As the night deepened, the flagship sailed out of the dock, leaving Sherry Island amidst the champagne salutes from the Whale Shipbuilding Company.
"Our next stop is Loguetown. It's not far, at most four or five days away. Mr. Gandoffte has provided us with enough food and fresh water for ten days, which is more than sufficient for this voyage," Kuina said, studying the nautical chart and pointing at it with her finger.
"Loguetown is the closest town in the East Blue to the entrance of Reverse Mountain. It has a Marine branch stationed there, making it relatively stable in terms of security. It can serve as our final stop in the East Blue. Captain, once we replenish our food and fresh water there, we can officially set sail for the Grand Line!"
Having read extensively since childhood, Kuina was well-versed in many aspects of navigation. Therefore, before finding a professional navigator, she volunteered to temporarily take on the responsibilities of this role.
As for her lack of sailing experience, she could make up for it by seeking advice from Zeff.
"Yeah, let's do that…" Xiano lay lazily on the back of the Silver Wolf Ram, while Agin, sitting beside him, glared at the ram with displeasure, occasionally baring his teeth at it.
Being called "Captain" by Kuina made Xiano feel extremely comfortable.
Although he had been called that before they officially set sail, now that he truly had his own flagship, being addressed as such felt completely different.
He was growing more and more satisfied with this ship. The training room exceeded his expectations in terms of specifications, and the minimalist wooden style of the bedrooms and corridors, adorned with a few Bohemian-style decorations, was very much to his taste.
All it needed was a good name.
The four of them had already discussed the ship's name together, but the names they came up with were all somewhat lacking—names like Silver Wolf, Master Swordsman, Frost Moon Coconut, Iron Fist…
Eventually, the names became increasingly absurd, and Xiano almost wanted to call it the "Flying Dutchman." Fortunately, he calmed down in the end, and they all agreed to postpone the decision and think about it for a few more days.
"Hey, Nojiko," Xiano yawned and looked up at the mast. "You've been up there for over an hour. Haven't you had enough of the novelty? It's about time to come down, wash up, and get some sleep."
"Eh? Come on, let me watch a little longer, bro~!" Nojiko whined like she did when she was a child. It was her first time on the lookout of such a large ship, and everything seemed new and exciting.
Xiano sighed helplessly and waved his hand. Nojiko grinned and picked up the monocular telescope again.
After a while, Nojiko suddenly let out a soft exclamation, "Bro, there seems to be a pirate ship over there? That pirate flag looks so familiar…" She frowned, racking her brain. "It looks like the Black Cat Pirates?"
Black Cat?
Kuro of a Hundred Plans?!
More Points delivered to our doorstep?
Xiano sat up abruptly and issued his first command as Captain: "What are we waiting for? Quickly, bring the ship closer!"
…
When the ship finally approached, everyone realized something was wrong.
The ship of the Black Cat Pirates was only half intact, as if it had been split in two from the middle.
The cut was smooth and clean, and the remaining part of the hull had long since drifted away.
Stepping onto the deck, they found corpses scattered everywhere, and the stench of blood filled the air.
Xiano, lounging on a wicker chair under a parasol, caught sight of Kuro's upper body. The man's face still bore a look of terror, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable before his death.
"What on earth..."
Kuina crouched at the edge of the cleanly severed section, her brows furrowed. "There's no mistake. The sharpness of this cut, the way it was split in two... it must have been the sword energy of a Master Swordsman."
But there were only three Master Swordsmen in the East Blue.
Her, her father Koshiro, and Lord Xiano.
So where did this unknown Master Swordsman come from?
"Who knows?"
Xiano chuckled, not particularly concerned about who had done the deed. It was entirely possible that Kuro had just been unlucky, perhaps running into Hawkeye while the latter was relieving himself off the side of the ship.
While the others went to inspect other areas, Xiano hummed a cheerful tune and began expertly "shearing the sheep."
