Dalmatian suddenly remembered the intelligence briefing back at Marine HQ, the bounty-setting meeting where the strategist Brandon had given his assessment.
"...We can already confirm that the giant wolf is the second strongest combatant hidden in that pirate crew."
"One of Onigumo's subordinate fought it briefly and was torn up all over, almost had his throat bitten clean off. He later reported that the wolf was fighting lazily the whole time, never even using its full strength."
Back then, Dalmatian had been chewing a cigar, barely listening, full of disdain.
A wolf?
Even if it goes all out, so what?
He always believed the only person in the Curtainfall Pirates worth taking seriously was their captain, Shanu.
But this time… he had witnessed it himself.
Even after sending two Rear Admirals and several Marines with Colonel rank to restrain the wolf, none of them managed to stop it. On the contrary, the beast threw the battlefield into complete chaos, scattering their formation like poultry in a storm.
Then, after causing havoc, it even freed itself enough to assist its comrades, severely injuring Bumaya and buying the Curtainfall Pirates precious time to board their ship.
This level of strength…
Perhaps not on the level of a veteran Vice Admiral from Marine HQ like himself.
But definitely comparable to a typical Vice Admiral.
"...Also, Sakazuki-san," Dalmatian continued, "besides the crew members already identified and given bounties, there's another unknown crewmate hidden among the Curtainfall Pirates.
And this person seems quite capable as well."
"Another hidden accomplice?"
Akainu frowned slightly.
"Yes. Based on traces left behind, this person must have infiltrated our battleship while we were fighting on shore. They sabotaged the mast and sails without alerting any of the Marines guarding the ship, nearly a hundred men."
"It wasn't until we rushed aboard in pursuit that the mast collapsed and the sails tore open… That's when we realized something was wrong."
Akainu's expression grew darker.
A mysterious hidden crewmate. A crew with strength far beyond initial intel. And that brat, Shanu.
"The Curtainfall Pirates… sure are hiding a lot."
His voice turned glacial.
"Prepare to return to Marine HQ. Have the intelligence division intensify the investigation. I want every scrap of information on that hidden member uncovered."
"Yes, sir!" Dalmatian snapped to attention.
Akainu turned back toward the horizon, murder simmering in his eyes.
"One day, brat…
Next time we meet, I will personally send you and your entire crew, straight to hell."
This time he had been careless. That brat slipped away.
Soon.
The battleship was repaired, and Marines from the north and south sides of the island gathered at the docks, preparing to set sail.
None of them, not even Akainu, noticed a black vulture soaring high above.
And on its back sat a pajama-clad sea otter, drawing rapidly on sketch paper with a charcoal pencil…
Hundreds of Kilometers Away
The sunset painted the sea in patchy gold.
SPLASH!
Shanu burst out of the water, drenched, black hair plastered to his forehead. He gasped violently, veins bulging on his arms as he dragged himself onto a jagged reef.
"Hah… hah…"
His chest rose and fell like a bellows. Every muscle screamed in overuse.
Flat on his back, he let seawater drip from his chin.
Where was he?
Hell if he knew.
But he had completely shaken off the Marines. No way they could pursue him anymore.
After fleeing the Tor Island waters, he had swum nonstop for hours, changing direction multiple times.
Even he didn't know where he'd ended up.
How could the Marines possibly find him?
"Kh…"
The sunlight was still too bright. He raised a trembling arm, shielding his eyes and peeking between his fingers at the sky dyed crimson.
Akainu's magma fist still left phantom burns in his vision. And the stabbing pain throughout his body hadn't faded.
What a mess I look like…
That fossil really deserved his title, a top-tier monster standing at the summit of the world. A Marine Admiral really is absurdly strong.
Even using every trump card, relying on inhuman durability and regeneration, he had barely held on for half an hour.
During which he'd been roasted to bone more times than he could count.
If not for that Senzu Bean…
He probably would've been blasted into a Brook-shaped skeleton.
