Under Bastille's guidance, Gilgamesh had strolled through most of Sabaody Archipelago.Back in this era, the island wasn't quite the madhouse it would become in Luffy's time. Fewer slavers flaunted their trade openly, the amusement parks were small, and the taverns rough but not yet legendary. Still, Gil found it lively compared to the dead calm of the Calm Belt.
As he wandered, a bundle of newspapers fluttered down from the sky, landing squarely on his head."Oi…" Gil muttered, yanking it off.
The headline leapt out at him:
"Roger Pirates Sighted at Sabaody! Three Great Crews Gathering in the New World!"
Beneath the bold type, a photo showed a grinning man with a black hat and distinctive mustache: Gol D. Roger himself.
Gil's lips curled. "Well, well. So Roger's making waves here too? Now this is getting fun."
Bastille cut in with a shake of his head. "Don't get too excited. It's rumor. Someone claims they saw the Oro Jackson near the islands. Could just be sailors chasing shadows."
"Mm. Fair enough." Gil kept flipping the pages—then froze.
A familiar face stared back at him.His face.
"...Huh?"
There, printed clear as day, was a candid photo of Gil, calm and sharp-looking.
"What the hell? Why's my picture in here?"
He looked to Bastille for an answer. The officer only gave him a strange, knowing grin—the kind that said: Don't play dumb. Everyone knows already.
Gil frowned and read the caption:
"Suspected illegitimate son of Fleet Admiral Steel Bone Kong. Though unconfirmed, Kong has issued direct orders: No Marine is to provoke Gilgamesh. Offenders will be expelled from the Navy and hunted without mercy. Such protection all but proves the boy is Kong's blood."
Gil's eyebrow twitched. "Since when the hell did I become Kong's bastard son?"
The picture looked to have been snapped during lunch yesterday—when only Zephyr had been around.
"That purple-haired old man…" Gil growled. "Sneaky bastard must've taken it while I was eating."
Folding the paper, Gil pieced it together easily. Zephyr must have been spooked by his power, reported it to Headquarters, and Kong—fearing Gil might turn pirate—chose to shelter him instead.
Smart move, old man, Gil thought. Better to be my friend than my enemy.
Now the stares from Marines on base—half fear, half awe—made sense.