"The Shadow Clone still hasn't sent back any news..." Meiser frowned. "Did something happen on Luffy's end?"
It had been quite some time since he deployed the Shadow Clone, yet it hadn't dispersed to relay information... That idiot must have caused trouble again.
Just thinking about it made Meiser feel a headache coming on.
The next moment, Meiser received intel from the Shadow Clone and froze momentarily.
Then his expression twisted in exasperation. "This moron..."
What was that guy thinking, randomly eating things in the forest? Didn't he fear poisoning himself?
Fortunately, there were people who knew healing here, or this would have been a real problem.
"Looks like we can't leave until Luffy gets treated..."
Shaking his head, Meiser jumped down from the rooftop into Granny Nyon's courtyard.
"With the clone following them, those two should be safe for now..." Meiser stroked his chin. "I should focus on figuring out this Serpent Princess situation first."
At that moment, Meiser noticed a newspaper on the table inside the house.
After a brief consideration, he walked over and picked it up to read.
"Huh? Not a report about us..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Meiser was stunned by the explosive content.
"Fire Fist Ace, the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?!"
"The Marine Headquarters plans to publicly execute Fire Fist Ace?"
Seeing this news, Meiser's expression immediately darkened.
Wasn't that guy Luffy's brother? How did he get captured by the Marines?
If Luffy found out about this, wouldn't he go berserk?
He couldn't even imagine how Luffy would react upon learning of Ace's death. Would he completely break down?
Glancing at the execution date, a shadow crossed Meiser's eyes.
"The execution date is this close already..."
This was... absolutely terrible.
Just then, the Den Den Mushi in Meiser's pocket suddenly rang.
"Buro buro buro~"
"Buro buro buro~"
"Buro buro buro~"
"A Den Den Mushi call?"
Meiser was momentarily stunned. The only person who could be calling him now... was probably Shakky.
As he thought this, Meiser took out two Den Den Mushi and placed them on the table.
Since there was no one around, answering the call shouldn't be a problem.
"Kacha~"
"This is Meiser," he said.
"You finally picked up, little Meiser," Shakky sighed in relief.
She had genuinely worried the boy might have been killed.
"Huh?"
"What do you mean 'finally'?"
Meiser was confused. This was the first time he'd received a call from her since leaving Sabaody Archipelago.
What was she talking about?
"I've tried contacting you many times," Shakky explained. "But the calls never went through..."
Precisely because they couldn't reach him, she and Rayleigh had been extremely worried about the kids' situation.
After all... they had no idea where the group had gone!
"Why is this happening...?" Meiser scratched his head, a look of confusion flashing in his eyes.
Then, he recalled the scene of being propelled forward by bear paw-shaped gas earlier.
Anything that tried to touch them would be mercilessly repelled...
"If Kuma's Devil Fruit Ability can materialize and expel people's injuries, then...could it also repel signals?"
Thinking this way, it became clear why he couldn't receive Shakky's call.
Because the signal was instantly repelled the moment it touched the Bear Paw Gas!!
What an overpowered Devil Fruit Ability... Meiser marveled inwardly.
If even something like this can be repelled, then...could things like memories, souls, or even lifespans be repelled too?
A rule-based ability... How utterly broken!!
"Never mind, that's not important. The main thing is we've made contact," Shakky said. "What's your current situation?"
"I'm with Luffy and Merry. The others were each sent to different places by Kuma's slap, but...they should all still be alive."
Though he didn't understand Kuma's intentions, since the man had come to rescue them, he wouldn't let the others die.
Therefore, Meiser was certain all his crewmates must still be alive!
Yes, absolutely!!!
"Bartholomew Kuma?"
"That's right."
"I see..." Shakky exhaled a smoke ring. "No wonder you all disappeared without a trace."
She was well aware of Kuma's Devil Fruit Ability.
Though she didn't know why Kuma had rescued them, as long as they survived, that was what mattered.
