At the harbor not far from where Jerry was fishing, the rest of his crew was also taking in their surroundings with varying degrees of fascination and wariness.
"Wow! So this is Marine Headquarters?" Carrot's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she observed the bustling crowds of uniformed Marines and the imposing military architecture surrounding them.
Little Bonney suddenly pointed excitedly at a group of Marine officers who had just disembarked at the harbor. "Whoa! Carrot, look over there! Are those giant Marines?"
"Hmm, so that's how it is. Truly magnificent," Deuce muttered, his fingers twitching with the urge to take detailed notes. However, he was acutely aware that such behavior might be misinterpreted as espionage, leaving him feeling professionally frustrated.
Meanwhile, Skull had already brazenly inserted himself into a group of Marines, chatting with them like an old friend. His sharp eyes beneath the mask quickly scanned their surroundings, silently cataloging every piece of useful information he could gather.
"After living for so many years, this is actually my first time stepping foot on Marine territory," Brook chuckled, his skeletal fingers unconsciously moving toward the violin in his hands. "Well... yes, I suppose I'm still alive. Yo ho ho ho!"
Farul whinnied softly as Cavendish struck another dramatic pose, a rose between his teeth and his golden hair perfectly tousled by the sea breeze. "Haha! I don't mind what profession my fans choose to pursue," he declared to no one in particular, completely ignoring the confused stares from passing Marines.
"Ahem, I need to stay calm," Carina whispered to herself, nervously stroking Kotatsu's fur as she noticed the occasional suspicious glances from nearby Marines. "We're officially one of the Seven Warlords now. This is supposed to be legal."
Back at his fishing spot, Jerry took advantage of a quiet moment to address his unwanted supervisor. "You know, Brother Tokikake, since I'm just fishing here peacefully, you don't really need to keep watching me so closely, right?"
However, Tokikake was completely absorbed in his own world, muttering to himself with a dreamy expression. "Miss Gion specifically asked me to keep an eye on him... which means she's entrusting me with important duties... which clearly indicates that I hold a special position in her heart... hehehe..."
After several minutes of this internal monologue, Tokikake finally noticed someone was trying to get his attention. "Huh?! Are you talking to me?"
After confirming that the young man in front of him was indeed speaking, Tokikake straightened up and adopted a stern expression. "I'm warning you—I'm not as gentle and kind as the beautiful Miss Gion. If you dare step out of line, I won't hesitate to use force."
"Oh, I understand completely," Jerry replied, raising his hands in mock surrender.
Then, with an innocent smile, he continued, "I heard you've been pursuing Miss Gion for many years. What would you say is the most attractive thing about her?"
"Don't spread ridiculous rumors, or I'll charge you with defamation!" Tokikake shouted, his face turning red as he glared with his characteristic squinting eyes.
Without waiting for Jerry's response, he continued indignantly, "And what do you mean 'many years'? Are you blind? She just turned eighteen!"
Jerry nodded sagely, "Ah yes, of course. Always eighteen."
"That's more like it," Tokikake huffed, crossing his arms with satisfaction.
Then, almost despite himself, he added, "As for what attracts me most about her... why should I tell you that?!"
"Tsk! And here I was hoping for some juicy gossip," Jerry shook his head with exaggerated disappointment. Noticing Tokikake's suspicious sideways glance, he quickly improvised, "Oh, no, what I meant was that I wanted to learn about this epic Marine love story so my ship's novelist could write it down and preserve it for posterity."
Tokikake's eyes suddenly lit up with inspiration, and after a moment of deep contemplation, he smiled broadly. "That's actually a brilliant idea! Though it would be better if I wrote it myself rather than leaving it to someone else."
"Excellent! Since you came up with such a wonderful plan, I won't cause you any more trouble," Tokikake declared magnanimously. "But this is Marine Headquarters, and pirates aren't exactly welcome here. You should probably leave now." He gestured dismissively with his left hand.
