One piece: Establishing a Pirate Family

Chapter 127: Shakky's Deflection

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It wasn't that Shakky wanted to betray Rocks; it was that Rocks wanted to kill Shakky.

As Rocks' intelligence agent, she knew far too many secrets, and Rocks was not the kind of man to let loose ends linger. She understood this all too well.

While helping Rocks gather information on the World Government, she had secretly made up her mind to escape before Rocks could silence her.

Her plan had been meticulously crafted, and so far, it had worked. As long as she reached the Sabaody Archipelago, she could disappear into the chaos there.

The archipelago was a haven for all kinds of people, a perfect place to hide and start over.

Years with the Rocks Pirates had worn her down, and she no longer had any desire to continue as a pirate. She dreamed of opening a small bar where she could spend the rest of her life in peace. She even had a name in mind—Shakky's Rip-off Bar.

Shakky touched the recording pointer on her wrist, a copy of the crucial signpost to the Valley of the Gods. It was her trump card, the one thing Rocks had been obsessed with obtaining.

"Sorry, Captain, but you were the one who wanted me dead first," she whispered, her tone cold.

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In the dimly lit cabin of the slave ship, a group of traders sat around a table, their voices low but animated.

"Have you heard? The Rocks Pirates are making a big move. Pirates are swarming to Beehive Island like flies. Whatever Rocks is planning, it's big."

A burly slave trader swirled the rum in his mug as he spoke to his companion.

"Of course I've heard. It's been oddly quiet in the New World lately. And have you noticed? We're able to conduct business without running into trouble. If this were before, someone like Charlotte would've already cut us down."

The mention of Charlotte made the traders shudder.

In recent years, the slave trade in the New World had been all but eradicated thanks to Charlotte. Any slaver caught in his path would be slaughtered without hesitation.

"True enough. That monster hasn't shown his face this past year," the other trader agreed.

"You don't know the half of it! A few months ago, Charlotte popped up in the first half of the Grand Line. First, he destroyed Water 7, killing every prince, noble, and official he could find. Then, under the Navy's very nose, he wrecked the Celestial Dragons' auction house in the Sabaody Archipelago. What do you think makes him hate the slave trade so much?"

"I heard about that! And when the Navy Admirals went after him, guess what? He escaped. Right under their noses!"

Their voices were filled with both awe and fear as they spoke.

Shakky, huddled in the shadows, smirked. She had heard it all before. In fact, she had been the one to provide the intelligence for several of Charlotte's moves.

"Brother Charlotte, you have quite the reputation," she murmured, glancing at the terrified slaves chained nearby.

She could see the faint glimmer of hope in their eyes whenever Charlotte's name was mentioned. For them, he was a symbol of freedom, even if he didn't know it.

Leaning back into the corner, Shakky closed her eyes. She was exhausted from her days on the run.

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Elsewhere on Beehive Island

After the meeting with Rocks, the seven officers exited the grand hall one by one.

Golden Lion Shiki couldn't hold back any longer and turned to the group.

"What do you all think about what the captain just said?"

Shiki's golden mane glinted in the sunlight, but his question was met with silence.

Whitebeard took a long swig from his gourd, his expression unreadable. Charlotte Linlin, as always, remained aloof. Wang Zhi, John, and Silver Axe avoided eye contact.

Charlotte glanced at the sky, his face impassive.

Frustrated, Shiki sneered. "What's wrong with all of you? Don't pretend you don't have opinions. I know what kind of people you are."

Whitebeard shot him a sharp look.

"What's there to say? Don't we all know what you're planning, Shiki? You want to stir the pot and make someone else jump first, don't you?"

Without waiting for a reply, Whitebeard turned and walked away, followed by the others.

Shiki clenched his fists, his face red with suppressed rage. Then, he turned to Charlotte.

"What about you, Charlotte? Surely you have something to say."

Charlotte regarded him with a bored expression, as if Shiki weren't worth his time.

"What's there to say? If Whitebeard won't move, neither should we. Just wait."

Shiki's eyes twitched with irritation, but he couldn't refute Charlotte's logic.

"Whitebeard has a soft spot for family," Charlotte added lazily. "Maybe you should exploit that."

Shiki's eyes narrowed as he considered Charlotte's words. Meanwhile, Charlotte walked away, uninterested in further conversation.

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Back at his camp, Charlotte gathered his captains for a meeting.

"I've called you all here for one reason," Charlotte began, his tone serious. **"The Rocks Pirates are planning something big. I won't go into details because it doesn't concern you. All you need to know is that I'll handle it myself.

"Carter, I'm entrusting you to lead our forces back to Kami Island. Once I leave Beehive Island, you have one day to evacuate. Everyone, and I mean everyone, must leave. This is an order."**

The room fell silent as the weight of his words sank in.

"Understood, boss," Carter said, nodding firmly.

"Good. Prepare everything immediately," Charlotte instructed, dismissing them.

As his men filed out of the room, Charlotte leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

"War is coming," he murmured to himself. "And I'll be damned if I let my crew get caught in the crossfire."

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