One Piece: Rise of Valoria

The door to *Shakky's Rip-Off Bar* creaked open, revealing the dimly lit interior of the establishment. A slim woman stood at the threshold, her sharp eyes observing the group before her with an air of curiosity. She exhaled a thin stream of smoke from her cigarette, her gaze traveling over William, cloaked and imposing, then to the three sisters behind him.

"Well, what do we have here?" Shakky said with a sly smile. "It's not often I get visitors this late at night… or ones this interesting."

Hancock, Sandersonia, and Marigold looked at Shakky with recognition, and before anyone could say more, Shakky's smile faded, her eyes widening slightly as realization dawned on her.

"Hancock? Sonia? Mari?" Her voice softened as she took in their faces. "It's been years... We thought you were lost."

Without wasting a moment, Shakky ushered them inside, her usual cool demeanor replaced by relief. "Come in, come in," she urged.

The sisters entered the bar, grateful yet still cautious. Once inside, Shakky embraced Hancock briefly, followed by Sandersonia and Marigold, her relief palpable. "Gloriosa's been searching for you everywhere. She never gave up hope."

Hancock nodded, her lips pressed together as she glanced at her sisters. "We escaped," she said quietly, her voice filled with both pride and pain. "Because of him." She gestured toward William, who stood a little behind them, his cloak pulled tight around his body.

Shakky's gaze shifted to William, and she raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And who's this mysterious young man?"

Before anyone could answer, Hancock suddenly froze, her face turning bright red. Her mind raced back to the moment William had kissed her on the forehead before they escaped the battle with Akainu. Her cheeks flamed, and her thoughts spiraled into a vivid daydream—her and William, standing at the altar, exchanging vows. She could practically hear the wedding bells.

As her imagination took over, Hancock's body stiffened, her expression becoming distant and dreamlike. William, noticing her odd behavior, frowned and walked over. Placing his hand on her forehead, he asked, "Hancock, are you okay?"

Hancock blinked, brought back to reality by William's gentle touch. She stared up at him, her face inches from his. Her heart pounded as her gaze darted from his eyes to his lips. "Is… is this marriage?" she whispered dreamily, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red.

Shakky, watching the scene unfold, stifled a laugh, her amusement evident as she took a drag from her cigarette. Sandersonia, noticing her sister's unusual behavior, leaned over to William and whispered with a grin, "Don't mind her. She's been like this since you kissed her forehead earlier."

William blinked, his face a mixture of concern and confusion. "Kissed her forehead?" He looked down at Hancock, who was now clutching onto his arm, staring up at him with starry-eyed affection. "What's gotten into her?"

Hancock, still lost in her romantic daydream, sighed happily and hugged William's arm tighter. "William…" she mumbled softly, causing Sandersonia and Marigold to stifle giggles.

William, completely baffled, gently patted Hancock's back as she leaned into him. "Uh… right. Just… hold on there," he said awkwardly, trying to figure out what exactly was happening.

Shakky couldn't hold back her amusement any longer and chuckled as she leaned against the bar counter. "Oh, this is too good," she said with a smirk. "Litlle Hancock has grown up to be a lovestruck teenager."

Hancock continued to cling to William, completely unaware of the playful looks exchanged between her sisters and Shakky. She gazed up at William with adoration, her heart fluttering. "William… will you marry me?"

William sighed, his expression caught somewhere between exasperation and amusement. "Hancock, I'm just 14 years old so maybe let's focus on staying safe first, okay?"

As Hancock blushed and buried her face in his chest, Marigold finally spoke up. "She's been like this since the escape. Honestly, you'd think he proposed to her or something."

William shook his head, still holding Hancock to prevent her from toppling over. "I don't even know what's going on anymore," he muttered.

"Well," Shakky said with a smirk, "looks like you've got your hands full."

Trying to change the topic, William gently turned Hancock so she wouldn't collapse and looked at Shakky seriously. "I'm William," he said in a firm but calm tone. "I'm their family now, and they're mine."

Shakky studied him closely, her sharp eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Family, huh?" she said thoughtfully. "That's quite a statement."

Her gaze shifted to the back of the bar, where an older man sat quietly, sipping a drink. The dim lighting barely illuminated his figure, but William could sense the power radiating from him. Though the man hadn't moved, there was something about him—something formidable.

Shakky noticed the shift in William's demeanor and smiled. "Oh, where are my manners?" she said lightly, gesturing to the man. "This is Rayleigh. He's... let's just say he's an old friend."

Rayleigh—Silver Rayleigh, the Dark King, and former first mate of Gol D. Roger—looked up from his drink, his calm, piercing eyes locking onto William. There was a quiet strength in his gaze, one that spoke of countless battles and experience.

William, though cautious, wasn't afraid. He wasn't weak either. William remained composed, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke. "And who are you, Rayleigh?" he asked, his voice steady.

Rayleigh chuckled softly, setting his glass down. He stood slowly, every movement deliberate, as if he was in no rush at all. "Who am I?" he repeated, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Now, That is someone I haven't spoken about in a long time.."

The room grew still for a moment as William and Rayleigh stood facing each other, Shakky watched the exchange with a small smile, amused by the quiet tension building in the air.

William's eyes remained fixed on Rayleigh, his instincts telling him that this man was not ordinary. But as the silence stretched on, William didn't waver. He wasn't afraid, just… curious.

Rayleigh, for his part, appeared completely at ease, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You've got a strong presence, young man," he said, sitting back down. "Strength is important, but there's a lot more to survival than just power. I imagine you've already figured that out by now."

William didn't respond immediately. His focus remained on ensuring the safety of Hancock and her sisters, but he knew there was truth in Rayleigh's words. After a brief pause, he finally nodded and turned his attention back to Shakky.

"We need a place to stay," William said simply. "Somewhere to lay low for a while."

Shakky nodded, leaning casually against the counter. "You're safe here, at least for a while. No one comes looking for trouble here. But I'm guessing you won't be staying long."

"No," William agreed. "We have other things to take care of."

Shakky took one last drag from her cigarette and extinguished it. "Well, tomorrow we can talk more. now you four look like you could use some sleep."

William nodded his thanks to Shakky and followed her with the sisters to a quiet room at the back of the bar, ready to settle in for the night.

William knew that he and the sisters were safe here for a while, but he also knew that they should not stay here for too long.

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