"Tiger."
Rowan let out a quiet sigh.
"Someone has to be willing to stand up and resist, even at the cost of their life. And if everyone chooses to endure oppression simply because they're afraid, if surviving is enough for them, then one day, when disaster finally falls upon them, it will already be too late. There is no revolution without bloodshed."
"Let it begin with our generation. That is also one of the Revolutionary Army's core principles. The future we create will ensure the next generation never has to suffer such humiliation again."
Humiliation.
Tiger recalled everything he had experienced in Mary Geoise.
Fish-Men and Merfolk, once discovered, were immediately labeled as rare species.
The finest kind of slaves. Sold at auctions. Presented to the Celestial Dragons. In the end, they either lived a fate worse than death or took their own lives.
For the future. For the next generation.
"I understand now, Sir."
Determination gradually filled Tiger's eyes.
The conversation came to an end. Meanwhile, Rowan's thoughts had already turned toward everything connected to Fish-Man Island.
Poseidon's power was the ability to communicate with the gigantic Sea Kings.
From the scenes in his memories, Fish-Man Island itself was no larger than a basketball in the eyes of those colossal creatures.
Eight hundred years ago, Joy Boy had made a promise to the previous Mermaid Princess.
That meant the Sea Kings' purpose probably wasn't simply to serve as weapons. And One Piece literally meant "all in one piece," or "connected as one."
Surely the idea wasn't that those giant Sea Kings were supposed to carry islands around to avoid Imu's attacks? That seemed a little too far-fetched.
Vegapunk's theories were far more believable than that.
Before long, their small ship approached Punk Hazard. Rowan turned to Tiger.
"This is where we part ways. You head for Fish-Man Island. I'm going to take a look around that island first. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll arrive in a day or two."
Tiger blinked.
"Sir, don't you need us to take you ashore?"
Rowan shook his head slightly.
"That would make too large a target. Starting a fight wouldn't be a problem, but that's not why I'm here."
As soon as he finished speaking, Rowan didn't use Moonwalk. That would create far too much noise. Instead he casually tossed out a Flying Thunder God kunai.
He didn't throw it with much force, so it barely made a sound. In an instant, Rowan vanished. Another kunai flew from his hand, then another, and another.
After repeating the process more than a dozen times, he appeared directly inside one of Punk Hazard's forests without ever passing through the harbor.
The three Fish-Men aboard the ship stared in complete disbelief.
Inside Punk Hazard, Borsalino was leisurely eating a bowl of soba noodles. Suddenly a chill ran down the back of his neck.
The feeling came without any warning. His Observation Haki hadn't sensed even the slightest trace of hostility.
Just then a stout man carrying a massive axe walked over.
"Old Man, still no news about Dr. Vegapunk?"
When Sentomaru had been a child he had nearly starved to death because he had no food. Vegapunk had taken him in.
Though not his adoptive father, the kindness he had shown was no less significant.
Ever since Vegapunk disappeared several years ago, Sentomaru, now a member of the Science Defense Force, had never stopped searching for him. Neither had the World Government.
Without comparison it was difficult to appreciate the gap.
After the North Blue operation, Vinsmoke Judge had already been working here for several years, yet progress remained painfully slow. The only tangible results so far were little more than Germa's existing technology.
"Tsk."
Borsalino swallowed the last mouthful of noodles.
"Don't worry. That guy is probably living a more comfortable life than either you or me. He's just missing. With a head as enormous as his, anyone who sees him would ask questions. 'Vegapunk?' That name has become quite famous over the past few years. After all, the technology that lets warships cross the Calm Belt made quite a name for itself."
Sentomaru snorted.
"If some evil pirate had kidnapped him, would you still be this relaxed, Old Man?"
Borsalino stood up and stretched lazily.
"Who knows? I just take life one day at a time. And if a mission comes up, I'll have to leave anyway."
After answering it, Sengoku's voice came through.
"Vice Admiral Borsalino, over a week ago the slaves in Mary Geoise were freed. The World Government has now identified the origins of many of those slaves, so..."
Before Sengoku could finish, Borsalino rubbed his forehead.
"Marshal, Punk Hazard still needs guarding, and I also have to deal with the pirates in these waters. I really don't have time to help the Celestial Dragons hunt down their slaves."
