222 The empress of Amazon Lily

After docking Merry, Luffy and his crew leaped onto Sabody Archipelago. In Hatchan's absence, Vivi took on the role of introducing the island to everyone present. She explained the prevalent customs and the taboos that should be avoided.

"Huh, bowing down to the Celestial Dragons? What's that?" Usopp asked, casually cleaning his ears, seemingly unfazed by the notion.

"Well, if you refuse to bow down and instead retaliate against them, an Admiral will be summoned," Vivi stated matter-of-factly.

"Vivi, have you forgotten our plan?" Ken interjected, reminding her of the important mission they had embarked upon. If executed successfully, it would be the most significant act of defiance against the World Government in history.

"So, until we reach that location, we have to restrain ourselves," Ken instructed. However, Luffy, of course, paid no heed to the plan and was ready to sprint off, only to be halted by the combined efforts of Zoro and Sanji. This was a critical moment, and they couldn't afford to deviate from their course.

Meanwhile, Ken extended his Observation Haki, scanning the entire island to find the person he needed to speak to. After a quick search, he located her.

"Oh, someone's being quite sneaky. Since you're here, why don't you come and meet me?" a voice beckoned as Ken's Haki enveloped the individual. He stiffened momentarily but then shook his head in embarrassment. However, he did notice another intriguing person nearby.

With one person found, Ken proceeded to search for the other individual. Like before, he successfully pinpointed their location and inadvertently alerted them to his presence.

"Interesting... Hahahah..." the other voice chuckled.

"Some people are truly intimidating," Ken commented as he gathered the Straw Hat crew, informing them of the meeting he had arranged. They hopped from one mangrove tree to another until they arrived at the designated location. Curiosity filled their minds as they wondered who Ken had in store for them.

It turned out to be a bar. The exterior of the establishment boasted weathered wooden panels, each bearing the scars of countless encounters and tales. The paint had faded over time, but traces of a once vibrant color palette remained, lending character to the worn structure.

Above the entrance, a weathered sign swung gently in the ocean breeze. The words "Shakky's Rip Off Bar" were etched upon it, painted in bold but faded letters that had clearly seen better days.

"Hey, Ken! Why are we in a bar? We need to carry out our plan," Luffy protested loudly.

"All in good time, my brother," Ken replied calmly as he stepped inside the bar. The establishment was sparsely populated, with only four individuals present—three customers and the bartender.

The bartender, eyeing the entire Straw Hat crew entering, grinned and beckoned, "Come... come. I've been waiting for you."

But as they walked in, Nami and some of the crew members stiffened. They saw someone they hadn't seen in months, and Nami held a special hatred for this person. Without hesitation, she took out her staff and aimed an air attack at the customer sitting there.

It was a powerful blow, and if it had hit the person, he would have been blown away. Ken had already noticed this and used his body to shield the customer, ensuring he wouldn't get hurt unnecessarily.

The air attack stopped after hitting Ken's body, but it wasn't enough to even scratch him.

"Ken, what the fuck are you doing? Do you know who he is?" Nami screamed. The customer behind looked at Nami and shuddered, keeping his head down.

"I know who he is. We all fought his kind," Ken said. The customer he had defended was Hachi, and he wasn't alone. Camie, the mermaid, and Pappagu, the starfish, were also present. Sanji, of course, couldn't help but drool upon seeing Camie for the first time since she was a mermaid. However, given the tense situation in the room, he restrained himself.

"Then why are you defending him? He is responsible for the death of my mother," Nami shouted.

"No, Arlong was responsible for the death of your mother. He was just another man who was confused at that time. And if he truly hated humans, he wouldn't be sitting in a human bar, talking naturally," Ken said, silencing Nami.

"I understand your feelings towards the fishmen, but not all of them are the same. I've told you before. They have been oppressed for a long time, betrayed, and made into slaves for others' amusement. We've encountered bad humans on our journey here, but do we label all humans as bad? No, we only label the bad ones as bad," Ken explained.

"But he was with Arlong."

"He followed Arlong because he was easily manipulated by him. He was taken away after Jimbei became a Shichibukai and freed his former crewmates," Ken said.

"Whatever the reason, I can't forgive him."

"Nobody is asking you to forgive him. He has faced his punishment. Just don't dwell on it anymore," Ken said, causing Nami to fall silent. Meanwhile, Luffy had already raided the bar's refrigerator without a word and was busy stuffing himself with meat. He seemed to have forgotten about Hachi. Meanwhile, Hachi kept his head down, unsure of what to say.

"Hachi... How have you been?" Ken asked.

"Punisher... I... I've been good," Hachi replied. Ken engaged in small talk with Hachi while Sanji and the others were intrigued by Camie and her mermaid form. The bartender, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke to Ken.

"You have an interesting captain."

"Yes, he's like that. I'm sorry. I had to come and meet you, Miss Shakuyaku, before I meet your partner," Ken said.

"Shakuyaku... Hahahaha... It seems you've done your research. Don't call me that. Just call me Shakki. I can't let people know my true identity. It would be quite problematic," Shakki said.

She was the former Queen of Amazon Lily before Hancock and Gloriosa, and she was also the previous captain of the Kuja Pirates, just like Hancock.

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