Victor's mind raced with thoughts, though only a moment had passed in reality.
"Alright, how much did the intel cost? I'll cover it."
"Mr. Victor, if you keep bringing up money, it'll hurt my feelings. Just look around—everyone here is jealous of me right now."
Victor glanced at the crowd. It was true.
Dozens of eyes gleamed in their direction, especially at Victor—their gazes so intense it made his skin crawl.
"Because of your reputation, half the island treats me with respect now. My information network's grown tenfold. That's worth more than money. As long as I've got your name backing me, doors just open."
Benn's respect for Victor had deepened. What started as a business relationship now felt more like loyalty—he wanted to follow this man.
"Fine. If you run into trouble, send word to Marine Base."
"We're heading back now. Go handle your business."
"Of course! Safe travels, Mr. Victor!"
---
Meanwhile, among Pizarro's crew...
"Vice-Captain! The boss got captured! What do we do?!"
"That Marine's a monster. We're no match for him right now. The ship's coated—we set sail for the New World. Get stronger. Then we settle the score."
The crew watched Victor's group leave, whispering. Rescue Pizarro? Suicide.
(Why didn't they jump in earlier? Numbers could've helped, right?)
'Hell no.' None of them had Mythical Zoan durability. One hit from that sword? Instant death. They weren't stupid.
Pirates stood by their crew—but not 'blindly.' That Marine had crushed Pizarro without breaking a sweat. Charging in? Just free kills.
---
As Victor's group walked toward the base, the blue-haired woman trailed behind, hesitation in her steps. Victor sensed her turmoil with Observation Haki.
Finally, she rushed ahead, blocking their path.
"Can I... ask a favor?" Her voice trembled.
Victor studied her. 'Something about her face feels familiar...'
Instead of addressing Victor, she approached Hina—though her eyes locked onto Smoker, slung over Hina's back.
"Officer Smoker, right? I... I have a five-year-old daughter. Can she join the Marines? It's too dangerous for her with me. I already lost her older sister—I can't protect her alone..."
Her plea was raw. Smoker, recalling how he'd saved her, felt a pang.
"Five's too young. The Marines don't recruit toddlers," he sighed.
Victor cut in: "Ever heard of the 'Marine Family Orphanage'? Enroll her there. She'll get an education, training—you can visit whenever. Safer than trailing you around."
The woman's eyes lit up. Perfect.
Smoker considered it. The orphanage had peers, structure—and with her mother nearby, she wouldn't be alone.
He nodded. Deal settled.
"Hina, hand Smoker to me. I'll get him treated. You three help her fetch the kid."
As Victor carried Smoker ahead, he smirked.
"Smoker. Really? You rescued her just because she's pretty?"
"'Bullshit!' It was 'justice!'" Smoker's ears turned red.
Victor's tone turned serious. "Then I hope you 'never' lose that sense of justice."
---
Marine Base - Later
After dropping Smoker at the infirmary, Victor secured Pizarro with Seastone cuffs. The base commander—a grizzled Vice Admiral with a spotted, dog-like face (a Dog-Dog Fruit user)—processed the paperwork.
'How does he maintain that form?' Victor bit his cheek to keep from laughing.
Vice Admiral Dalmatian was shocked. Pizarro was a hundred-million-berry pirate—yet Victor had captured him 'alone.' Still, given Victor's reputation, he didn't question it.
The paperwork finalized, Dalmatian assigned a ship to escort Victor to HQ. Pizarro would be Victor's prisoner until handed over.
Back in his office, Dalmatian eyed the lanky man napping on his couch.
"Kuzan. Heading back to HQ with them?"
The man lifted his sleep mask with one finger, revealing a drowsy eye.
"Nah. I'll bike back."
The mask dropped.
Dalmatian sighed.
'Ever since Ohara... Kuzan hasn't been the same.'
Victor went to the infirmary to visit Smoker, only to find that the three women had already returned and were gathered around Smoker's hospital bed. There was also a little girl in the room now.
With a smile, Victor entered Smoker's ward. Hearing the noise, the others turned and noticed him.
"Tashigi, call him Brother!" Hina said cheerfully to the little girl.
Hearing the name, Victor froze for a moment. It suddenly hit him—the woman he had seen earlier resembled none other than an older version of Tashigi! It was just that the grown-up Tashigi always wore glasses, so he hadn't made the connection before.
