Meanwhile, at the Straw Hat Pirates' destination: the west coast of Jaya.
A gaunt man wearing a black cloak and a cross-shaped scope over his right eye sat squarely on the roof of a civilian house. He was tinkering with a rifle in his hands; judging by its exceptionally long barrel, its range had to be immense.
"Alright, let's see... which poor soul has been sentenced to death by fate today?"
Van Augur muttered to himself as he raised his rifle, aiming at a black speck in the distant sky, planning to shoot down a few birds to relieve his boredom.
Then, through his scope, he saw a massive, adorably goofy dog's head... "Holy shit!"
The sniper of the Blackbeard Pirates, famously known for his calm demeanor, was so startled that his hand trembled. The gun nearly misfired, and he almost tumbled right off the roof. However, he quickly regained his composure, adjusted his slightly askew hat, and continued observing the distant scene through his scope.
It was a black-and-white Husky galloping rapidly in mid-air. Looking at the way it kicked off the air to sprint through the sky, it was unmistakably one of the Navy's Six Powers—Geppo!
A Husky that knows Geppo?! Heh heh heh, this world really is too crazy!
(I remember the Captain mentioning before that there's a terrifying guy in the World Government who not only mastered the Navy's Six Powers to perfection himself, but is also an expert at teaching them to others. He could even teach a dog. Rumor has it that he has a pet dog that learned the Six Powers...)
(This dog's destination seems to be here, which means there are likely World Government people on this island?)
Van Augur kept his sights trained on the Husky's dumb, goofy head. Fine sweat broke out on his forehead as his finger tightened and loosened on the trigger, indecision warring in his heart.
After a long while, he lowered his rifle and let out a heavy sigh.
"According to the Captain's upcoming plans, it's best not to cause extra trouble right now. Heh, this must be fate's arrangement as well..."
On the other side, not long after spotting that Geppo-using Husky, the crew on the Going Merry finally arrived at their destination: Jaya.
At first, looking at the island from a distance, Nami thought it was a vacation resort. However, once she got closer and realized the port was filled with docked pirate ships, she quickly dropped that notion.
As the Going Merry anchored by the shore, several bloodcurdling screams echoed from the island's town, scaring Usopp and Chopper so much that they hurriedly hid inside the cabin.
"What on earth is going on with this town? Why is it so chaotic??" Nami covered her mouth in shock. From the ship, she could clearly see quite a few people slaughtering each other on the spacious main street, yet the nearby pedestrians remained utterly unfazed, as if they were long accustomed to it.
"This is a lawless land, Miss Navigator." Robin looked at the chaotic town on the shore and smiled gracefully. "Order and law hold absolutely no meaning here. The only thing you can rely on is your own strength."
Hearing Robin's explanation, Luffy and Zoro both nodded in great satisfaction. It seemed this little town suited those two perfectly.
"Alright, since we've reached land, it's time for us to part ways."
Saying that, Rovick leaped ashore with a very dashing motion. Well, assuming you ignored his tattered, ragged clothes.
"Eh? You're leaving already?" Sherlock paused, taken aback. "Knowing your personality, I thought you'd come to Sky Island with us."
Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Zoro also looked disappointed; they actually really liked this blue-haired fellow.
"Yeah, while I'm quite interested in Sky Island too, I came here because I have a much more pressing matter." Rovick rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, Juexi, his expression turning serious:
"Actually, the reason I came here three months ago was because I heard from elsewhere that someone had spotted the [Blood-Red Moon] in these waters at night."
"A blood-red moon? Sounds super interesting!" A certain straw-hat-wearing idiot's eyes lit up. He was incredibly enthusiastic about anything that sounded dangerous.
"Moons can be blood-red?"
Usopp and the others exchanged glances, all looking confused and bewildered. Nami, however, furrowed her brow, subconsciously feeling a sense of unease.
"That's right."
Rovick nodded. "Legend has it that in the Grand Line, every once in a while, you can see the [Blood-Weeping Moon], a symbol of misfortune. If you sail in the direction of that blood moon, you will eventually reach a deeply mysterious island."
"Oh my, I remember now. You're talking about the legend of the [Seven Star Sword], aren't you?" the intellectual beauty, who had been standing to the side lost in deep thought, suddenly realized.
The moment Robin mentioned the words "Seven Star Sword," two sharp gleams of light suddenly burst from the ink-black eyes of a certain calm, glasses-wearing man, though they vanished just as quickly as shooting stars.
"Exactly! That [Cursed Holy Sword], the most beautiful and powerful sacred sword in legends, exists somewhere on that island!"
Saying this, Rovick flashed an incredibly bright, hearty smile. "Even though I know the authenticity of this legend isn't high, I still plan to go and check it out for myself."
(No, no, no... that sword doesn't just exist in legends...) Sherlock gently pushed up his glasses, pondering inwardly.
"Oh? Is that so? Well then, good luck, blue-hair." Luffy grinned, completely carefree.
"Yeah, same to you guys. I hope you make it to Sky Island safely. President! Take good care of yourself! I hope we can cross paths again on this sea!"
Waving to the crew one last time, Rovick left without looking back. He walked at a brisk pace, moving like the wind, and vanished from their sight in the blink of an eye.
Arriving suddenly and leaving just as abruptly—truly a man as dashing as a gale!
Well, even if he was a bit of a goofball.
"Alright, next up, let's go gather some intel on Sky Island!" Saying that, Luffy and Zoro disembarked and headed into town.
Seeing this, the orange-haired navigator instantly lost her cool. Based on her understanding of those two, Nami was certain that the chances of them not causing trouble in this violence-filled place were infinitely close to zero. She quickly called out to stop them:
"Hey, you two, hold on a second! Sherlock, you... Eh? Where did Sherlock go?" Nami looked left and right, shocked to discover that a certain glasses-wearing man and a certain devious woman were nowhere to be seen.
"As for Sherlock, it seems he was just dragged off by Robin to go clothes shopping."
"Dragged off by Robin to go clothes shopping? Which means... he's with Robin right now?" After hearing the blue-nosed reindeer's reply, the orange-haired navigator felt an inexplicable chill run down her spine.
If Luffy and Zoro, those two violent brutes, headed into this town together, they would, at most, tear the town apart.
But if it was those two equally devious schemers...
Even though they usually gave off a calm, elegant, and completely harmless vibe, Nami couldn't shake the feeling that a team-up between that man and that woman going into this town wouldn't end with them just tearing the place down!
(I'll trust that Sherlock knows his limits. I'd better go keep an eye on Luffy and Zoro.)
Thinking of this, Nami hurriedly got off the ship and broke into a fast run in the direction Luffy and Zoro had taken.
Left behind on the deck, a certain long-nose and a blue-nosed reindeer looked at each other in dismay, at a total loss for words.
Just then, the cabin door suddenly swung open. The curly-browed cook twirled his way out, balancing a tray.
"Nami-san! Robin-chan! Taste my love-filled... Eh? Weird, where did everyone go?"
"Aaahhh! Sanji! Please don't leave us behind!"
"Yeah, yeah! Sanji, you have to stay and guard the ship!"
"Hey! You two guys... Dammit! Chopper, don't wipe your snot on my suit!"
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