Seeing that he finally asked this question, Joseph got up from the ground and rushed to answer: "Brother Zoro went to another island before, and neither we nor Mr. Lem saw him."
Vivi stared at him blankly: "Really?"
Johnny on the side nodded repeatedly: "It's true, it's true!"
Vivi was satisfied with the answer and nodded. "That's such a pity."
"Yeah, yeah, it's really a pity."
"Yeah, Big Brother Zoro has been talking to the Baroque Works…" Before Johnny could finish speaking, Joseph swiftly covered his mouth, shooting him a sharp glare that clearly meant, Shut up!
Vivi relayed the incident to Nico Robin afterward. The matter concerning Lem had concluded, and as for Miss All Sunday—she was busy and didn't care for trivial matters. Whether Lem was killed or eaten by sea kings, it didn't matter. Baroque Works wouldn't bother with an insignificant East Blue bounty hunter.
She looked at Joseph and Johnny. She had been looking for the puppy, Xiu Xiu. Their timing was impeccable. As local East Blue bounty hunters, they'd be helpful guides. Sadly, their combat prowess was on the low end—but that was expected. They represented the general strength of East Blue fighters.
East Blue was considered the weakest of the four seas for good reason. Compared to other seas, it severely lacked powerful individuals. Vivi estimated their swordsmanship to be at best just above level 1—not even close to level 2. The region had produced freaks like Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Dragon, Portgas D. Ace, Luffy, and Zoro—but those were anomalies, not the norm. These two were the real standard.
They had never eaten a Devil Fruit, never been to the Grand Line, and had never even heard of Haki. In the end, they were just regular people.
If taken to the Grand Line, even a low-ranking pirate could potentially kill them. They'd be goners.
After a round of "You're amazing!" and "Big Sis is so strong!" from the two, the next steps followed naturally.
Though East Blue didn't have the Grand Line's magnetic anomalies, Vivi still needed a guide to find the missing puppy, Xiu Xiu. These two, with provisions in hand, were perfect candidates.
Johnny and Joseph had initially come to look for Zoro. They had no intention of joining Baroque Works or risking their lives in the Grand Line. With Vivi now requesting their help as guides, they were more than happy to accept the task. Once completed, they'd excuse themselves with "we're too weak," and be done with it.
The two parties hit it off immediately. Johnny and Joseph followed their newly acknowledged big sister and boarded a merchant ship headed for the Goa Kingdom. They would disembark midway and find their way to the town where the dog was said to be.
…
Not long after Vivi, Johnny, and Joseph left Loguetown, the stationed Marine warship also set sail.
Vivi had underestimated the Navy's capacity to track down suspects—and she'd definitely underestimated Smoker's persistence.
Smoker feared no one—not pirate warlords, not the government. He had a dogged nature; once he latched onto something, he would follow it to the end.
Though Vivi had covered her tracks well and fled decisively, the disguise for Karoo was nearly flawless. Still, 99.9% of the Navy wouldn't have pursued a 50-berry fugitive—it just wasn't worth the effort.
But Smoker belonged to that rare 0.1%. With too much idle time in Loguetown, where his only daily entertainment was stacking rocks, he followed his hunch.
Karoo's outfit had returned to normal, but its body size was a giveaway. A duck that large was impossible to ignore. Smoker had a gut feeling that the woman exuding Haki had something to do with the strange duck-like creature. He narrowed it down to five women who'd left Loguetown with pets.
He began the pursuit. He wouldn't stop until he got answers.
Smoker brought several of his close subordinates along, including Sergeant Tashigi.
He understood what was at stake. If word got out that he'd deployed a full warship over a 50-berry case, not even having Admiral Aokiji as a backer would save him. Sengoku would rain hell on him.
So, instead of using the Loguetown garrison, he requisitioned a vessel from the East Blue's 153rd Branch that had docked nearby. Aside from his trusted followers, the rest of the crew were ordinary East Blue marines.
Any sailor worth their salt knew there were common sea lanes. Though the five women Smoker marked were on separate ships, they had all departed from Loguetown using similar routes. He wasn't worried about losing them. Even if he didn't yet know who the true suspect was, he would chase them all.
Seven ships had left Loguetown. The first six were merchant vessels. The last was the Marine warship Smoker had borrowed.
On the deck of one merchant ship, Van Augur sat calmly at the stern. The long-range sniper of the Blackbeard Pirates wondered why the Marine warship seemed to be following them. Were they after me? I haven't done anything… have I?
Known for his insane precision, Van Augur could shoot birds from miles away. Though laid-back in demeanor, he was a trigger-happy warrior. He usually fired the first shot in battle.
Still, unsure of the warship's intentions, he lifted his signature rifle Senriku and aimed it toward the distant Colonel Smoker standing on deck.
But before he could pull the trigger, a massive shadow loomed overhead.
"What the hell?" He froze, eyes widening as a giant ship passed above, slicing through the clouds.
A flying ship? The absurdity defied logic. The image shattered everything he thought he understood. He glanced back at the Marine vessel and saw it in chaos. The Vice Admiral in the white coat, cigar clenched between his teeth, was barking frantic orders to turn the rudder.
"Jiehahaha—what do we have here? A lone Navy warship? Poor bastard! Let me give you a lift to headquarters! Jiehahaha—I'd love to see Sengoku's old wrinkled face!"
A golden figure descended onto the Marine ship's deck. His voice was brash, overbearing. With a casual flick of his hand, the warship defied gravity—rising slowly into the air.
The Headquarters colonel aboard shouted commands, trying to organize resistance. But the East Blue marines, unaccustomed to this level of chaos, were falling apart.
Van Augur narrowed his eyes, spotting the colonel charging at the golden man, only to be struck down in less than ten exchanges. The Marine fell, bloodied. A young female officer—Tashigi—stood trembling but determined. She drew her sword and faced the enemy.
But the power gap was overwhelming. With just a few clashes, she was slapped away, her sword flying out of reach…