Whiskey Peak, an island located on one of the Grand Line's routes, was a secret base for bounty hunters and a subordinate organization of Baroque Works.
Most unsuspecting pirates, lured in by the warm hospitality of the locals, would mistakenly believe it was a town that welcomed pirates.
Once they accepted the invitation to a banquet, they were typically decapitated by bounty hunters in the midst of their celebrations—and their heads traded in for bounties.
Experienced pirates usually avoided this route and chose to sail elsewhere. But Luffy and his crew clearly didn't know better; they were completely unaware of the danger.
Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9, who had leapt from the Going Merry and swam back to shore, now lay exhausted on the beach.
A man with curly hair, a square head, and a barrel-like waist approached them. He helped Miss Wednesday up and asked, "Didn't you go to Twin Capes? Why are you back in such a mess?"
Their disheveled appearance surprised the supervisor. Normally, rookie pirates at the entrance to the Grand Line shouldn't have been a match.
Miss Wednesday groaned, "Don't even ask. You wouldn't believe what we went through. That Straw Hat crew is cursed. The weather follows them like they have a homing beacon and ate a never-ending storm candy. Not only did it chase their ship, but it never stopped. A natural disaster every minute, and it lasted a whole day."
After her explanation, the supervisor finally understood and gave them a look of sympathy.
Not long after, Luffy and his crew arrived at the shores of Whiskey Peak. Shortly after Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 left the Merry, Shin'ya told the others they'd slipped away—but Luffy still chose to dock at the island.
Once the Merry was secured, everyone disembarked and headed into town.
Nearby, Baroque Works agents spotted them.
"Holy cow, a big catch just arrived!"
"Yeah, the Straw Hat Pirates are finally here. We're gonna make a fortune this time. The boss said whoever spots them gets 50 million Berries."
"You keep watch. I'll go notify the town. We're pulling off a big one."
"Got it. Go quick. We'll keep an eye on them."
The surrounding bounty hunters buzzed with excitement.
"It might be tough though—they're worth over 1 billion Berries total. Word is, one of them fought evenly with Mihawk, the Warlord and world's greatest swordsman. We should wait for the boss."
"How can you accomplish anything great if you're always scared?"
"Exactly."
"I'll contact The boss directly." The messenger took off running, pulling out a Den Den Mushi as he did.
Once the message was sent, Luffy and his crew entered town, and were immediately greeted by a crowd.
People stood at the town's entrance, waving flags and banners.
"Welcome, Straw Hat Pirates, to Whiskey Peak! Welcome, welcome!"
Luffy and his crew stared, dumbfounded.
Zoro frowned. "What's going on? Why are they welcoming us like this, knowing we're pirates?"
Usopp and Sanji, who had expected a hostile reception, were also stunned.
Luffy, however, beamed. "Ahahaha! This town is amazing!"
Except for Shin'ya, who knew what this place really was, only Zoro sensed something was off. But unsure of what, he didn't warn the others and decided to wait and watch.
"I am Igaram, mayor of Whiskey Peak. Hospitality is a proud tradition of our town. Now, please allow us to host a banquet in your honor… blah blah blah, ah bah ah bah," Igaram droned on as he welcomed them.
He extended the invitation: "Gentlemen, we've prepared a feast. Please, join us."
Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji eagerly agreed: "Alright! Let's eat!"
The bounty hunters cheered and crowded around them, leading the group to the town's tavern.
The tavern was already preparing food when the messenger arrived, including dishes laced with sleeping drugs.
Nami wanted to ask Igaram how long the Log Pose needed to recharge, but Luffy and the others dragged her into the feast, so she missed her chance.
Only Zoro, suspicious as ever, hesitated at the entrance.
Shin'ya walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "Come on. If there's a problem, we'll handle it. No need to overthink."
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "So you noticed too, huh?"
"Let's go," Shin'ya said, pulling him along.
Inside, the tavern was alive with music, food, and women in bunny outfits.
The banquet began.
Luffy stuffed meat into his mouth with both hands, barely able to chew.
Sanji flirted with the bunny girls and discussed recipes with the chefs.
Usopp boasted loudly, swapping tall tales with whoever would listen.
Noticing that Shin'ya and Zoro hadn't touched the food, Nami grew suspicious. She quietly joined them, watching Luffy and the others eat without joining in.
Eventually, she asked, "Hey, Shin'ya, Zoro… something wrong with this place? Why aren't you eating?"
Zoro muttered, "You think this is normal? What island welcomes pirates like royalty? If you think this isn't a setup, you're nuts. Only those idiots over there can't see it."
An hour passed. The bounty hunters, seeing that Zoro, Nami, and Shin'ya hadn't touched the drugged food, began to panic. The sedatives were mild and slow-acting, to avoid detection, but were now about to kick in.
Suddenly, Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp collapsed.
The Baroque Works agents realized they'd been exposed. There was no turning back.
They grabbed the three unconscious pirates and held knives to their throats. Their hands shook as they faced off against pirates worth 700 million Berries. Their own boss was barely worth 80 million.
"Hands up! Or we'll kill your captain!" one shouted. "Especially you, Shin'ya! One wrong move and we'll act!"
Shin'ya looked at them like they were fools. "What is this? A hostage negotiation? Want me to throw in a second ship and a few hundred million Berries too?"
The hunters flinched, hands trembling harder. "D-Don't push us! Even if you're strong, we have your captain!"
Shin'ya's gaze sharpened. He was about to unleash his Conqueror's Haki and end the farce.
But Zoro stepped forward.
"Wait, Shin'ya. Let me test myself." His voice was serious. "Yesterday, I think I reached the 'Iron Cut' realm during Haki training. I want to try it."
Shin'ya paused, thinking, He unlocked it more than ten days early… Looks like Haki training really speeds it up.
He nodded. "Alright. I'll leave them to you. I'll go get Luffy and the others."
In a flash, Shin'ya vanished like a ghost. Before the bounty hunters could react, he reappeared—Luffy and the others suddenly in his arms.
"You can go all out now. We'll wait for you on the Merry," he said, then walked off with Nami.
Once he was gone, Zoro launched forward like a drawn arrow, unleashing his Three-Sword Style and crashing into the enemy with overwhelming force.
As the battle erupted, two figures quietly slipped away from the tavern, sneaking in the direction Shin'ya had gone.
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