The next day.
At sunrise, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was already awake. After a quick wash and dressing, he headed off to find Kuzan.
When he arrived at Kuzan's cabin, the admiral was still asleep. It was the knocking that stirred him.
Kuzan cracked the door open, letting Yoriichi inside. Glancing groggily at the clock on the wall, he yawned and muttered, "Oi, Yoriichi, it's only five-thirty."
"What happened? Why are you here so early?"
"If it's not something important, I swear I won't forgive you. You've no idea how late I stayed up last night just trying to convince folks to relocate—it's a real headache."
He stumbled back onto his bed in a daze, wearing pale blue pajamas and a sleep mask pushed up on his forehead. As he spoke, Kuzan's hand reached back toward the mask, clearly intending to sleep again.
"There's been a development in the missing child case from Migo Town," Yoriichi said.
"I've come to ask for your help."
He sat calmly on the stool beside the desk, longblade resting against the table, arms folded across his chest as he addressed Kuzan.
The moment Kuzan heard that, his entire demeanor changed. All drowsiness vanished. He straightened up at once and stared at Yoriichi, blurting out, "You found a lead?! That fast?!"
"Tell me—what's the lead? How can I help?"
Gone was the lazy Kuzan from a few seconds ago. Now, he was fully alert and serious.
"I haven't confirmed the full truth yet," Yoriichi replied evenly. "I'll need several subordinates with sailing experience. And a ship capable of long voyages."
"The lead… doesn't lie on this island."
Yoriichi didn't directly tell Kuzan everything he suspected. One reason was the lack of solid evidence. Another was that if the culprit behind the child abductions truly was tied to the World Government, then this situation couldn't end cleanly.
He didn't want to drag Kuzan into this. Based on Kuzan's personality, he'd definitely insist on coming along. It might seem like a simple mission on the surface, but dealing with the aftermath, if the truth came out—would be something few could bear.
But Kuzan didn't ask for more details. He trusted Yoriichi without question. Stroking the stubble on his chin, he thought for a moment before answering, "Manpower's no problem. As for the ship... just take our battleship."
"Migo Town's only three days from Lodestar Island. The merchant ships here can help with transporting supplies."
"And for now, we don't have much active deployment. We're mostly focused on stabilizing our base."
"The battleship's just sitting there anyway. If you need it to set sail, then it's yours."
Kuzan made his decision decisively. After a short pause, he added:
"The dozen or so Marines who came with us this time all have some navigation experience. Will they be enough? If so, take them all. If not, we'll call in more from Lodestar Island."
"There's no need to be formal with me. Just leave a record and take whoever you need."
Yoriichi gave a small nod, silently acknowledging Kuzan's support. There was no need for sentimental words between the two.
With Kuzan's promise secured, Yoriichi stood up and said, "That'll be enough. Too many people would just slow us down."
"I'll go pass down the orders. Kuzan, you'd better get moving. Don't just keep lounging on the ship—I'm preparing to set sail."
He grabbed his blade and headed for the door. Kuzan scratched his head helplessly as he watched him go, then began changing clothes.
But just as Yoriichi reached the doorway, he stopped. His voice was casual, but his words carried weight.
"By the way, Kuzan, remember that World Government ship we encountered near Lodestar Island a while back?"
"I think their intel might be useful for this mission. Do you have a way to contact them?"
Kuzan didn't hesitate. While pulling on his clothes, he replied, "Ah, that one? That was a CP ship—one of the World Government's direct covert ops."
"Now that you mention it, they might actually be helpful. When it comes to gathering intel, CP's no joke."
"As for contact... the Navy doesn't have a direct line. We're not part of the same system. Usually, if there's a joint operation between the Navy and CP, communication goes straight through the top brass."
"But… finding them isn't that hard."
"This time, CP's joined us in the New World for a joint mission. They're helping us hunt down Pirate King Roger. If nothing's gone wrong, they should be out there right now, chasing Roger with Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
"Just ask Vice Admiral Garp, he'll know."
Kuzan finished dressing and quickly grabbed a few changes of clothes from the closet, packing them for departure.
Yoriichi gave a quiet "Mm" as he watched him work, then turned and left the cabin at a brisk pace.
About ten minutes later, a sharp whistle echoed through the silent port of Migo Town.
Wearing a formal suit and a small backpack, Kuzan stood at the dock, watching the green-hulled battleship depart.
A single Marine stood beside him, watching the ship sail away.
"Yoriichi really gets things done. Already found a clue that fast," Kuzan muttered with admiration as the ship disappeared from view.
Aboard the departing vessel, Yoriichi stood at the bow, gazing silently at the sea.
In his hand was a special Eternal Log Pose. Unlike others, its glass dome didn't contain a needle but a small piece of paper.
It was a [Vivre Card]-based Eternal Log Pose. And the owner of the Vivre Card was Admiral Sengoku.
In the New World, it was standard for Navy ships to use this type of "Eternal Compass" to navigate and maintain contact.
Before setting sail, Yoriichi had already confirmed the position of the World Government ship with Vice Admiral Garp via Den Den Mushi.
Somewhere in the New World, the fleet led by Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp had, after nearly half a month of pursuit, finally caught up to the Roger Pirates.
That afternoon, the Oro Jackson was finally within range—and an encounter battle began.
Aboard the Navy's flagship, Ship 0, Admiral Sengoku stood at the bow, flanked by high-ranking officers. He gazed grimly at the Oro Jackson several hundred meters away.
Garp, however, wore a bright smile. He stood at the front of the formation, two carts of cannonballs beside him.
"Fist Bone Meteor!!"
After estimating the distance, Garp casually grabbed two cannonballs, shouted the name of his attack, and hurled them straight at the pirate ship.
"Juu-!"
A shrill blast cut through the clouds as the cannonballs hurtled through the air. Just before they struck the Oro Jackson, a slicing force erupted from the ship, cleaving both projectiles in midair.
But even as those exploded above the sea, countless more cannonballs came flying from the rest of the Navy fleet, raining toward the pirate ship.
"Captain Roger! The Navy's firing again! There's too many to count!" Buggy shouted from the lookout, telescope in hand, as the sky darkened with incoming shells.
On deck, Roger glanced toward the distant Navy fleet and laughed loudly:
"Ahahahahaha!!"
"That bastard Garp sure knows how to make an entrance!"
"Came all this way just to give us a proper sendoff!"
"We owe him that much!"
"Everyone! Ready yourselves!"
"This might be the last time we clash with the Navy!!"
With that, Roger leapt into the air. Drawing his sword, Ace, he unleashed a slash straight at the sea.
A deafening hum followed as a black wave, wrapped in crimson lightning, tore through the air toward the Navy fleet. The shells coming at them lost all momentum under the overwhelming pressure and dropped into the sea.
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