After deciding to leave the World Government hanging for a while, Sherwin put the matter of the Seven Warlords aside and turned the ship toward Mock Town Town.
On the way, they also took the chance to test out various functions of the new Dodo Advance.
Overall, the results were quite good. All the designs had been successfully completed, and there were no major issues in between. The only problem was—
When the ship size was enlarged from model scale to its normal size, the power required to make the Dodo Advance fly increased exponentially.
So, without overworking Klee Meow, the Dodo Advance couldn't sustain high-altitude flight for long.
However, for mid-to-low altitude flight, or simply hovering in the air, it could be maintained for quite a while.
Of course, that wasn't really a big problem. After all, when it came to adventuring, it was still best to sail across the sea in its most basic ship form to truly experience and discover more.
The other forms were mainly meant for dealing with specific situations, and neither Sherwin nor the other Felynes planned to use them often.
Since they had also picked up a permanent Log Pose to Long Ring Long Land while in Water 7, Sherwin and his crew made a detour there on the return trip.
Unfortunately, although the long-shaped animals on that island were quite unique, their appearance in the story was too brief, and their size couldn't be classified under the "large monster" category in the bestiary.
So even though there was a white horse named Shelly that appeared in the manga, the stingy Hunter Manual still didn't grant Sherwin a single summoning ticket fragment.
Still, they did take the opportunity to release that old man on stilts a few years ahead of schedule, sending him off to another small island to reunite with his family.
After seeing the old man home, Sherwin and his group once again set sail. With no other interruptions, and with Klee Meow willingly taking on the engine work, they soon arrived near Jaya Island.
"Hmm?"
Sherwin looked at Jaya Island growing larger in the distance, then glanced down at the Log Pose in his hand, feeling a little puzzled…
From what he remembered, once you got near Jaya Island, the Log Pose would be affected by the Sky Island magnetic field and point upward. That was the very reason Luffy and his crew were able to set off for Skypiea in the manga.
Was it because they hadn't drifted on the sea long enough for the Log Pose to record Skypiea magnetic field yet? Or was it that the Log Pose would only be affected when the Knock Up Stream appeared?
After analyzing carefully, Sherwin concluded that the latter was more likely.
If the Log Pose started pointing to the sky just by approaching Jaya Island, then Mock Town wouldn't have been able to exist as a pirate gathering spot—without the Log Pose to guide them, most people would never be able to find Jaya Island at all.
Still, regardless of the reason, it didn't really matter to Sherwin and his crew. Their ship could fly anyway, so whether the Log Pose pointed toward the sky or not wasn't that important.
Of course, before anything else, they needed to unlock the map of Jaya Island first.
"Sherwin-nii, there are so many pirate ships here! Can Klee throw bombs, meow? Just like back in Reef Town!"
(=ω=)Seeing all those ships flying pirate flags at the port of Mock Town, the little plush Felyne eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Hmm… let not," Sherwin said after a moment thought, shaking his head. "Let finish mapping the area quickly and head to Sky Island. No need to waste time here."
As Sherwin spent more and more time in the pirate world, his mindset had begun to change again...
There were simply too many pirates in this world. They were like weeds—cut down one batch, and another would sprout right away.
There was no way he could possibly eliminate them all. Because of that, Sherwin had lost interest in pirate crews with low bounties or without any powerful Devil Fruit users.
As long as they didn't come looking for trouble, he usually couldn't be bothered to deal with them.
"Well… okay then…"
(=｀3=)Klee Meow thought about it and admitted that going to Sky Island was indeed more important.
Still, the little plush Felyne pouted unhappily at not being able to throw any bombs. She then climbed deftly onto Sherwin shoulder and started tugging at his ear.
"It… it the Hunter!"
"Go tell the captain! The one who defeated Cracker and Crocodile—the Hunter—is here!"
As Sherwin carried Klee Meow and Purah Meow, followed by Hua Mei Meow and Sanji Meow, and stepped off the Dodo Advance, a few pirates near the port immediately shouted in alarm and ran toward the town.