"Hello, Brother!" The little girl bowed formally to Victor. She wasn't wearing glasses at the moment.
"Hello, little Tashigi!" Victor replied with a warm smile.
"Hey, that's not fair! You made Tashigi call me 'Uncle' but call Victor 'Brother'—aren't you being a bit too much? Ow…!" Smoker fumed, but the sudden movement aggravated his injuries.
"Hahaha! That's because you look so scary—you almost made Tashigi cry earlier!" Hina teased mercilessly.
Tashigi, who now had a boyish air about her, stood quietly with a hint of nervousness. She wasn't nearsighted yet and looked almost identical to Kuina, though their personalities were vastly different.
In that moment, countless thoughts raced through Victor's mind. Tashigi bore an uncanny resemblance to Kuina, and they were both five years old—that was already an eerie coincidence.
But there was an even stranger detail: the woman had mentioned that Tashigi had an older sister! She hadn't said whether the two were twins, but it was enough to make Victor's imagination run wild.
Tashigi had black hair, just like Koushirou, while Kuina had dark blue hair—just like Tashigi's mother. Could Kuina and Tashigi actually be twins?
"Since you're all here keeping Smoker company, I'll take my leave. There's something I need to take care of."
After a quick farewell, Victor hurried to the window of the ward and immediately used Geppo to leap toward the center of the island.
"What's got Victor in such a rush? He didn't even use the front door!" Hina muttered in confusion.
"Probably remembered something he forgot to do. After all, we're leaving today," someone else replied.
Once Victor reached the island's center, he unleashed his full-range Observation Haki, enveloping the entire island.
This was the result of years of training—his range was already impressive. However, the closer the distance, the clearer his perception. Compared to Fujitora's ability to sense meteors from afar, there was still a significant gap.
"Gone? Just like that? How could she disappear so quickly? Did she deliberately bring Tashigi to the Marines? What's really going on in her mind?"
Victor had originally intended to find Tashigi's mother and get some answers. She might very well be his master's wife! But now, there was no trace of her left on the island.
"Fine. If she's deliberately hiding, then I'll just have to wait until fate brings us together again."
Victor returned to the base and told the others to get ready. Once the warship was prepared, they would head back to headquarters.
Vice Admiral Dalmatian was reliable as always, quickly arranging a warship for them. The voyage was smooth, with no ship-obsessed pirates causing trouble along the way.
By the time they disembarked, someone was already waiting at the port—they had been notified via Den Den Mushi.
"Recruit Victor, well done. Instructor Zephyr has spoken highly of you—the Navy's rising star. Hand Avalo Pizarro over to me. He'll be temporarily held at headquarters, and your merits will be recorded. This will give you a higher starting position after graduation."
The officer in charge of the handover was a vice admiral stationed at headquarters. After turning over Pizarro, Victor left the port with the others. Smoker, still seriously injured, needed to be admitted to the recruit area's hospital.
This time, Hina stayed behind to take care of Smoker, while Victor and the other two left to give the pair some privacy. They could always visit later.
Victor told the two women to return to the seaside first while he took Tashigi to the residential area. The military-affiliated orphanage was located there, and he had taken it upon himself to arrange Tashigi's placement.
On the way, they passed by a candy shop, and Victor bought some sweets for Tashigi. He unwrapped one, crouched down, and handed it to her.
"Here, Tashigi, have some candy. It's really sweet!" Victor said with a smile.
"Mmm, thank you, Brother Victor!"
"You can have the rest later, but only one piece a day, okay? If you eat too much, your teeth will all fall out!"
"Got it! Just one a day. Hehe!"
Holding the bag of candy in his left hand and Tashigi's tiny hand in his right, Victor strolled leisurely through the streets of the residential district.
"Tashigi, how did you and your mom end up on that island with all the big trees?"
"I don't really remember. Mom carried me into a small room and told me not to wander off. Then I fell asleep, and when I woke up, we were on that island!" Tashigi replied, clutching her candy.
"I see. Have you always lived with your mom? Have you ever met your dad?"
"Dad? I've always traveled around with Mom!" Tashigi tilted her head in confusion.
"Never seen him? Always on the move? Was she searching for something… or hiding from something? This woman just keeps getting more mysterious," Victor mused silently.