East Blue, outside Roguetown harbor.
On the warship's deck, Smoker stared at the Vivre Card inside his cigar case, lost in thought.
This case of cigars was a batch he had just purchased this morning, intended for consumption during the long sea voyage.
Which meant... someone had been monitoring my movements and managed to place this without me noticing...
Smoker pulled out the Vivre Card and saw the mark in one corner, his pupils contracting sharply.
It was a mark resembling a table tennis paddle - red on top and white below.
Smoker remembered that when that guy set sail years ago, this pattern had been the background of his Jolly Roger.
This was Griffin's Vivre Card!!
...
Vivre Cards were made from one's own body tissue combined with special paper, representing the owner's life force.
Typically, fragments were torn off and given to friends or family, with the pieces pointing toward each other's locations.
The size of Vivre Cards was fixed - they would shrink when the owner weakened and return to normal size when they recovered.
If it gradually turned to ashes, it indicated the owner was near death, with complete disappearance meaning death.
This Vivre Card was slightly smaller than normal size but was slowly recovering.
...
Smoker's mind raced.
Did Griffin send someone to deliver the Vivre Card, or did he deliver it himself?
It must be the former - if it were him personally, he wouldn't have avoided meeting me.
This Vivre Card looked new, clearly made recently, indicating he wasn't in a situation where he couldn't contact the outside world.
Since he could contact others but didn't call for rescue from Headquarters... it meant either his location wasn't dangerous, or he was confident in escaping.
Giving me the Vivre Card without any other message...
He doesn't want me to find him - he has his own plans.
Then...
...
"Colonel Smoker, shall we take the direct route to Red Port? Or the Fish-Man Island route?"
Normally for missions to the New World, they would take the World Government's Red Port route, but since Smoker was currently acting privately, the Marine had to ask.
Smoker took a deep drag from two cigars and said in a low voice: "Turn back."
"Huh?"
——
——
Marine Headquarters, hospital room.
Zephyr sat on the hospital bed, looking out the window with slightly vacant eyes.
Hearing the door open, he turned and spoke hoarsely: "Any news?"
...
The door opener was a nurse holding a Den Den Mushi: "Mr. Zephyr, there's a call for you from East Blue."
Placing the Den Den Mushi down, the nurse couldn't help adding: "Your physical condition is very poor, you need to rest more, at least get some sleep..."
"You're very important to the Marines, you must take care of your health!"
Zephyr couldn't bring himself to look at the Den Den Mushi, forcing a bitter smile: "Important enough that I can't even leave Headquarters?"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku was considering..."
"Enough, you may leave."
...
Purupurupuru...
The Den Den Mushi kept ringing, and Zephyr finally gathered the courage to answer the call.
The hands that never retreated even when facing formidable enemies were now trembling, appearing so timid.
"Hey... Smoker?"
"It's me, Teacher Zephyr."
Zephyr's throat tightened, his voice growing increasingly hoarse and low: "I'm sorry... I failed to..."
"Griffin is alive."
"What did you say!? You found him!!" Zephyr's voice immediately rose in pitch.
...
Smoker moved the Den Den Mushi slightly away from his ear and said quietly: "He sent someone to deliver his Vivre Card to me. It seems he's almost fully recovered."
"Is that so... That's wonderful..."
Zephyr breathed a sigh of relief, smiling contentedly for the first time in days: "I knew that brat wouldn't die so easily. As the old saying goes, the wicked live long."
"But the Vivre Card... was this a precaution he prepared in advance? Can't he contact the outside world now? Is he trapped somewhere?"
"Come to headquarters immediately! Use the Vivre Card in your possession to track his location! I'll go with you!"
...
"Teacher Zephyr, I'm afraid that won't work. The entire Vivre Card is with me, so we can't track him. Please calm down and listen to me."
After hearing Smoker's analysis, Zephyr frowned deeply: "You're saying he doesn't want us to look for him..."
"Are you certain he's not in danger?"
...
"Well... based on my understanding of him."
Smoker let out a light snort: "Even if this guy were to die, he'd definitely turn everything upside down. He would never die silently in some corner."
After saying this, he paused for a moment.
"That brat... is a man who aims to be the strongest. How could he possibly stop before reaching his goal?"
...
Zephyr had seen the coldness beneath Griffin's gentle exterior, but... only Smoker knew about the intense emotions and obsessions hidden beneath those layers of armor.
He was the type of person who, once he recognized someone or set a goal, would pour all his heart and soul into it.
...
Zephyr remained silent for a long time before turning to look at the horizon where sea met sky outside the window, smiling with relief.
"You're right... old folks like us just need to believe in him."
...
"Hey! Teacher Zephyr! I'm only twenty-five! Don't say things like that to me!"
"Haha... Sorry, in my memory you've always looked so mature that I thought you were already in your thirties. Compared to that brat, you're definitely an old guy."
...
Smoker hummed thoughtfully before stating firmly: "Teacher Zephyr, I want to ask you for a favor."
"I don't want to be stuck at the base feeling helpless and angry if something like this happens again."
"I want permission to operate freely in the New World. I need stronger opponents!"
"If he's moving forward while I, as his senior, remain stagnant, that would be too pathetic!"
...
"Hehe... So even the Marine mad dog who's more stubborn than me is willing to ask for help now..."
"Just give me a straight answer, Teacher Zephyr!"
"That's not exactly the attitude of someone asking for a favor... Alright, I'll help you, as long as you promise to curse less when answering calls from superiors next time."
"Hmph! If they give ridiculous orders, I'll still curse!"
...
...
Zephyr seemed to remember something and asked seriously: "Then... should we tell her?"
Smoker knew who Zephyr was referring to. After thinking for a long time, he sighed: "Please check on her situation first. If she's like I was before, insisting on going to find Griffin, then tell her."
...
——
Zephyr found Doll at the training ground.
Bang— Bang— Bang—
The sound of fists pounding against a steel dummy echoed through the air.
The specially crafted iron dummy, with a hardness more than ten times that of naval alloy, now bore a distinct depression in its chest.
Thousands of punches? Tens of thousands? No, it must have been at least hundreds of thousands to achieve this level.
...
Doll paused her training, wiping sweat with a towel, and faced Zephyr: "Teacher Zephyr, how is your recovery going?"
Seeing the bloodstains on her fists, Zephyr let out a deep sigh: "Doll... I know you're feeling troubled, worried about Griffin. If..."
"Why would you say that?"
Doll tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled: "I'm not worried at all."
...
"Huh?"
Doll smiled brightly: "It's only been a few days without news, nothing to worry about."
"He must be perfectly safe, Teacher Zephyr, you shouldn't worry either."
Zephyr looked intently into Doll's eyes, confirming she wasn't forcing bravery, and felt relieved.
He then asked: "How can you be so certain?"
...
Doll pressed a hand to her chest.
Because... the stabbing pain in her heart had stopped...
She didn't answer, instead laughing: "A woman's intuition! By the way, I have a mission the day after tomorrow, I was going to tell you about it later."
"What mission?"
...
Doll's expression turned serious, her gaze firm: "To subjugate the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock!"
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