“Ga ha ha! What am I after? Yes, I suppose a man in your position would want to know, wouldn’t he?” Bacca leered, not intimidated in the slightest. “Two things brought us here. First, we were seeking some rest and relaxation. We just got back from challenging the Grand Line. We were extra prepared, but the place is even more dangerous than I thought. We battled another pirate crew at the entrance to the Grand Line and lost. Half the crew was lost, and those remaining were heavily injured. So we need a base of operations where we can heal our wounds and recover.”
“I see…” said Rudd thoughtfully. “Well, Bacca, if you really just want rest, and you make a solemn promise not to harm any of the townspeople, I can arrange some lodgings for you at an inn. It’s a small price to pay to make sure you don’t hurt anyone.”
“Hmmm. The problem is, it’s not that simple,” Bacca said with a nasty tone in his voice. “Our second goal is much, much more important. Tell me, Rudd, have you ever heard of the legendary treasure of Swallow Island?”
I gasped. It was the legend that Penguin had told us about years back.
“Never heard of such a thing,” Rudd said after a pause.
“Ga ha ha! Lying’s such an ugly thing to do, Rudd! I saw you glance away as you said that—you all but admitted to me that you’re hiding something!” No sooner were the words out of Bacca’s mouth than he walked up to Rudd, grabbed his collar, and lifted him off the ground.
“I used to think that it was just some fairy tale, like everyone else. Right? Who would believe that there’s some incredible treasure just hidden away on a pointless island like this? But then, on an island right near the Grand Line, we found it—Captain Ladoga’s letter!”
What?! Even I had heard that name before; it’d come up several times when I was with the Doflamingo Family. He was a legendary pirate who had reached deep into the latter half of the Grand Line, the “New World.” And he was a real person, not some fairy tale or myth.
“This is what Captain Ladoga’s letter said: ‘I will soon pass. I could not fulfill my dream, but I found many surprises in the New World. I’ve left my treasure amid the beautiful scenery of Swallow Island. If you are lucky enough to find it, use it however you will,’” Bacca said amidst gasps from the crowd. He went on: “At first I thought it might be a fake letter. But after researching the history and the handwriting, it became clear that the letter truly was written by none other than Captain Ladoga! So here we are now; we’re going to find ourselves a vast treasure, build up our crew stronger than before, and challenge the Grand Line once again!”
He wrenched Rudd’s collar. The police officer looked quite pained. It seemed we would have to get involved. I steeled myself for action.
“Stop right there!” bellowed the powerful and familiar voice of the old man. The square fell silent. Bacca let go, and Rudd fell to his knees. But the situation wasn’t resolved; if anything, it seemed more tense now.
“Stupid Junker… What are you thinking?” I muttered to myself. He got hotheaded at the worst times. If he came across too strong, they might just attack him and kill him.
However, contrary to my expectation, Bacca didn’t react that way at all. Instead, his cruel expression disappeared, replaced by a shocked stare, like he was seeing a ghost.
“Wait…Dad?!” he uttered.
“It’s been a while, Bacca,” replied the old man.
For several seconds I was frozen. I didn’t understand what could be happening. But Bacca had definitely called Wolf “Dad.” And Wolf didn’t dispute it.
“Ga ha ha! How many years has it been? Ten? No, at least twenty. I never even dreamed you’d still be alive,” said Bacca.
“Hmph. Right back at you,” retorted Wolf. “I just assumed you’d gotten yourself killed on some stretch of sea or another by now.”
“Is that all you have to say to your long-lost son? Father of the Year, this guy!”
“You remember what I said to you twenty years ago. We are no longer father and son,” Wolf stated. His eyes were shockingly cold.
“You haven’t changed a bit. You were always like this. You were never satisfied with anything I ever did,” Bacca complained.
“Of course. I was a parent trying to pull his wayward son back toward an honest path.”
“Wayward? Me? Ga ha ha! I don’t think I’m dishonest in anything I do. I’m true to my desires. So if anything, that’s evidence that you raised me to be a little too honest!”
“I’m not going to stand here and play this game with you,” Wolf said impatiently. “And I won’t stand by and watch you attack the town, steal all our food and valuables, and then slaughter its inhabitants in the end.”
“Hah! Well, look who’s high-and-mighty all of a sudden!” said Bacca. “You didn’t stop me back when you were a member of my crew!”
“That’s right… I was an incompetent father. I tried lecturing you and confronting you, but in the end, I couldn’t correct my foolish son’s mistaken ideas,” Wolf said.
I almost shouted at that point. What was this conversation about? Was Wolf actually once…a crewmate with this Bacca pirate? I glanced over at Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo, and saw that they were just as rattled as I was.
“Yeah, I’m honest about what I want and I don’t hold back! You know what needs to be done, right, Dad? You’ve been living on this island the whole time. I bet you have some information on Captain Ladoga’s treasure. So hand it over. If you do, out of respect for a former comrade, I might just spare all these people a massacre.”
“Hmph. There’s no evidence of anything. Besides, even if I did know where to find that treasure, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.”
“Did you just challenge me?”
“I don’t believe you can keep a promise, and more importantly, you’re the man who already burned this town down once! I have nothing to give to the likes of you!” Wolf shouted.