"Though there's a possibility of exposure, we can't worry about that now," Meiser said. "It's better than..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a series of strange sounds, as if something was scratching at the window.
Suddenly, Meiser seemed to realize something and snapped his head toward the window behind him.
Zoro made the exact same movement.
"So it's here!" the two exclaimed simultaneously.
Watching a large bundle successfully escape through the window, the two immediately understood that the thieving fairy was right outside!
"Bastard, don't you think you're getting away!" Zoro roared.
Without hesitation, Zoro charged toward the window, shattering it with a single strike and leaping out.
He glared at the bundle fleeing into the distance and shouted, "Stop right there!"
"You damn sword-stealing thief!"
Although he didn't know what was up with this fairy, he would absolutely not let his swords be taken!
"Stop for me!"
"Hey! You'll get lost if you run off on your own, you idiot!"
Reacting quickly, Perona immediately gave chase. She didn't want a blockhead like Zoro getting lost in Dressrosa.
As she thought this, Perona thrust Merry into Meiser's arms before swiftly pursuing them through the window.
"Wait for me!"
"I'm going too!" Kin'emon bellowed.
"Why is it always one after another..."
Sanji followed them, feeling a headache coming on, fearing that Kin'emon might mess things up.
However, just before jumping out the window, Sanji paused and glanced back at Meiser. "We'll leave things here to you."
"Understood, go ahead," Meiser said, waving his hand with a sigh.
Despite the sudden incident, they had to get Zoro's sword back no matter what, so there was no problem with them going after the thief.
As for destroying the factory and snatching the Devil Fruit?
Leaving that to the remaining group wouldn't be an issue at all.
"Right."
Sanji nodded, then leaped out the window without a second thought.
"Hey, you guys, wait for me!" Luffy, finally realizing what was happening, swung his arms and prepared to give chase, but he was grabbed by Franky after only a few steps.
"Hold it right there," Franky said. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Chasing them to see, obviously," Luffy said. "I want to see what a fairy looks like."
He was incredibly curious about these so-called fairies.
"That's not going to happen," Franky said. "We have very important things to do on our end, so you're staying here."
"Franky is right," Meiser said, holding Merry with one arm. "Don't forget what we're here for."
Hearing their words, Luffy remembered their actual mission for this trip and gradually settled down.
That was true; they not only had to destroy the factory according to Torao's plan but also had to help Ace secure the Diamond-Diamond Fruit. They couldn't just leave.
Seeing that Luffy understood their meaning, Franky let go of him.
"So, what do we do now?" Merry asked.
"Obviously, we fish the people down there up to ask about the situation." Franky turned to look at the massive pit from earlier. "I just hope they're still alive."
If those people had been killed by that blind old man just now, he'd have to figure out where to find new enemies to interrogate.
"They're alive."
Having used his Observation Haki to sense the situation below, Meiser said, "Those people aren't dead."
He just didn't know if the blind old man had held back on purpose or if they were just lucky.
"I'll go," Luffy said.
"We only need the one in charge," Franky reminded him.
"Got it."
Luffy nodded and quickly walked toward the crater in the distance.
Meiser, meanwhile, walked toward the shopkeeper while carrying Merry, arriving at the counter shortly after.
"Shopkeeper, could I trouble you with something?" Meiser asked with a smile.
"W-What is it?"
Still wondering what Luffy was up to, the shopkeeper looked up at Meiser in surprise, clearly not expecting him to suddenly strike up a conversation.
Was he... planning to settle the bill?
That would be wonderful. To have someone remember to pay under these circumstances—what a good person!
"What was written on that note the blind old man gave you?" Meiser asked curiously.
As he spoke, he placed the Berries he had taken from Merry earlier onto the table and continued, "By the way, this is for our meal."
"Huh?"
"The meal money?"
Looking at the Berries on the table, the shopkeeper subconsciously swallowed hard, then said, "It doesn't cost this much..."
While pocketing an extra hundred thousand Berries was a tempting thought, as a shopkeeper with principles, he was hesitant to take the money.
After all... getting involved in things could easily lead to being killed by that Marine from earlier.
But he really, really wanted to take the money...
At this thought, the shopkeeper's expression became conflicted.
As if reading his mind, Meiser said with a smile, "It's fine. The extra is a reward for the information I'm looking for."
Meiser paused for a moment before continuing, "As for this conversation... don't worry, I'll keep it a secret."
"This... alright then."
Ultimately, the shopkeeper chose to follow his heart.
After carefully putting the Berries away, the shopkeeper looked around, clearly checking if anyone was paying attention.
Seeing no one else watching, he leaned toward Meiser and whispered, "That note identified him as a member of the Marines."
He paused, then added, "I won't say more than that. I can only tell you that he is a very big figure."
Having finished, and regardless of whether Meiser was satisfied, he turned and left with the money.
The shop was destroyed to the point where he couldn't continue business anyway, so he might as well go find someone to handle the repairs early.
As for what the stranger wanted to do with the blind man's identity?
He wasn't interested, and he didn't want to court trouble.
However, before leaving, he glanced at the massive hole that had been blasted into the floor, wondering if the Marines were about to have a conflict with the Donquixote Family.
Lost in thought, he pushed the door open and left.
Watching him go, Merry said, "So, that blind old man was a Marine?"
She really hadn't expected him to be a Marine; it was quite a surprise.
"Yes."
Meiser nodded and said, "If I'm not mistaken, he should be a Marine Admiral."
As he spoke, Meiser recalled conversations he'd had with Shakky.
If he remembered correctly, there was indeed a blind swordsman among the Marine Admirals.
In that case, was the man just now the new Marine Admiral, Fujitora Issho?
No wonder his presence felt so powerful; he was an Admiral!
