A few days later, on the scenic side deck of the golden ship, Jerry's excited shout erupted like thunder, attracting curious gazes from nearby visitors.
"Woohoo! Another big catch!"
Observing that Jerry's supposedly "big fish" was still struggling on his hook despite being no larger than the palm of his hand, a gruff middle-aged fisherman positioned not far away sneered and commented mockingly, "Tsk, young man, if you don't know how to fish properly, don't embarrass yourself by joining the rest of us. It's really pathetic."
This particular location on Gran Tesoro was renowned as an excellent spot for sightseeing and recreational fishing, attracting visitors from across the seas.
Jerry was currently wearing a wide-brimmed hat and oversized sunglasses that concealed most of his distinctive features, preventing the surrounding crowd from recognizing his true identity.
"Uncle, you clearly don't understand the incredible value of my superior fishing techniques," Jerry replied with exaggerated arrogance, carefully placing his tiny catch into the bucket beside him. "In such a vast ocean, it's no simple feat to catch such a magnificent 'big fish,' wouldn't you agree?"
The middle-aged fisherman rolled his eyes in obvious annoyance, grabbed his own fishing bucket, and displayed it proudly. "Oh yeah, real challenging stuff. I've only managed to catch about ten of these 'magnificent specimens' myself."
"Ha! Aren't yours exactly the same size as mine? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!" Jerry suddenly paused mid-sentence, reconsidering his approach. "Wait, no! How dare you compare yourself to someone of my caliber?! I can tell at a glance that your fish are completely different from mine. My catches are obviously..."
Just as Jerry's eyes began darting around while he desperately tried to fabricate some outrageous explanation, Skull's voice carried across the deck like a perfectly timed rescue.
"Boss Jerry! We've got news!"
The shout came from the approaching figure of Skull, still wearing his characteristic skeleton-themed outfit that had become his trademark among the Gran Tesoro staff.
Jerry stood up with theatrical flair, gripping his fishing rod in one hand while gathering his other equipment with the other. He raised his chin toward the bewildered uncle and gestured dramatically with his Supreme-Grade fishing rod.
"Uncle, you'd better remember this moment! I am destined to become the undisputed Fishing King of the seas! You should probably give up now—I won't be surrendering that title to anyone."
After delivering this proclamation with complete seriousness, Jerry immediately turned and walked away, leaving both the confused fisherman and various onlookers standing there with disheveled hair blowing in the wind.
"Say, doesn't that guy look somewhat familiar to you?" one observer whispered to another.
"Now that you mention it, I think so too. When he looked up earlier, I could swear he resembled someone from the Black Star Pirates who've been making headlines recently... and that skeleton man who came to find him confirms it, right?"
After Jerry and Skull had departed, the crowd immediately became animated with excited chatter, and several sharp-eyed spectators began piecing together Jerry's true identity.
"Uncle, you'd better make yourself scarce," one kind-hearted bystander warned the fisherman urgently. "It seems like you might have just offended someone very important."
This realization spread rapidly through the gathered crowd like ripples across water, with various concerned individuals rushing to alert the unsuspecting fisherman about his precarious situation.
"I'm not afraid of him in the slightest!" the uncle responded with apparent calm and defiance. "If he's got the courage, let him come at me directly!"
Before he'd even finished speaking, however, he quickly gathered his fishing equipment and vanished from the spot, melting into the crowd as if he had never been there at all.
"How's the situation, Skull? Do you have the specific information we need?" Jerry asked quietly after they had moved away from the bustling crowd and navigated through several winding streets.
"Oh-ho-ho, but of course! Don't you know who you're dealing with? I am the world's number one intelligence specialist!" Skull placed both hands on his hips with supreme confidence, striking a pose that resembled an upside-down bull.
Jerry blinked slowly and tilted his head to stare directly at Skull with obvious skepticism. "Alright then, 'world's number one intelligence specialist'—if you're so amazing, why didn't we have any leads whatsoever at the beginning of this investigation?"
Skull coughed twice awkwardly, scratching his head through his costume. "Well, that's because we were initially searching in completely the wrong direction. But over these past few days, I've combined various clues provided by Tesoro's network and finally confirmed our target's location."
