Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
"After ten days of searching, we haven't found any trace of an Arlong Pirates member."
On Jumada Island, Colonel Lester addressed the residents of Cocos Village and Hoshigakure Town.
Hearing this, all the residents became somewhat flustered. Genzo asked, "What about the other villages? Arlong controlled many villages; did he go to those places?"
"No."
Colonel Lester shook his head and said, "Whether it's Jumada Island, Burnett Island, or the other fourteen villages controlled by the Arlong Pirates, we've investigated them all. There's no sign of Arlong's Crew."
One of his subordinates, a Vice Captain, added, "Not only that, but we and Branch 1677's base have also searched the islands near Jumada Island that are not yet under his control several times, and we found nothing."
"Then..."
Genzo frowned, unsure of what to do next.
That day, he had informed Commodore Brim Brim that the Arlong Pirates had gone to Burnett Island, so three warships were dispatched to pursue them, but there were no results.
Over these ten days, they had searched the surrounding areas, and the fourteen villages conquered by the Arlong Pirates all showed no sign of them.
Furthermore, the Vice Captain had told them that even the villages not under his control and relatively close by had no trace of Arlong's Crew.
"Don't worry, our three branch bases are in the vicinity. Especially this area, which belongs to our Branch 16 base, so we will patrol here in the future," Colonel Lester reassured them. "If Arlong reappears, we will come back."
"Alright, thank you for your trouble, sirs."
Genzo nodded. For now, this was all they could do. The Arlong Pirates had vanished without a trace, and no one knew where they had gone.
However, as long as the Marines were still in charge, they could return to clear them out if they came back.
After informing the residents of Jumada Island of the situation, Colonel Lester led the personnel from Branch 16, piloting their warships, and departed from Jumada Island.
...
"They've left."
In the sea, two massive figures swam towards the distance.
One of these figures was a giant Sea Fish, entirely black, with a huge head and a thick body. Its dorsal fin resembled a giant scythe, and it had tentacles on its abdomen.
The other was a giant Sea Cow, immense in size, with sharp horns on its head, colored green and blue, and a dazed expression.
These two, a fish and a beast, were naturally Xia Qiu and Moo Moo.
The two had begun their journey from Jumada Island. After ten days of waiting, Hachi hadn't returned, so Xia Qiu decided not to stay any longer.
Xia Qiu had been here for too long; three and a half years had passed, and he was very familiar with the environment and tired of the life here.
So, he planned to leave and see other places.
Where to?
Xia Qiu hadn't decided yet, but at least in the East Blue sea, he had no enemies.
The Red Hair Pirates should have already returned by 1511. Garp and Dragon occasionally appeared in this sea, but they were rarely encountered.
Even if they were around, he wouldn't conflict with them if he was careful.
Other strong individuals rarely set foot here. Speaking of which, Xia Qiu had no enemies left.
Even against the Sea Kings of the East Blue, as long as they weren't colossal Sea Kings, Xia Qiu wouldn't be afraid.
Therefore, he could sail freely in the East Blue, wherever he wanted to go.
But the question was, should he go to the Grand Line?
As his strength grew, Xia Qiu felt a desire for adventure, wanting to travel to the Grand Line.
In the world of One Piece, the Grand Line was just a sea, not very large on the map.
However, it was a gathering place for countless strong individuals, immense powers, and innumerable races.
Marine Headquarters, Shichibukai, Four Emperors.
Fish-Men, Mermaids, Giants, Celestial Dragons.
At the end of the Grand Line lay the legendary One Piece.
Xia Qiu yearned for that world, but this yearning was more from his love for the original story.
But now, having been in this world for over four years, he had long since turned fantasy into reality.
While he yearned for it, he was also more cautious.
He wasn't strong enough yet, and his heart wasn't ready.
He'd think about it later.
Xia Qiu mused, and he and Moo Moo swam towards the distance, further and further away.
...
Nightfall descended. A full moon cast its watery moonlight, and stars twinkled. The distant orange grove rustled softly in the gentle breeze.
"Nami, do you want to cover up your tattoo? There's a villager here who used to be a tattoo artist. He helped me with my tattoo, and I asked him if he could modify yours based on it."
Nojiko looked at Nami's left arm, where a handkerchief was wrapped, concealing the Arlong Pirates' tattoo underneath.
"Wait a bit longer. If the Arlong Pirates return and see that I've changed the map, the consequences will be dire," Nami said softly.
"That's true."
Nojiko nodded upon hearing this. If Arlong were to return, their lives would go back to how they were.
Nojiko sat beside Nami and sighed, saying, "I really wish Arlong and his crew would never come back."
"Yeah, then the villagers wouldn't have to pay tribute every month and live under their oppressive rule. If they occasionally broke one of Arlong's rules, they'd get beaten up." Nami thought of the villagers' experiences, her heart filled with immense sorrow.
"Nami, you always think about others, but what about yourself?" Nojiko turned her head to look at Nami and asked.
"Me?" Nami looked at Nojiko.
Nojiko said earnestly, "Once Arlong is gone, you can come back. You won't have to worry or be scared anymore, and you can live a peaceful life. That's what I'm most looking forward to."
"That's what I'm looking forward to too," Nami said softly, her heart warming at her words.
These past ten days, her life had been very peaceful. She spent most of her time at home, reading books and drawing.
Nojiko kept her company, and occasionally Genzo would visit, bringing her a few books.
But with the Arlong Pirates, she had to be constantly on edge, working tirelessly every day to earn more money.
"Alright, it's getting late, let's go to sleep." Nojiko yawned, stood up, and looked at Nami, asking, "Want to sleep together?"
"Okay."
Nami nodded, washed up, and went into the bedroom to lie down.
This bedroom had once belonged to Aunt Bellemere. After she passed away, Nojiko moved in.
Nami, on the other hand, moved into the room she and Nojiko used to share.
Nami turned off the light, climbed into bed, and lay down next to Nojiko. They chatted about the past, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
She didn't know how long she slept.
Pat, pat.
Nami felt someone patting her. She slowly opened her eyes, startled awake from her dream. She blinked and looked into the distance.
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