Even through the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku could hear the reluctance in Borsalino's voice.
The reason was obvious. Helping the Celestial Dragons recover their slaves hardly any Marine wanted a job like that. But someone still had to do it.
Compared to Kuzan and the others, the Glint-Glint Fruit was uniquely suited for the task. Light traveled at incredible speed and even allowed a degree of aerial movement.
Because of that, Borsalino held a special level of strategic importance to the World Government. Sending him was preferable to sending Sakazuki.
"Many slaves escaped from Mary Geoise."
Sengoku lowered his voice.
"And we've identified the hometowns of quite a few of them. The World Government has also given new instructions. If you discover whoever escorted them home, there's no need to arrest that person. And there's no need to capture the escaped slaves either."
"You only need to identify the target and hand the information over to CP so they can keep the individual under surveillance."
Borsalino's usually half-closed eyes opened slightly.
"Oh? If that's all, then the job really is much simpler. And at least I won't have to arrest those poor slaves."
He clicked his tongue.
"Marshal, do you know who did it? The person who released every slave in Mary Geoise — now that's frightening."
Sengoku hesitated before answering.
"There hasn't been an official confirmation. But it's most likely that man. Your old opponent."
Borsalino subconsciously rubbed the back of his neck. No wonder it had suddenly felt cold earlier. So it was connected to that masked man again.
Come to think of it, ever since their last conversation they hadn't crossed paths again.
"Set out as soon as possible."
Sengoku continued.
"With so many escaped slaves, some of them will almost certainly be absorbed into the Revolutionary Army. All you need to do is distinguish those who returned home from those who joined the Revolutionaries and submit the list to the World Government."
Borsalino sighed.
"Understood."
No one could travel faster than he could. Using his Logia powers to fly, a trip from Punk Hazard to any of the Four Blues wouldn't take him long.
It was obvious what the World Government was thinking. They assumed the Revolutionary Army hadn't transported the slaves by ordinary ships.
If they wanted to identify who had simply gone home and who had joined the Revolutionary Army, someone with Borsalino's speed was the ideal choice.
The Revolutionary Army. Once again, the conversation he'd once had with the Cloaked Man resurfaced in Borsalino's mind.
This world is sick, yet no one is capable of curing it. It was like a gigantic poisonous parasite clinging to the trunk of a great tree.
It could devour every healer who approached and eventually consume the tree itself.
"Old Man, you're heading out?" Sentomaru's voice interrupted his thoughts. "If you're leaving again, keep an eye out for Old Man Vegapunk. If you find any clues, bring him back."
Borsalino casually nodded. Throwing his Justice coat over his shoulders, he walked out of the research facility.
Vegapunk had disappeared in Ohara. As an old friend, Borsalino had investigated the matter himself after the disappearance.
One was his apprentice, the other his longtime friend. There was no way he could simply ignore either of them.
And he understood Vegapunk well. There was no doubt that Vegapunk had gone to Ohara for its books and accumulated knowledge. Those books had supposedly all been destroyed by the Buster Call.
The World Government hadn't paid any attention to the remains afterward.
However, Borsalino had examined some of the surviving scraps of paper. They weren't scientific texts at all calling them novels would have been more accurate. And the quantity was nowhere near enough to account for Ohara's vast library.
Which meant only one thing. The real books had most likely been moved before the Buster Call began.
And if that were true, then were those scholars who had calmly accepted death without resisting really the last surviving scholars of Ohara?
In this world, there weren't many people who would be interested in both Ohara's knowledge and Vegapunk himself.
Just then, as Borsalino stepped out of the research institute, he noticed a researcher fiddling with a rectangular handheld device while slowly walking along the outer perimeter of the facility.
Without giving it much thought, Borsalino headed toward the harbor.
After he left, Rowan glanced back once. After a moment's thought, he put away the detector, which had failed to detect any significant energy signature, and quietly followed behind him.
The detector hadn't picked up any massive energy source on Punk Hazard.
That meant the ancient mechanical soldier most likely hadn't been transported there yet.
Under those circumstances, killing Vinsmoke Judge now would only reduce the chances of the giant mechanical soldier ever being brought to Punk Hazard. Besides, running into Borsalino under these circumstances it would almost be a waste not to have another chat with him.
