"Y-yes, yes."
The clerk at the general store dared not say another word and hurriedly bent down to start moving the supplies.
This man in front of him was taciturn, but the aura he exuded suggested he was not someone to be trifled with.
"Judging by your accent, you're from the East Blue?" Hawkeye suddenly asked.
"Yes, Loguetown. You can tell just from that?"
The clerk was stunned. "Come to think of it, our town is quite famous. Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, was executed there. I wonder if you ever visited…"
"I was present at Roger's execution," Hawkeye said calmly. "That was eighteen years ago, and I haven't returned to the East Blue since."
Not worth his time, really.
"As for this time…"
Hawkeye gazed toward the horizon, his eyes deep and distant.
"A few years ago, I heard a swordsman of notable fame emerged in the East Blue. By now, he should be an adult. I hope he's grown into a worthy opponent who's worth seeking me out."
…
East Blue, nighttime.
The new Gatt sailed through the dim moonlight, cutting through waves at full speed.
In the top-tier VIP cabin…
"Ah-choo—"
Shanu sneezed while sitting on the carpet. He rubbed his nose, thinking, that little Nami girl is probably cursing me under her breath again.
"Well done, Gin, you did great."
He patted the head of the massive silver wolf in front of him with a smile.
On the carpet lay a few wet objects that the wolf had just vomited: Krieg's severed hand, Gin's tonfas, and Pearl's helmet.
Woof… no, howl!
Gin spun happily around Shanu, tail wagging so fast it nearly became a helicopter blade. Gone was the aloof demeanor he had shown in front of others.
Shanu casually sacrificed all the items Gin had brought, earning 800 points, about the same as Arlong alone.
Hmm, he thought. The Krieg Pirates had all the swagger in the East Blue, acting like rulers of the seas, but compared to Arlong, their strength was still lacking.
Still, more points were always better. Sitting at home and automatically collecting so much, he was more than satisfied.
As for the bounties worth tens of millions of Berries, and the remaining pirates who surrendered without resistance…
The Marines of Branch 77 would naturally handle them. Over the past few years, every now and then, pirates tried to defeat him, the East Blue's most famous swordsman, to boost their own fame and bounty.
The results? Predictable: each one died more miserably than the last.
Cocoyashi Village and Branch 77 had almost become an assembly line: one claims military merits, the other collects bounties.
Colonel Sophia even stationed a warship nearby permanently, ready to assist whenever Cocoyashi Village had trouble.
With accumulated military merits, she was expected to be promoted to Headquarters Colonel in a while.
"Here, your reward."
Under Gin's eager gaze, Shanu pulled a large box of strawberry milk from his bag.
Gin eagerly grabbed it, tearing open a corner and gulping it down.
Shanu rubbed his head and smiled, watching.
Though Gin had grown huge and had plenty of meat in his diet, over the years, his favorite treat had always been strawberry milk.
Just as Shanu was about to tie the bag back, he suddenly noticed something and took out a small glass sphere.
What's this?
Curious, he examined it under the light and saw a magnetic needle inside. Underneath the base was a note.
He tore it off and unfolded it.
"I made this record pointer myself. Stronger than any you can buy, hard even for bullets to break! The Grand Line's magnetic field is chaotic; compasses won't work. You must take this!"
"Love you, to my dearest big brother"
A record pointer made by Nami herself?
When did she sneak this in?
Shanu recalled: the book he had bought for Nami once described how to make a record pointer.
He hadn't expected her to manage it herself.
A teenage girl accomplishing this must have taken great effort.
Seeing the note, Shanu's lips curved in a warm smile.
This little one… she really has grown up, and she's so thoughtful.
…
"Hehe, success!"
In her bedroom, Nami lay on the bed, holding the glass sphere, watching the trembling needle inside. She proudly kicked her feet.
That idiot brother must be crying from being touched right now… maybe even regretting scolding me before leaving home.
Little did he know, the pointer she made wasn't just a record pointer, it was also a makeshift tracker.
As long as the distance wasn't absurd, she could sense the exact direction through this pointer.
Not letting me on the ship? Thinking of leaving me behind with Nojiko? Hmph, dream on!
"Next, I need to trick Bellemere. If she calls my brother when I disappear, it'll be trouble…"
So she couldn't set off today. The suspicion was too high; she'd wait a couple of days. What excuse should I use?
The girl stared at the nautical chart on the wall, deep in thought…
…
In the luxury cabin:
Shanu carefully stored the pointer and went to the porthole, gazing at the dark sea.
The new Gatt destination was Shelly Island, near the entrance of the Grand Line.
The island was famous across the East Blue as a city of brewing and shipbuilding, with over ten shipyards densely packed across it.
Two months ago, Shanu had contacted the oldest whale shipbuilding company on the island.
For 300 million Berries, he ordered a high-spec ship.
Most of the fortune he had gotten had been spent in one swoop.
The high price was due to Shanu's requirement that the ship's structure use the shipyard's prized material: Adam Tree.
As the strongest and most resilient wood in the world, a ship built with Adam Tree would be extremely sturdy.
Even the storms of the Grand Line wouldn't pose much threat.
The shipyard provided the draft outline, but the interior was designed according to Shanu and the crew's preferences.
Shanu wanted a training room made of reinforced steel on all four sides; Nojiko wanted the same. Kuina insisted on an open-air kendo area at the stern. Zeff demanded a fully equipped kitchen and ample food storage.
Of course, Nami had her mischief too, insisting on a nautical chart room filled with bookshelves and a small orange grove nearby.
Shanu had initially ignored her requests, but she kept pleading, so he reluctantly agreed.
At least it would serve as a reminder of the little trickster aboard.
Now, two months later, the ship was completed.
All that remained was for Shanu to inspect it on the island.
A 300-million-Berry, custom-built ship, not only the young crew, but even the seasoned Zeff were excited to see it.