He recalled something from the bounty assessment meeting back at Headquarters—Brandon from the Strategy Division had once shared his assessment.
"...It's confirmed. That wolf is actually the second strongest combatant hidden within that pirate crew!"
"A rear admiral under Vice Admiral Onigumo's command clashed with it and came back severely wounded. According to his recollection, the wolf fought extremely casually—it didn't even go all out!"
At the time, Dalmatian had been chewing on a cigar and listening, but dismissed it with a scoff.
Just a big mutt. So what if it went all out?
He had always believed that in the entire Dusk Pirates, the only one worth any serious attention was the captain, Shano.
But this time… he saw it with his own eyes.
Even after sending in two rear admirals under his command, along with several captains working together, they still couldn't suppress that giant wolf. It tore through their lines like a storm, throwing the battlefield into chaos.
In the end, the wolf even had enough time to assist its comrades and dealt a heavy blow to Bumaya, buying the Dusk Pirates a significant window to board their ship.
With strength like that, while perhaps still short of an old-school HQ vice admiral like himself, it was absolutely not weaker than an average vice admiral!
"...Also, Sakazuki-san,"
Dalmatian added, "Other than the already known and wanted members, the Dusk Pirates seem to have more hidden allies we hadn't accounted for. And they're not weak either."
"More hidden members?" Akainu frowned slightly.
"Yes. This person apparently infiltrated one of our warships during the beachside battle. They tampered with the masts and sails. Even with over a hundred marines stationed onboard, not one of them noticed anything."
"It was only when we rushed to the ship and attempted pursuit that the mast suddenly collapsed and the sails tore apart—that's when we realized something was wrong."
Akainu's expression darkened further.
A mysterious, hidden accomplice.
Crew members far stronger than anticipated.
And then there was Shano...
"The Dusk Pirates... are hiding more than we thought," he said coldly. His voice was bone-chilling. "Set sail for HQ. Tell Intelligence to double their efforts. I want everything on this hidden crew member unearthed."
"Yes, sir!" Dalmatian responded instantly.
Akainu turned and cast one final glance toward the faraway horizon, his eyes still burning with murderous intent.
"There will be a next time, brat... And when that day comes, I'll personally send you and your whole crew to hell."
To hell—not Impel Down!
This time, he had underestimated them. That's the only reason they got away.
But this disgrace—this humiliation of being overturned in the gutter—he would make sure to repay in full!
—————
Soon after.
With the repairs to their warships complete, marines from both South and North Island gathered at the harbor, preparing to set sail.
Neither Akainu nor the rest of the marines noticed that, high above in the sky, a black vulture soared silently overhead.
Atop the vulture sat a pajama-clad sea otter, swiftly sketching something on a drawing pad as it glanced down…
—————
Hundreds of kilometers away.
The golden glow of sunset cast a scattered sheen across the sea.
Splash!
Shano suddenly burst out of the water. His soaked black hair clung to his forehead, and he gasped for breath, blue veins bulging on his arms as he used the last of his strength to climb onto a reef.
"Hah... hah…"
His chest heaved like bellows. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest.
He collapsed on the reef, staring skyward, letting the seawater drip from his chin.
Where the hell am I now?
No idea.
All that mattered was he'd completely shaken off the Navy—they'd never catch up now.
After escaping the waters of Tor Island, he swam nonstop for hours, zigzagging along the way.
Even he had no clue where he was anymore—how could the Navy possibly find him?
Cough...
The sunlight was still a little harsh. The black-haired boy lifted a trembling arm to shield his eyes. Through the gaps in his fingers, he gazed at the sky, now tinged with the deep red of dusk.
Akainu's magma-coated fist still lingered in his retinas, and the pain coursing through his body hadn't fully faded.
Damn, that was brutal…
That old bastard really lived up to the title of top-tier powerhouse. Those so-called Marine Admirals... were stupidly strong.
Even after throwing in everything he had, using his monstrous physique and regenerative abilities, he only managed to hang in there for half an hour.
And even then, he was constantly covered in wounds. Who knows how many times his flesh charred and peeled back to expose white bone underneath.
If he hadn't popped a Senzu Bean…
He probably would've been turned into another Brook by now.
Still—
As Akainu himself said, the fact that he wasn't defeated immediately, and managed to hold out that long, was something to be proud of for someone his age.
