The sea breeze carried the scent of salt and freedom across the deck of the Iron Anchor—or whatever they would rename this stolen caravel.
On the beach, the unconscious bodies of Captain Gray and his crew lay in a heap, stripped of their weapons and valuables.
"Kyle, what do we do with them?" Killua nudged Gray's ribs with his toe, smirking. "They look like beached whales."
"Leave them," Kyle said, snapping the latch shut on a chest full of Berries. "The tide won't reach them. The Marines will find them soon enough. Consider it a gift to the local law enforcement."
He stood up, holding a glass sphere encased in brass. Inside, a needle floated, pointing steadily toward the horizon.
"Supplies are checked. We have food and water for two weeks. And most importantly," he held up the Log Pose, "we have the compass."
"So that's our ticket to the next stage?" Killua whistled.
"Pretty much," Kyle pocketed it. "Let's move. Time to make this ship ours."
They boarded the vessel. It wasn't new—the hull was scarred from battle and the sails were patched—but the bones were solid.
Kyle walked to the starboard cannons. He ran his hand over the cold iron barrel. A mischievous thought crossed his mind.
"Let's leave a farewell message for the Marines."
He loaded the cannon with practiced ease. Killua and Gon watched curiously.
Kyle aimed the barrel at an empty stretch of beach, far from the unconscious pirates.
BOOM!
The cannon roared, spitting fire and smoke. A shell whistled through the air and slammed into the sand, kicking up a massive plume of dust.
"Whoa!" Gon cheered. Killua's eyes sparkled as he watched the crater form.
The sound echoed like thunder. In the distance, alarms began to wail from the Marine base.
"Looks like our wake-up call worked," Killua laughed, hopping onto the railing. "They're coming."
"Perfect timing," Kyle dusted off his hands. "Gon, Killua, raise the anchor! Let's sail!"
"Aye aye!"
Gon scrambled up the mainmast like a monkey, settling into the crow's nest. "Wind is coming from the East! Current is steady!"
Killua and Kyle hauled on the heavy ropes. The canvas sails unfurled, catching the wind with a satisfying snap. The ship groaned, lurched, and then began to cut through the water.
By the time a squad of Marines arrived on the beach, panting and weapons drawn, the ship was already a silhouette against the horizon.
"Sir! Look!" A young private pointed at the unconscious pirates. "That's... that's 'Iron Anchor' Gray! Someone took out his whole crew!"
The commanding officer squinted at the departing ship, then at the smoking crater in the sand. He smirked.
"Pirate-on-pirate violence? Or maybe bounty hunters? Either way, cuff them. That's five million Berries in the brig."
He looked back at the sea. "Report that ship to Headquarters. The East Blue just got a little more crowded."
At Sea.
"Kyle! Starboard 30 degrees!" Gon's voice drifted down from the crow's nest.
"Got it!"
Kyle gripped the heavy wooden wheel, grunting as he fought the resistance of the rudder. "Starboard 30!"
"No, too much! That's 50! Back to port 20 degrees!"
"On it!" Kyle spun the wheel back frantically.
Killua leaned against the railing, watching Kyle wrestle with the helm. "Hey, let me try next. Looks like a workout."
"Hold course! Lock the wheel!" Gon shouted.
Kyle and Killua jammed the locking mechanism into place. The ship settled into a rhythmic sway, carving a straight path through the waves.
"Is that it?" Kyle wiped sweat from his brow.
"Yup!" Gon slid down a rope, landing lightly on the deck. "The wind is perfect. As long as we hold this heading, the Log Pose says we'll hit the next island by tomorrow."
Just as they relaxed, a distinctive cry echoed from above.
Coo~ Coo~
A seagull wearing a aviator cap and carrying a satchel circled overhead. It dropped toward them.
"A News Coo?" Kyle quickly fished a coin out of the treasure chest and flicked it into the air.
The bird caught the coin mid-flight and dropped a rolled-up newspaper in exchange.
Swish.
Killua snatched the paper out of the air.
"So this is how they get news? A bird delivery service?" Killua chuckled, unrolling the paper. "Low tech, but effective."
"It's the World Economic News," Kyle explained. "It has everything. Politics, weather... and Bounties."
"Let's see who's famous," Killua scanned the pages.
Suddenly, Gon pointed at a picture on the front page.
"Hey! Isn't that Luffy?"
There, grinning like an idiot in grainy black and white, was Monkey D. Luffy.
WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE
MONKEY D. LUFFY
30,000,000 BERRIES
"Thirty million?!" Killua's jaw dropped. "That rubber idiot is worth thirty million?!"
Kyle smiled. Arlong Park must have happened.
"He's moved up in the world," Kyle said. "If he's at 30 million... that means he's heading for the Grand Line. We might run into him sooner than we think."