However, one thing puzzled Shakky—why had Kuma separated the Straw Hat Pirates?
If he truly meant to save them...why not send them all to the same location?
Could Kuma have some other hidden agenda?
At this thought, Shakky fell into deep contemplation.
"Shakky, could you help me track Kuma's whereabouts?" Meiser asked.
"That might be difficult."
"Even you can't find him..."
"Little Meiser, I'm not omnipotent," Shakky said helplessly. "Not all information is obtainable."
After a pause, she continued, "Other Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea would be easier, but this Kuma...
"Among the Warlords...no, I should say in all these seas, his movements are the hardest to track."
"Because of his Devil Fruit Ability?"
"Exactly."
"That does make him difficult to find..." Meiser rubbed his temples.
If Kuma could repel others, then he could repel himself too!!
Someone like him wouldn't need ships to travel—he could simply dash across the seas using his ability.
Thus, no one could possibly predict his destination.
At this realization, Meiser sighed.
In that case, meeting Kuma again wouldn't be easy.
Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Shaking his head, Meiser asked, "Shakky, have you heard of Kuja Island?"
Shakky: ???
Shakky stared at the Den Den Mushi with a puzzled expression. Why was her hometown suddenly being mentioned?
"Wait... Could this kid have been sent to Kuja Island by Kuma?"
As this thought crossed her mind, Shakky fell into deep contemplation.
"Shakky-nee?"
"Ahahaha, I know, of course I know." Shakky, snapping back to reality, chuckled. "Your big sister knows that place like the back of her hand."
"Huh??"
Meiser was taken aback. This sister of his actually knew about that place?
"You might not believe this," Shakky said with a smile, "but your big sister here was once the empress of that island~"
"Eh?!!"
"EH!!!"
Meiser's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he stared at the Den Den Mushi in shock.
"Emp... Empress?!"
The sister he knew as an information broker was actually the former empress of Kuja Island?
"Yep!"
After a moment of silence, Meiser asked, "Then why did you come to Sabaody Archipelago to deal in information?"
Why abandon being an empress to run an information business in that dangerous place?
"That's a long story," Shakky said, spreading her hands. "It involves countless tales~"
"Want to hear them?"
"Well... Maybe next time," Meiser replied. "I'm kind of in a hurry right now."
Though he didn't know how far they were from Marine Headquarters, he couldn't afford to waste time listening to stories.
He just needed to know that Shakky-nee had once been the empress here.
Hmm... Though he wondered if this had anything to do with Uncle Rayleigh.
"You brat." Shakky rolled her eyes. "If you're in a hurry, I won't keep you."
Now that she knew the kids were alive, there was nothing left to worry about.
She'd just tell Rayleigh later so he could focus on coating without concern.
"Wait, Shakky-nee, hold on!"
"Weren't you in a big hurry?" Shakky teased. "Why the sudden change?"
"Ahem... Mainly because there's something else I need your help with."
Shakky smirked, leisurely pouring herself a cup of tea. "Go on, what is it?"
"Shakky-nee, does Kuja Island have a Log Pose for Marine Headquarters?" Meiser asked.
The question made Shakky pause, then she asked curiously, "Why do you need a Log Pose for Marine Headquarters?"
As she spoke, she picked up the earlier newspaper and scanned the headlines—specifically the news about the Marines' public execution of Fire Fist Ace.
Was this kid planning to jump into the fray?
Frowning, Shakky considered the gravity of such a battle. This wasn't something to take lightly.
"Our captain, Monkey D. Luffy, is Fire Fist Ace's younger brother," Meiser explained. "If he finds out about this, he'll definitely try to save him."
Having fought alongside Luffy at Enies Lobby, Meiser knew exactly how he would react.
If his brother was captured and taken to Marine Headquarters, Luffy would move heaven and earth to rescue him.
"Little Monkey is Fire Fist Ace's brother...?"
Shakky looked genuinely surprised. She hadn't expected that bastard Garp to have another grandson... How shocking.
