The moment Tommy called him stupid, Luffy's memory clicked into place - these were the human traffickers he'd declared war on back at the dock! Fury blazed in his eyes as he clenched his fists, ready to charge headfirst into battle.
But before he could take a single step, Gustave's hand shot out and grabbed him, launching forward in a blur of motion.
"Hey! Uncle Gustave, that's totally unfair! No sneak attacks!" Luffy protested, thinking Gustave had caught him to share some tactical advice, not to steal his thunder entirely.
Tommy saw Gustave's lightning-fast approach and raised his machete with a savage grin, ready to teach this arrogant fool a lesson he'd never forget.
The blade came down with brutal force - only to shatter against Gustave's armament haki-coated skin like glass striking steel.
"Rasu! Stop gawking and get over here! This one's trouble!" Tommy shouted, his confidence evaporating as he stared at the broken weapon in his hands.
Hearing his partner's panicked call for help, Rasu immediately rushed forward with his men. But in the chaos of the melee, Tommy slipped away unnoticed, leaving his subordinates to face Gustave alone.
Gustave barely needed to exert himself. A few casual punches enhanced with armament haki sent the entire group crashing to the ground within seconds, their supposed combat skills proving utterly worthless.
By the time Luffy reached the scene, the fight was already over.
"Damn it! Uncle Gustave, you're completely shameless!" Luffy jumped up and down in frustration, his chance for heroic action stolen once again.
Gustave flashed him a mischievous grin before turning his attention to Rasu, who was groaning on the ground. He delivered a sharp kick to the man's ribs.
"Start talking about your operation, or none of you are walking away from here today."
Faced with Gustave's intimidating presence, Rasu and his remaining men quickly spilled everything they knew.
They were low-level operatives working for the notorious Slave King of Sabaody Archipelago - glorified kidnappers who captured unsuspecting visitors and sold them up the chain for quick money.
"Where's your boss? Take me to him!" Gustave demanded, punctuating his words with another kick.
"Brother, I swear I don't know! Tommy handles all the upper-level contacts, and he just ran off!" Rasu pleaded, genuine fear in his voice.
"Fine. Get out of my sight!" Gustave delivered one final kick, and Rasu scrambled to his feet with his men, fleeing into the mangrove forest.
Watching them disappear, Luffy couldn't contain his confusion. "Uncle Gustave, you're just letting them go? They've hurt so many people!"
"Luffy, ever heard of playing the long game to catch the big fish?" Gustave tapped the boy's forehead with his knuckle. "These are just small fry. The Slave King behind them - that's my real target."
During the brief skirmish, Gustave had discretely implanted tiny thunder marks into both Tommy and Rasu's bodies - imperceptible electrical signatures that only he could detect. Even without using observation haki, he could track their movements across the entire archipelago.
That's why he'd let Tommy slip away during the fight and released Rasu so easily.
"Really?" Luffy stared up at him with those wide, trusting eyes that somehow managed to look both innocent and calculating.
"Really. Now let's grab some food first. After dinner, I'll show you this so-called Slave King." Gustave turned and headed back toward their ship.
Luffy's disappointment instantly transformed into excitement at the promise of adventure, and he bounded after his mentor.
Back aboard Bamboo Staff, Gustave threw together a quick egg fried rice—simple, efficient, but executed with the kind of precision only a master chef could manage. He wasn't cooking to impress this time; he just needed something fast before setting off to chase the trail of thunder marks that crackled faintly in the distance.
Even so, the result was flawless. Lightly toasted rice, perfectly scrambled egg, a touch of scallion for aroma—it was comfort food elevated to art. Camie devoured it without pause, her eyes widening with each bite. She'd eaten rice before, sure—but never like this. Each spoonful carried warmth, balance, and a taste that made her feel like she was discovering food for the first time.
After the meal, Gustave concentrated on sensing the electrical signatures he'd planted, then led his crew toward their targets.
First, he tracked Rasu and his group. Using his observation haki carefully to avoid detection, he confirmed they were telling the truth - they genuinely had no direct contact with higher-ups in the organization.
Gustave's expression hardened. With a subtle gesture, he sent several hair-thin bolts of lightning across the distance, each one finding its mark with surgical precision. The human traffickers struck death instantly, their reign of terror ended in silence.
Tommy's signature was moving in a different direction entirely - from Island 13 toward Island 1.
"Looks like our Slave King operates from Island 1," Gustave mused with dark satisfaction. Tommy had no idea he was leading his enemy straight to the heart of their operation.
Returning to the ship, Gustave directed Tom to sail toward Island 1's coordinates.
As they approached the island's shoreline, Gustave addressed his crew. "Wait here on the ship. I need to scout the situation first."
"Uncle Gustave, you better not be lying to me again!" Luffy pointed an accusatory finger at him. "When you find the Slave King, you come back and get me! No more stealing all the action!"
"Don't worry, Luffy. Once I've assessed the situation and confirmed it's manageable, I'll come back for you," Gustave promised with a reassuring smile.
With that, he transformed into pure electrical energy and streaked toward Tommy's location like a bolt of lightning.
Meanwhile, Tommy had found his superior and was spinning an elaborate lie to save his own skin. After selling out Rasu, he claimed to have discovered a mermaid but needed backup to capture her since she was traveling with powerful protectors.
Of course, Tommy hadn't recognized Camie's true nature at all - he was simply using the one excuse guaranteed to get his superior's immediate attention and a direct audience with the Slave King.
The ploy worked perfectly. The moment Tommy mentioned a mermaid, his contact didn't bother verifying the claim and immediately escorted him to the organization's headquarters.
Gustave couldn't have asked for better luck. Tommy was unknowingly leading him straight into the lion's den.
Following the electrical signature, Gustave watched Tommy being escorted into what appeared to be an ordinary casino. But as they disappeared inside, he sensed the trail leading underground - much deeper than any normal basement.
Transforming into an inconspicuous current of electricity, Gustave slipped through the building's wiring and descended into the hidden depths.
What he found took his breath away. This wasn't just a basement - it was an entire subterranean city carved out beneath Island 1. The scale of the operation was staggering; the Slave King had literally hollowed out the island's interior to create this vast criminal empire.
Following Tommy's still-moving signature deeper into the complex, Gustave soon found himself in what was obviously the prison sector. The sight of the holding cells filled him with cold fury.
Several guards were stationed at key points, but they never saw the lightning serpents that erupted from Gustave's fingers. They dropped unconscious before they could raise an alarm.
Rather than risk using observation haki - which might alert any skilled opponents lurking in the depths - Gustave decided to open the prison doors and see the horrors within for himself.