The next day, inside the office of the commander of the 80th Marine Branch.
"What? Head to Marine Headquarters? No way!"
Kevin firmly shook his head at Commander Lomi's proposal.
"I eat well and sleep even better here. What would I go to Headquarters for? That place is crawling with monsters. I haven't even mastered Haki yet!"
Behind his desk, Commander Lomi's eyelid twitched slightly.
Haki… That kind of power was something only the elites at Marine Headquarters could grasp.
Even for someone like him—after years stationed in the West Blue—his Armament Haki had all but faded.
Heart, body, and technique—the will and determination within are the foundation of Haki. Only then come the physical training and technical mastery.
And once your will falters, the power known as Haki gradually weakens... until it vanishes altogether.
That was precisely why he wanted Kevin to go to Marine Headquarters—not remain in the comfort of the West Blue.
After a moment of thought, Lomi switched back to the earlier topic.
"The matter you asked about—it's been handled."
"Huh? You mean Roger's execution in Loguetown?" Kevin immediately leaned forward.
Lomi nodded, but rather than directly responding about the execution, he said:
"Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, is confirmed to be executed this month. Someone like him getting captured... Don't you want to be a hero like Vice Admiral Garp?"
Kevin shook his head without hesitation.
If it hadn't been for Garp and Roger back then, Uncle Kuma might've had it easier... and the Mythical Zoan Fish-Fish Fruit that Kaido ate could've become a future asset.
Besides, Roger was never really captured—he turned himself in, fully aware that his days were numbered.
And then, during his execution, he uttered one sentence that sparked the legendary Great Pirate Era.
A time of chaos—for ordinary people, it was an era of suffering.
Also, the name "Gol D. Roger" had its "D" hidden—becoming Gol Roger in the official record.
And one of the Five Elders, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, had nearly scared him to death as a baby.
"Sigh..."
Lomi let out a heavy sigh, clearly exasperated.
"You'll leave tomorrow."
"Huh?"
"Tomorrow, take the Marines' route across Reverse Mountain. Head straight to Loguetown in the East Blue."
"You got it done? Commander Lomi, you've got some real pull at Headquarters!"
Lomi lifted his chin proudly.
"Of course! I might not be one of those monstrous elites, but my network is strong."
Kevin chuckled and asked,
"I heard you trained under the Admirals back at Headquarters. What made you transfer to the West Blue?"
Lomi was momentarily taken aback, then glanced at Kevin.
Marine Headquarters... the people, the atmosphere—maybe it wasn't the right place for this kid.
After all, it was too close to the Sabaody Archipelago. His own reasons for returning to the West Blue... were connected to that.
"Alright. Go prepare. Someone will meet you in Loguetown. If you change your mind by then, you can head to Headquarters with them."
Kevin shrugged and walked out.
If this was five days ago, maybe he would've gone to Headquarters.
It's close to Sabaody. If he used a Shadow Clone to replace himself, he might've been able to sneak over, mess with the slave traders—or, if lucky, even take down a Celestial Dragon for some quick profit.
But now that he had the Flying Nimbus, travel between the West Blue and Sabaody wasn't such a big deal anymore.
If he could get his hands on a Transformation Technique next, that'd be perfect.
Right... since he couldn't go earn extra cash today, he'd take it easy and go drinking tonight, then pack up for tomorrow.
Rasgapp Town, located at the entrance to Reverse Mountain, was a bustling hub. Thanks to a special passage over the Red Line, merchants and traders passed through on their way to other seas.
And with the commercial boom came entertainment.
That said, for now at least, not even the likes of the Five Mafia Families—including the Capone Family—dared run illegal industries here.
So the beautiful women here? Genuinely beautiful. Genuinely legal.
Drinking, music, and beautiful women—Kevin laughed, whistled, and joined in with the cheering crowd.
After a while, the performance on stage ended. Soft music began playing as the women from earlier stepped back on stage.
Down below, club workers began hawking flowers. Buy one for 50,000 Berries, and you might just get to have a drink with your favorite performer.
"Would you like a flower, sir? Mina's performance was amazing today! I even saw her glance at you several times~"
A six- or seven-year-old boy eagerly pushed flowers at Kevin's table, trying to upsell with well-practiced lines.
At least to Kevin's ears, it was obvious the kid had used the same pitch a dozen times already.
Kevin ruffled the boy's hair and patted his empty pocket.
"Kid, aside from booze money, my wallet's drier than my face."
The other drinkers nearby perked up with laughter.
"Hahaha! Must be your first time, kid? That's Kevin the Executioner—he's notoriously stingy!"
"He pays the cover charge, buys a drink—and that's it. Not a Berry more!"
"Still, it's not like there aren't plenty of people trying to buy him drinks—he just doesn't accept them."
Kevin raised his glass in mock salute to the crowd, downed it in one go, and casually walked toward the restroom.
His night of leisure was done. He still had work to do—and tomorrow, he'd be off to the East Blue.
Yesterday, after enduring the mental torture of black flames, he'd extracted two treasure locations—one from a mafia member, the other from a pirate.
Pirate treasure...
Yeah, Kevin still needed money.
If he was going to overturn this world, there was a lot to prepare.
A few minutes later, a Shadow Clone in Kevin's image exited the restroom and casually returned to his table.
Five minutes after that, the real Kevin, with a new hairstyle, different outfit, and a mask, quietly left the dance hall.
Moments later, a yellow cloud descended into a shadowed alley—then soared back into the night sky, carrying a single figure toward the heart of the West Blue.
The speed of flight far surpassed any ship. In just a few hours, Kevin returned with two large chests of gold, silver, and jewels.
As expected, mafia men are way richer than pirates.
In the past two years as the West Blue's Executioner, Kevin had done this many times. But before getting the Flying Nimbus, retrieving the loot took ages.
"Still nowhere near enough..."
Kevin sighed.
He had two years left. And when it came to scientific research, money alone wasn't going to cut it.