An unknown sea area.
Five naval warships escorted a luxury vessel.
On the deck of the lead battleship, a man in a navy admiral's uniform stood with his hands in his trouser pockets, looking around with obvious boredom.
"Oh~ I wonder what the outcome of the duel between Sakazuki and Kuzan was. Being a Marine Admiral is so boring."
Admiral Kizaru pouted, complaining that he had taken the mission to escort the Celestial Dragons just to avoid getting involved in Aokiji and Akainu's mess.
Though, in truth, all Marine duties were equally dull.
"Admiral! Admiral Kizaru! This is bad! Saint Caronas Igu has left the fleet again!" A naval soldier panicked.
The Caronas Igu Saint he referred to was none other than a Celestial Dragon, a noble from the holy land of Marijoa.
For this escort mission, the Navy had dispatched five warships—and even Admiral Kizaru himself—to ensure the safety of four members of the Caronas clan.
"Oh my~ Did he sneak off to gauge public sentiment again? There are some unusual people among the Celestial Dragons…"
A rare flash of seriousness appeared in Kizaru's eyes.
Celestial Dragons were notorious for their brutality, but Saint Caronas Igu was an outlier.
Unlike other Celestial Dragons, he cared deeply for the lower-class people.
Traveling incognito, he visited islands along the way, recording the living conditions of the residents and noting policies that could be improved.
His existence had even forced the World Government to amend some laws.
Moreover, the Igu Saint himself was powerful, especially in speed. Every time he left the fleet, he could return within a day.
Even more striking, while Caronas Igu was exceptional, his father and two sisters were typical Celestial Dragons—extremely cruel and sadistic.
On a tavern on an unknown island.
Victor was drinking and chatting with a man who carried an extraordinary presence.
A few days after arranging a meeting with Hawkeye, Victor and his companions left Kraikana Island.
The ghost princess Perona had wanted to come along to sea on Titanic X, but Victor had refused with a casual excuse.
He had noticed something unusual in Hawkeye's gaze… and there was no rush. Once Hawkeye came aboard, Perona could naturally join the crew like Hinagiku.
This time, Victor's target was the little thief Nami. Not for selfish reasons—he simply wanted to take Hancock to Sky Island for a stroll and sightseeing. (Nami was training on the small Sky Island Visalia.)
Passing by an island, Victor, Hancock, and Marguerite decided to stop to replenish supplies.
Victor went to get wine, while Hancock and Marguerite bought necessities.
On the way to the tavern, Victor encountered a strange man.
Though dressed modestly, his noble aura could not be hidden. More importantly, he held a notebook and constantly recorded notes.
Victor noticed him but initially did not approach. However, the system triggered a choice: talk to this man, and he could gain a supersonic fighter.
So Victor went.
This encounter shocked him.
Two things stood out:
The man introduced himself as Igubigu.
Igubigu's words and actions were extraordinary. Victor glimpsed his notebook, which detailed the islanders' living conditions.
In the pirate world, this was unusual.
Igubigu also became fascinated with Victor, impressed that he could answer all his questions—even some that made him feel enlightened.
He had never met anyone with such advanced thinking.
The two quickly became cheerful and later went to a tavern to drink together.
"Makabaka, you're the most unique-minded man I've ever met! I'm so happy!"
Igubigu downed his glass of wine in one gulp, his aristocratic aura intact despite the drinking.
"Igu… Igubigu, I enjoyed our conversation. I hope we meet again!"
Victor suppressed laughter. When asked his name, he had jokingly replied, "Makabaka."
"Yes! We will definitely meet again!" Igubigu looked at Victor with determination.
Once he returned, he would find a way to bring this man, Makabaka, to his side—it was not difficult.
Hancock had already contacted Victor via Den Den Mushi, so the encounter ended there. Victor and Igubigu parted ways.
Victor waited for Hancock.
Igubigu left to go to the next island, planning to return home afterward, bringing gifts for his sisters. Despite their cruelty, family was important to him.
At that moment, the world's most beautiful Pirate Queen, Boa Hancock, wearing a veil to avoid attention, passed by Igubigu.
Igubigu didn't react and continued on his way.
Hancock paused, glancing back at him, a flicker of doubt in her deep blue eyes.
This strange aura…
"Honey, I finished shopping! I met an interesting man and had a few drinks!"
"Husband~!" Seeing Victor, Hancock immediately became gentle.
The earlier unsettling aura vanished. In her heart, nothing mattered more than her husband.
Soon, Victor and his companions returned to Titanic X.
After sailing for a while, they encountered a fleet of six ships: five Navy warships and one luxury ship.
On the lead warship stood a man Victor knew well: Navy Admiral Kizaru.
At this moment, Kizaru noticed Victor's presence…
...
Author's Note:
Sorry for not uploading chapters regularly. I'm currently studying for my semester exams, so chapter upload times may vary for now.
From next month onward, chapters will be uploaded on time. Thank you for your patience and support.