However...this old man must be suffering right now.
His own grandson is about to be publicly executed by the Marines, yet he can't do anything about it...truly pitiful.
"Shakky?"
"Hold on, let me think..."
Shakky lowered her head in deep thought before speaking after a moment: "There's still some time before the public execution...Fire Fist Ace should still be in Impel Down."
"Impel Down?"
"Yes," Shakky explained. "It's where the Marines imprison pirates."
"But only those with bounties get sent there. Based on the intel we've gathered, we can conclude that every pirate transported to Impel Down carries a bounty!"
"So the weak aren't even worthy of imprisonment..." Meiser mused, stroking his chin.
"Pretty much."
After all...there are countless pirates on these seas! If every captured pirate were imprisoned there, the place would've been overcrowded long ago.
"Is there any way to get there?" Meiser asked. "Or does Kuja Island have any means to reach it?"
Hearing this, Shakky fell silent before replying: "Unfortunately, under normal circumstances, there's no way to reach Impel Down."
"Why not?"
"Because Impel Down is located in the Calm Belt," Shakky said.
Simply finding its location would be difficult enough, let alone actually reaching it.
"Calm Belt?"
Meiser paused, then asked in confusion: "Then how do the Marines get there?"
"You know about the Gates of Justice, right?"
"Yeah, I'm aware of those."
Back at Enies Lobby, he'd seen those massive Gates of Justice. At the time, he'd marveled at how such a thing could even be built—they were absurdly huge!!
"Maybe someone on Oars' level built them?" Meiser wondered privately.
"Knowing about the Gates makes this easier to explain," Shakky continued. "The World Government has three Gates of Justice in total. Using these three gates, they've created a special basin current connecting Impel Down, Enies Lobby, and Marine Headquarters."
"The Marines use this special current to reliably reach Impel Down within the Calm Belt."
"So if we could find that current, we could locate the place?" Meiser said.
Though he wasn't a navigator, with his Sharingan's Pupil Power, he might be able to detect this so-called special current.
"It's not that simple," Shakky shook her head.
"Why not?"
"Because there are special whirlpool currents near the Gates of Justice!" Shakky explained. "If you approach recklessly, your ship will be destroyed by the whirlpools, sinking to the ocean's depths."
After a pause, she added: "However, these whirlpool currents transform into normal currents when the Gates of Justice open, carrying ships to the waters near Impel Down."
"And the authority to open the Gates lies with the Marines."
Here, Shakky hesitated before concluding: "Though whether the control mechanism is at Marine Headquarters or Impel Down itself...that much isn't clear."
This...was the extent of the information she knew.
"You know so much, Shakky! That's amazing!"
"Stop the flattery." Shakky rolled her eyes. "Impel Down has been around for centuries. Knowing these things isn't that unusual."
Over those hundreds of years, there had always been reckless pirates who tried to test its defenses.
Unfortunately, none had ever managed to break in.
As for those who escaped—well, there was only one: Shiki!!
But... that guy came out in terrible shape. Rumor has it he lost both his legs.
"So, finding Impel Down isn't going to be easy, huh?" Meiser mused, rubbing his chin. "Is there another way?"
"Like an Eternal Log Pose or something?"
"That place isn't an island. It doesn't have a magnetic field."
"I see..."
Meiser felt a headache coming on. Without a magnetic field, an Eternal Log Pose wouldn't work.
"If you had a Vivrecard from a Marine stationed in Impel Down, then with your Water Release Technique, you might actually be able to reach it," Shakky suggested.
This method was only possible for someone like Meiser.
After all... this guy could manipulate seawater!
As for others?
Unless they could fly, the ocean currents would kill them for sure.
"A Vivrecard, huh..."
Meiser frowned, immediately understanding its significance.
If he could get his hands on one, he could fight his way there.
But the problem was... he didn't have one!
"Right, a Vivrecard." Shakky sighed. "But unfortunately, I don't have one, and neither does Kuja Island."
