Kapitel 21: Chapter 20 - I Want to Sleep
"In that case, let's go now," Catherine said excitedly, eager to return to her country.
"Not yet. We just arrived on the island and haven't even rested. We'll take you back tomorrow after we relax a bit."
"What?" Catherine's excitement turned to disappointment. She hadn't expected to spend the night in enemy territory.
"We'll get you a room. Just stay there. Bringing you along will only complicate things."
"Fine," Catherine pouted, knowing her presence would attract unwanted attention.
Luckily, the entertainment establishment had rooms. They were a bit pricey, but the accommodations were excellent.
"Stay here. We're going out," Shirakawa said, leaving Catherine at the door.
"Come back soon," she said anxiously. Being alone in a foreign place made her nervous.
"Okay."
Shirakawa closed the door, hearing the lock click behind him.
"Where to next?" he asked Shanks and Buggy, meeting them downstairs.
"No idea."
"Me neither." They both shrugged, unsure of what to do. Perhaps spending so much time at sea had made them out of touch with land-based activities.
"How about the hot springs? They have one here," Rayleigh suggested, appearing out of nowhere.
"Sounds good. A hot spring would be perfect for relaxing," Shirakawa said, his eyes lighting up.
"We're in," Shanks and Buggy agreed.
The hot spring was on the second floor. It was more like a series of hot pools, with the temperature increasing as you went higher.
After acclimating to the warmth, they made their way to the top floor. It was hot, but still bearable for Shirakawa.
When they entered, the other patrons moved away from them, intimidated by their presence, or rather, by Rayleigh's.
Rayleigh's body was covered in scars, some overlapping, evidence of countless battles. Shanks had a few scars as well, and Buggy had a couple. Only Shirakawa's skin was unblemished.
"You're so lucky to be so clean," Rayleigh said enviously, looking at Shirakawa. "I used to be like that before I went to sea. Time flies."
"But you've gone from an unknown nobody to the infamous 'Dark King' Rayleigh, with a bounty over a billion berries," Shirakawa pointed out.
Rayleigh chuckled. "If I hadn't met Roger, I might be dead now."
"But you're alive, even with all those scars. That shows you're a survivor. Even if you weren't a pirate, you wouldn't go down easily."
"Haha, you're right. If I hadn't met Roger, I might have made a name for myself on my own."
"Why did you follow the Captain, though? You're strong, and you have Conqueror's Haki."
"Who knows? Maybe Roger has a certain charm, a charisma that makes even kings submit to him."
"I don't feel it," Shirakawa said.
"Maybe I'm just sentimental then," Rayleigh said, though he didn't believe he was wrong. If Roger didn't have that charisma, how could someone like Bullet follow him?
"Speaking of which, why is your Conqueror's Haki so strong?"
"Who knows? Maybe I was born to be a king. The Silver King," Shirakawa said, leaving out the last part.
"Hmph. Don't get ahead of yourself, kid. Calling yourself a king doesn't make it true," Buggy scoffed.
"If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do about it," Shirakawa shrugged.
'Was I wrong?' he thought. 'Maybe not in my past life, but in this world, the moment I appeared, I proved I was the Silver King.'
"Do you have any plans for the future? I don't think you'll be staying with us forever," Rayleigh said, changing the subject.
"Why do you say that?" Shirakawa was surprised. How did Rayleigh know he planned to leave eventually?
"I can see your ambition. And it's not just me. Roger sees it too."
"What does the Captain think about it?" Shirakawa wondered if his intentions were that obvious, or if Roger and Rayleigh were just very observant.
"He doesn't mind. If you have your own dreams, pursue them. We feel the same way about Shanks."
Shanks smiled awkwardly, overhearing their conversation.
"When do you plan to leave?" Rayleigh asked.
"Probably when we return to the Grand Line. I'm not strong enough to navigate the New World or reach the Four Blues on my own yet."
"Then you're almost there."
"What do you mean?" Shirakawa asked, confused.
"Roger's planning to return to the Grand Line soon."
"Why?"
"Who knows? Maybe he has his own reasons. Maybe he wants to tie up loose ends, so he has no regrets."
Shirakawa understood. Roger knew he was terminally ill and wanted to fulfill his final wishes.
After a relaxing bath, Shirakawa felt refreshed. He chatted with Rayleigh, learning more about the current situation.
'The Captain's returning to the Grand Line, and I'll be leaving soon,' Shirakawa thought. He had briefly considered going to Laugh Tale with Roger to see the treasure he would leave behind, but ultimately decided against it. It would be more exciting to discover the treasure himself.
Feeling content, he decided to take a nap to prepare for the night ahead.
He knocked on Catherine's door.
"Who is it?" came her slightly panicked voice.
"It's me."
"Who's 'me'?"
Shirakawa rolled his eyes. 'She can't even recognize my voice?'
"Shirakawa."
"Oh." Catherine opened the door, holding a stick defensively.
"Ahh!" she screamed, seeing Shirakawa in only a bathrobe. "Why are you dressed like that? You pervert!"
"I just got out of the hot spring. What else am I supposed to wear?" Shirakawa pushed past her and walked into the room, heading straight for the bed.
"What are you doing?" Catherine blocked his way.
"Sleeping, obviously." He sidestepped her and lay down on the bed.
"This is my room!"
"I only booked two rooms. I'm not sharing with those two boys. You can sleep on the couch."
"Why don't you sleep on the couch?"
"I'm a guy," Shirakawa said matter-of-factly.
"So? What's wrong with being a guy?" Catherine argued.
"You're too noisy," Shirakawa said, and knocked her out with a chop to the neck.
"Finally, some peace and quiet. And this bed is so comfy," he said with a smile, completely ignoring Catherine on the floor.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein