That evening, the Isshin Dojo held a grand feast to welcome Shanu and his party.
Nami and Nojiko, still preoccupied with their food cravings, had dashed to the kitchen the moment Zeff began preparing, making their requests with bright-eyed excitement.
Zeff laughed heartily, sweeping his massive hand in a gesture of generosity, granting every wish.
This naturally sparked resentment from the two kitchen assistants who had just woken up.
"We're about the same age, why are we stuck chopping and washing, while they get whatever they want?!"
Green-haired Zoro and curly-browed Sanji put aside their old grudges, uniting in angry protest.
"They're VIP guests, you two fools!"
Zeff's massive fists soon silenced their complaints. The grand revolt lasted only a minute before it ended in screams of defeat.
Meanwhile, Shanu hadn't yet seen Kuina or Junichi and asked Kōshirō about them.
It turned out Kuina, after a year of intense training and with her natural talent, had grown tremendously in swordsmanship. A few days ago, she'd confidently gone to Sakurazaki Island to compete in the latest kendo tournament, determined to claim the title and succeed Shanu's legacy.
Junichi, on the other hand, trained tirelessly day and night, but his progress lagged behind Kuina and Zoro. Feeling surpassed by juniors several years younger, he resolved six months ago to leave and hone his skills at sea as a pirate hunter.
Kōshirō worried, but Shanu quietly approved, everyone had their own path. If the dojo offered limited growth, then setting out for harsher challenges made perfect sense.
After dinner, the group gathered for a fireside chat. Shanu handed Zeff a copy of the Rokushiki Manual.
The techniques Soru, Geppo, and Tekkai were versatile, allowing Zeff and Kuina to pick what they liked to improve overall strength.
Zoro and Sanji could practice too, but by the time Shanu officially set sail in three years, they would still be too young. Whether they joined the crew then would be their own choice.
The next morning, the Orange Grove set sail from Shimotsuki Village, heading to the final destination: the Goa Kingdom.
Shanu hadn't forgotten the other task, he had already collected all the "honey" points during the night.
Kuina's lamp, Zoro's headband, Zeff's wooden leg, Kōshirō's new glasses, all accounted for, and a small vial of blood was quietly placed by Sanji's bedside.
By now, Shanu had become expert at such stealthy tasks: no sound, no one noticing. The work earned him 2,500 points, bringing his total to 38,500.
As for whether Kōshirō and others would notice their missing items, of course not. With Shanu's reputation, anything suspicious would be blamed on Zoro's mischief.
A few days later, in a bright and windy afternoon, the Orange Grove entered Goa Kingdom waters. The distant Kolpo Mountains came into view.
Shanu sat at the prow, playing with Nami and Nojiko while occasionally glancing at the lush mountains ahead, frowning slightly.
Since that morning, as they neared the destination, he couldn't shake a sense of unease.
"Scarface," he asked, turning back, "does the follow-up report mention which Vice Admiral was sent to the East Blue to eliminate the Buggy crew?"
"Let me check, Boss." Scarface rifled through a pile of newspapers, then looked up. "It mentions 'Yamakaji'—a veteran Vice Admiral with serious skills. If he leads the fleet, Buggy's crew won't stand a chance."
"Yamakaji, huh…"
Shanu exhaled. Honestly, it didn't matter who came, as long as it wasn't Garp. He just wanted to finish Luffy's "magic trick" quickly and return without complications.
The outskirts of the Corvo Mountains led to the Goa Kingdom's shopping district, safe, bustling, perfect for a few days of leisure for Shanu's sisters.
Meanwhile, Shanu and Scarface prepared to search the mountains for their target. With familiar guides, the search was efficient, and by the next afternoon, they located Luffy.
The boy had separated from Ace and was now being chased through the woods by three furious giant bears, screaming in panic.
"Why three of them?!"
Luffy ran, wiping tears and snot from his face. "I only stole your honey! And now you bring reinforcements? Come on, fight me one-on-one!"
The bears didn't reply, they just chased with all their might.
"I can't take it anymore! Here I come!!"
Exhausted, Luffy grabbed two trees, stretched his arm, and launched backward.
"Gomu Gomu, Rocket Cannon!"
Thud!
His head smashed the central bear's forehead, sending it sprawling with a pained roar, but it didn't stay down for long. Within seconds, it was back on its feet, and the other two bears had positioned themselves to block every escape route, glaring at the little boy.
"This is it! I'm done for!" Luffy's legs shook uncontrollably, and he wailed, "Ace! Where are you?! Come save me…"
Watching from the cliff, Shanu sighed and stood, flashing out of sight in an instant.
The next moment, he appeared beside Luffy, glancing up at the three bears.
"Do me a favor," he said with a smile. "Since this kid is at fault first, I won't intervene, why don't you leave voluntarily?"
The bears paused, confused. They glanced at each other, then simultaneously bared teeth and drooled, stepping forward.
Not a celestial dragon, face-saving didn't work, Shanu thought. Just as he prepared to act, he noticed the bears freeze.
Looking up, all three wore expressions of fear, then turned and bolted back the way they came, not daring to look back.
"Huh?"
Shanu blinked at their retreating forms. Suddenly, a furious voice rang out from above:
"Who let this brat interfere?! Do you know how much effort it took for me to lure these bears here?!"
The voice was…
Shanu's eyes widened. Reflexively, he looked up, and a sandbag-sized fist rapidly expanded in his vision.