Shakky smiled.
"You'll understand when you meet him."
---
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