"Then I should go?" Jerry asked, tilting his head with wide, innocent eyes.
"Yes, yes, go! Don't bother me anymore—I need to get back and start writing!" Tokikake waved his hands frantically, already lost in visions of his romantic masterpiece.
"Alright then. I actually managed to catch something anyway, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. See you around!" Jerry shrugged and bid farewell without further argument.
He casually gathered his fishing gear and walked toward where Deuce and the others were waiting.
Shortly after, Jerry reunited with his crew and they all returned to their ship, setting sail from Marine Headquarters without incident.
Open Ocean
As the Black Nova cruised leisurely across the vast blue expanse, Jerry stretched and turned to Skull for his intelligence report.
"Well, based on various rumors and sources I managed to tap, I've concluded that the two male members of the Straw Hat Pirates are most likely imprisoned in Impel Down," Skull began, organizing his thoughts carefully. "However, there are several conflicting reports about Nico Robin's location. Some sources place her in Impel Down with the others, another suggests she's still being held on Enies Lobby, and a third claims she's been transported to Mariejois."
Skull presented his findings in a clear, organized manner, though the uncertainty was clearly frustrating him.
During his entire infiltration process—from capturing Kid and Killer to all the subsequent negotiations—Jerry had deliberately avoided mentioning anything about the Straw Hat Pirates to avoid alerting the World Government to his true objectives.
Thanks to his advanced Observation Haki, Jerry had even employed brief glimpses of future sight to ensure his performance remained completely convincing throughout the process.
Combined with the substantial monetary tribute he had provided and some highly technical psychological manipulation, Jerry had somehow managed to gain the forgiveness of Princess Sabrina, the female Celestial Dragon he had previously encountered in Alabasta. Her recommendation had been crucial in securing his Warlord position, despite the obvious doubts and confusion among many World Government officials.
Most surprisingly, the Five Elders—the apparent supreme authority of the World Government—had raised no objections to his appointment, which had caught even Jerry off guard.
Therefore, while most government officials and Marines remained baffled about the reasoning behind the decision, Jerry had naturally assumed his position as the newest Warlord.
This development made Jerry secretly wonder if the Five Elders might be planning something significant that required his specific combat abilities or unique skills, forcing them to temporarily accept his appointment despite their reservations.
But Jerry couldn't be bothered to worry about their hidden agendas. He had absolutely no intention of serving the World Government with any genuine loyalty.
"This complicates things considerably," Deuce mused, lowering his head in thought after hearing Skull's report. "If we're going to attempt any kind of prison break, we need to rescue everyone simultaneously. Otherwise, it'll be exponentially more difficult to mount a second operation."
This obvious strategic concern was immediately understood by everyone present.
"In that case, let's continue gathering intelligence, but we should head somewhere else first," Jerry announced, adjusting their course.
"Where are we going?" the crew asked in unison.
"Sabaody Archipelago," Jerry replied with a slight grin, revealing their destination.
"Yes! Can I go explore and find some delicious food?" Bonney's eyes lit up with excitement as she cheered.
The young girl had heard Carrot describe the famous island countless times, and she knew that by diving into the deep sea there, she could reach the legendary Fishman Island that had captured her imagination since childhood.
Carina gently stroked Bonney's head and whispered, "You can have fun, but please be careful and stay safe."
"That's right—eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves as usual. You don't need to worry about intelligence gathering for now," Jerry nodded warmly at both Carrot and Bonney.
Jerry and the others had deliberately decided not to burden Carrot and Bonney with espionage responsibilities, allowing them to maintain their normal pace of life and stay relaxed during what was already a stressful mission.
As for the rest of the crew, they simply needed to coordinate and support each other as circumstances required.
The Next Morning
The Black Star Pirates had anchored just off the coast of Sabaody Archipelago and were preparing to disembark for the island when a News Coo arrived with the morning papers.
As they received the newspaper, another piece of shocking news was simultaneously spreading across the world through the global distribution network.
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