After Maude left, the bounty hunters, who had received his orders via shadow transmission, wasted no time. They immediately set sail toward the floating carcass of the goldfish Island Eater.
Even though they were now free to leave this godforsaken place, Maude's command remained their top priority.
Others, watching from the sidelines, assumed the bounty hunters were just eager to escape Little Garden.
It wasn't until they saw these bounty hunters carving meat from the goldfish Island Eater that they realized what was really happening.
And just like that—
They followed suit.
Figuring that before leaving, they might as well get a chunk of this monstrous creature for themselves.
The people on the shore sprang into action.
Seeing this, the members of the Buggy Pirates fell silent for a moment before, without fully understanding why, joining in on the feast.
Days passed.
Along the coastline near the river entrance of Little Garden, a unique sight emerged—the skeletal remains of the Goldfish Island Beast.
The bounty hunters and pirates who had been stranded on the island for so long devoured the massive creature in mere days, like swarms of ants stripping it down to the bone.
It was probably the best meal they had eaten in ages.
Once they had their fill, they began setting sail, departing from the island one after another.
Before leaving, however, each of them found themselves looking back toward the center of the island.
Where Maude resided.
"Bacardi Maude…"
They murmured his name in their hearts, silently expressing their gratitude before finally turning away and leaving without hesitation.
Within a week, nearly a thousand bounty hunters and pirates had left Little Garden.
Yet, a small group still chose to remain.
Among them, naturally, were the Buggy Pirates, still searching for Captain John's treasure.
Regardless of their reasons for staying, one thing was certain—they had deemed the island's center a forbidden zone.
No matter what, they swore never to step within the villa's line of sight.
Time passed.
A month flew by in the blink of an eye.
Gaya and Philo were nearing the completion of their research, signaling that it was almost time to leave.
Upon hearing the news, Cavendish couldn't have been happier.
He was like a caged tiger, his heart burning with the desire to set sail for the New World as soon as possible.
Two more days passed.
The crew made their final preparations, ready to depart from Little Garden.
Before boarding, Philo approached Cavendish.
"Little Cav, thank you for all your help during this time."
Cavendish looked down at the silver-haired, blue-eyed girl before him—someone who barely slept four hours a day, devoting herself entirely to her research. He shook his head slightly.
"It was nothing. Not worth mentioning."
"No, it was something. You helped me a lot."
Philo spoke with unwavering sincerity before handing a small box to Cavendish.
"These are refined antibodies and antidotes. I hope they'll help you… but I also hope you'll never need them."
"Hmm?"
Cavendish opened the box to find neatly arranged vials cushioned by soft fabric.
After counting them, he realized there were just enough for every member of the Beautiful Pirates—two doses per person.
Such thoughtfulness made the box feel unusually heavy in his hands.
"Philo, why did you set sail?"
The question escaped Cavendish's lips before he could stop himself.
Philo paused for a moment before a dreamy expression appeared on her pale face.
"The Panacea. I want to develop a medicine that can cure any disease. Isn't that the dream of every doctor?"
She smiled as she spoke.
"The Panacea, huh…"
Cavendish studied Philo intently, suddenly feeling the impulse to say, 'I'll help you.'
But he quickly restrained himself.
He glanced at Maude, who stood not far away.
With a man like that—superior in every way—where would he ever get the chance to genuinely prove himself?
Still…
If this girl, who stirred something unfamiliar in him, ever needed his help one day…
No matter where he was, he would come running without hesitation.
But he didn't say any of this aloud.
Instead, he simply smiled.
"What about you, Little Cav? Why did you set sail?"
"…"
Cavendish fell silent at Philo's question.
Why did he set sail?
If he had to answer honestly, it was simply… to be in the spotlight.
But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to say that out loud.
"Let's go."
At that moment, Maude's voice carried over from a distance.
Unintentionally, it spared Cavendish from answering.
...
Somewhere in the Grand Line – A Port Town.
Fujitora sat on a wooden crate, calmly reading a newspaper.
At the center of the front page was a picture of Maude.
Dock workers passing by glanced curiously at the burly, blindfolded man.
Like a statue, he remained motionless under the scorching sun for nearly two hours.
The only thing he did was read the newspaper.
"A blind man reading the paper so intently… What a strange guy."
The workers muttered among themselves.
Suddenly, commotion erupted in the distance.
"Why is a Marine battleship here?!"
"Wait… That's… Admiral Aokiji's ship!!"
"It really is…!"
The local townspeople quickly grew uneasy.
An admiral's sudden arrival led them to assume that a dangerous criminal might be hiding in town.
Suspicious glances began to shift toward Fujitora.
After all, the most unfamiliar and enigmatic figure among them was this blind man who had been sitting there for hours like a statue.
Yet, unfazed by their scrutiny, Fujitora slowly lifted his non-existent gaze from the newspaper, turning toward the approaching battleship.
Under the watchful eyes of Fujitora and the townspeople, the Marine vessel docked at the pier.
After dropping anchor, a long gangplank extended to the shore.
A towering figure—three meters tall—strode down the gangplank, his coat billowing in the sea breeze.
"It really is Admiral Aokiji!"
The crowd gasped in astonishment.
Their eyes widened further as they watched Aokiji walk straight toward the seated Fujitora.
So that odd blind man really was a criminal…?
Aokiji stopped in front of Fujitora, his gaze drifting to the newspaper in the blind man's hands.
"Ah la la… Little Garden? Isn't that an old paper from over a month ago?"
"Yes."
Fujitora slowly stood up and carefully folded the newspaper away.
His deliberate action caused a flicker of curiosity in Aokiji's eyes.
That paper contained news about Maude.
"Come aboard first."
Aokiji scratched the back of his head.
Fujitora gave a slight nod and followed Aokiji toward the gangplank.
As the two men boarded the ship together, every Marine on deck watched them closely.
"Who the hell is that guy…? Admiral Aokiji personally came to pick him up?"
The Marines exchanged glances, their curiosity toward Fujitora growing stronger.
Because they knew Aokiji well—that's precisely why they found this situation so unbelievable.
"…Do you have any vegetarian noodles?"
Fujitora suddenly asked.
The Marines fell silent.
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