One Piece: sign-in to Ryujin Jakka

The moment a familiar voice echoed from outside the bar, Shakky felt utterly speechless.

Usually, he drags his old bones back late into the night…

But today?

He just had to come back early today, of all days! Was he doing this on purpose?!

With a sigh, Shakky decided not to play along any longer.

She casually pointed at the white-haired old man who had just stepped inside and said bluntly:

"That's Dark King Rayleigh. He's the one you're looking for."

Without another word, she pulled out a lady's cigarette, lit it up, and exhaled a thin stream of smoke into the air.

Roman turned around slowly, gazing at Rayleigh.

Long, wavy hair. A thick beard. Both hair and beard are the color of silver.

A pair of glasses perched on his nose, and a long scar ran down from his right eye.

He looked fierce, but not the kind of fierce that made your skin crawl. Instead, he had a rather… bright, warm air to him.

Rayleigh looked at Roman, then casually placed the tools in his hands onto the bar.

A slight smile tugged at his lips.

"So, you're the Marines' Admiral White Dove," he said with a chuckle.

"What's a fine young man like you want with an old fossil like me? Don't tell me you came to arrest me?"

Roman grinned.

"If I were here to arrest you, I wouldn't have come alone. In fact, no one else even knows that the legendary Dark King Rayleigh is secretly working as a coating technician on the Sabaody Archipelago."

"Don't tell me you just came for a chat?"

Both Rayleigh and Shakky exchanged curious glances.

They knew the name "White Dove" well.

Among the three Admirals, his fame was unmatched—his power and notoriety, nearly mythical.

"Of course not," Roman said. "I'll get straight to the point. I want you to coat my ship—and I want it done within one day."

Rayleigh blinked, caught off guard.

"That's it? That's why you came?"

Roman smirked. "What else did you think I was here for?"

Rayleigh narrowed his eyes and stared into Roman's. He searched for a hidden motive… but found nothing.

After a moment, he asked calmly:

"Aren't you worried I might sabotage the coating? Let it collapse at sea and send you to a watery grave? You and I are on opposite sides, after all."

Roman's answer was calm and steady.

"If that were your style, you wouldn't be known as the Dark King."

Rayleigh's eyes gleamed sharply, and for a brief moment, the tension between them crackled in the air before melting into shared laughter.

"Shakky," Rayleigh said, grinning, "Get the White Dove a drink. On me!"

Shakky rolled her eyes.

"You already owe me over ten thousand Berries. What're you paying with—air?"

"Come on. We've got the White Dove Admiral here. You know how expensive it is to coat a ship in one day!"

"No worries," Roman said casually, taking a seat beside Rayleigh. "The Fleet Admiral is footing the bill anyway."

The two men drank and laughed, the tension dissolving into camaraderie.

Meanwhile — Island No. 1, Sabaody Archipelago

Human Auction House

From the top floor, Donquixote Doflamingo stood overlooking the auction.

His brow was furrowed deeply, an aura of ice-cold fury radiating from him.

"Have you found the trail of the Operation Operation Fruit?" he asked coldly.

"Young Master," said Trebol at his side, "we haven't. It's as if it vanished from existence. No sign of it anywhere."

Ever since that mysterious figure stole the fruit on Seawing Island, Doflamingo had been seething in rage.

That person's strength had continued to shock the world, but Doflamingo… couldn't let it go.

As long as they didn't use the powers of the Operation Operation Fruit, there was still hope.

If he got the chance, no matter the cost, he would seize it again.

That day on Seawing Island… that humiliation…

He would never forgive it.

He had nearly lost his grip on the underworld—his position as Joker had been shaken.

The mysterious figure?

He loathed them with every fiber of his being.

"Keep searching!" Doflamingo barked. "Dig up everything on this mysterious person—whatever group they belong to, whoever they've spoken to. I want it all!"

"Yes, Young Master!"

Just then, several of his men stumbled in, faces pale with panic.

"Young Master! We've got a problem! A Marine woman just intercepted our latest slave shipment!"

"What?!"

"A Marine woman? What happened?!"

Doflamingo's fury exploded instantly.

"We'd just captured new slaves and made it to Area 1. One of them—some tramp named Stella—escaped her cage. She ran into a Marine officer, and the woman took all the slaves back with her!"

"Useless trash."

A cruel smile formed on Doflamingo's lips.

"Since you lost the slaves, you might as well lose your heads!"

With a flick of his fingers, razor-sharp strings lashed out through the air—

Slice!

Heads rolled across the floor. Blood painted the room like a fountain.

"Clean this mess up," Doflamingo ordered. "We're going to see just which Marines dog dared to touch my goods."

He turned and strode toward Area 1 with Trebol at his side.

Slavery in Sabaody was hardly rare. Doflamingo's own auction house was proof of that.

But that didn't mean it was legal. If the Marines found out, they could seize the merchandise on the spot.

Still, ever since Doflamingo had become Joker, no one had dared touch his cargo.

If this went unpunished…

Things would only get worse.

The underworld was full of hyenas, after all.

At the same time, elsewhere on the Archipelago

Ain helped Stella to her feet.

With a flick of her katana, she slashed through the shackles on their wrists and ankles.

"Are you alright?"

"We're okay now. Thank you for rescuing us."

Ain nodded, firm and calm.

"This is our duty as Marines. I've heard how lawless Sabaody can be—but I never imagined they'd dare traffic slaves in broad daylight. It's utterly unforgivable!"

"Unforgivable, you say?"

A dark, venomous voice cut through the air.

Doflamingo had arrived.

He stood at the edge of the scene, watching as Ain liberated the slaves.

Veins bulged on his forehead. His eyes, hidden beneath orange-tinted sunglasses, burned with murderous rage.

Ain's expression hardened as she stepped protectively in front of the freed slaves.

Her blade gleamed coldly in her hand.

And with righteous resolve in her voice, she declared—

"I will not forgive anyone who commits evil!"