"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
"Woo woo woo woo woo woo!"
Suddenly, laughter spread everywhere, and everyone was releasing the joy deep in their hearts.
Finally, overcome with joy and even shedding tears, they knelt down and kowtowed loudly in the direction where Charlotte had just left.
They were free. Only those who had experienced despair could feel the preciousness of freedom.
All this was captured by Charlotte's Observation Haki.
Charlotte took The Red Count and walked out of the auction house through the back door. Then they started looking for a bathhouse on the street.
Little did he know that his subordinates were searching the whole city for him.
"Big Brother Paul! Where's the boss? We were supposed to meet at this time today, but he's nowhere to be found!"
Beside the port, on the deck of a ship, a group of crew members gathered around Paul and asked.
Paul stood there, frowning and feeling anxious.
Based on his understanding of the boss, the boss was not the kind of person who would be late.
Could he have been delayed by something?
"Wait a bit! Wait for some more time. Maybe the boss was temporarily held up by something!"
Paul comforted the crew around him and then looked at Isaac standing next to him.
"Isaac! If the boss doesn't come back in half an hour, you go with the brothers to look for him. I'll stay here to watch the ship. If the boss comes back, I'll send a signal to alert you."
Paul said to Isaac.
Isaac nodded, agreeing with Paul's plan.
Just like this, after Paul and more than twenty of them had waited for over half an hour, Isaac led ten men off the ship and started to search separately.
They went to Water 7 to look for Charlotte separately.
Meanwhile, Charlotte took The Red Count into a proper bathhouse.
"Mmm~! So comfy!"
Charlotte was soaking in the bath with The Red Count, enjoying the massage from the beautiful women.
"Ryder! Have you ever thought of joining my ship?"
Charlotte squinted at The Red Count, who was also squinting beside him, and invited him.
"Is this how you invite people?"
The Red Count didn't answer him right away but shifted the topic.
"I think we get along quite well. How about joining my ship? You'll be the vice - captain then. What do you say?"
Charlotte continued, with his arms resting on the edge of the bathtub.
"Are you planning to leave the Rock Pirates?"
The Red Count looked at Charlotte seriously and asked.
"Almost!"
Charlotte didn't go into details because he knew that Rock was about to face his doom.
The God Valley Incident was about to start.
Charlotte also had to plan his own way out.
Once you become a pirate, you'll be a pirate for life.
Since Charlotte had been labeled a pirate, he could never get rid of it.
He would have to bear the label of a pirate for the rest of his life.
"Oh? Aren't you afraid that Rock won't agree?"
The Red Count looked at Charlotte in surprise.
Although he hadn't known Charlotte for long, he had a vague understanding of Charlotte's character.
Charlotte wouldn't do things without confidence in success.
"If I told you that Rock would die next year, would you believe me?"
Charlotte suddenly opened his eyes wide and stared at The Red Count and said.
After hearing Charlotte's words, The Red Count's expression also turned serious.
He didn't ask the stupid question. He didn't wonder how Charlotte knew this.
Instead, he stared into Charlotte's eyes and pondered for a long time.
Finally, he slowly let out a sigh.
"I refuse!"
The Red Count didn't even look at Charlotte and flatly refused.
"Oh!"
After hearing the refusal, Charlotte didn't show any reaction. He just casually replied with an "oh".
This piqued The Red Count's interest.
"Your reaction is off! If an ordinary person gets rejected, shouldn't they ask why? This doesn't seem like the attitude of someone inviting others," The Red Count said with a smile on his lips, looking at Charlotte.
"Do I look like an ordinary person to you?"
Charlotte rolled his eyes and replied listlessly.
Charlotte was mentally prepared for The Red Count's refusal.
He didn't expect to persuade such a proud person like The Red Count to join his crew after just one day of acquaintance.
"Hehe!"
The Red Count was taken aback and shook his head.
How interesting!
The Red Count felt that every conversation with Charlotte was full of fun, different from any other.
When communicating with others, he didn't need to answer actively because he already knew what they'd say and could anticipate their thoughts.
He had never experienced such a feeling since childhood.
This made The Red Count recall the pirate crew full of laughter and joy he met when he was a kid.
It was the first time he felt the sense of happiness.
Unexpectedly, he felt it again from this person.
"I haven't asked you yet. Why did you come to the first half of the Grand Line? Do you have some task to complete? If it's inconvenient to answer, it's okay," The Red Count picked up a goblet and took a sip of the red wine in it.
Charlotte squinted his eyes and leaned against the edge of the bathtub.
"There's nothing I can't tell. I've been lacking a suitable weapon. I heard that there's an island in the first half of the Grand Line with a weapon that suits me, so I decided to go and check it out. How about that?" Charlotte said indifferently.
The Red Count took another sip of the red wine, and his eyes lit up.
"Oh! I see. Let me know if you find it. I'll come and finish the unfinished challenge with you then."
There was a glint of fighting spirit in The Red Count's eyes.
Charlotte glanced at The Red Count indifferently.
"Hehe, come to me after you learn to wrap Conqueror's Haki around your weapon. Otherwise, you're no match for me at all!"
Charlotte's words sounded a bit harsh to The Red Count.
But it was also the truth.
He had felt the power of Charlotte's Conqueror's Haki.
Just a broken sword could unleash such great power.
If Charlotte really found a sword that suited him, the power would definitely multiply.
The Red Count fell silent.
"Damn! I almost forgot. I have crew - mates waiting for me. If you hadn't reminded me, I would have completely forgotten."
Charlotte suddenly stood up, and water droplets splashed everywhere from his body.
The Red Count slightly closed his eyes.
The beautiful masseuse nearby was also startled.
"No way! I can't soak anymore. If I vanish, my crew will be really worried."
Charlotte got out of the bath.
The Red Count shook his head and reluctantly got out of the bath too.
The two quickly dressed and walked out of the bathhouse.
"It seems we have to go our separate ways now!"
After walking out of the bathhouse, Charlotte looked at the Red Count beside him and said with regret.
"Yeah!"
The Red Count didn't show much reaction. He just nodded slightly.
But there was still a faint look of reluctance between his eyebrows.
Even the Red Count himself didn't notice this feeling.
He was used to being alone and living a lonely life.
"Then, see you later!"
Charlotte nodded at the Red Count.
"See you!"
The Red Count said with a smile.