Kuraigana Island became an uninhabited island after being destroyed in the war. The remaining intact buildings on the island became Hawk Eyes' personal territory, who enjoyed peace and quiet.
The farmlands on the island were still there, but Hawk Eyes couldn't possibly farm every day, and the baboons on the island certainly weren't farmers either. These baboons, who had the habit of mimicking others, had witnessed too many battles; combat was already etched into their very bones.
Hawk Eyes was the Strongest Swordsman in the World. But even the Strongest Swordsman in the World was still human; he had not yet evolved to the point where he could live without eating or drinking. The island had abundant water sources, along with some wild fruits and animals, but other supplies still needed to be purchased from outside.
The reason News Coo came here was that Hawk Eyes had subscribed to a special delivery service. Normally, merchant ships carrying goods would never approach this deserted island. In the past, Hawk Eyes had to periodically buy large quantities of food, but now, with an express delivery service, things were different.
Fresh goods were, for the most part, much better than stored ones.
Carrying his package into the kitchen, Hawk Eyes took out the high-quality leeks he had ordered. Money was not an issue for him; cutting down a few pirates now and then was how Hawk Eyes earned his living expenses, so he could afford plenty of expensive ingredients.
The leeks in his hands were grown personally by the Farfetch'd. Their taste and texture were first-rate. Of course, the reason Hawk Eyes had bought them was because of Tesoro's advertising slogan — "The most suitable leeks for swordsmen."
Looking at the straight leek in his hand, Hawk Eyes even had the illusion that it was well-suited to be used as a sword.
Shaking off that thought, Hawk Eyes picked up a kitchen knife and began preparing food. On this island, there were only himself, Zoro and countless baboons, and clearly, Zoro was not someone to rely on.
Therefore, Hawk Eyes not only had to be self-reliant, but also had to prepare food for Zoro.
Not long after, Zoro, covered in wounds from fighting the baboons, crawled in through the castle's main gate. From the front entrance, it was a straight path to the dining hall, yet Zoro still managed to walk in an S-shape, wandering around the first floor for quite a while before finally making it to the dining table.
"No matter how many times it happens, your ability to get lost never fails to shock me."
"Hah? It's all because your castle is too complex! You're the real weirdo for living in a maze!"
With that, Zoro placed his four swords to the side and began eating without hesitation. The fourth sword was, of course, Yubashiri. Its fate had already changed.
Originally, Yubashiri had been destroyed by Shu, the user of the Rust-Rust Fruit, when the Straw Hats escaped from Enies Lobby. The remains were buried on Thriller Bark. But since those events never happened here, Yubashiri was never destroyed and had stayed with Zoro all along as a spare.
"Roronoa, your persistence in this matter could be considered number one in the world as well. Here's today's newspaper, Vegapunk is dead. The sea is becoming more and more chaotic."
"Vegapunk? Who was that again? I feel like I've heard the name before."
"Forget it. I shouldn't even bother telling you these things."
Hawk Eyes wasn't mute; when someone was around, he would exchange a few words. But Zoro wasn't interested in matters concerning the outside world.
This led to the fact that the only topic Hawk Eyes could share with him was swordsmanship. Beyond that, Zoro could hardly continue any conversation.
"Dead?! That b*stard just died like that?!"
Somewhere in the New World, aboard the Bonney Pirates' ship, Jewelry Bonney stared angrily at the news in the paper, even kicking over the table in front of her that was piled with food.
She was Kuma's daughter. In her understanding, it was Vegapunk who had modified her father, turning him from a gentle man into a cold, unfeeling war machine.
She had always wanted to capture Vegapunk and force him to turn her father back. But now that Vegapunk was dead, how could her father ever be restored? That question suddenly had no answer.
Overcome by rage, she even ignored the food she cared about most. This turn of events completely shattered her train of thought and left her confused about the future.
Also in the New World, Crocodile lit his cigar and took a deep drag as he looked at the news in the paper.
"The world's number one scientist just died like that… In this sea, without strength, it really is impossible to survive."
After his enlightenment in prison, Crocodile had once again realized the importance of strength. The matter with Vegapunk served as yet another warning. Relying solely on external means would not work.
"Mr. 1, let's go. That rusty body of yours still needs more training."
On the Island of White Soil, Baltigo, Dragon frowned as he looked at the follow-up reports about the incident on Egghead.
"Leader, what's the matter?"
"Just remembered some things, that's all."
More than twenty years ago, Dragon had met Vegapunk at the ruins of Ohara.
Although the Beasts Pirates had emptied out everything there, the massive crater and the traces left by the Buster Call made the outside world believe that everyone was already dead.
During a memorial there, Dragon had once tried to recruit Vegapunk, but was rejected for a very realistic reason: Dragon had no money.
Vegapunk's research required vast funding, and at that time, the Revolutionary Army was still in its infancy and could not possibly afford such costs.
What troubled Dragon even more was that not long ago, Vegapunk had asked Shaka to contact him, seemingly intending to pass along some kind of message. But before he received anything, Vegapunk was dead.
The Beasts Pirates' strange behavior, the mysteries Vegapunk left behind, and the future all weighed heavily on Dragon.
On an island near Elbaf, the Red Hair Pirates were holding a banquet, but their first mate, Beckman, was nowhere to be found.
"Boss, it's confirmed. It really was the Beasts Pirates who killed Vegapunk. All kinds of information indicate that he's dead."
"What are the Beasts Pirates trying to do? This isn't their style."
The drunk Shanks couldn't understand the Beasts Pirates' unusual actions either. Outsiders could never comprehend such hatred.
It's impossible to understand the reason by just imagining, so Shanks decided to put it out of his mind for now, intending to see how things developed in the future before making any decisions. At this moment, Beckman returned aboard a small boat.
"Is it dealt with?"
"Handled. Took off one of his arms to teach him a lesson. Even after surviving nearly two years in the New World, he's still just a rookie."
"Well done. Come on, keep drinking, the banquet isn't over yet!"
Shanks pulled Beckman over. Not long ago, the Kid Pirates' captain, Eustass Kid, had challenged Red Hair, and paid a bitter price for it.
Kid didn't even get to see Shanks' face before Beckman cut off his arm.
If not for Shanks being in a good mood at the time, Kid's voyage would have ended right then and there. Shanks looked like a good-natured man, but he was still one of the Emperors of the Sea.
As the cause of Vegapunk's death continued to spread, in the Future Country Baldimore, Vegapunk's homeland, a broken robot emerged from the sea and walked toward its former laboratory.
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