Since Kuraigana Island was destroyed by war, it has become a deserted island. The remaining intact buildings have made it a home for Hawkeye, who enjoys peace and quiet.
The farmland on the island remains, but Hawkeye can't farm every day himself, and the baboons on the island aren't the type to farm either. These baboons, who have a habit of imitating others, have seen too much combat and have battle etched into their very bones.
Hawkeye is the world's greatest sword master, but even the world's greatest sword master is still human. He hasn't evolved to the point where he doesn't need to eat or drink. The island has an abundant water supply and some wild fruits and animals, but other supplies need to be procured from outside.
The News Bird comes here because Hawkeye has ordered a special delivery service. Merchant ships transporting goods usually don't come near this deserted island. In the past, Hawkeye would routinely procure a large amount of food, but with the delivery service, it's different now.
Fresh things are generally much better than stored ones.
Carrying his package into the kitchen, Hawkeye took out the premium green onions he had purchased. He's not one to lack money; going out and chopping a few sea pirates is how Hawkeye earns his living expenses, so he can buy many expensive ingredients.
The green onions in his hand were personally cultivated by Farfetch'd, and both the taste and flavor were top-notch. Of course, Hawkeye bought them because of the slogan written by Tesoro - the best green onions for swordsmen.
Looking at the straight green onions in his hand, Hawkeye surprisingly had the illusion that they would make a good sword.
Putting this thought aside, Hawkeye picked up the kitchen knife and began preparing food. There was only him, Zoro, and countless baboons on the island. Clearly, Zoro couldn't be relied upon.
Therefore, Hawkeye not only had to fend for himself but also prepare food for Zoro.
Soon, Zoro, battered and bruised from fighting the baboons, crawled through the castle's front gate. After entering, it was a straight shot to the dining room, but Zoro insisted on walking in an S-shape, wandering around the first floor for a long time before he finally reached the dining table.
"No matter how many times, your sense of direction never ceases to amaze me."
"Huh? It's all because your castle is too complicated; you're the weird one living in a labyrinth!"
Saying this, Zoro placed his four swords beside him and started eating without a care, the fourth sword naturally being Yubashiri, whose fate had changed.
Originally, Yubashiri was destroyed by the Rust-Rust Fruit user Shu when the Straw Hat Gang escaped from Judicial Island. The remaining parts were buried on the Thriller Bark, but without going through these events, Yubashiri remained by Zoro's side as a backup sword.
"Roronoa, your persistence in this area can also be considered world-class. Here's today's newspaper, Vegapunk is dead, and the development of this sea is becoming more and more incomprehensible."
"Vegapunk? Who's that? I think I've heard that name before..."
"You... never mind, I shouldn't even discuss these things with you."
Hawkeye isn't a mute; he does exchange a few words when there's someone around. But Zoro isn't very concerned with these worldly matters.
This leads to the fact that the only common topic between Hawkeye and him is swordsmanship; aside from that, Zoro can hardly engage in any conversation.
...
"Dead?! That bastard just died like that?!"
Somewhere in the New World, with the Bonney Pirates, Jewelry Bonney looked at the information in the newspaper with immense anger, even kicking over a table laden with food in front of her.
She is Kuma's daughter, and in her perception, it was Vegapunk who transformed her father, turning him from an incredibly gentle person into a cold war machine.
She always had the idea of capturing Vegapunk and making him turn her father back. Now that Vegapunk is dead, the question of how to restore her father suddenly became unsolvable.
In her fury, she even ignored her most cherished food. This change completely disrupted her thoughts and left her feeling confused about the future.
Also in the New World, Crocodile lit his cigar, took a deep puff as he looked at the information in the newspaper.
"The world's greatest scientist died just like that. In this sea now, power is essential indeed."
After his epiphany in prison, Crocodile re-realized the importance of his own power. The matter of Vegapunk served as a warning bell for him that relying solely on external objects is inadequate.
"Mr. 1, let's go, your rusty body still needs more training."
...
White Soil Island, Baltigo. Looking at the follow-up reports regarding Aeghede's matters, Dragon also furrowed his brows.
"Chief, what's the matter?"
"Just recalling some things."
More than twenty years ago, Dragon met Vegapunk at the ruins of Ohara.
Although the Hundred Beasts had cleared out the place, the deep crater and the marks left by the Buster Call led the outside world to think everyone was dead.
During the remembrance, Dragon tried to recruit Vegapunk, but was declined due to a very practical reason—Dragon didn't have money.
Vegapunk's research required a substantial amount of funding, which the then-nascent Revolutionary Army couldn't afford.
What's more, Dragon was confused because Vegapunk recently had Shaka contact him, seemingly intending to convey some message, but before Dragon received any results, Vegapunk was gone.
The abnormal behavior of the Hundred Beasts and the mysteries left by Vegapunk made the future feel very heavy for Dragon.
...
On an island near Elbaf, the Red Hair Pirates were holding a banquet, while their Vice Captain Beckman was nowhere to be found.
"Boss, it's confirmed, it really was the Hundred Beasts who dealt with Vegapunk. Information from all sides indicates he's dead."
"What is the Hundred Beasts aiming for? This isn't their style..."
Reeking of alcohol, Shanks also couldn't make sense of the Hundred Beasts' unusual behavior; outsiders simply cannot fathom such animosity.
It's impossible to understand this purely through imagination, so Shanks simply put this matter aside for now, planning to see how future developments unfold before making new decisions. It was around this time that Beckman returned on a small boat.
"Is it settled?"
"Handled it well; cut off one of his arms to teach him a lesson. Even after nearly two years in the New World, he's still a rookie."
"Nicely done, now let's continue drinking, the banquet isn't over yet!"
Shanks pulled Beckman over. Some time ago, Eustass Kid, the captain of the Kid Pirates, challenged the Red Hair and paid a painful price for it.
Kid didn't even get to see Shanks before Beckman severed his arm.
If it weren't for the Red Hair being in a good mood, Kid's journey might have ended. Shanks might seem like a nice guy, but he's also one of the Sea Emperors.
As the circumstances surrounding Vegapunk's death continued to ferment, in Future Country - Baljimoa, Vegapunk's homeland, a broken robot emerged from the sea and headed towards the old laboratory...