Not to mention…
He actually managed to injure Akainu in the end—something even Akainu didn't see coming.
"Not a bad harvest, really."
Shano grinned faintly.
Fame? Whatever.
What mattered more was that after this near-death battle, he could feel it clearly—his Armament Haki and combat experience had leveled up again.
The boost wasn't massive, but at his current level, even the smallest improvement was valuable. Accumulate little by little like this—
One day.
One day, he'd stand atop this ocean too!
...
As the last light of the setting sun vanished below the horizon, night swept in like the tide.
Shano shook off the thoughts and turned his eyes to his system panel.
Here lay his other reward from this battle.
Offering: Sakazuki's Navy Cap
Rarity: Epic
Value: 4500 points
Appraisal:A cap worn for years by Marine Admiral Sakazuki. It embodies his obsession and fanaticism for Absolute Justice. The brim bears scorch marks from countless battles, and the bloodstains—never fully washed away—testify to his ruthless suppression of pirates and civilians alike.
4500 points. Even higher than the dog-head cap he "borrowed" from Garp back then.
They were likely of similar strength right now, so the difference probably came down to screen time—Garp's hat hadn't been featured much lately, whereas Sakazuki's cap stuck to his head like glue, even after becoming Fleet Admiral.
With that haul, his total points shot up to 45,500. Once the shop refreshed, he'd have a nice budget to play with again.
But for now…
Shano closed the system panel and sprawled out flat.
He was utterly exhausted.
Too tired to even lift a finger. All he wanted now was to lie on this reef and sleep.
As for contacting his crewmates… the Den Den Mushi didn't survive. He'd worry about it after a full night's rest.
If danger really came close, his Observation Haki would alert him in his sleep.
But realistically, that was impossible.
Unless he was unlucky enough to run into some bicycle-riding pretty boy passing by, there was no danger in these waters for him.
His consciousness blurred. His eyelids turned to lead.
Before long, sleep overwhelmed him.
"Snnn…"
A soft snore followed. The boy sank fully into slumber.
—————
Moonlight like silver.
Gentle waves lapped against the reef. The peaceful ocean suddenly rippled as a massive shadow emerged.
It was a giant sea turtle, slowly swimming by, with a cowboy hat on its head and an old-fashioned pipe in its mouth.
Upon its shell—
A slender figure stood, dressed in a purple crop top and summer attire. Sea breeze rustled her shoulder-length black hair, moonlight outlining her refined, elegant features with a mysterious charm.
Noticing the figure on the reef, she let out a soft chuckle.
"Well, so this is where you ended up after all that searching."
With a graceful leap, she landed on the reef.
But the moment she got a good look at him, Robin's pupils shrank, and her expression changed.
The black-haired boy before her was entirely covered in a strange bluish-purple hue.
On the surface of his skin, faint black patterns crept and pulsed—like some deadly poison spreading through his body.
Had Shano been awake, he would've recognized it instantly—
It was the lingering effect of Bumaya's poison.
He'd noticed his skin changing shades ever since jumping into the sea to escape—sometimes normal, sometimes that eerie color.
But upon confirming that the poison posed no real threat to his life—didn't even affect his organs—he'd shrugged it off for now.
He'd figured, after some rest, a good meal, and a bit of Life Return, he'd clear it out later.
Unfortunately—
Robin had no way of knowing this.
To her, seeing Shano unconscious and discolored all over… looked like a man on the verge of death.
How could this be?!
Robin was utterly shocked.
She had secretly tracked him long enough to understand just how terrifying this young man was.
Not even talking about today's earth-shaking battle—back on Little Garden, she'd seen him punch a mountain apart.
And now, this monster of a man had been brought down by poison?
"We need treatment. Fast…"
Without hesitation, she crossed her arms and whispered:
"Fleur—Crane Lift!"
Whoosh!
Eight white arms sprouted from beneath Shano, gently but firmly lifting him and setting him onto the turtle's shell.
Robin quickly laid her jacket beneath his head, then carefully checked his pulse and breathing.
"Good... His vitals are still stable."
She sighed in relief, then turned to the sea turtle.
"Binchy, please—go full speed. We need to find a proper doctor right away."
"No problem."
The sea turtle puffed on its pipe and nodded, then began swimming faster than before—only to glance back and ask:
"But… where exactly are we heading?"