"So, there's no way to go, then." Meiser massaged his temples.
He had nowhere to get a Vivrecard either—the only one he had was Rayleigh's.
"You don't necessarily have to go to Impel Down," Shakky said after a moment.
"You mean... Marine Headquarters?"
"Exactly."
Shakky continued, "The Marines plan to publicly execute Fire Fist Ace at Marine Headquarters. They're slapping Whitebeard in the face in front of the whole world."
"So, that old man will definitely bring his crew to rescue Fire Fist Ace."
"You could just head straight to Marine Headquarters and fight the Marines alongside one of the Four Emperors Crews."
At this, she paused before adding, "But... the death toll in a war of this scale will be extremely high. Even a Marine Admiral could fall."
"You... should think carefully."
She had witnessed firsthand just how terrifying Whitebeard's strength was.
That man truly possessed unparalleled power!!
Against someone like him, even a Marine Admiral risked death.
So... participating in this kind of battle was incredibly dangerous.
Compared to that, Impel Down didn't seem as risky.
Too bad they couldn't go.
"I'll pass this on to Luffy," Meiser said. "But I doubt he'll be afraid of danger."
"Of course, neither will I."
Hearing this, Shakky chuckled.
True enough. These guys had even dared to kill a Celestial Dragon—what wouldn't they do?
A Marine Admiral?
That wouldn't scare them at all.
At this thought, Shakky said, "In that case... you should go find little Hancock."
"Hancock?"
Meiser was taken aback. Who was this now?
"That would be the Serpent Princess you mentioned," Shakky explained. "She's one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea. She must have a permanent Log Pose to Marine Headquarters."
"Oh, her..."
Meiser rubbed his temples in frustration. "I'm actually having trouble with that very thing."
"What's the matter?"
"I just asked around, but this Hancock took her people out hunting. No one knows when she'll return," Meiser said.
After a pause, he added, "Someone mentioned Granny Nyon might know when she's coming back, but I couldn't find this Granny Nyon either."
Though... recalling how he'd questioned people earlier, Meiser felt a twinge of embarrassment.
After all... he'd used his Mangekyō Sharingan to control them during interrogation.
Fortunately, he hadn't harmed anyone, or he'd have a hard time explaining himself to Shakky.
Shakky herself seemed surprised when she heard Meiser's words.
"You asked around?"
This boy actually went into Kuja Island as a man... and didn't get beaten up?
Hmm... probably got mistaken for a woman?
The thought amused her greatly.
Suppressing her laughter, Shakky said, "Since little Hancock isn't available now... you should go find Gloriosa first. Contact me afterward, and I'll explain the situation to her."
"Who's Gloriosa?"
"That would be the Granny Nyon you mentioned."
"Right, got it."
"Mm." Shakky nodded. "Oh, and remember—don't let anyone discover you're a man. At least not until you find her."
"Why?"
"Because Kuja Island doesn't welcome men!"
Meiser: "..."
After a moment of silence, Meiser nodded. "Understood!"
Click~
After the Den Den Mushi call ended, Shakky chuckled to herself. "Little Meiser actually went to Kuja Island... how amusing~"
She couldn't help but wonder—what kind of reaction would Meiser have when he finally met little Hancock?
This was going to be fun~
Creak~
Just then, the door swung open, and Rayleigh walked in, followed by Hachi and the others.
"Back so soon?"
"Oh my~"
"If it isn't Hachi and Camie!"
"And... and me too..." Pappag whimpered, on the verge of tears.
Why did everyone always overlook him, the starfish?
"Ah~"
"My apologies, Pappag," Shakky said with a laugh. "Long time no see."
"Ahaha, it has been a while!"
Instantly cheered up, Pappag burst into laughter—clearly, he was an easy soul to please.
"Sorry for intruding on you again," Hachi said awkwardly.
"Don't mention it."
Shakky waved it off. "Make yourselves at home."
