After returning to Paparoko Island, Oguro went back to his mountain-smashing training routine.
His control over Armament Haki grew more refined by the day, and his Haki reserves steadily expanded.
During this period, Oguro also considered training in Observation Haki.
However, Observation Haki training required one to be blindfolded and avoid incoming attacks purely by sensing them.
Neither Rukia Kuchiki nor Rangiku Matsumoto dared to go all out against the Soul King himself.
Even when Oguro ordered them to attack seriously, their instincts still held them back, their strikes subconsciously pulling their power. In the end, Oguro could only give up helplessly.
Finally, a month later—
The sailing ship Oguro had ordered arrived!
It was a standard vessel, about one-fifth smaller than the Going Merry used by Luffy's crew.
At the bow stood a statue of a sea goddess, meant to invoke her blessing for safe voyages across the ocean.
"Set sail! We're heading to the Grand Line!"
Nami cheered excitedly from the deck.
Even though she hadn't joined the Straw Hat Pirates in this world, her dream of charting a world map had never changed.
Heading to the Grand Line was the first step toward realizing that dream!
"First stop, Loguetown! Let's see if we can buy a Log Pose there!"
Oguro, fully aware of the Grand Line's unpredictable nature, wasn't reckless enough to rush in blindly.
Without a Log Pose, there was a 99% chance they'd lose their way!
Loguetown, being the gateway to the Grand Line, was the most likely place to find one.
Oguro's true goal was Skypiea, but to get there, they first needed to reach Jaya Island. Ideally, he wanted to buy a permanent Log Pose pointing to Jaya.
Unfortunately, the East Blue was known as the weakest sea—getting a high-grade item like a permanent Log Pose here was unlikely.
Loguetown—
The town of beginnings and endings, the place where Pirate King Gol D. Roger was executed. Its fame spread across the world.
Every year, thousands of pirates passed through here, hoping to reach the Grand Line—at least before Smoker was stationed here.
Since then, pirate activity had drastically decreased.
At the very least, no one dared to sail in proudly flying a pirate flag anymore.
After all, a Logia-type Devil Fruit user in a sea without Haki users was an absolute nightmare to face.
While Nami went to buy a Log Pose, Rukia and Rangiku decided to explore the town as well.
They dragged Hanataro along as their pack mule, leaving Oguro alone to visit the execution platform.
After all, in the world of pirates, this was the must-see landmark for everyone!
Oguro respected Roger's strength—but he didn't see him as a hero.
In his previous life, there were plenty of people who tried to change the world. Their methods might have been insane, but at least they tried.
Roger, on the other hand, caused the greatest chaos imaginable… then died and reincarnated, leaving the world to burn behind him.
He didn't even bother leaving a plan or contingency—he truly took irresponsibility to its peak!
Sometimes, Oguro couldn't help but wonder if Roger never cared about changing the world at all.
Maybe, after learning the truth of the Void Century, all he wanted was to throw a wrench into the World Government's gears!
As for the ordinary people suffering through the Great Pirate Era… they clearly weren't part of his consideration.
Lost in thought, Oguro didn't realize an hour had passed.
Rukia and Rangiku soon arrived at the meeting point, followed by a nearly collapsing Hanataro burdened with bags piled up to his chin.
The two women were full of excitement, a stark contrast to Hanataro's half-dead exhaustion.
However… Nami was nowhere to be seen.
Oguro frowned slightly.
Buying a Log Pose shouldn't take that long, should it?
"Hey, kid! You the one planning to head for the Grand Line?"
A rough, deep voice suddenly broke through his thoughts.
Oguro turned—and saw him.
White hair. Large cigar. Navy coat.
A face fiercer than most pirates'.
White Hunter Smoker.
And behind him stood Nami, looking uneasy and nervous.
Oguro's voice was calm, but edged. "Yeah, that's me. It's not illegal to travel to the Grand Line, is it?"
Smoker exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. "Of course not. But to prevent pirates from flooding the Grand Line, anyone purchasing a Log Pose must first be thoroughly investigated."
Oguro replied, "We're just ordinary civilians. Is there a problem with that?"
Smoker held his cigar between his fingers and gave a short laugh. "Well… there is a small problem."
He pointed toward Rukia, Rangiku, and Hanataro. "For instance, those three. I searched every intelligence network in the Marines, but I couldn't find anything on them."
Before Oguro could respond, Smoker's voice turned colder.
"One of them seems to have ice-related powers, capable of easily wiping out Arlong—the pirate worth twenty million Berries. And yet, her origins are completely unknown. I'd be a fool not to be cautious."
"And wouldn't you know it—around that same time, every member of the 16th Branch under Captain Nezumi went missing. Tell me… don't you think I should be careful?"
Oguro's expression didn't change, but his heart sank slightly.
As expected of the Marines—no matter how carefully he covered his tracks, they still managed to notice something.
Unfortunately for them, they had no proof.
Oguro said evenly, "They're just ordinary people. Their hometown was destroyed in a sea disaster, so they joined me. That's not against the law, is it?"
"As for Captain Nezumi, we did meet him once. But he didn't stay long before leaving. We have no idea what happened afterward."
Smoker's eyes narrowed, his expression darkening.
They were pushing everything away cleanly, huh?
And Oguro was right—without evidence, Smoker couldn't make an arrest.
But letting them just walk away? That was absolutely out of the question.
"In that case, you're all free to go," Smoker said, then added coldly, "except for her."
He pointed at Nami.
"This woman stays behind to assist our investigation. We've confirmed she was once a member of Arlong's crew. We need to verify whether she's responsible for any civilian deaths."
Oguro's expression turned to ice.
Who said Smoker was just a brute? The man clearly knew how to play the political game.
Saying he'd only detain Nami was just a front—what he really wanted was to use her as leverage to keep all of them here.
If they stayed long enough, the Marines might eventually find evidence linking them to Nezumi's disappearance.
"And what if I refuse?"
Oguro's voice was calm, but the temperature in the air seemed to drop.
Did this Smoker really think he could detain them in Loguetown?
Who did he think he was?
A man who chased Luffy across the entire Grand Line… only to watch him grow from a rookie pirate into a Yonko?
Don't make me laugh.
Smoker's eyes turned sharp, smoke curling thickly around his body.
"Then I'm afraid you don't have a choice."
He swung his right arm—
It burst into a whirl of milky-white smoke, spiraling rapidly before condensing into a massive vortex that surged toward Oguro and the others.
"White Blow!"
In an instant, the smoke solidified into countless chains, sealing every direction as they shot forward—aiming to capture all four of them in one strike!
***
If you're interested and wish to support me, you can read advanced chapters:
p-atreon.com/Redestro666