Captain!
As Roger returned to the ship with Wanzai and Sunbell, all the crew gathered around in concern. The final eruption had occurred just behind the ship's stern—barely missing the Oro Jackson. Had it struck directly, the immense force could have torn the ship apart.
Even so, the vessel sustained considerable damage and would need repairs.
Cough, cough… Roger glanced at the unconscious Wanzai and Sunbell and sighed.
They had been close to the blast. Despite their prowess in the water—especially Sunbell as a Fishman—the shockwave had been too much. Given how close Fang Yi had been to the eruption's core, the outcome for him was grim.
Roger, what happened? Where's Xiao Yi? Yamon asked, her heart sinking.
Roger shook his head. That reckless brat froze the seawater around the volcano to buffer the shockwave and bought us precious time. But… he was too close to the epicenter. I couldn't get to him in time.
What?!
The crew fell into stunned silence. None of them had expected things to turn out like this.
What do we do now? Peterm asked, frowning.
With both Wanzai and Sunbell unconscious, their best underwater search-and-rescue experts were out of commission. How could they find Fang Yi in this vast ocean?
No matter what, we won't abandon Xiao Yi!" Roger said firmly. "Rayleigh, mark the coordinates. Use this as the center and start searching in every direction. We must find him!
Rayleigh nodded without a word. Though the Oro Jackson had taken damage, he—being both vice-captain and shipwright—immediately began performing emergency repairs.
Soon, two lifeboats were launched—one led by Yamon, the other by Jabba—each with a small crew searching the waters for any sign of Fang Yi.
Meanwhile, under the doctor's care, Wanzai and Sunbell regained consciousness.
After learning about Fang Yi's disappearance, they too joined the search—especially Wanzai, whose speed in the sea made him invaluable.
Elsewhere…
Fang Yi slowly regained consciousness, realizing he'd been washed ashore on a beach.
Hnnng… Where the hell am I? he groaned, dragging himself onto the sand before collapsing into a sitting position.
His entire body ached like it had been torn apart, but what shocked him the most was a system message:
Lethal hit detected. Skill 'Divine Blessing' activated! Remaining monthly uses: 1.
In other words, if not for the Divine Blessing skill, he would've died.
Damn… and now I've no idea where the captain and others are…
After a short rest, Fang Yi pulled some food and drink from his inventory—random supplies acquired through the lottery system. He'd kept a decent stash because duplicate items only took up one slot in his bag.
Once refreshed, he explored the island and confirmed it was uninhabited—small, and with little wildlife.
"This is bad…
While the trees could provide wood for a raft, without a Log Pose, he couldn't navigate to another island with any confidence.
Even though he wasn't in immediate danger—thanks to food and water—he no longer had access to his five daily lottery tickets, which came from being with the Roger Pirates.
His first move was to build a bonfire on the beach. The thick smoke would rise into the sky, potentially drawing attention if Roger and the others were nearby.
But he didn't know that, during his unconsciousness, the crew had spent an entire day searching for him.
Back in time…
Despite the chaos from the volcanic eruptions, Roger's crew never gave up the search. Jabba and Yamon expanded the range via lifeboat missions, but to no avail.
Even after Wanzai and Sunbell joined, they found no trace of Fang Yi.
Yi-ge… where the hell did you drift off to? Shanks muttered on the deck, staring out into the endless sea.
Don't worry… that brat's not the type to die so easily, Bucky said seriously—an unusual tone for him.
Even so, Shanks' anxiety didn't fade.
That reckless idiot… Yamon muttered as she stepped back onto the deck in dry clothes.
He saved our lives. You should be happy," Jabba commented, patting her shoulder.
Yamon gave him a sharp glare. If she weren't so upset, she would've chewed him out. Happy? How could she be satisfied when Fang Yi was missing?
Suddenly, lookout Gorlan spotted something in the distance.
Captain! It's the Navy! What should we do?
Everyone frowned. They didn't have time to deal with the Marines at the moment.
Roger, however, grinned.
"I just had a brilliant idea… Let's make the Marines help us find Fang Yi!"
"Huh?" Even Rayleigh looked puzzled.
"We'll approach them, grab their commander, and force them to help search!" Roger laughed.
It was a wild plan, but actually… not a bad one. Marines had numbers and rescue experience.
So, the Oro Jackson charged straight toward the Marine ships.
But as they got closer, they realized the Marines were being led by none other than Fleet Admiral Sengoku, then still a vice admiral known as the Buddha of Strategy."
"This is bad, Roger muttered.
Had it been a regular patrol, his plan might've worked. But facing Sengoku… that was a different matter.
Sengoku… Roger began, but before he could continue—
Hey! Navy! We're looking for a brat who stole something precious from us! Rayleigh suddenly shouted. Tell us if you've seen him, and we might spare you!
…Huh? Roger blinked in confusion. "What treasure? When did this happen?
Shut up! Leave this to me! Rayleigh whispered back, eyes locked on Sengoku.
Sengoku chuckled and waved. A few Marines brought a bound prisoner onto the deck—Fang Yi.
"Haha… Pluton Silvers Rayleigh, was it?" Sengoku said. "Is this the 'brat' you're looking for?"
Relief flooded Roger and the crew. He was alive. That was all that mattered.
Earlier, on the island…
After lighting the signal fire, Fang Yi had begun constructing a bamboo raft, uncertain if his friends would find him. He decided to try his luck at sea if necessary.
But instead of the Roger Pirates, the smoke drew the attention of three Marine ships.
Seeing them didn't shake him. He wasn't the green rookie from years ago. With his current strength, he could take on a few ships—especially if the Marines were fools.
Unfortunately, the man who disembarked was none other than Sengoku himself.
"Officers! Please help me!" Fang Yi feigned weakness. "Our ship was destroyed in a volcanic eruption… I've been stranded here for days without food!"
He hoped the Marines wouldn't recognize him. After all, he was still just a kid and had no bounty.
Although he had once fought alongside the Roger Pirates during their battle with the Navy, it seemed unlikely someone of Sengoku's stature would remember a mere intern.
And at first, it worked. The regular Marines took him aboard and offered aid.
But as soon as they were back on the ship, Sengoku had him tied up.
Kid… you're the archer intern from Roger's crew, aren't you? Sengoku said with a smile. So… where's your ship? Was it destroyed by the volcano?
…Tch. I can't believe a Marine Vice Admiral would stoop to tricking a kid, Fang Yi muttered bitterly. If I'd known, I would've fought back.
Come now… if you know who I am, then you should know taunts won't work on me, Sengoku replied. Just tell me what I want to know, or I'll have no choice but to send you to Impel Down… and trust me, I'd rather not.