Still. As Akainu himself admitted, lasting that long without being instantly crushed, for someone Shanu's age, was already something to brag about.
And in the end…
he even landed a real injury on Akainu, an outcome even Akainu hadn't expected.
"Not a bad harvest."
Shanu grinned weakly.
He didn't care much about fame.
What mattered was the clear feeling: after a life-or-death battle fought at full throttle, his Armament Haki and combat experience had improved again.
The increase wasn't huge, but at his current level, any progress was priceless.
Bit by bit…
Step by step…
One day. He too would stand at the top of this ocean.
The last sliver of sunlight slipped beneath the horizon, and night swept over the sea.
Shanu exhaled and summoned his system panel.
One last piece of loot.
[Sacrificial Item: Sakazuki's Marine Peaked Cap]
[Quality: Epic]
[Value: 4500 Points]
[Description: The Marine cap worn for years by Admiral Akainu. It embodies his obsession with Absolute Justice.
The burn marks and dried blood stains are proof of countless ruthless battles and executions.]
Four thousand five hundred points, even more than the dog-head cap he once "borrowed" from Garp.
Their strength was comparable, but the difference in value…
Well, Garp's cap hardly appeared late-story, while Akainu's cap might as well be glued to his head for eternity.
His remaining points jumped to 45,500. Enough for a nice shopping spree next shop refresh.
But for now…
He closed the panel and collapsed star-shaped on the rock. He was utterly exhausted. Too tired to lift even a finger.
All he wanted was sleep.
As for contacting his crew…
The Den Den Mushi hadn't survived. It could wait until after he'd slept.
Besides, with Observation Haki, any danger approaching would wake him instantly.
Not that there was any danger here. Unless he had truly dogshit luck and a certain curly-haired guy on a bicycle passed by…
His thoughts blurred. His eyes sank shut.
And, with a soft snore, Shanu fell into deep sleep.
Moonlight on the Sea
Waves lapped gently at the reef. Then, a large shadow surfaced silently from the deep.
A massive sea turtle. Wearing a cowboy hat. With an old pipe in its mouth.
On its shell, a tall woman stood up, dressed in a purple summer top revealing a toned midriff. The sea breeze toyed with her smooth shoulder-length black hair, the moon outlining her elegant features with a mysterious glow.
When she saw the sleeping figure on the reef, she chuckled softly:
"Ah la la… So this is where you drifted off to?"
She leapt lightly onto the rock.
The moment she saw him clearly, Robin's pupils contracted.
The boy was covered in a disturbing shade of bluish-purple. Dark lines crawled faintly across his skin like venom spreading.
If Shanu were conscious, one glance would've told him,
Bumaya's poison still lingered.
He'd noticed the color shifts earlier while escaping: sometimes normal, sometimes corpse-blue. After confirming the toxin posed no threat to his organs or life, only irritating the skin, he'd brushed it aside.
He'd deal with it later with Life Return after sleeping and eating properly.
But Robin didn't know that.
To her, the sight of him lying there, skin darkened and unconscious, tt looked like someone on the brink of death.
How could this be?!
Robin's heart dropped. After tailing him for so long, she knew exactly how terrifying this boy was.
Even before today's earth-shaking battle, she had seen him shatter a mountain with a single punch.
And now such a man was sprawled helpless by poison?
She clenched her jaw.
"We need treatment. Immediately."
She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Tres Fleur — Crane Lift."
SWISH.
Eight pale arms blossomed from beneath Shanu's body, lifting him gently and placing him on the turtle's shell.
Robin placed her coat under his head and checked his pulse again.
"Good… His vitals are still stable."
She exhaled softly.
Then she turned to the sea turtle:
"Banchi, we're heading out. Full speed. We need to find a proper doctor for him as soon as possible."
"No problem," the turtle mumbled, pipe bobbing as it paddled harder.
Then it looked back.
"Uh… But which direction are we going?"