After serving drinks, she turned to Hachi. "Aren't you worried about bringing Camie ashore again? What if something happens?"
At this, Hachi grew visibly uncomfortable.
He was worried, but with Rayleigh around, he'd felt bold enough to take the risk...
Noticing this, Rayleigh boomed with laughter. "That's what I'm here for, hahaha!"
Shakky shook her head helplessly upon hearing this. Though that might be the case, it was still dangerous for Merfolk to come ashore.
"We met Uncle Rayleigh by the shore," Camie explained. "After asking around, we realized there'd been no news from Nami and the others, so we decided to come up together to check."
Hearing Camie's words, Rayleigh also wiped the smile off his face and asked, "Still no news about them, Shakky?"
As soon as he spoke, the other three immediately held their breath, afraid of hearing bad news.
"You came at just the right time," Shakky flicked her cigarette ash and smiled. "Just now, I successfully made contact with Xiao Meiser."
"According to Xiao Meiser, they're all still alive and managed to escape the Navy's pursuit!"
"That's great!!"
"They're alive!"
Hachi and the other two immediately cheered, tears of joy streaming down their faces.
For the past three days, they had been constantly worried about the Straw Hat Pirates, afraid they hadn't escaped.
Now that they knew the others were alive, they could finally relax.
"Is that so? Good." Rayleigh grinned. "Seems those kids are even more capable than we imagined."
To escape alive from Akainu's hands—these guys were more formidable than he'd thought.
Truly worthy of being the rookies he had high hopes for!
Hahahaha!
With this, he could peacefully coat their ship.
Once they returned to Sabaody Archipelago, they could set off directly for the New World.
And once they reached the New World... even the Navy would find it hard to pursue them!
"They are quite capable, but this was mainly thanks to Kuma," Shakky said.
"Kuma?"
Rayleigh was taken aback. What did that Royal Seven Warlord of the Sea have to do with this?
Hachi also looked at Shakky in confusion. He knew of this Warlord, but... was he involved in this?
"According to Meiser, Kuma appeared on Sabaody Archipelago for some reason and sent them flying to different locations," Shakky explained. "That's how Xiao Meiser managed to escape."
Hearing this, Rayleigh fell into deep thought.
Why would that Warlord... help the Straw Hat Pirates?
He couldn't make sense of it. It was truly baffling.
"Meiser and the others aren't together?" Camie asked, stunned.
"No, they're not."
"What do we do then?!"
Camie was at a loss. Without Luffy and the others to protect them, could Chopper, Nami, and the rest defend themselves?
She didn't want them to end up like her—captured dozens of times!
"Don't worry, they're not weak either," Shakky reassured her. "Remember, every member of the Straw Hat Pirates has a bounty—except for Merry."
"They should be able to protect themselves."
Shakky pondered for a moment. If Kuma had chosen to save them, he probably wouldn't have sent them to extremely dangerous places—that would defeat the purpose.
"That's a relief..."
Camie sighed in relief. As long as they weren't in danger.
"Bounty?"
Pappag was momentarily stunned. Didn't he remember Chopper's bounty being only 50?
Was he... really that strong?
At that moment, Pappag recalled the time they had encountered bounty hunters together.
Back then, Chopper had displayed considerable combat prowess.
Thinking of this, Pappag felt reassured.
Yeah, they should be fine.
"Where are they?" Rayleigh asked, looking up.
"Kuja Island~"
Rayleigh was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, saying, "Ahahahaha, what a coincidence indeed."
Who would have thought that Kuma would send Meiser to the Island of Women... What kind of reaction would Hancock have upon seeing Meiser?
I wonder if that kid can pull off the same things I did, ahahahaha.
Watching Rayleigh laugh heartily, Shakky rolled her eyes.
Clearly, as someone who knew Rayleigh well, she could see exactly what he was thinking.
"Disgraceful."
But unfortunately, this didn't shut Rayleigh up—it only made him laugh even harder.
"Ahahahaha."