That made sense.
"He could pull down meteors; he must rely on the power of the Gravity Fruit," Meiser muttered to himself.
He just didn't know if that was an inherent power of the Devil Fruit Ability itself, or if it required powerful Observation Haki to track meteors in outer space.
The former was one thing—Devil Fruit abilities were varied and strange, after all—but the latter would be terrifying.
Because... that would mean his Observation Haki could extend all the way into the sky!
How terrifying would that be?
At the thought, Meiser subconsciously frowned.
Merry didn't know about the things Meiser was considering in that instant; she was still reeling from Fujitora's identity.
"You mean the man just now was a Marine Admiral?" Merry asked in shock. "Couldn't he have been a Vice Admiral?"
"A Vice Admiral wouldn't have such a powerful aura," Meiser explained. "So he couldn't be one."
"Which means he really is a Marine Admiral?" Merry gasped.
Had they just been dealing with a Marine Admiral?
That was simply too shocking.
"What Admiral?"
Franky and Luffy, who had climbed up carrying the man, both looked at Meiser with confusion, clearly not following.
Was a Marine Admiral coming here to cause trouble for them?
"I'm talking about the identity of the man from earlier," Meiser said. "The blind old man."
"There's a high probability he is a Marine Admiral."
As soon as he said this, both Franky and Luffy showed expressions of shock.
"That old man was actually a Marine Admiral?" Luffy exclaimed.
Franky, however, seemed to realize something, and his expression gradually turned grim.
"In that case... did he recognize us?"
At this moment, Franky recalled the words the man had spoken as he left.
Knowing my identity would be bad for everyone.
He hadn't understood what the man meant then, but now he did.
The man was saying that if you knew I was a Marine Admiral, we would have no choice but to fight!
Did that mean... he had known they were the Straw Hat Pirates from the very beginning?
"It's hard to say," Meiser said, frowning. "But at the very least..."
Before Meiser could finish, he noticed the man in Luffy's grip watching them cautiously, so he abruptly cut himself off.
Franky noticed this as well and temporarily abandoned his plan to question Meiser further.
"Let's go, let's find a place first," Franky said. "I have quite a few things I want to ask this guy."
"But I really want to know about that Admiral," Luffy said quickly.
"We'll talk about it in a bit."
With that, Meiser turned and led Merry back the way they had come.
Interrogations naturally needed to be conducted somewhere secluded, so they had to find an alley first.
Thinking this, Meiser walked into the distance.
Though Luffy was somewhat dissatisfied, he obediently followed Meiser, carrying the manager.
Franky stared in the direction Fujitora Issho had departed for a moment, then muttered, "I didn't expect a Marine Admiral to actually show up here."
In that case, Meiser's previous deduction was completely logical!
Heh, Doflamingo's schemes were certainly ambitious.
With a cold snort, Franky turned and followed the others.
"Hurry up, Franky!"
"Coming!"
After finding a suitable alley, Luffy tossed the manager onto the ground.
As for the interrogation?
That was naturally left to Franky and Meiser.
"You're one of Doflamingo's men, aren't you?" Franky asked.
"That's right, so what if I am?" the manager said arrogantly.
Though he didn't know who these people were, as a minor manager of the Donquixote Family, he still had plenty of confidence.
"Then it's simple."
"Do you people think you can oppose the Young Master in Dressrosa and get away scot-free?" the manager sneered.
"Quite the arrogant one."
After the group exchanged glances, Franky punched the wall, easily smashing a hole through it.
This scene instantly terrified the manager.
If that hit my head...
As if imagining the scene, he subconsciously swallowed, his expression turning to one of horror.
"Can you talk now?" Luffy said, crouching down and looking at the manager who was now sitting on the ground in fear. "Otherwise, we won't be polite."
"Then... then ask already!"
The manager was almost in tears. Talk about what? What do you want me to say?
"Huh?"
Luffy blinked. Had they not asked yet?
Meiser: ...
He hadn't expected to see something like this play out before him.
Franky let out an awkward cough, then said, "Tell us, where is the Samurai?"
"I don't know that!"
"Hmm?"
Franky raised his fist, which was the size of a sandbag, and his gaze became sharp.
"You'd better tell the truth," Franky said, tilting his sunglasses slightly and looking coldly at the manager. "Otherwise, my fist is going to land on your head."
"I really don't know!"
The manager spoke immediately. "I did lead men to capture a Samurai before, but I wasn't the one who actually caught him, so I don't know where he was taken!"
Franky frowned upon hearing this. He didn't know?
For real?
However, since the man had said so, he didn't continue with that question and changed the subject instead.
"Then where is the SMILE Factory?"
"What even is that?"
A look of confusion appeared in the manager's eyes, clearly not understanding Franky's meaning.
"You don't know that either?"
Franky's face darkened. "Are you messing with us?"
As a manager for the Donquixote Family, how could he know absolutely nothing?
"This guy isn't being honest," Merry said, wrinkling her small nose. "Should we beat him up first?"
The manager: ??
What do you mean beat me up first?
Wait, how is this kid so mean?
"I really don't know!" the manager said with a pained expression. "I'm just an ordinary low-level leader!"
Although he managed a few subordinates, at the end of the day, he was only slightly better than a common grunt. There was no way he would know high-level secrets.
"Then it seems we'll have to find someone truly in charge to get information," Franky said, straightening his back.
He could tell the man wasn't lying; he truly didn't know those important pieces of information.
"Could he be lying?" Merry asked.
This time Franky didn't answer. Instead, he turned to look at Meiser.
When it came to discerning whether someone was lying, Meiser's word carried more weight than his.
"He indeed wasn't lying," Meiser said. "At least not for those two questions."
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