The ship was even more eerily silent than Nao had imagined.
From the deck to the cabins, there was not a single sound, not a hint of light.
T Bone followed closely behind, gripping his standard-issue sword, his expression tense as his eyes darted from wall to corner, ready for any sudden ambush.
"There really isn't a soul here," Nao muttered, his brows furrowing as he returned to the deck after thoroughly checking every room.
"No signs of blood, no traces of a struggle. The bedding's still turned down, and there's even some leftover warmth in the kitchen…"
That just made it even stranger.
Clearly, this ship had been filled with people just a few hours ago. But what happened? Where did everyone go, leaving this pirate ship drifting aimlessly?
Swoosh!
A sudden rush of wind.
In the dim light, a shadow swooped down from the mast above, heading straight for them.
"Who's there!" T Bone's face turned pale. He raised his sword, but Nao calmly extended a hand to stop him.
Thump.
The shadow landed lightly with a soft sound.
T Bone blinked, realizing it was just a fat black cat.
The cat, its glossy black fur indicating it had been well-fed and pampered, stretched lazily before lifting its head to peer curiously at the two strangers.
"…Scared me for a second," T Bone sighed in relief, crouching to scratch the cat's head. Then he turned to Nao. "What should we do now, sir?"
"There's no one aboard. Nothing else for us here. Let's go."
Nao looked a bit disappointed, casting one last glance around the empty deck before gesturing to the pirate flag fluttering atop the mast. "Take it down and bring it along. It might come in handy."
"Yes, sir!" T Bone scrambled up the mast, tore down the pirate flag, and hopped back to the boat—only to see Nao already back on their speedboat, carrying the black cat with him.
"This little guy must've been abandoned by the pirates. You're so kind to rescue—"
T Bone's words caught in his throat as he watched Nao grip the cat by the scruff and dunk it into the ocean without a hint of hesitation.
"Wha—?!" T Bone gasped. "Sir, what are you doing?"
"You're too naive, kid," Nao said, his tone that of a worldly elder. "This world's dangerous. You never know when something that looks harmless—like a little black cat—might actually be a Devil Fruit user."
His gaze sharpened as his voice rose:
"For all we know, this thing might be the one responsible for everyone disappearing from that ship!"
"…?" T Bone stood there, mouth agape, caught in the sea breeze.
Handsome, charming, considerate… Nao had seemed like the ideal superior officer.
But what the heck was with this sudden twist in logic? Why treat a harmless little cat like it was some monster?
Watching the cat flail helplessly in the water, T Bone swallowed and timidly said:
"Um… it's been soaking for a while now, but it doesn't seem weakened or drowning. Maybe it's not a Devil Fruit user after all?"
"Is that so?"
Nao glanced at the struggling cat, then casually hauled it back aboard, setting it down on the deck. He shook the water off his hand and said lightly, "Yeah, I thought so too."
"Anyway, that's that. Let's get moving."
T Bone: "…."
Around 4 a.m., the speedboat carrying the two of them (and the now-drenched cat) finally reached Silest Island.
A crescent-shaped mid-sized island, its northern part dominated by a towering solitary mountain, with a few towns at its base and scattered villages along the coast.
At the southern tip lay a natural harbor, filled with ships of all kinds.
Under the moonlight, Nao quickly spotted the distinct silhouette of a Marine headquarters ship.
Further inland, flames lit up the night sky, and even from several kilometers away, faint sounds of fighting could be heard echoing through the darkness.
"Sir, my mission to bring you here is complete. I should be heading back," T Bone said, giving Nao a crisp Marine salute.
"It's been a pleasure sailing with you these past two days. I hope we meet again someday at Gull Island!"
"Haha, same here. Go on."
Nao grinned, patting the young Marine's shoulder and watching him steer the speedboat away.
If T Bone could eventually rise to the rank of Headquarters Captain in the original timeline, Nao figured it might be thanks to experiences like this. He imagined a day in the near future where they'd meet again at Marineford, T Bone proudly addressing him as "senpai."
Once the boat disappeared from sight, Nao strode toward the dock and made a beeline for the Marine ship.
He couldn't wait to join the field evaluation. But first, he needed to report to Aokiji for formal registration.
And also, that weird incident with the ghost ship—they'd need to hear about that. There might be more to it than meets the eye.
However…
Once aboard the ship, Nao felt as though he'd stepped onto yet another ghost ship.
The deck, the cabins—completely empty. Not a soul in sight.
"…What's going on?"
He paced the deck, rubbing his chin, perplexed.
Everyone from the Elite Camp was probably on the island already, engaged in their evaluation. But where was Aokiji? Where were the other headquarters instructors?
Leaving the ship this empty—wasn't that risky? What if the pirates on the island, driven into a corner, decided to sneak back and set it ablaze?
"Hey now, what do you mean by 'where is everyone'?"
A familiar lazy voice drifted down from above, laced with a teasing chuckle.
"What, kid, are you saying I don't count as a person?"
Nao froze.
Slowly, he turned his head upward. There, standing on the second-floor balcony of the cabin, was a pair of bright, almost peach-colored eyes gazing down at him.
One below, one above—
Just like when he'd first met her on this very ship before they left Marineford.
"…Rear Admiral Gion."
For a brief moment, Nao was stunned.
Then he quickly composed himself, meeting the amused gaze of the woman known as Tsuru's protégé, her features elegant and tinged with a playful smile.
"Could you not suddenly speak from right above my head like that? It's pretty startling, you know?"