One Piece: Starting with the enslavement of Wano Country!

Page 137

Chapter 204 It was just the master's order.

Rayleigh answered the phone excitedly, his voice brimming with undisguised joy: "Shakky!"

Just like Shakky on the other end, the Den Den Mushi in her hand smiled brightly: "Rayleigh."

Rayleigh quickly realized something was amiss amidst his initial excitement.

The last time Xia Qi spoke to him, her tone was so cold and indifferent, how come she's acting like this now...?

Rayleigh frowned and coldly questioned the Den Den Mushi:

"Xia Qi, what exactly happened? Why did you sound like that during our last phone call? And why are you calling again this time?"

Rayleigh's words seemed to have hurt Shakky's feelings, and the Den Den Mushi lowered its head in disappointment, on the verge of tears: "I'm sorry, Rayleigh."

Seeing Shakky's expression, Rayleigh realized he had spoken too harshly.

Perhaps, just as I suspected, Xia Qi has her own reasons for her predicament?

Seeing this, Jabba immediately criticized Rayleigh: "Hey, you bastard, how dare you talk to Shakky like that?"

Rayleigh readily admitted his mistake, "I'm sorry, Shakky, it's my fault."

"But... I want to hear you tell me what exactly happened."

Xia Qi fell silent on the other end of the phone. After a long while, she sighed heavily and slowly spoke:

“Rayleigh, do you remember a year ago when I told you I could find the remaining three red road sign Poneglyphs?”

Rayleigh nodded slightly: "I remember."

Shakky smiled bitterly and explained the reason to Rayleigh: "One of Rayleigh's women, Tori Tomma, was the former empress of Amazon Lily. I treated her like a younger sister."

"So I took advantage of this relationship and kept asking Toritoma to take me to the Celestial Empire."

"Of course I couldn't say it was for the red-marked historical text, and I didn't know exactly how long it would take to succeed, so I said I wanted to go to the Celestial Empire to be with her for a year."

"Tori Tomma couldn't resist my persistent pleading and finally agreed to take me to the Celestial Empire."

"At the time, I was full of confidence, thinking that I could make copies of the remaining three Road Poneglyphs from the Beasts Pirates within a year."

After Shakky explained this, Rayleigh understood the reason behind it all.

Shakky's so-called plan was to steal the Poneglyph from the Beasts Pirates and then wait a year for Tori and Toma to take her away.

On the phone, Xia Qi continued, "But..."

"I've been discovered!"

Hearing this, Rayleigh's heart leaped into his throat, and he repeatedly pressed the Den Den Mushi for answers:

"And then what? What did the Beasts Pirates do to that? Are you alright?"

Shakky smiled with relief. "Rayleigh, you're still worried about me, aren't you?"

Rayleigh blushed, especially under the teasing gazes of his two close friends, Roger and Jabba, which made him wish he could disappear into the ground.

Shakky's soft laughter came from the phone, which made Rayleigh's lips curl into a smile.

Shaki continued, "Don't worry, I'm fine. Tori Tomma is the Prime Minister of the Celestial Empire, and out of sisterly affection, she stepped in to protect me."

Rayleigh breathed a sigh of relief, and he imagined what would happen next: "But they started to become wary of you and sent people to monitor your every move?"

Shakky nodded slightly: "Yes, I don't want to drag everyone down with me, I don't want you to start another war with the Beasts Pirates, and I don't want to see you get hurt again."

"So, during that phone call, I was afraid that the Beasts Pirates would notice you, which is why I deliberately said those heartless things."

As she spoke, Shakky's voice trembled with tears: "I'm sorry... Rayleigh, I'm so sorry!"

Upon hearing this, Rayleigh felt a mix of emotions. He felt sorry for Shakky for having to bear all this alone, but also a sense of joy at seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

So Xia Qi was being monitored, not forced to do anything by Lei Luo.

It's all my fault for overthinking and misunderstanding Xia Qi.

He went to the Beasts Pirates' headquarters alone for his own sake, only to be questioned like this by himself.

I'm such a terrible person!

Turning slightly to the side, I saw the murderous glares of Roger, Jabba, and George.

Rayleigh swallowed hard, then quickly apologized and comforted her, "Shakky, it's all my fault. I misunderstood you."

Xia Qi smiled and said, "It's okay, I've already forgiven you."

Rayleigh quickly had a new question, "Shakky, so why did you call today...?"

Shakky's smile grew even brighter: "Tori Tomma sent me away from the Celestial Empire, Rayleigh, I'm free."

Roger, unable to hide his joy, grinned and said, "Shakky, it's so good to know you're alright."

No one knows how much inner turmoil he endured during the time he believed he had ruined his best friend's woman.

Rayleigh also had a big smile on his face.

Shakky blinked and asked with a smile, "Rayleigh, can you come pick me up?"

Without a second thought, Rayleigh immediately agreed: "Of course, no problem, Shakky, wait for me."

Shakky and Rayleigh agreed on an address, and Shakky gave Rayleigh a wink that she hadn't done in a long time before ending the conversation.

As soon as the call ended, the Black Nose Pirates rushed to their agreed meeting place with Shakky.

After a period of sailing, Rayleigh arrived as promised, reaching an island in the New World.

Xia Qi was already waiting there, her cloak swaying in the wind.

Rayleigh strode forward.

Roger, Jabba, and George tacitly remained where they were, giving them space.

Rayleigh approached Shakky with a broad smile: "Shakky, I've come to pick you up."

