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After days of sailing, Ikki stood on the deck of the Going Merry, gazing at their next destination: Little Garden.
Despite its name, the island was anything but small. From a thousand meters away, Ikki could already see the towering prehistoric trees dominating the landscape. The distant roars of beasts echoed over the water, giving the island an aura of untamed wilderness.
Next to Ikki stood Usopp, looking visibly stronger than he had just a few days ago.
Usopp's days aboard the ship had been filled with relentless training under Ikki's supervision. When he wasn't running on the Treadmill, he was devouring mountains of meat to replenish his energy. The rest of his time was spent sleeping, honing his archery, and mastering the spiritual bow. His routine had become so consistent that even Usopp himself was impressed by his newfound discipline.
Ikki couldn't help but admire Usopp's progress. In just a few days, his physique had improved significantly, and his stamina had grown to a level he didn't expect. He wondered whether this was simply a natural trait of people in the One Piece world or if Usopp had untapped potential waiting to be awakened.
Lost in thought, Ikki didn't notice Usopp eyeing him nervously. Fearing Ikki might have some new torture—er, training regimen—planned for him, Usopp shuffled away quickly, putting some distance between himself and his "trainer."
In truth, Ikki was thinking about ways to further develop Usopp's abilities. Unfortunately, he hadn't come across any new items for training recently. However, he had stumbled upon a few martial arts manuals: the Eighteen Palms of Subduing the Dragon, the Nine Swords of Dugu, and Lingbo Weibu.
He planned to study these techniques first, then teach them to his Straw Hat crewmates. Considering none of them understood Chinese culture—or language—it would be difficult for them to learn directly from the books, especially since the manuals were written in Chinese. Ikki decided it would be best to demonstrate the techniques personally.
Arrival at Little Garden
The Going Merry sailed into a narrow tributary of Little Garden, its anchor dropping with a splash. As the ship came to a stop, the Straw Hats made preparations to explore the island.
For once, Usopp didn't try to fake an illness or come up with an excuse to avoid going ashore. The training he'd endured over the past few days, coupled with the quiincy bow, seemed to have given him a newfound confidence.
In the end, Luffy, Vivi, Usopp, and Karoo set off together on an expedition, while Zoro and Sanji took on the responsibility of hunting. Meanwhile, Ikki, Nami, Igaram, and Psyduck stayed aboard the Going Merry to guard the ship.
Ikki wasn't too worried about the dangers on Little Garden. The two giant warriors, Dorry and Brogy, were not enemies, and as for Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek—Ikki doubted they would even show up. In the original timeline, they had been sent to Little Garden on Crocodile's orders. But now, Crocodile was likely preoccupied, wondering where Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, Mr. 13, and Miss Friday had disappeared to.
As for intelligence gathering, Crocodile was likely relying on Nico Robin. But knowing Robin, there was no chance she was giving him her full cooperation. Without accurate information, Mr. 3 probably never received his mission to assassinate the Straw Hats.
Meanwhile, Nearby Waters
Unbeknownst to the Straw Hats, a Marine warship was approaching the waters near Little Garden.
Standing on the deck, Smoker exhaled twin streams of smoke from the cigars clenched between his teeth. His sharp eyes were fixed on the island ahead.
"Captain Smoker, the island up ahead is Little Garden," a Marine soldier reported, saluting crisply.
"I know," Smoker replied gruffly, taking another puff of smoke. His voice carried a hint of anticipation. "Straw Hat Luffy… Ikki… we'll be meeting again soon."
Behind him, Tashigi adjusted her glasses and looked at Smoker curiously. "Captain Smoker… is there really such a thing as a Private Marine?"
"Hmph. The Fleet Admiral himself said it, didn't he? Just follow orders."
Hearing Smoker's words, Tashigi fell silent. She knew her commanding officer all too well by now—Smoker was a notorious troublemaker within the Marines, someone who rarely followed orders without questioning them. The idea of him listening to Fleet Admiral Sengoku seemed absurd.
Unless, of course, Smoker himself had begun to accept the idea of the Straw Hats as "private Marines."
