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Bounty hunters had become more and more of a problem of late.
They weren't difficult for Rayleigh to take, of course. They were usually defeated in seconds with the sword or, if he couldn't be bothered to get up from his barstool, with a little haki. But it wasn't really himself that he worried about.
He had heard of his other nakama, about how several of them had been captured and executed. It was a sad thing, but Rayleigh was currently unable to do anything to save them. He could not be in all places at once.
The most he could do was protect himself and Shakky.
He'd been gone for about three weeks this time. It really wasn't that long for him, and if he hadn't felt such an innate sense of foreboding, he probably wouldn't be here now, standing in front of Shakky's bar.
Casually, he walked inside.
"Now, you're comin' with us whether you like it or not. Dead or alive is up to you," said the head of the group of bounty hunters, leveling his gun at Shakky's forehead. The others snickered and pointed their guns as well.
"But then who would run the bar?" Shakky replied nonchalantly. She was skimming through a newspaper, unconcerned with the barrels aimed at her. "Are one of you going to stay here and work while I'm in jail?"
"That should be the least of your worries!" spat the head, and the others roared their agreement.
"Hold on," said Rayleigh, walking up behind the group. "I think that's a legitimate concern. This bar would go under without someone running it."
The hunters whirled in surprise. "Wh-who are you?" the head spluttered.
He shrugged. "I live here."
"Sometimes," Shakky added, amused.
"I always come back," he defended with a laugh in his voice.
"That's true."
"Hey!" gasped one of the hunters. "That's Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King!"
"Gold Roger's first mate!" added another superfluously.
"Men! Get him!" screamed the head.
One of the bounty hunters lurched forward, gun cocked. Rayleigh hooked him easily in the gut and he went flying back and against the wall with a bang. Another tried to jump him, and he was similarly flung, this time out the window. Two more came at once, one running to tackle him from the front, another swinging a chair at his back. Rayleigh stepped back at the last second, and the tackler was hit in the head with the chair, breaking it. He chuckled as the dazed hunter cursed loudly while his companion stammered apologies. Then he booted them across the bar and into the wall.
"Stop! Or I shoot her!"
Rayleigh turned slowly to find the head bounty hunter with his gun pressed to Shakky's forehead, the woman very calm for someone just taken hostage.
"What? No you won't," Rayleigh argued easily.
To his credit, the bounty hunter held up well; Rayleigh had been sure that the haki would knock him straight out, but he was still conscious, albeit on his knees. The other bounty hunters were out cold.
Rayleigh walked over and hauled the hunter to his feet, then marched him to the door. The hunter cursed him the whole way, a bit weakly.
Rayleigh threw him outside and he hit the ground with a thud. His subordinates followed, tossed into a heap next to him.
"I left you alive this time," said Rayleigh cheerfully, "but if you ever come back you won't get so lucky."
The bounty hunter held his gaze, scared but putting on a brave front. "Threats, old man?"
Rayleigh smiled. "Not a threat. A promise."
The hunter's eyes widened, realizing that the pirate definitely meant what he said. He whimpered and scrambled to his feet, running away and leaving his slowly waking men to watch him in a daze before fleeing themselves.
Rayleigh watched them go, then turned and went back in the bar.
"I could have handled them," said Shakky. She was still reading her newspaper.
"They were between me and my sake," he answered simply, sitting on a barstool.
She smiled and set a bottle before him. "Madness, to get between Silvers Rayleigh and his alcohol."
"Some people just have to learn the hard way," he agreed.
Shakky just laughed.