Shakky gave Rayleigh a disgusted look and took two steps back to create some distance.

Those two short steps caused Rayleigh a great deal of damage.

Rayleigh stared in astonishment, asking incredulously, "Shakky, what's wrong with you...?"

Xia Qi didn't answer, but pointed to the sky.

Rayleigh, along with Roger and Jabba in the distance, looked up at the sky in confusion.

A semi-transparent door slowly opened in the sky, and four golden chairs flew out from it.

Rayleigh, Kaido, King, and Bullet sat with their legs crossed on golden chairs, looking down at the Black Nose Pirates below.

By now, Rayleigh knew perfectly well that this was a trap set by the Beasts Pirates.

He still couldn't accept that Xia Qi had tricked them into coming here.

Rayleigh, enraged, roared, "Why, Shakky, why would you do this to me?"

Xia Qi playfully tossed off her cloak.

Rayleigh looked at Shakky in front of him, her sleeveless cheongsam outlining her perfect curves.

But Rayleigh had no interest in appreciating it.

As Xia Qi took off her cloak, he then noticed that Xia Qi had a lifelike serpent tattooed on the upper outer part of her left arm, near her shoulder.

Xia Qi raised the corners of her mouth slightly and chuckled, "It's just Master's order."

Chapter 205 Lei Luo, why are you wasting your breath talking to him!

Rayleigh's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the tattoo on Shakky's arm.

Lei Luo's Devil Fruit ability is known to all.

Mythical Beast: Tengshe!

Shakky actually has Raylo's Devil Fruit ability tattooed on her body, which means that Shakky has truly become Raylo's contracted beast.

What they said on the phone was all lies; it was just a ploy to lure them over.

Rayleigh staggered backward, shaking his head in despair, muttering, "No...no...this isn't real, this isn't real."

Shakky crossed her arms, her eyes mocking, and a cold smile playing on her lips as she looked at Rayleigh.

Four golden chairs in the sky slowly floated down under Jhin's control.

Upon seeing this, Roger and Jabba exchanged a glance and immediately ran towards Rayleigh.

They had just given Rayleigh and Shakky some space to bond, but now they dared not let Rayleigh face the four strongest members of the Beasts Pirates alone.

George broke out in a cold sweat, his throat dry and churning. "The Beasts Pirates? No way?!"

As everyone knows, the Beasts Pirates and the Black Nose Pirates have a grudge!

As the golden chair landed beside Shakky, Shakky changed her cold attitude towards Rayleigh, and a smile bloomed on her pretty face again.

Rayleigh stared, somewhat mesmerized. That smile—Shakky used to only ever smile like that when she was with him.

Xia Qi immediately sat on the armrest of the chair, pressing herself close to Lei Luo, and said to him with a boastful tone, "Master, I have completed my mission."

At that moment, everyone present seemed to hear the sound of a heart quietly breaking.

Rayleigh felt a sudden dizziness, and the pain in his heart overwhelmed him like a surging tide. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he even felt unsteady on his feet.

Roger and Jabba rushed to Rayleigh's side, supporting him on either side, their eyes warily fixed on the four powerful members of the Beasts Pirates opposite them.

They were not only worried about their good brother's current situation, but also about their future predicament.

Unlike before when they were unsure of the Beasts Pirates' strength, in the battle of the Great Swamp, they had fought against all four of the Beasts' strongest members.

Today, I'm afraid...

Lei Luo chuckled and said, "Well done."

Lei Luo pushed Xia Qi away.

He's not going to stage any kind of husband-wife or ex-wife act.

Rayleigh felt another pang of heartache seeing Rayleigh's attitude towards Shakky.

Be gentle, you bastard.

Lei Luo slowly stood up, and Kaido, King, and Bullet beside him also got up.

A ripple spread through the space, and the four golden chairs vanished with lightning speed.

Inside the doorway, Stussy stroked his son's head with a look of satisfaction: "Well done, Ray."

He opened another door and pulled Xia Qi, who was standing next to Lei Luo, inside.

They can't interfere when these people start a war; they should just stay inside the gate and watch.

Seeing that Shakky had suddenly disappeared, Rayleigh stretched out his hand and shouted, "Shakky!"

In the end, he kept nothing.

A ripple appeared in the air, the transparent door closed, and Xia Qi vanished without a trace before his eyes.

Rayleigh's hand fell limply to his side. He looked at Rayleigh and asked indignantly, "Where did you take Shakky?"

Lei Luo's lips curled into a playful smile as he said, "I think what you should be most concerned about right now isn't these things."

Roger abruptly drew his sword, "Ace," from his waist, held it horizontally in front of him, and asked in a deep voice, "Beasts Pirates, what exactly do you want?"

Lei Luo raised an eyebrow and said jokingly, "Isn't this the one you've been looking for?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you joined the Seven Warlords of the Sea, presumably to find us, right?"

"With such sincere feelings, how could we bear not to see you?"

Raylor didn't know the specifics of Roger's conversation with the World Government.

But anyone with a little common sense knows it's definitely aimed at them.

Roger wanted the red Road Poneglyph in the hands of the Beasts Pirates; the World Government hated the Beasts Pirates to the core and wished they could get rid of this major threat!

Since that's the case, then Raylock should strike first to eliminate any future troubles.

Roger's heart sank to the bottom, his eyes becoming more serious than ever before. "You want to kill us here?"

The question, though asked knowingly, carried a last shred of hope.