"Yes, yes."
The grocery store clerk didn't dare say more and hurriedly bent down to start moving the supplies.
The man before him was taciturn, but the aura he exuded made it clear that he was not someone to be trifled with.
"From your accent, you're from the East Blue?" Hawkeye suddenly asked.
"Yes, I'm from Loguetown. You could tell from my accent?"
The clerk was surprised. "Speaking of which, our town is quite famous. The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was executed there. I wonder if you've ever visited…"
"I was there when Roger died."
Hawkeye said indifferently, "That was eighteen years ago. Since then, I've never returned to the East Blue."
Nor was it worth his time.
"As for this time."
Hawkeye gazed toward the horizon, his eyes distant.
"A few years ago, I heard that a rather famous Master Swordsman had emerged in the East Blue. By now, he should have come of age. I hope he's grown into an opponent worthy of my visit."
...
East Blue, night.
Under the dim moonlight, the New Gatt continued to cut through the waves at full speed.
In the VIP suite.
"Achoo—"
Xiano, sitting on the carpet, suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose and clicked his tongue. That little Nami must be secretly cursing him.
"Good job, Agin. You've done well."
He smiled and patted the head of the giant silver wolf in front of him.
On the carpet, a few wet items had just been spat out by the wolf: Krieg's severed hand, Gin's cane, and Palu's glowing stone helmet.
Woof… no, awoo!
Agin, praised, happily circled around Xiano, wagging his tail so hard it almost turned into a helicopter. Gone was the aloof demeanor he had shown in front of others.
Xiano casually offered up the items Agin had brought, gaining a total of 800 Points—about the same as Arlong alone.
Tsk, it seemed that the Krieg Pirates, who boasted so loudly and claimed to be the rulers of the East Blue, were still a notch below Arlong in terms of strength.
But more Points were always better. Sitting at home and automatically reaping so many was already satisfying.
As for the bounties on those heads, worth tens of millions of Berries, and the remaining pirates who had surrendered and given up resistance…
The Marines from the 77th Branch would naturally come to handle them. Over the past few years, pirates with similar ambitions had occasionally tried to defeat him, the renowned strongest Swordsman in the East Blue, to boost their own fame and bounties.
The outcome, of course, went without saying—each one died more miserably than the last.
It had almost turned Cocoyashi Village and the 77th Branch into a streamlined industry chain—one claiming military achievements, the other collecting bounties.
Colonel Sophia had even stationed a warship nearby permanently. At the slightest disturbance in Cocoyashi Village, they would immediately come to help clean up the battlefield.
Rumor had it that, thanks to the accumulated military achievements, she would soon be transferred to Marine Headquarters and promoted to Colonel.
"Here, your reward."
Under Agin's eager gaze, Xiano pulled out a large box of strawberry milk from his bag and handed it over.
Agin eagerly took it, skillfully biting open a corner and gulping it down.
Xiano rubbed his head, watching with a smile.
Agin's massive size was undoubtedly due to his diet, which included plenty of meat and other staples. However, his favorite treat over the years had always been strawberry milk.
Just as Xiano was about to retie the package, he noticed something and pulled out a small glass sphere.
What is this?
Curious, he held it up to the light for a closer look and discovered that it contained a magnetic needle. Attached to the base was a small piece of paper.
He peeled off the paper and unfolded it.
"This is a Log Pose I made myself. It's much sturdier than the ones you can buy on the market—even bullets would have a hard time breaking it! The Grand Line's magnetic fields are chaotic, so a regular compass won't work. You must take this with you!"
"——With love, to my dearest, dearest, dearest big brother."
A Log Pose made by Nami?
When did she sneak this in?
Xiano vaguely recalled that among the books he had bought for Nami, there was one that explained how to make a Log Pose.
He never expected that Nami could actually figure it out on her own.
For a teenage girl, achieving something like this must have been quite challenging.
Seeing the signature on the note, a warm smile crept onto Xiano's lips.
This little one, it seems she's really grown up, and she's quite thoughtful too.
...
"Hehe, success!"
In her bedroom, Nami lay on her bed, holding the glass sphere in her hands and watching the needle inside tremble slightly. She kicked her feet in triumph.
That idiot brother of hers must be moved to tears by now, right?
He might even be feeling guilty for scolding her before leaving.
He would never guess that the special Log Pose she made not only functioned as a Log Pose but also doubled as a tracking device.
As long as the distance wasn't too extreme, she could sense the specific direction through the directional pointer she held in her hand.
Not letting me on the ship? Trying to leave me behind with Nojiko?
Hmph, dream on!
"Next, I need to figure out how to fool Bellemere. If she calls my brother as soon as I go missing, that would be troublesome..."
Anyway, I can't leave today—it's too suspicious. I'll have to wait a couple of days. What excuse should I use?
The girl stared at the nautical chart hanging on the wall, lost in thought...
...
In the luxurious suite.
Xiano carefully stored the Log Pose and walked to the porthole, gazing out at the dark sea under the night sky.
The Gatt's destination was Sherry Island, located not far from the entrance to the Grand Line.
The island was renowned throughout the East Blue as both a brewing and shipbuilding hub, with over a dozen shipbuilding companies densely packed across its shores.
Two months ago, Xiano had contacted the island's oldest and most prestigious shipbuilding company, the Giant Whale Shipyard.
He had ordered a high-specification ship for the price of 300 million Berries.
The vast fortune he had obtained from Sakuraba Itsuki was now mostly spent.
The reason for the exorbitant price was that Xiano had requested the ship's main structure to be built using the Giant Whale Shipyard's most prized material—the Adam Treasure Tree.
As the most resilient tree species in the world, ships made from the Adam Treasure Tree were incredibly sturdy and durable.
With this, even the storms and natural disasters of the Grand Line would no longer be a major concern.
The hull design draft was provided by the shipbuilding company, while the specific interior decoration plans were based on the opinions of Xiano and several crew members.
Xiano proposed having a training room made entirely of steel on all four sides. Nojiko followed suit, requesting an identical one. Kuina had her heart set on building an open-air dojo at the stern of the ship. Zeff's requirements were even more specific: the kitchen needed to be fully equipped, and the food storage room had to be spacious enough!
Of course, Nami couldn't resist causing a bit of mischief, insisting on having a chart room reserved for her, filled with bookshelves, and a small orange grove next to it.
Xiano initially couldn't be bothered to entertain her demands.
But after Nami's repeated pleas, he reluctantly agreed in the end.
He thought of it as leaving a memento on the ship—something that would remind him of the mischievous girl whenever he saw it. However, he didn't believe these spaces would serve any practical purpose.
Now.
Two months had passed, and the ship was finally completed.
It was now waiting for Xiano to inspect it on the island.
This was a custom-made ship costing three hundred million Berries. Not only were the young crew members excited, but even Zeff, an experienced old man, was eagerly looking forward to seeing what the ship looked like.
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