Kuro's ten Metal Claws, Jango's Hypnotic Pocket Watch...
He didn't even spare the two familiar-looking cat-like officers whose names he couldn't quite recall, casually stripping them of their weapons as well.
All together, he gained a total of one thousand Points.
This was even more than what they had gotten from the Krieg Pirates, bringing their remaining Points back up to the thirty thousand mark.
"Brother, we've searched the ship. There isn't much treasure, mostly cash. It adds up to fifty million Berry," Nojiko popped her head out of the cabin, counting on her fingers as she reported. "Combined with the funds we already have on board, that makes eighty million Berry."
Almost a hundred million already?
Xiano nodded. The bounty he had earned from the 77th Branch, he had left for his family, only bringing a few million with him when he set sail.
Out at sea, opportunities were everywhere. With strength, who needed to worry about making money?
"There's also plenty of food we can take," Zeff reported cheerfully after inspecting the kitchen. "Heh, it seems these pirates had just restocked their food and drinks and hadn't touched much of it. It's enough to last us a month."
Points, treasure, food... this unexpected windfall was quite comprehensive.
Of course, there was one last thing they couldn't forget.
Xiano waved his hand and ordered, "Remember to cut off their heads and bring them along. When we reach Loguetown, we'll collect the bounties from the Marines there!"
They wouldn't need to restock on food there.
But no matter what, Loguetown was a place he had to visit.
There, a big fat sheep that he hadn't bothered to harvest for years was quietly waiting for him!
...
Five days later.
The four of them gathered around the long table on the deck, staring at the nautical chart with bewildered expressions.
"Wasn't it supposed to take at most four or five days to reach Loguetown?" Xiano pinched his chin. "Why is it so desolate around here? Not even an island in sight?"
"..."
Kuina leaned on the table with her hands, silent for a long time before finally managing to speak. "We must have... deviated from our course. It seems our current route is leaning more towards the direction of the Goa Kingdom..."
"What the hell?"
Nojiko sneakily attacked from behind, poking Kuina's waist hard. "That's not the expression you had when you confidently patted your chest and said you could handle being the navigator!"
"Plans can't always keep up with changes..."
Kuina looked pitiful, too embarrassed to defend herself further. But she had really tried her best. For the first two days, with Zeff's assistance, the course had been normal, and everything was under control.
On the third day, a heavy rainstorm struck, severely limiting visibility and causing chaotic wind directions.
By the time the storm, which lasted a full day and night, finally subsided, they realized their course had significantly deviated from the original plan.
"Don't blame yourself, don't take it to heart. Let's just adjust and get back on track. We'll continue heading toward Loguetown. It won't delay us by more than a few days."
Xiano smiled and patted Kuina's shoulder to comfort her, not particularly concerned about the situation. However, it did serve as a reminder for him.
In the East Blue, going off course wasn't a big deal.
As long as they noticed it early, they could rely on the compass to quickly return to their intended route.
But what would happen when they entered the Grand Line?
There, the magnetic fields were chaotic, and wind directions and ocean currents were unpredictable. The compass would be completely useless, and they would have to rely solely on the Log Pose for navigation, making the risks far greater than in the East Blue.
It seemed that the plan to find a reliable navigator needed to be prioritized as soon as possible.
"Beep…" Just then, a notification sound suddenly rang in his ears. Xiano was momentarily stunned before realizing what it was, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
Could it be…?
The Devil Fruit Detection Radar had finally picked up a signal?
Boom!
Almost simultaneously, the ship suddenly shook violently, beginning to toss and turn. The people on the deck stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.
"What's going on?"
Xiano closed his inventory and turned his head, shouting.
"It's a Whirlpool Current, and it's massive!!"
Kuina rushed to the helm, desperately turning it back and forth to try to keep the ship balanced. "It's pulling us in a certain direction… Damn it! We haven't even entered the Grand Line yet, and we're already running into something like this!!"
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