After obtaining the Sakura Dragon Fruit, Sherwin group didn't hurry to leave.
The research facility hadn't been fully explored yet, and with Haibara Meow and Purah Meow being two dedicated research Felynes, there was no chance they'd walk away so soon.
And after a full round of exploring, they truly gained a lot…
Though Sherwin couldn't understand those complicated formulas and data, judging from the two research Felyne delighted expressions—and the fact that Haibara Meow didn't settle accounts with him afterward for not giving her the Sakura Dragon Fruit—they had definitely found plenty of valuable things.
They then followed the intel provided by the survivors and checked a few more facilities.
But this time, it was similar to their initial search upon arriving on the island.
They found only some supplies and scattered research notes, while most of the equipment had been destroyed by explosions and toxic gas, making it impossible to retrieve any real data.
Even so, both Sherwin and the two research Felynes were extremely satisfied with their venture to Punk Hazard.
As expected of the World Government that had ruled this world for eight hundred years, and of Vegapunk, the man with the greatest brain in the world—there were so many treasures to be uncovered even in an abandoned research base.
With their objective achieved, none of them had any interest in staying on the island.
After a brief rest, they once again set sail in the direction indicated by the Log Pose.
As for the survivors, Sherwin didn't abandon them. Instead, he brought them aboard…
After all, they had provided a good amount of intel, and chances were they would no longer be capable of doing evil in the future. Sherwin didn't mind giving them a ride.
The next island wasn't far from Punk Hazard. Sherwin crew wasn't rushing, and two days later, they reached the island known as Foodvalten.
And ever since encountering Sherwin, Chapé group seemed to have better luck. Not only was there a town on this island, but it even flew the Whitebeard Pirate flag.
In other words, they didn't have to worry about being discovered by the Marines here and getting dragged back to be test subjects for the Science Division.
"Wow! It Pops Whitebeard pirate flag!" Shirahoshi was delighted to see the familiar symbol.
"If this is Whitebeard territory, the humans here should be friendlier, right?"
With that hopeful thought, she followed Sherwin off the ship.
The town on Foodvalten Island was fairly ordinary in its level of development. There were almost no advanced facilities in sight.
Most houses were simply built from mud and stone, and some were nothing more than hollowed-out spaces carved directly into the mountainside…
The whole settlement was so crude it bordered on primitive. It was hard to imagine this island was less than three days from Punk Hazard.
Then again, considering that an island inhabited by dinosaurs and a luxury travel resort were also not far from each other, this kind of contrast fit perfectly with the casual, chaotic nature of the world of pirates.
In addition, the clothing customs of the locals resembled those of Native Americans, as they liked to wear bird feathers on their heads.
But unlike Native tribes that differentiated status by the number of feathers, the residents of Foodvalten Island—regardless of age or gender—liked to wear a full circle of feathers. More precisely, they wore feather headbands.
This even counted as one of the island specialty goods. There were stalls near the pier selling those headbands, and Sherwin bought several for the Felynes…
Only for the little mischief-loving Felynes to treat them like cat toys and tear them into shreds.
Although the standard of living here was low, the people were far friendlier and more warm-hearted than those on Risky red and Mystoria.
Not only did they show no discrimination toward Shirahoshi, they readily welcomed Chapé group and even rushed forward to help carry the Punk Hazard survivors to the island hospital.
"Robin-sister was right after all. The sea is so vast—there will always be humans who accept us fish-folk."
Receiving such positive feedback from humans outside her home was rare for Shirahoshi, and she was overjoyed.
With great enthusiasm, she followed the residents of Foodvalten Island and helped settle Chapé group.
Hmm? That line sounded a little familiar…
Right! Isn't this what Saul once told Robin? Just with a few words changed.
Sherwin glanced at Robin beside him. She was watching Shirahoshi interacting happily with the island residents, a gentle smile resting at the corner of her lips.
So… was she empathizing with Shirahoshi again?
Thinking back to how Robin treated Baby-5 not long ago, even the usually slow-to-notice Sherwin finally realized the changes she had been going through… Setting Shirahoshi aside since she was a companion, the Robin from before would never have spared so much thought for an enemy like Baby-5.
"What wrong?"
Sensing Sherwin gaze, Robin looked over.
"Nothing."
Sherwin shook his head. Her change was definitely a good thing. After all, she had always been a kind person—she was only forced into coldness by the World Government.
…
Although the residents of Foodvalten Island were warm and welcoming, and none of them discriminated against the Fishmen, Sherwin group didn't stay long.
Once the Log Pose finished storing its magnetic charge, they set off immediately.
Normally, Sherwin wouldn't mind letting Shirahoshi experience more kindness from humans, but he couldn't forget that Doflamingo had already spread news about Robin being with them.
Staying too long would only bring trouble to the island people.
Sherwin didn't believe for a second that those ambitious pirates aiming for the Pirate King throne would hesitate just because this was Whitebeard territory.
In fact, Shirahoshi, who understood this as well, had taken the initiative to suggest leaving as early as possible.
After leaving Foodvalten Island, the question of which direction to head next immediately became a new problem…
Given how fast those pirates tended to react, they were probably already on their way.
Moreover, Sherwin and his group hadn't bothered to hide their trail—aside from landing on Foodvalten Island, they had encountered several merchant ships and pirate ships along the way.
The moment any of them saw the Investigation Team paw-print flag, they all turned away at once… including the merchant ships.
So, in Sherwin view, the next island they landed on should ideally be an uninhabited one, somewhere that wouldn't drag innocent people into this mess.
If they could deal with the fools trying to snatch Robin and show off their strength a bit, things should quiet down for a while.
But if he really had to involve someone else, he did have another target in mind…
"I should've asked Vergo or Zephyr for a Permanent Log Pose to G-5 back then."
Sherwin clicked his tongue regretfully.
If they headed straight for G-5 and dragged Vergo—the Donquixote Family mole—into the situation, Doflamingo would definitely be frustrated once he found out.
And if they could find a chance to eliminate Vergo amid the chaos, even better. How dare he scheme against them from the shadows?
Unfortunately, neither the survivors of Punk Hazard nor the residents of Foodvalten Island knew the exact location of G-5, so Sherwin could only rely on the Investigation Team traditional method—
"Klee Meow, it all on you!"
"Okay—!"
(=`=)
The energetic little plush chimed in loudly, then began spinning in circles right where she stood.
(ω≡ω)
In the end, the direction Klee Meow tail pointed matched one of the three Log Poses, and that particular needle was extremely steady, barely trembling at all.
According to Huamei, Vergo ship had also come from roughly that same direction back then.
With that, Sherwin—who had already planned to follow Klee Meow chosen direction—had even less reason to change his mind.