Tashigi, for her part, found the notion appealing. If the Straw Hats really were private Marines, then the swords in Zoro's possession wouldn't "cry" over their owner's pirate status. She wouldn't have to wrestle with the ethical dilemma of trying to reclaim those legendary blades.
Some time ago, Smoker had received a direct call from Fleet Admiral Sengoku. On that call, Sengoku had informed him of the Straw Hats' designation as private Marines, the false bounty placed on them, and their projected course through the Grand Line.
Smoker had been deeply skeptical of the idea. A crew sailing under the Jolly Roger, a pirate flag, acting as agents of justice? It sounded ridiculous.
But then he reviewed the reports from the East Blue.
Shells Town: The Straw Hats defeated and captured the corrupt Marine officer Captain Morgan, bringing peace to the town.
Orange Town: The Buggy Pirates were vanquished, restoring order. Though Buggy escaped with the help of his crew, the town itself was saved.
Syrup Village: The Straw Hats defeated Captain Kuro and the Black Cat Pirates, protecting the villagers and handing over captured pirates to the Marines.
Cocoyasi Village: The Arlong Pirates, infamous for enslaving the village and ruling the East Blue with fear, were annihilated by the Straw Hats.
It was the incident with Arlong that stood out most. The Straw Hats' actions had saved countless lives, yet a corrupt Marine officer—Captain Nezumi—framed them and issued a bounty on their heads.
Outside of Loguetown, the Straw Hats' actions didn't stop. Ikki had singlehandedly taken down several small and medium-sized pirate crews, earning a reputation as a one-man anti-pirate force. If a Marine had achieved such feats, they would have been hailed as a hero.
Smoker couldn't deny the evidence. The Straw Hats had systematically taken out nearly all the infamous pirate groups in the East Blue—something even the Marines stationed there had failed to accomplish.
It was frustrating. Smoker had personally wanted to bring down those pirate groups, particularly Arlong's crew. But the World Government had protected Arlong due to his connection to Jinbe, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Smoker, however, didn't care about the Warlords' titles. He'd disobeyed orders before and been exiled to the East Blue for it.
Now, those pirates were gone, and the Straw Hats had done the job he couldn't.
After reviewing their actions, Smoker grudgingly admitted that the Straw Hats acted more like private Marines than pirates. They had defeated corrupt Marines, wiped out criminal crews, and safeguarded the innocent.
"In short," Smoker muttered to his crew, "our mission is to use the pursuit of the Straw Hats as cover to investigate Crocodile—and to protect Princess Vivi of Alabasta."
A rare smirk crossed his face. Bringing down a Warlord of the Sea was something he'd been itching to do for a long time.
Smoker despised the Shichibukai system. Allowing pirates to legally plunder under the World Government's sanction was an insult to the Marines. Crocodile's crimes in Alabasta, if exposed, would not only strip him of his title but also send shockwaves through the government.
As Smoker's thoughts drifted, a Marine soldier snapped him back to the present. "Captain Smoker, we've spotted the Going Merry docked on Little Garden!"
Smoker's eyes narrowed. He rose to his feet, twin streams of smoke curling from his cigars.
On the Going Merry, Ikki, Nami, and Igaram had also noticed the Marine warship. From the deck, Ikki waved cheerfully to Smoker.
Smoker stared at him, his face a mask of indifference. The warship soon drew alongside the Going Merry, and Smoker, accompanied by Tashigi, leapt aboard.
"Hey, Smoker! Thanks for chasing us all this way!" Ikki greeted him with a grin.
Smoker: …
Tashigi: …
Ikki's words hit a sore spot. The journey had indeed been exhausting.
Smoker's original pursuit had been hindered by the Grand Line itself—and by his own crew. Most of the Marines he commanded were from the East Blue, unprepared for the unpredictable weather and currents. Many had fallen seasick, and Smoker had nearly abandoned them more than once.
If it weren't for his subpar crew, Smoker thought bitterly, he might have caught the Straw Hats long ago.