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When the Straw Hats came ashore, they completely forgot one thing:
Their reputation in East Blue had already reached terrifying levels.
It didn't take long for word to spread—the new rulers of East Blue, the Straw Hat Pirates, had landed in Loguetown.
In a room somewhere in town, a green-haired man (with the same hair color as Zoro) sat silently. Suddenly, someone burst in, clearly in a rush.
"Boss! The Straw Hat Pirates just arrived in Loguetown!"
"Huh?"
The man stood up, clearly excited. "Let's go see for ourselves what kind of strength this two-hundred-million-berry pirate crew really has."
This man was none other than Bartolomeo, a mob boss who ruled over multiple towns.
Marine Base
Tashigi rushed into a room, a little flustered.
"Colonel Smoker! The Straw Hat crew just arrived in Loguetown!"
Smoker, hearing that, calmly asked:
"Who are you talking to?"
Tashigi turned to realize she was facing a support beam.
"A-Ah! Sorry, Colonel Smoker!"
Smoker ignored her. He'd gotten used to that kind of thing.
"The Straw Hat Pirates, huh..."
He muttered to himself, "I figured once they saw their wanted posters, they'd hurry into the Grand Line. Didn't think they'd actually show up here."
"They really don't take me seriously, huh."
Bai Ye's image popped into his mind. Smoker had a gut feeling that guy was behind all this.
"Hmph. Inform all base personnel. Find their location immediately, and start evacuating the civilians."
With a cold snort, Smoker gave his orders.
"Yes, Colonel Smoker!"
Tashigi saluted, then hesitated before speaking up.
"Colonel... we haven't received backup from HQ yet. Shouldn't we maybe..."
"There's no time. Once they leave Loguetown, they'll head straight for Reverse Mountain. If we don't stop them here, we'll lose our chance."
Smoker cut her off. He knew waiting for backup was the smart play, but the situation just wouldn't allow it.
Seeing Smoker so determined, Tashigi could only nod and go pass along the orders.
At the same time, both the Marines and the underworld were moving to hunt down the Straw Hat crew—though neither side knew what the other was doing.
Meanwhile, after wandering around for a bit, Bai Ye found himself at an underground bar called "Gol D. Roger."
When he opened the door, the old bartender who was polishing a glass looked up, surprised—then laughed softly.
"What's up with today? Another big shot?"
"One-hundred-million-berry man, 'Celestial Master' Bai Ye."
Bai Ye wasn't surprised that the bartender recognized him. He just walked up to the counter, took a seat, and grinned.
"Sounds like you've already met our captain, Luffy?"
"Yeah. That kid listened to me talk about Roger for ages."
The old man slowly poured a drink and slid it over to Bai Ye.
"When he left, I think he said he was headed to the execution platform—where Roger was killed."
The bartender, who'd once been friends with Roger, sighed.
"Haven't seen pirates like Roger in a long time. This era is just... garbage."
"Any punk with a bit of strength screams about sailing to conquer the Grand Line and finding the One Piece."
"Give me a break!"
The bartender slammed the counter angrily.
"That sea is a hellhole only men like Roger could survive."
"The One Piece ain't something those nobodies could ever find!!!"
Sensing the anger in his voice, Bai Ye shrugged and took a sip of his drink.
Yeah... this guy's nowhere near as cool as my captain.
Just then, the bar—which the old man had decided to close today—got its third guest.
Seeing who it was, Bai Ye raised an eyebrow.
"Looks like you came here for me?"
"As the intel said, you do seem to know quite a bit."
The man answered bluntly, clearly not planning to hide his identity.
It was Dragon.
"Well, I am a Taoist priest. Knowing a little about fate and the future isn't too far-fetched, right?" Bai Ye said with a smirk, half-serious, half-joking.
If someone really mastered Fenghou Qimen techniques, they could predict glimpses of the future. But the risks were huge, so Bai Ye hadn't tried yet.
"Taoist, huh?"
Dragon didn't press further. He asked the bartender for a drink too and started sipping quietly.
Now that got Bai Ye curious.
"You got a question for me?"
"I do."
Bai Ye: ...
Then hurry up and ask, man!?
As Bai Ye's gaze turned sharp with irritation, Dragon finally put down his glass and looked him straight in the eye.
"Why did you choose him?"
Bai Ye sighed. Great. Another cryptic question. Typical spy behavior.
But he understood what Dragon meant: Why did he join Luffy's crew?
With a carefree laugh, Bai Ye answered, "Because he asked me."(Because he's the main character.)
Dragon: "With your strength, you could start your own pirate crew."
Bai Ye: "Not interested. Besides, my captain's actually pretty reliable."(Because he's the main character.)
Dragon: "Do you have an agenda?"
Bai Ye couldn't help but smile. Of course Dragon was probing him. He was a dad, after all. It made sense to be cautious about someone hanging around his son.
Bai Ye replied, "Relax. I've got no ill intentions. But if I had to name a goal..."
He paused, then looked Dragon dead in the eye.
"I want to change the world. And I believe Luffy is this era's Joy Boy."
Dragon's pupils shrank in shock.
Joy Boy.
That was... one hell of a statement.
Just as Dragon was about to ask more, his Observation Haki suddenly picked up something. His face darkened and he stood to leave.
Seeing this, Bai Ye tossed some Berries on the counter, paid for his drink, and followed him.
Before Dragon could speak, Bai Ye said:
"Whatever you just sensed... it's probably got something to do with my captain, right?"
"Well then, I definitely can't sit this one out, can I?"
Dragon didn't reply. He rose into the air with the wind and flew off in a certain direction.
Bai Ye clicked his tongue.
"Tch... You think you're the only one who can fly?"
[Xun Hexagram – Command the Wind!]
"....."