Chapter 26: Knocking-on-the-Bar

Sky Island, the heavenly gate above the clouds.

At dawn’s first light, the boundless white sea turned a warm gold.

Gant Foul led the way, followed by Karpa and the sisters Xia Ni and Xia Lu, along with two captains of the Thundercloud Guard—all stood solemnly upon the clouds.

They were seeing off their beloved Lei Shen.

Xia Ni stepped forward with a small food box, her eyes brimming with reluctance: “My lord, these are pastries I made myself—take them along to keep your stomach from growling.”

Sai Wen raised a hand and lightly beckoned; the food boxes in the sisters’ hands dissolved into streams of light and vanished into his system space.

This near-miraculous ability was a small trick to uphold Lei Shen’s majesty and solidify his people’s faith.

Gant Foul stepped forward and handed over a heavy sack of shells: “My lord, we found some fine shells in the warehouse—you might find them useful on the journey.”

“No need.” Sai Wen waved dismissively; the shells piled in his system warehouse could sustain him for one or two years.

“Keep them for emergencies.”

“All of you, return.”

Sai Wen waved to the crowd, and in an instant his figure was engulfed by countless thunderbolts, transforming into a brilliant streak of lightning that pierced through the clouds of the white sea and vanished into the horizon.

Only the people of Sky Island remained, staring at the direction he had gone, standing motionless for a long time, eyes fixed, longing.

…

The first half of the Grand Line: Paradise.

Above Jiayadao, the previously clear sky split open as a near-solid bolt of lightning, accompanied by thunder and flashes, shot swiftly toward the direction of the Sabaody Archipelago.

Sai Wen planned to exchange part of the gold in his system warehouse for Beli at the Sabaody Archipelago, and to visit the elderly Vice-Captain Lei Li.

Then return to the Seven Water Capital to have Master Tang Mu forge him a large pirate ship.

Since he had no ship yet, he had no choice but to fly there.

Of course, if he encountered a pirate ship along the way, as a senior of the pirate world, Sai Wen had no objection to seizing one and sailing leisurely aboard it.

Perhaps because those first few years after his transmigration had been too oppressive, Sai Wen adapted to pirate life with astonishing speed.

He felt no moral pressure whatsoever.

To be precise:

The pirate world was a place with few moral burdens, after all, the Celestial Dragons bore the weight.

In terms of being rotten, the Celestial Dragons stood alone.

Compared to the Celestial Dragons, Sai Wen’s moral bottom line could almost be called noble.

He never actively drew his blade against civilians, never slaughtered slaves for amusement, and even the neighborhood bullies who had tormented him as a child—he had merely beaten them for months on end.

Compared to the deeds of the Celestial Dragon nobility, how could Sai Wen’s noble, pure moral character not be considered good?

Yet Sai Wen had no desire to be good.

Being good was too tiring.

It was better to act as one pleased—occasionally seizing pirate ships, raiding slave transport vessels, and looting World Government ships carrying Heavenly Gold.

This kind of life was growing increasingly promising.

In two years, once the Morning Star Pirates had gathered enough strong allies, Sai Wen would go to Wano, beat Kaido, seize Yamato, and seize control of Wano.

Become the Thunder General himself.

With his sufficiently godlike physique, Sai Wen traveled swiftly to his destination—the Sabaody Archipelago.

The Sabaody Archipelago lies at the front end of the Red Line, midway along the Grand Line,

formed by the exposed root system of the world’s largest Yariman Red Tree, whose surface produces naturally occurring floating bubbles of resin.

The entire archipelago is divided into functional zones by tree numbers.

Sabaody Archipelago

Islands 1–29 are trafficking and lawless zones; 30–39 house the Soap Bubble Park; 50–59 are ship plating zones; 60–69 fall under Marine jurisdiction.

Xia Qi’s Knocking-on-the-Bar, the former world’s most beautiful woman and Lei Li’s old flame, was located on Island 13 of the Sabaody Archipelago.

Knocking-on-the-Bar

Knocking-on-the-Bar was more than just a bar.

It was an intelligence hub; through years of operation, Xia Qi had built an extensive network capable of tracking the movements of pirates, Marines, and even royal families across the seas.

As for the price:

The bar’s name says it all.

Whether customer was man or ghost, all who entered the bar had to pay a fee—hence Xia Qi was often described as “a shrewd businesswoman.”

Knocking-on-the-Bar, front desk.

Xia Qi, still graceful, sat behind the wooden bar, a lady’s cigarette dangling from her lips. Sensing someone enter, she didn’t look up, her voice husky with laziness:

“Customer, what’ll it be…”

When she saw his face—especially that signature silver hair—Xia Qi, who had once made legends like Rocks and Roger’s crew members’ hearts leap from their chests, froze in stunned silence for several seconds.

“Long time no see, kid.”

“Long time no see, Auntie Xia.”

Xia Qi scanned Sai Wen from head to toe, her eyes filled with disbelief and awe.

“You’ve grown taller. And much stronger.”

Had she not thought it impolite, she would have asked Sai Wen: what on earth had he been eating these past two years to change so drastically?

This was all business!

“Kid, same as always?”

“Mm. One glass of milk, no sugar.”

Like some famous bartender hell-bent on destroying Mondstadt’s liquor industry, Sai Wen had no interest in tobacco or alcohol.

“Lei Li’s gone to do plating for someone.”

Xia Qi poured the milk, speaking casually: “He’ll probably be back late.”

“No rush—I came to discuss a business deal with you.”

“Oh?” Xia Qi’s eyes lit up: “Upstairs?”

Sai Wen quickly shook his head and pulled out a finely crafted gold coin like magic: “Ten tons. What’s the price?”

At this point, Xia Qi still had the look of the world’s most beautiful woman—her lips weren’t yet thick, her hair not yet that matronly style.

Besides, she had always teased Sai Wen in the past,

and if they went upstairs to talk business and happened to run into Vice-Captain Lei Li returning…

The coin, crafted by Sai Wen’s lightning-forged metallurgy, was certainly worth more than raw gold.

“Ten tons?”

Xia Qi blinked her big eyes, thought for a moment, then whispered: “Selling it all at once would depress the price. I suggest selling in batches, across different regions.”

Sai Wen lifted his milk: “You decide.”

“I’m planning to have Master Tang Mu build me a pirate ship soon.”

“Good.” Xia Qi nodded.

Had anyone else come saying they had ten tons of such gold, Xia Qi would’ve assumed they were mocking her—but she’d known this kid for years.

She knew his character.

Thinking of the kid from Roger’s crew now building a pirate ship and setting sail, Xia Qi couldn’t help feeling: she truly was getting old.

The seas belonged to the young now.

Yet neither she nor Lei Li had expected the first one to show up would be Sai Wen—they’d assumed it would be Shanks.

The two sat at the bar, chatting aimlessly.

As night fell, Island 13 fully entered its lawless nightlife rhythm.

Suddenly, a man with long curly hair, a beard on his chin, glasses, and a straight scar down his right eye pushed the door open.

“Look who’s here,” Xia Qi teased.

Sai Wen smiled and slowly turned around.

“Saxi, not da na, Uncle Lei Li.”