Borsalino's orders were to depart from Punk Hazard and proceed as quickly as possible to the hometowns of the escaped slaves, then compile a list identifying those who had returned home and those who hadn't.
But to someone like Borsalino, whose sense of justice had always been deliberately ambiguous, there was no reason he couldn't simply travel by ship. After all, he had set out immediately after receiving the orders, hadn't he?
In truth, if Borsalino had transformed into light and flown away at full speed, Rowan wouldn't have been able to keep up.
He hadn't left a Flying Thunder God marker on Borsalino. Neither Moonwalk nor repeatedly throwing Flying Thunder God kunai could compare to the speed of light.
On the first day, the Marine warship reached its first destination a small town near the entrance to the New World.
The ship anchored just offshore and Borsalino didn't bring any Marines with him. He went ashore alone.
However, the moment he disembarked, an ordinary-looking Marine quietly followed behind him. Soon afterward, that Marine transformed into the appearance of an ordinary townsman.
"Well, well, this should be the first place." Borsalino scratched his head and looked around.
As soon as the townspeople noticed him, many of them froze. Then without a word, they hurriedly put aside what they were doing and quickly left.
Do they hate the Marines? No although this island was located in the New World, its safety was protected by the Marines.
The quality of the personnel stationed at G-1 Headquarters wasn't bad either, positioned close to Marineford as it was. So were these people rushing off to warn someone?
Borsalino let out a quiet sigh. He had expected this assignment wouldn't be pleasant. Fortunately he was only here to confirm a few things.
If he had actually been ordered to drag the escaped slaves back, he probably would've spent many more sleepless nights.
After thinking it over, he headed in the same direction those people had run. Before long he arrived outside a small courtyard.
Without asking anyone for directions he had already found the place which meant those people who had rushed over to warn the family would've been better off pretending nothing had happened.
"Excuse me..." Before Borsalino could finish speaking, a middle-aged man stepped forward, pointing a pitchfork directly at him. His face was filled with anger and determination.
"There's no one here you're looking for! Leave this place, Marine!"
"How frightening." Borsalino immediately raised both hands in surrender. Behind his sunglasses his eyes were filled with helplessness.
You answered before I even asked the question.
Didn't that practically confirm the escaped slave had already returned home? If he'd been a World Government agent, wouldn't this have been the equivalent of walking straight into a trap?
"All right. I was only here to confirm something. So that black-haired girl, around twenty years old she didn't come back, correct?"
The middle-aged man continued holding up the pitchfork. "That's right! She didn't come back!"
Borsalino made a note in the notebook he was carrying. After thinking for a moment he added,
"If someone comes asking again, don't give yourself away like you just did. I've recorded that she didn't return. But someone else may come to investigate later. So next time, try to be a little smarter, all right?"
The middle-aged man froze. The anger on his face faded. He stared blankly at Borsalino.
So this Marine was actually a good person?
"Th-Thank you..."
Borsalino sighed again. "So why would you trust me so easily? If I'd been lying just now, wouldn't I already know your daughter was here and be preparing to arrest her?"
"Ah?!"
"Forget it. He's hopeless." Borsalino turned and walked away.
Behind him, the middle-aged man suddenly dropped to his knees. The villagers who had rushed over to warn the family also stood there, silently watching his departing figure.
Yeah. This feeling isn't bad.
After marking the first location as "slave did not return," Borsalino continued on to the second destination.
A week later he passed through the special route into the first half of the Grand Line.
By now the time Rowan had promised Tiger had already come and gone. But Fish-Man Island could wait.
Compared to that, he was far more interested in seeing whether he could find an opportunity to pull Borsalino onto his side.
Over the past several days, every entry in the Vice Admiral's little notebook had been exactly the same.
No sign of the person who escorted the slaves. Escaped slave did not return. He deliberately slowed his journey to avoid crossing paths with them.
And recording that the slaves hadn't returned was his way of preventing them from ever being taken back to Mary Geoise.
Although the World Government's current orders were merely to identify them and keep them under surveillance, once an escaped slave's identity was confirmed there was no guarantee they wouldn't someday be dragged back to the Holy Land once again.
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