At present, Rowen has not reviewed the information managers for West Blue and South Blue. His decision to prioritize South Blue was definitely not due to its proximity.
Traveling from East Blue to West Blue by crossing the Red Line is far simpler than reaching South Blue.
South Blue, Baterilla Island.
This is an ordinary island in South Blue, not very large and lacking in special products.
The only noteworthy aspect is that the island is relatively prosperous, and the residents live in peace and contentment. It is the only place in the Sea Pirate Era where no pirates venture out to sea.
Well, naturally.
This might also be related to the Marines and government monitoring the area continuously for twenty years. After all...
In their records, this is the place where "Pirate King" Roger made his final stop!
It is the birthplace of Roger's possible offspring!
Therefore, any young person showing signs of going to sea would be closely monitored, and once their age is right, they are to be either captured or killed without exception.
Thus, no one has ever survived to make it to the day they set sail.
**Bang, Rumble!**
Thunder roared through the sky, and the clear world quickly turned gloomy. Grayish-black clouds covered the sky, and a giant serpent stirred among the clouds, silver lightning dancing wildly.
"It's raining, let's head back to port!"
On a fishing boat casting its nets, the captain shouted loudly. Sudden changes in sea weather are normal, and encountering a thunderstorm in the evening is quite common.
The sailors and workers quickly stopped their work, hurriedly lowering the sails to try and leave the sea before the rainstorm hit.
When the thunder sounded, deep within the island, in a Marine facility left behind for long-term monitoring of Baterillaisland, a tall and burly man with curly hair looked up, silently closing the blue book in his hands that resembled a Bible.
"…If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."
"Hmph, don't let the door hit you on the way out!"
The senior official in the facility was not fond of the pirate in front of him, even though this person had made countless enemies among pirates, being called "government's lapdog" and "pirate disgrace."
With that, the senior official waved his hand, signaling for the young person he had apprehended to be taken away and locked up in prison for interrogation.
Kuma, however, did not care.
When one has a lofty spiritual commitment, others' opinions are unlikely to affect their state of mind.
Nodding slightly, Kuma pushed his palm, the soft, round pads on his hand pushing through the air, and then he instantly disappeared from his original location.
This was a high-level technique of the Paw-Paw Fruit, using the pads to push away air and move through a zero-resistance channel, with a speed comparable to Rowen's Blink.
When he reappeared, he was already on an uninhabited beach on the southern side of the island.
Waves foamed up, tirelessly crashing onto the golden sandy beach. The quiet beach only heard the "shā shā" sound of waves and the chirping of insects and birds from the surrounding forest.
But in the next moment, these sounds vanished in the blink of an eye.
The air seemed to solidify, like mud, making it hard to breathe.
**Zī zī…**
Blue electric arcs exploded in the empty space, a faint tingling sensation striking him. Kuma's hand tightened slightly on the book as he looked at the newcomer and murmured.
"Soryu (Azure Dragon)!"
"Yo, long time no see, Kuma."
The newcomer was Rowen, with his Thunder Dragon crescent-sided halberd slung across his back. The electric power gradually spread into the air, bringing Kuma unprecedented pressure.
But Kuma seemed to ignore it.
"I wonder what brings Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) here?"
In contrast to his exaggerated physique, Kuma's voice was gentle and cultured, likely due to his extensive reading, with no hint of brutality in it.
In stark contrast was Whitebeard.
The physical difference between the two was not significant, but even when Whitebeard spoke softly, there was an imposing and overpowering presence emanating from him.
"You actually know the answer to this question in your heart, don't you?"
Rowen slightly smiled.
"Sorry, I don't understand what Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) is saying."
Kuma shook his head silently, as if truly unafraid.
However, the gloves he had already removed revealed his true inner thoughts clearly.
Rowen was not satisfied with this, but then suddenly thought of something and asked, "How extensive have Vegapunk's modifications to you been?"
As the prototype for the Pacifista, PX-0, Kuma appeared to be an ordinary person on the surface, but internally he had been replaced with mechanical components by Vegapunk.
The extent to which he could retain his self-awareness was merely a matter of how much he had been modified.
"Remove the Log from your head. I need to discuss something with you privately."
Kuma's pupils behind his goggles tightened suddenly. After a moment of silence, he slowly extended his hand and began to remove the large device from his eye.
**Creak…**
**Zī zī zī!**
The sound of metal parts twisting and exploding filled the air. Kuma's right eye erupted with a ring of black smoke, electricity flickering, but no blood flowed out.
It was clear that even his eye had been replaced with a mechanical one!
Even as an enemy, Rowen could not help but be moved by the scene.
Sacrifice is a word that is easily spoken but incredibly difficult to act upon.
To sacrifice oneself for an ideal and undergo body modifications, such a patriot...
**I couldn't care less!**
"No left eye as well? Must I do it myself?"
Rowen coldly said, channeling lightning into his thunder halberd, which began to hum with a buzzing sound, and his killing intent surged.
Kuma said nothing, only removing the left-side goggles, revealing a normal human eye.
**Kǎ zī… boom!**
The device removed from the right eye was crushed by Kuma's hand. He slowly looked up and said,
"Well then, with the Log destroyed, if you have any questions, Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), please speak freely... Long-term loss of surveillance will make Vegapunk San suspicious."
"Very well!"
The sense of threat that had been looming vanished, and Rowen relaxed, slanting the thunder halberd into the sand and sitting with one leg crossed.
"I have a few questions to ask, and I hope you will answer truthfully."
"Please go ahead, Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon)."
"First, is Doflamingo still alive?"
Previously, during the G-10 incident, Doflamingo's solo raid was supposed to be a successful mission. However, he had underestimated the power of the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder-Thunder Fruit).
Faced with Rowen's continuous explosions, the defense provided by the Ito Ito no Mi (String-String Fruit) was insignificant, and Doflamingo was almost killed on the spot by Rowen.
However, Kuma arrived at the scene in time, using the Paw-Paw Fruit's ability to remove injuries to reassemble Doflamingo's partially obliterated head, thus saving him.
In the subsequent Dressrosa explosion, Doflamingo and Sugar disappeared, and Rowen was engulfed in the explosion and sank to the bottom of the sea. Since then, there has been no further connection between the two parties.
The Paw-Paw Fruit has its limits.
With Kuma's cooperation, the government and Marine's understanding of the Paw-Paw Fruit was only second to their knowledge of their own fruits.
Such severe injuries could not heal slowly through natural means, so as long as Kuma withdrew the Paw-Paw Fruit's effect from Doflamingo, or if the fruit's power was passively erased, Doflamingo would certainly die.
And Kuma himself would be fully aware of this.
"You'd better think carefully before answering me, as it will determine my future attitude towards your Revolutionary Army."
Even for the Revolutionary Army, skilled at hiding, being targeted by Marine Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) would certainly cause significant damage and force them into complete hiding.
Kuma slightly opened his mouth, paused for a moment, and then replied, "He is not dead."
"It seems he is involved in some important secret. Not only was he not executed, but he is also imprisoned in the Holy Land, in the residence of the Nibelung Household."
**Nibelung...**
As expected!
A glint of insight flashed in Rowen's eyes.
(The End of This Chapter)
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