Clearly, Sherwin recent feats—defeating both a commander of a Yonko and one of the Seven Warlords—had already made his "notorious reputation" spread far and wide among pirates.
Of course, another reason for their strong reaction was how instantly recognizable Sherwin was.
Whether it was the adorable Felynes by his side or the Longsword strapped to his back, anyone who had heard of his name could never mistake him for someone else.
Sherwin glanced around. The once noisy port had quieted down, but quite a few people still remained—some were dockworkers and residents of Mock Town, while the rest were pirates. The looks those pirates gave Sherwin were complicated… a mix of fear and eagerness.
This kind of gaze was nothing new to Sherwin. Back when he roamed the Four Seas, he'd seen plenty of people like this—those who wanted to make a name for themselves by stepping over him.
But his recent feats had been terrifying enough that these would-be challengers now hesitated, their expressions caught between courage and caution.
Ignoring the pirates who were itching to act but too afraid to move, Sherwin led the Felynes toward the town.
Mock Town truly lived up to its reputation as a pirate-oriented settlement—it was a place steeped in chaos and vice.
Fights, drunken brawls, and gambling were everywhere. Even when they saw Sherwin and his group, most people only paused for a moment before returning to their own business. Only a few, wary of his reputation, quickly backed away.
Aside from those, there were still some pirates who not only showed no fear but even stepped forward to block Sherwin path.
"You're the Hunter, Sherwin?"
There were always a few who refused to believe in fate—those who thought Sherwin success was just luck, or that the reports about him had been exaggerated.
Sherwin turned his head and glanced at Huamei Meow.
"Just some small-time pirates worth twenty to thirty million, and not even Devil Fruit users, meow."
Huamei Meow gave the group in front of them a quick once-over and immediately came to a conclusion.
"Who are you calling small-time pirates?! I'm the famous Captain Maceo!" the pirate leader roared.
Yep, definitely a small-time pirate—Sherwin had never even heard of the name.
Monster Hunter Style: Sky Break.
Sherwin had no interest in wasting words with idiots like this. He drew the Longsword in one smooth motion, sending out a soaring slash. In an instant, Captain Maceo and the subordinates behind him were all cleaved cleanly in half.
"Ah! Sherwin, you're way too bloody, meow!"
(=ω=)
Purah Meow, who had only recently been summoned and hadn't yet experienced real battle, wasn't used to Sherwin "draw first, talk later" style.
Though she had taken part in monster hunts, hunting monsters and killing people were two entirely different things. So Little Purah tucked herself behind Sherwin head, covering her eyes with her paws.
"Ah, sorry, sorry—forgot you're not used to this yet."
Sherwin quickly took Little Purah off his shoulder and gently patted her in comfort.
He had originally planned to cut off the pirates heads and exchange them for bounty money at the next Marine base, but for Purah Meow sake, he decided to let it go.
After all, it was only twenty or thirty million Berries—pocket change for the wealthy Hunter!
Stepping over the pirates corpses, Sherwin and his group made another round through Mock Town.
But there really wasn't much to see in such a filthy, chaotic place. He decided to finish mapping the area quickly, then head to the local tavern to try that "famous" cherry pie.
The news that Captain Maceo and his crew had been taken down with a single strike spread quickly throughout Mock Town.
Any pirates who had still been itching to make a move immediately quieted down. With no one else daring to cause trouble, Sherwin and his group soon finished exploring the small town and made their way to its only tavern.
"I heard the cherry pie and drinks here are kind of special. Sanji, you can give them a try and see what up with them."
Sherwin wasn't sure whether the cherry pie and drink worked only on Luffy and Teach, or if they were truly that mysterious.
But since he was already here, there was no way he wouldn't try them himself—so he ordered five servings.
The Felynes, intrigued by what Sherwin said, were instantly curious. The moment the cherry pies were served, they all opened their mouths and bit into them together…