Inside the restaurant, two groups occupied several corner tables. After listening to Bepo and Carrot recount their encounter, both the Black Star Pirates and Heart Pirates finally understood the complete situation.
Jerry glanced at Law, who was observing him with silent intensity, then looked at Bepo, who was studying him with obvious curiosity.
Suddenly, Jerry said to the polar bear with a teasing grin, "You're the famous navigator of North Blue, Bepo, right?"
"Eh? I... um, yes! Law is incredible!" Bepo stammered, then touched the back of his head embarrassedly before turning to his captain. "Right, Captain?"
Law, who had been maintaining his aloof demeanor, suddenly looked flustered and couldn't help but snap, "How would I know what he's thinking?!"
"Oh, I'm sorry..." Bepo immediately hung his head and apologized out of pure habit.
"Haha..." Everyone couldn't help but laugh at the captain and navigator's signature interaction.
The slightly tense atmosphere relaxed considerably. After a moment, Jerry chuckled and said, "Don't worry—if you want to cause trouble for Doflamingo, we won't interfere, and we certainly won't leak any information."
Noticing the Heart Pirates' hesitation to speak freely, Jerry guessed their concerns. He waved dismissively, pointing at the bound and unconscious Bellamy lying on the floor. "Just take care of him however you see fit."
"Thank you," Trafalgar Law replied, adjusting his spotted hat while gripping his nodachi Kikoku. He nodded slightly in gratitude, exchanged glances with his crew, and stood up. "We need to reach another island quickly. If you'll excuse us."
"Safe travels," Jerry and the others replied, waving as the Heart Pirates dragged the still-unconscious Bellamy out onto the street.
Neither group knew each other well, so excessive pleasantries weren't necessary. They'd only sat together because of the connection between Bepo and Carrot. Now that they'd shared their stories, it was natural for them to part ways and attend to their respective business.
Through their brief conversation, Jerry's crew had gained some understanding of the Heart Pirates' purpose on this island. Recently, Law had been conducting covert operations, successfully disrupting several of Doflamingo's underground transactions throughout North Blue.
They'd received intelligence about an arms deal on this island the previous day, but after searching for an entire day, they'd found no relevant leads. Only when updated intelligence pointed to another location had Law decisively decided to abandon operations here and move on.
"The way they're going about this suggests they have serious grievances against Doflamingo," Deuce observed thoughtfully in a low voice.
Jerry chuckled. "To be honest, we've got our own issues with that guy. Doflamingo's a real social butterfly—there are plenty of people who have grudges against him."
"That's true," Skull agreed with a nod. "As a broker in the underworld, the bigger his operation becomes and the wider his influence spreads, the more enemies he naturally accumulates."
Carina finished her juice and gently stroked Carrot's back as the young mink continued eating. "Anyway, let's not worry about him. Doflamingo's arms deals have nothing to do with us."
"Yeah! That's right! This is delicious—I want more!" Little Bonney declared between large bites, looking up to indicate she wanted additional dishes.
Looking at the growing pile of empty plates beside her, even though they already knew she was a prodigious eater, everyone still wondered how her tiny frame could possibly accommodate so much food.
After their meal, the crew strolled leisurely out of the restaurant. The refreshing breeze that occasionally swept through the sunny streets made everyone feel exceptionally comfortable.
"By the way, where's Cavendish?" Carina asked, looking around and suddenly realizing the narcissistic prince wasn't with them.
"He's been making rounds between the port and the town's central square," Brook recalled, remembering scenes he'd witnessed while purchasing supplies earlier.
Cavendish had been riding Farul as usual, casually strolling through the bustling streets. As for his specific purpose, only he truly knew.
Typically, after he'd been visible for a while, young women and middle-aged ladies would unconsciously gravitate toward him, beginning to follow alongside or behind his route. Whether it was the aesthetic preferences of this world or something else entirely, most women surrounding Cavendish displayed tremendous enthusiasm, their eyes practically sparkling with hearts as if they were irresistibly drawn to his charm.
"That's fine, let's continue—"
Before Carina could finish her sentence, a tremendous crash echoed from the distance, followed by the distinctive crack of lightning.
"That's coming from the port direction," Jerry observed, turning toward the sounds of ongoing battle. "Seems like Cavendish has found some excitement. Let's go take a look."
The crew quickly made their way through the streets toward the commotion, following the sounds of combat and electrical discharges that continued to echo across the town.
Earlier, near the port district...
"Hey! Who exactly are you?" Cavendish demanded, slowly helping a frightened young woman to her feet before letting her retreat to safety. He then glared hostilely at the man before him, whose hair and clothing were blue except for his black cloak.
"You've been wandering around this area, but you don't recognize us Vinsmokes? Clearly you're not a local," the blue-haired man replied, brushing at his clothes where a large footprint was clearly visible.
Cavendish waved reassuringly to the girl standing at the far end of the alley, who seemed reluctant to leave, then turned back to face his opponent. "Whatever your name is, you dare attack my fans? Are you tired of living?"
The conflict between them had begun just moments earlier.
As the day grew late, Cavendish had decided to end his usual public appearances. He'd expressed gratitude to his admirers in his characteristic gentle manner, waved goodbye, suggested everyone return home for meals, and planned to resume his public exhibition that afternoon.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, one young girl had lingered, still waving farewell to Cavendish. While backing away without looking, she'd accidentally bumped into Vinsmoke Niji, who happened to be passing through the area.
Vinsmoke Niji, like his siblings, had undergone scientific modifications by their father since childhood, granting him superhuman physical capabilities. However, these enhancements had cost him many of the rich emotions that defined humanity, developing instead an arrogant, irritable, and easily provoked personality.
Though he'd inherited certain lustful tendencies from his family lineage, Niji's upbringing and daily experiences had left him with no respect or understanding for women. Even the most trivial incidents were sufficient to trigger his anger.
Therefore, when an ordinary woman accidentally bumped into him, he'd immediately slapped the girl to the ground without hesitation. If Cavendish hadn't instantly lost his temper and kicked Niji away, the Germa prince would have continued his assault—violence against civilians was among his preferred pastimes.
After Cavendish's flying kick, he'd immediately followed up with a lightning-enhanced attack, though Niji had managed to dodge in time.
"What? You want to fight?" Niji sneered. "It's perfectly reasonable for that girl to pay a price for bumping into me, isn't it?"
Though he'd observed Cavendish manipulating lightning, Niji felt no fear—he didn't even understand what fear was. Moreover, electrical attacks were among his own specialties.
"Electric Kick!" Niji's legs crackled with energy as he moved at high speed, launching a lightning-enhanced kick directly at Cavendish's face.
"Hmph! You're seriously underestimating me!" Cavendish sneered contemptuously, internally mocking his opponent's tactics. Using electricity against someone with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit seemed incredibly foolish.
However, the next second, a tremendous impact sent Cavendish flying backward to crash heavily against a nearby wall.
Though he'd realized something was wrong at the last moment and attempted to use partial elementalization to dissipate the force, he'd only managed to reduce a small portion of the impact before being launched through the air.
Noticing the worried expression on his young fan's face, Cavendish quickly jumped to his feet, rubbing his face which had swollen considerably from the unexpected beating. He stared at Niji with newfound wariness.
"What the hell? That was obviously electricity, and there's no Haki involved. How could it possibly hit me? Unless..."
Before he could finish his analysis, Niji attacked again while providing the answer: "That's right! This is the power of Germa's science—electromagnetic force!"
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