Chapter 189: White Master Rayleigh: Why Are You So Proficient?

On the Sabaody Archipelago, a small boat quietly approached the shore. Onboard was none other than Claudius and his group, their movements shrouded in a deliberate air of mystery.

"Listen up," Claudius said with a mischievous grin, addressing the others. "This time, we're staging a surprise attack. That old guy is ridiculously sharp. If he senses something's up, he'll bolt before we can blink. And this time, the stakes are too important, we can't let him escape."

Stussy, standing nearby, suppressed a laugh as she watched Claudius. To her, it was obvious he was just having fun with this "role-playing" scenario.

The target of their operation? None other than Silvers Rayleigh, the former first mate of the Roger Pirates. However, Claudius wasn't here to arrest him. He had something important to ask for Rayleigh's help with.

The Calm Belt development plan that Claudius and the Marines were working on required integrating Amazon Lily as a key transit point. While this was only the beginning, the significance of securing Nine Snake Island as an ally couldn't be overstated.

Amazon Lily's combat strength was formidable. Though its warriors were exclusively women, they were all highly trained fighters skilled in Haki. According to Hancock, the island had over 50,000 combat-ready Amazons, not including other civilians who were also capable of battle.

This power, Claudius reasoned, was too valuable to ignore. His ultimate goal was to bring Nine Snake Island fully under his influence.

But how to establish initial contact?

For one, Claudius had the three Hancock sisters, all of whom were the royal family of Amazon Lily, with Hancock herself being the first in line to inherit the throne. The timing was perfect, as the previous empress of Amazon Lily had mysteriously passed away a couple of years ago, likely from the infamous "lovesickness" that often plagued past rulers.

Currently, the island was being managed by Elder Nyon, also known as Gloriosa, a former empress herself. With no new empress officially crowned, the throne was vacant.

By returning Hancock and her sisters to Amazon Lily, Claudius could solidify a strong relationship with the island's leadership. Over the years, he had already built trust between the two sides, making this an ideal time to establish Amazon Lily as a reliable ally. A stable foothold in the Calm Belt would not only benefit the Marines but also give Claudius a strategic advantage in the region.

However, contacting Nine Snake Island wasn't so simple. Marine presence on the island would spark immediate conflict, as it was still technically a pirate territory. Even the Hancock sisters had no means of directly reaching out to the island.

This was where Rayleigh came in. Claudius recalled that the old man had a good relationship with Nine Snake Island and, more importantly, had a way to contact Elder Nyon via Den Den Mushi.

In the past, when the three Hancock sisters escaped during Fisher Tiger's raid on Mariejois, it was Rayleigh who arranged for their safe return to Nine Snake Island. Gloriosa had even personally come to Sabaody Archipelago to retrieve them.

With this in mind, Claudius devised a plan to track Rayleigh down and convince him to assist in contacting Amazon Lily, thereby kickstarting the Calm Belt development project.

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Claudius and his group disembarked on the archipelago, dressed according to Claudius's questionable sense of "style." He'd insisted they all wear what he called "stealth attire," which amounted to black suits reminiscent of cartoonish spies.

"Alright, let's move," Claudius said with a smirk as they headed toward their target—Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.

At the bar, business had just wrapped up for the day. Shakky was tidying up the empty bottles and glasses while Rayleigh lounged on the sofa, sipping from his flask. His posture exuded the relaxed confidence of a man with nothing to worry about.

"You're back already? Out of money again?" Shakky teased as she wiped down the bar.

Rayleigh grinned and patted his pocket. "Out of money? Do you see this? This is wealth! The kind of wealth only Silvers Rayleigh can manage!"

Shakky rolled her eyes, smiling knowingly. "What'd you do this time? Sell yourself to another rich woman?"

Rayleigh winced at her teasing but waved dismissively. "Hey, hey, don't make it sound so bad. I didn't really sell myself. Just borrowed a little, that's all."

To be fair, Rayleigh's rugged charm and manly aura made him irresistible to wealthy women. Whenever he was low on funds, he could always "sell" his services as a gentleman companion, earning himself a tidy sum.

"If not for Roger dragging me into the pirate life, I'd be running the underworld's equivalent of a host club by now," Rayleigh joked. "Stussy could've made me the star of Happy Street."

Shakky laughed and shook her head. "You'd better thank Claudius for not shutting down all the slave markets. Otherwise, how would you 'survive'?"

"Please," Rayleigh replied with a grin. "I'm just a humble man trying to make his way in the world."

Shakky shot him a skeptical look. "When are you going to do something serious with your life?"

"When the money runs out, I'll get back to coating ships," Rayleigh said shamelessly, taking another sip from his flask.

Shakky sighed and finished cleaning the bar. "You know, you should stop running. I don't think that prince of theirs is actually trying to catch you. If he really wanted to, you wouldn't stand a chance."

Rayleigh laughed. "Me? Get caught? By Claudius? Please. I'm Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King. It's not fear, I just prefer to avoid unnecessary trouble. Sure, he might not be here to catch me, but what if? Better safe than sorry, don't you think?"

Before Shakky could respond, the door to the bar suddenly swung open.

"We're closed! Come back tomorrow!" Rayleigh called out without looking up.

But the voice that answered him was all too familiar.

"Ahahahaha! Finally! I caught you, Rayleigh! It's been too long—I've missed you!" Claudius's unmistakable laughter filled the room as he strode inside.

Rayleigh froze, his flask halfway to his lips. Turning his head, he saw Claudius walking in with a wide grin. Without a moment's hesitation, Rayleigh bolted for the window, intending to make his escape.

Unfortunately for him, the moment he opened the window, a fist met his face, landing squarely on his eye socket.

"Gah!" Rayleigh yelped, stumbling back onto the sofa.

From outside the window, Stussy's voice came, sounding panicked. "I didn't mean to! You opened the window so suddenly, you scared me!"

Claudius laughed as he watched Rayleigh nursing his face. "What happened to the guy who once grabbed my Shinsō barehanded? You can't even dodge a punch now?"

Rayleigh shot him a glare but didn't reply, pointing instead to the empty wine bottles on the table as if to say, I'm drunk, you idiot.

Claudius chuckled and turned to Shakky. "Seems like my dramatic entrance didn't go as planned."

Shakky smirked. "Want a drink to cheer yourself up?"

"I thought you were closed?" Claudius teased.

"For you, Your Highness? My little bar is always open," Shakky replied with a sly grin.

Claudius nodded. "The usual, then."

Rayleigh, still holding his eye, watched the exchange in disbelief. Shakky's casual ease with Claudius was unsettling. "Why are you two so... familiar?" he muttered. "You've been drinking together behind my back, haven't you?"

Ignoring him, Claudius took the drink Shakky handed him and sat on the sofa across from Rayleigh.

"Relax," Claudius said with a smile. "You're retired now. As long as you stay out of trouble, no one's coming after you. I'm not here to arrest you, I just need your help with something."