บท 40: Where Dreams Die (I)

'Mock Town' is also called the Town of Ridicule. It was a place where dreams go to die. But as I looked at the town before me, none of those thought came to pass in my mind.

The cobblestone streets gave it a worn, lived-in look, and the buildings were painted in colors that had long since faded, their peeling exteriors telling a story of years passed. But they were full of life, bustling with pirates, merchants, and drifters alike. Saloons and taverns lined every corner, giving off a sense of mismatched vibrancy that only added to the town's peculiar charm. Around me, laughter mingled with heated arguments, and scuffles broke out over petty squabbles, with no one particularly paying mind. The loud laughter, the shouts, the clinking of mugs—it was a contradiction, a perfect one.

Seeing the raucous celebrations and occasional brawls around every corner, you'd never guess that this was a town full of people who had given up. For them, this was the end of the line, the place where their dreams had come to die. I watched them and couldn't help but find myself fascinated. In a town that seemed so alive, their hearts were burdened with sorrow, their souls heavy with abandoned ambitions. But it was beautiful, this contradiction of joy and despair existing side by side.

I found myself wondering if I, too, would have ended up like them, drifting here in despair if I hadn't held onto my ambitions when I was alone on that warship. Maybe?

Maybe. The world of One Piece was cruel but it's also fair in a sort of twisted way. It was a place where if you have strong conviction, then you can be powerful. Doesn't matter if you were born as an orphan or as a prince. But if you fail to have that conviction, if you fail to grasp that ambition, then your fate can be worse than death itself. It was contradictory and it didn't make total sense. It was ugly and at the same time it was sort of beautiful too.

This is a world where human desire affected the world itself. It was fascinating and at the same time extremely dangerous.

After all, people with the greatest capacity for good are the ones with the greatest capacity for evil.

Marshall D. Teach was a perfect example of that. A man who stayed in Whitebeard Pirates for decades just so he can get a certain devil fruit he wanted. His ambition and conviction were terrifying. Not just Blackbeard, but all his subordinates too. This is one of the reasons I tagged along with Ace. If I can remove even a few members of his founding crew, then he would face an enormous setback. A setback that this world desperately needs.

Ace and I checked ourselves in a cheap motel at the edge of the town. I instructed Ace to remain inside this room before I came back. I needed to gain information. I knew Blackbeard was in this town, but I didn't know where. Doing recon was important. So, I took hundred thousand berries and headed towards the bustling town. For obvious reasons, I didn't wear my mask. Roaming around, wearing a mask is not exactly inconspicuous.

I don't exactly remember where Luffy and Blackbeard met. But what I did remember was that Bellamy Pirates were also there. And in this dreamless town they were considered to be the top of the food chain. So, finding them shouldn't be hard.

And, it was true. Within ten minutes I found out the usual hangout of 'Bellamy Pitates'. It was a pub called 'Pub and Pies'. Yup, this was a real name. Supposedly, they served the best pies here.

It wasn't that far from where I was. Around two or three miles. I could've ran there, but I wanted to explore this town more. I wouldn't have any time to relax anytime soon. So, this could serve as my night off.

I explored the city lazily as I started moving towards my destination. It was a fun town. By the time I reached the 'Pub', it was already midnight and the place was at its most busy as ever. Nobody spared a glance at me as I entered the pub.

I noticed Bellamy Pirates at the corner of the room. With relaxed steps I moved towards them and by the time I reached their table the whole pub was silent. A tense atmosphere resided in the place as I asked,

"Captain Bellamy. I heard you had the biggest bounty in this town."

Bellamy smirked at me and asked, "And what of it?"

"I also heard that you're absolutely shit at poker." I said with a straight face.

There was a moment of silence before the room erupted with laughter. Bellamy's first mate, Sarquiss, chuckled, slapping his captain on the shoulder. "Captain, if you lose any more money, we'll need to rob more poor folks to keep up!"

"Shut up, Sarquiss!" Bellamy grumbled.

Seizing the moment, I shouted, "Drinks on me!" and the crowd erupted in cheers. I took a seat with Bellamy and his crew, saying, "My uncle just kicked the bucket and left me some cash. So, what about it? Let's gamble!"

Bellamy Pirates didn't really care about me as long as they won. And they always won. I was really bad at poker, and by bad, I mean really really bad. That YouTube video I watched didn't really help.

I kept my drinking to a minimum so that I can remain lucid. After two hours, I only had ten thousand berries left.

And that is when my target arrived. It was Blackbeard himself. He was alone though. He ordered 50 pies. So, I excused myself from the table. Bellamy didn't mind, he has earned quite a lot today. He wasn't in the mood to start a fight.

As I reached the barkeep, I asked the owner to give me a pie.

"Is the pie really that good?" I asked the huge man beside me.

"You'll know after just one bite!" Blackbeard grinned, his mouth full. He glanced at me with interest. "I don't recognize you. New in town?"

"You could say that. I heard there was an island in the sky, so came here to check it out. But what I found are only a bunch of people without dreams."

This time my words piqued his interest. "Then why were you so chubby with those idiots." He gestured towards the Bellamy Pirates.

"What's wrong with wanting to have some fun? Their values might not match mine, but I heard that they were the best to party with."

"Why not party with your own crew?"

I rolled my eyes and gave an annoyed sigh. "Don't get me started. I just found this really nice sword, so I borrowed a bit from the crew's funds. Thought it'd be no big deal, but they flipped! Kicked me out like I was some thief." I took another bite, shrugging. "Thanks for ruining my night."

I just gave Blackbeard the biggest bait in the history of baits. A fellow dreamer who was misunderstood by his peers and without a crew. I was practically already a new recruit. If I'm right, he'll now try to see if I'm strong or not.

"Tomorrow there's a competition, but no weapons. How about it? Wanna join it? Might be fun."

And, bingo!