Capítulo 23: Chapter 22 - The Shameless Villain
The door Shirakawa had kicked flew through the window and landed outside.
The commotion woke up not only Shanks and Buggy but also some of the other guests, who peeked out of their rooms to see what was happening.
"What's going on?" Buggy exclaimed, jumping out of bed in a panic. Even the usually laid-back Shanks was instantly alert, thinking they were under attack.
"You two slept like logs. What were you doing last night?" Shirakawa asked with a grin.
"Oh, it's just you, Shirakawa. You scared us!" Buggy said, relieved. They settled back into their beds, pulling the blankets over their heads.
"Get up, lazybones. The sun's already up," Shirakawa said, pulling the blankets off them.
"Let us sleep a little longer," Buggy mumbled, scratching his head.
"Yeah, we were up late last night," Shanks added.
"What were you doing up so late?" Shirakawa asked, skeptical that they had stayed in their room all night.
"We went to the bar," Shanks replied sleepily.
"You went to the bar without me?" Shirakawa said, annoyed that he had missed out on the fun.
He grabbed both boys and shook them vigorously.
"You're awake now." He dropped them on the floor. "Let's go eat, and then we're heading out to experience the battlefield."
"Okay," they mumbled, still groggy. They got dressed and followed Shirakawa out of the room.
As they reached the door, they were surrounded by a group of people. Guests from other rooms also emerged to watch the commotion.
"What's going on?" Shirakawa asked, sensing hostility from the crowd.
"Sir, we'd like to ask what you were doing. Why did you damage our door and break the window?" one of them asked.
"Oh, haha, sorry about that," Shirakawa said, realizing his mistake. "We'll pay for the damages."
The tension eased slightly at the mention of compensation.
"That's good. The door, the window, and the wall... that'll be 100,000 berries. Please pay up," the leader said, extending his hand.
"No problem. Buggy, pay the man."
"Why me? You're the one who broke it!" Buggy protested.
"I don't have any money. If I did, I'd pay myself."
"Well, I don't have any money either."
"Come on, Buggy. Don't be stingy. I'll pay you back double when I have money."
"Triple. No, quadruple. Quintuple!" Buggy bargained.
"Deal," Shirakawa agreed at the fifth offer.
'100,000 berries for 500,000? That's a 400,000 berry profit! Not bad,' Buggy thought gleefully. He didn't care if Shirakawa actually paid him back later. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't. Or maybe the author would just forget about it.
The group received their payment and left, satisfied. Luckily, they weren't troublemakers. Otherwise, Shirakawa and his friends might have had to resort to force, and that would lead to more expenses.
"What happened?" Catherine asked, concerned, as she joined them.
"Nothing. Let's go eat. We'll leave after breakfast," Shirakawa said.
"Okay."
Breakfast was uneventful, except for running into a few other Roger Pirates who looked exhausted, as if they had been drained of all their energy. They had been full of life the day before, but now they seemed completely spent.
"See? That's what happens when you get old. You have no energy left," Shirakawa said to Catherine, feigning an elderly voice.
"You'll be like that too when you're old," Catherine retorted, amused by his antics.
"Don't worry. I won't grow old," Shirakawa said confidently.
"Sure," Catherine scoffed, thinking he was joking.
But years later, when Shirakawa's appearance remained unchanged while Shanks and Buggy aged, they would realize he had been telling the truth. His agelessness would become one of the many mysteries surrounding him, not just his appearance or name, but his very power.
Before leaving the city, Catherine once again covered herself up. It was uncomfortable, but necessary to avoid being recognized.
"Why do you three get to walk around freely while I'm bundled up like this? It's not fair," she complained, looking at the three boys who were dressed normally.
"We're not wanted criminals," Shirakawa said smugly. They had expected to be wanted after yesterday's incident, but there were no posters of them anywhere. So they had discarded their disguises.
"Hmph. Still not fair," Catherine grumbled.
Shirakawa flashed her a bright smile.
But their moment of triumph was short-lived. Soon, they were being pursued again.
"That's them! The princess might be disguised, but the others look the same. Even their clothes are the same!"
A group of people had spotted them and were tailing them discreetly.
It turned out they had been tricked. The authorities had deliberately let them go, knowing they would relax their guard once they realized they weren't wanted.
"Shirakawa, I think we're being followed," Shanks whispered, looking around cautiously.
"I know. They're smarter than I thought. Even with the princess's disguise, they managed to find us."
"Yeah."
"I'll take Catherine and create a distraction. You two use the opportunity to escape the city."
"Okay," Shanks said, surprised by Shirakawa's selflessness. Perhaps they had all misjudged him.
Shirakawa walked up behind Catherine and suddenly swept her off her feet, carrying her in a princess carry.
"What are you doing?" Catherine shrieked, blushing.
"Don't ask. Just hold on tight. We're going to have some fun."
Catherine didn't understand his plan, but she obeyed.
Shirakawa activated his power, enveloping them in a white light.
"What's this? Ahhh!" Catherine screamed as they took flight.
"Buggy, Shanks, we're going ahead. Catch up!" Shirakawa called out.
"Shirakawa, you're shameless!" Shanks and Buggy yelled after him.
Shirakawa ignored their protests.
Estado de energía semanal
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