Luffy, how can you become the Pirate King if you don't work hard!

"Luffy! Watch out! Their shop is called 'Extortion'! It's going to be very expensive!"

Shakky was amused by the little reindeer's cute appearance and took out a pink cotton candy from under the counter, handing it to Chopper: "Don't worry, little reindeer, I'm very friendly to Chopper's friends. Here, have this."

Chopper's eyes instantly lit up with stars as he happily accepted the gift: "Really? Thank you! You're such a kind person!"

Chopper carefully licked the marshmallow, feeling so happy he was almost melting.

Shakky added with a smile, "This cotton candy costs 100,000 Berries."

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

The cotton candy Chopper ate suddenly lost its sweetness, and he looked at Shakky with teary eyes, his voice trembling with tears, "I...I don't have that much money."

Seeing Chopper on the verge of tears, Shakky couldn't help but burst into laughter and quickly waved her hand to comfort him, "Sorry, sorry, just kidding, it's a gift for you, it's free."

Nami asked curiously, "Miss Shakky, you seem to know quite a bit about us?"

Xiao Ba simply introduced their names.

Xia Qi flicked her cigarette ash into the ashtray and smiled, "You guys are quite the news in the papers these days. Don't let my small shop fool you, I'm very well-informed."

Her gaze shifted to Bonnie, who was diligently devouring her snacks. "I'm just a little surprised that Bonnie, the glutton with a bounty of over a hundred million, one of this year's supernovas, is with you guys."

"It was an accident,"

Bonney mumbled as she stuffed food into her mouth, "Anyway, if it weren't for Luffy, I'd probably still be being chased by that old geezer Zephyr."

"Zefa?"

Xia Qi paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, before her smile deepened. "It seems your journey after leaving Enies Lobby has been quite exciting. You even encountered that 'Unkillable General'? Can you tell me about it? I'm very interested."

He who takes a bribe is bound to do his bidding; he who eats another's food is obligated to do his bidding.

Luffy was still pleased with Shakky for bringing out so much food and treats to entertain them. He readily recounted the key points of his encounters with Shiki the Golden Lion, Gecko Moria, Bartholomew Kuma, and Zephyr after their separation.

Hearing these names, once powerful or still formidable, from Luffy's mouth, especially Shiki and Zephyr, Shakky slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, a look of reminiscence in her eyes:

"Golden Lion, Zephyr, what a nostalgic name. Hearing about this adventure reminds me of what happened forty years ago."

And have the legends of that era finally come to an end?

"Forty years ago?"

Luffy felt that the old lady in front of him seemed to have a lot of stories to tell. "Aunt Shakky, were you a pirate before? How old are you now?"

"Cough cough,"

Robin, who was standing next to Luffy, couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch Luffy's waist.

Asking a woman's age is very impolite.

This is especially true for women who are concerned about their age.

Sure enough, Xia Qi acted as if she hadn't heard the question at all, filtering it off without changing her expression and directly steer the conversation back on track:

"Since Xiao Ba brought you here, you must be here to have the ship coated before heading to Fishman Island, right?"

Not entirely.

Luffy shook his head, his expression turning serious: "I came to see Rayleigh about something else."

"Oh?" Xia Qi raised an eyebrow.

Luffy said in a deep voice, "My brother, Portgas D. Ace, has been imprisoned in Impel Down. Kuma sent me to find Rayleigh, saying he might have a way."

Chapter 299 The Plan: Kidnap the Celestial Dragons!

Xia Qi's cigarette trembled slightly, and a long piece of ash fell onto the bar.

She stubbed out the rest of her cigarette in the ashtray, leaned forward slightly, and stared sharply at Luffy: "Brother? What's your relationship with Ace?"

Luffy answered without hesitation, "Brothers!"

Xia Qi's face instantly showed extreme astonishment and confusion.

Wait, let me sort this out. Isn't this relationship a bit complicated?

Garp's grandson and that man's son became brothers?

This is quite a lot of information.

Before Shakky could even process what was going on, Luffy added, "They're brothers who drank the sworn brotherhood sake!"

Xia Qi finally breathed a long sigh of relief, patted her chest, and smiled helplessly, "So that's how it is. You scared me half to death. I almost had my brain choked up by some old news."

She didn't know if Luffy knew Ace's true background, but judging from his appearance, he didn't seem to know, so she didn't bring it up.

She was well-informed and naturally already knew about Ace's arrest.

She sighed and said, "That guy Rayleigh hasn't come back to my place for more than half a year."

Moreover, he has actually been under the Navy's covert surveillance all along, so it probably won't be so easy for him to do anything.

To be honest, almost no pirates in history have ever successfully escaped from Impel Down, so the chances of rescuing them from the outside are extremely slim.

Even Rayleigh is a legendary pirate.

To Shakky's surprise, Luffy did not rush to ask about Rayleigh's whereabouts, nor was he discouraged by the slim hope of saving Ace.

He calmly took a sip of water, then looked up at Xia Qi with intense eyes: "Since you're so well-informed, I have a plan here that I'd like to ask you if there's any chance of it succeeding."

Xia Qi was drawn to the light in his eyes and gestured for him to speak.

Her intuition told her that this was a rather interesting topic.

Luffy leaned forward and said, "I heard from Hachi that the Celestial Dragons, the World Nobles here, have a very high status. If we attack them, it will immediately attract the attention of the Marine Admirals. Does that mean that in the eyes of the Celestial Dragons, their own safety is more important than the deployment of the Admirals, or even more important than many other things?"

“That’s right. In the eyes of the Celestial Dragons, their dignity and safety are paramount. Offending them is seen as a challenge to the foundation of the World Government’s rule.”

Xia Qi seemed to recall some extremely unpleasant memories, her expression darkening and a flash of disgust appearing in her eyes. As if realizing something, she said, "You mean...?"

Luffy nodded and continued, "So, what if we kidnap a Celestial Dragon and use him to make a deal with the World Government to demand the release of Ace? Would that plan work?"

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

"Wh-what?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire tavern fell into a deathly silence.

Apart from Nami and Robin, who had a premonition, everyone else, including Chopper who was eating snacks, Camie who was drinking beverages, and Papago who was nervously waiting, froze instantly.

Bonney spat out the drink she had just taken a sip of, choking and turning her face red. She stared at Luffy as if he were a madman.

Nami and Robin, although they had a premonition, still felt a chill run down their spines when they heard Luffy say it so bluntly, and at the same time felt a sense of helplessness, as if they had known it all along.

I must say, she truly lives up to her reputation as their captain.

Xia Qi was completely shocked. Her fingers, which were holding the cigarette, froze in mid-air, and she didn't move for a long time.

Looking at Luffy's young face, which was full of seriousness and fearlessness, she seemed to see through him those same lawless figures from many years ago who dared to challenge the authority of the World Government.

One of them seemed to be the grandfather of the boy in front of him.

Is this kind of audacious gene hereditary?

When it comes to hatred for the Celestial Dragons, Shakky harbors it deeper than anyone else.

She still vividly remembers how she was displayed like an object in God Valley, and the unforgettable humiliation and anger she felt.

Seeing Luffy's expression—which was not a joke but a serious discussion of feasibility—Shakky forced herself to calm down and seriously consider this groundbreaking plan.

After a long pause, she slowly spoke, her voice slightly hoarse:

"In theory, if you can successfully control a Celestial Dragon and have a way to ensure the safety of the transaction, the World Government may negotiate in order to protect the absolute safety and dignity of the Celestial Dragons."

She changed the subject, staring intently at Luffy: "However, all of this is on the premise that you have the strength to fight against an Admiral, or at least to be able to hold your own against an Admiral for a short time and escape successfully!"

The foundation of any transaction is that both parties possess equal, or at least formidable, power that the other party fears. Otherwise, you will be easily crushed by a general who arrives on the scene, without even the right to negotiate!

Moreover, there is a crucial hidden premise: the World Government is currently unaware of Ace's true identity.

If they knew that Ace was that man's son, then in the eyes of the World Government, the value of an ordinary Celestial Dragon would probably be less than that of completely eradicating the evil bloodline.

Hearing this, Luffy smiled with satisfaction.

"To contend with the strength of an admiral? That's not a given."

Bonney finally recovered from her extreme shock. She looked at Luffy, then at the other Straw Hat crew members around her who didn't seem to have any strong objections, and her voice trembled slightly:

"Luffy! Do you know what you're saying? That's a Celestial Dragon!"

Touching them is tantamount to declaring war on the entire world government! There's no turning back! Have you thought this through?!

She looked at Nami, Robin, and the others: "Aren't you going to try to persuade him?"

This is crazy.

Or perhaps none of the people on this ship were aware of the seriousness of the situation?

Nami, Robin, and Vivi exchanged a glance and smiled helplessly.

But their eyes were incredibly resolute.

"We, as the crew, simply follow the decisions our captain makes."

Robin picked up his teacup and took a small sip: "Anyway, we already officially declared war on that flag back in Enies Lobby."

Vivi nodded and smiled, "We'll help Luffy save the person he wants to save."

"You're all lunatics! You're all lunatics!"

Bonnie could only draw this conclusion after looking at this group of people.

She felt as if she had boarded a pirate ship, no, a mad ship about to plunge into a sea of ​​hellfire!

Xia Qi looked at the group of young people in front of her, at the unspoken trust and bond between them, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

History seems to come full circle.

The pirates of this sea are forever young.