"It's an island that previously had no official name, but has been called Treasure Island in recent years. At least, I think that's what they're calling it now. Anyway, it's located in..."
While Jerry and his crew were enjoying their time aboard the golden ship, Ace and his division were dealing with far more serious matters. Having completed their mission of clearing disturbances throughout Whitebeard Pirates territory, they found no opportunity to relax whatsoever.
The reason for their continued vigilance was simple: after learning of both Caesar Clown and Doflamingo's decisive defeats, both Big Mom and Kaido had flown into towering rages. Each Emperor had initially threatened to send their forces—or even appear personally—to settle accounts with Jerry and his crew.
Big Mom had harbored tremendous hopes for Caesar's research into human gigantification, as she had always coveted both the physiques and combat capabilities of the giant race for her own crew. Meanwhile, Kaido's organization served as the largest consumer of artificial Devil Fruits in the world, making SMILE production directly related to his overall military strength. Naturally, both Emperors harbored intense hatred toward Jerry and his companions.
However, Jerry's crew happened to be operating within Whitebeard Pirates territorial waters, which prompted both Big Mom and Kaido to join forces in applying diplomatic pressure on Whitebeard. They demanded permission to cross his territory in pursuit of their targets.
This unprecedented action naturally alarmed the World Government, Marine Headquarters, and countless pirate crews and other organizations across the globe.
Just when representatives from numerous factions had metaphorically pulled out their chairs and prepared snacks to watch this spectacular confrontation unfold, the Red Hair Pirates unexpectedly issued a public statement: if Big Mom and Kaido chose to form an alliance, Shanks would join forces with the Whitebeard Pirates to oppose them.
The moment this declaration reached the public, the entire situation was instantly pushed to its dramatic climax. After carefully weighing the potential consequences, both Big Mom and Kaido temporarily abandoned their plans for military action, settling instead for issuing stern warnings to the Black Star Pirates.
This grand but ultimately anticlimactic development left officials and representatives from many other organizations feeling either excited or nervous for extended periods, all for nothing.
Jerry remained naturally fearless regarding these threats, but he couldn't prevent Ace and the other Whitebeard division commanders from wanting to provide assistance. As a result, he found himself owing them a considerable debt that would require a magnificent feast to repay.
As for the Red Hair Pirates' intervention, given that the relationship between Jerry's crew and Shanks remained complex—somewhere between enemies and friends—Jerry didn't comment extensively. He simply made a mental note of their unexpected support.
Back aboard their ship, the entire crew gathered in a circle around Jerry. After listening carefully to Skull's comprehensive intelligence briefing, all eyes turned expectantly toward their captain.
"Now that we've confirmed our target's location, there's absolutely no reason to hesitate any longer," Jerry declared, waving his hand decisively. "Let's depart immediately."
Deuce surveyed his companions with a serious expression and spoke in measured tones. "In that case, we must maintain complete secrecy regarding this operation. Additionally, if the situation really matches Jerry's predictions, everyone needs to exercise extreme caution."
"Exactly right," Carina agreed, gently stroking Carrot's head while nodding approvingly. "Let's assess the circumstances first. Even if our target is present, we still need to prioritize our own safety."
"There's someone called the Devil's Descendant involved, isn't there?" Brook interjected nervously, patting his ribcage. "I'm absolutely terrified of these supernatural entities. Every time I contemplate such horrible ghosts and monsters, my heart starts racing—even though I don't actually have a heart! Yo-ho-ho!"
Cavendish's eyes sparkled with anticipation as the corners of his mouth curved upward in excitement. "How about allowing me to test his strength this time around?"
"Feel free to try," Jerry responded casually. "If you get beaten from a perfectly good cabbage into wilted spinach, I'll help you gather up the scattered leaves afterward." He paused thoughtfully, touching the back of his head with apparent confusion.
"Actually, Cavendish, haven't you made an error? He's not even our primary target, so why should we concern ourselves with him at all? Who knows? He might simply have stomach problems that day, and we could achieve our objective and leave without even encountering him."
Hearing this unexpected perspective, everyone exchanged surprised glances with one another.
Jerry completely ignored their bewildered reactions, turning around to manipulate the ocean currents with his powers. He skillfully steered their ship out of Gran Tesoro's harbor and set course directly toward their confirmed destination, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them.
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