The Marines were currently chasing none other than Sabo.
Takumi, listening to the description, already knew who they were after.
As for the information that the Marines had captured two high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Army, Takumi could guess it was Ivankov and Inazuma.
Given his knowledge of the world, it was about time for Ivankov and Inazuma to be captured and thrown into Impel Down...
So, the situation wasn't really surprising—everything was within his expectations.
After hearing the customer's report, the Marines quickly left the bar and headed southeast through the town.
Takumi finished the last sip of his drink and, after paying his tab, left the bar as well.
As he passed by a tailor shop, a head peeked out from the back and quietly called to him, "Hey, Nakamura, over here."
Takumi: "..."
Do I know you that well?
Takumi had no intention of responding and continued walking.
Sabo, after making sure no Marines were around, quickly ran out from behind the tailor shop and caught up with Takumi. "Ivankov and Inazuma have been captured…"
Takumi was unimpressed: I know...
"I have to rescue them! If it were just these regular Marines, I might stand a chance, but I just saw Admiral Kizaru…" Sabo clenched the pipe he held as he spoke.
Even though Ivankov often joked around, he was undeniably strong.
With Inazuma's ability as well, the two of them should have had no problem escaping right under the noses of the Marines. But they had still been captured.
Sabo, not knowing about Ivankov's conversation with Dragon, naturally assumed they had stayed behind to hold off Admiral Kizaru, allowing the others to escape, and thus were captured.
Takumi, unaware of the conversation between Ivankov and Dragon, had initially thought they were caught on purpose for some mission. But seeing how Sabo was acting now, maybe it really was an accident…
"Are you sure you can rescue them?" Takumi asked.
Sabo looked at him and awkwardly smiled, shaking his head. "I'm not sure. I can't beat Kizaru right now. Since I can't win with force, I'll have to rely on my wits. Nakamura, you've probably figured out by now who I am and who Ivankov is, haven't you?"
Takumi silently continued walking.
Sabo took his silence as confirmation. "Ivankov and I came to Sabaody to rescue our comrades. We'd already freed them and should've left by now. But because of me, Ivankov and Inazuma were captured. No matter what, even if the chances are slim, I have to try. There's still a chance."
So what?
Takumi looked over at him.
Sabo grinned. "I want to ask you a favor. I don't have much confidence in succeeding. If I fail, and you happen to meet any of my Revolutionary Army comrades, can you tell them not to worry about us and return to the base safely?"
After saying this, Sabo gave Takumi a wave and dashed off with his pipe weapon in hand.
Takumi watched Sabo run off, slightly surprised.
Just from the fact that Sabo wasn't asking for his help in rescuing them, Takumi's impression of him improved a little...
Alright then, I'll help him out.
With that thought, Takumi moved behind a nearby building, summoned a shadow clone, and gave it orders.
"Boss! Long time no see, I missed ya~" the shadow clone greeted Takumi with a grin.
Takumi, with a stoic face, asked, "What skill did you get this time?"
The clone focused for a moment, then smirked, "I got the essential skill for making a quick escape—Shunpo. Not bad, huh?"
Takumi nodded slightly. "Good. Here's your task. Follow Sabo, and if he's in danger, get him out of there."
"Boss, since when were you so kind-hearted?" The shadow clone grinned as it playfully picked its nose.
Takumi responded by punching the clone square in the head, leaving a noticeable bump.
"Ow! You're so rough with yourself! Alright, alright, I get it. You're just pretending to be tough." The shadow clone didn't bother trying to use Shunpo to dodge because it knew there was no escape from the main body.
Takumi sighed. "Just do what I told you to do and don't cause me any trouble!"
"Got it, got it! No need to worry, boss!" The shadow clone extended its hand with a mischievous smile. "But first, hand over some cash."
Takumi: "..."
"If I don't have any money, and I get caught, what then? While most people don't recognize me, Kizaru certainly does. You wouldn't want me drawing attention, right?"
The shadow clone made a compelling argument.
Takumi almost believed it.
But, after thinking it over, he handed the clone a bag of Berries. "No dressing up like a girl."
"Understood! I swear, no dressing up!" The shadow clone saluted, snatched the bag of money, and sped off.
Though the clone was a bit cheeky, at least it could always complete the tasks given to it.
Takumi wouldn't have summoned the clone if he wasn't keen on keeping his hands clean this time.
The clone, now equipped with Takumi's money, quickly entered a nearby clothing store and picked out a simple, casual outfit, then added a mask to cover its face before setting off to track Sabo.
However, much to the clone's surprise, it didn't take long for Sabo to notice he was being followed.
After making a turn into an alley, Sabo suddenly vanished from sight.
The clone was still puzzling over the situation when Sabo's voice came from behind, "Who are you? Why are you following me?"
"I wasn't following you," the clone replied, turning around to face Sabo while speaking in a deliberately high-pitched voice. "I just happened to be going the same way."
"Same way?" Sabo clearly wasn't convinced. "You've been following me for blocks. Who are you?"
"I'm just a normal person, really. And I hate being misunderstood, hmph! I'm mad now!" the clone pouted and stomped its feet.
"Uh…" Sabo was taken aback.
Before Sabo could say more, the clone made a dramatic exit, running off in a huff.
Sabo took a couple of steps forward but then decided against pursuing. Shaking his head, he continued walking out the other side of the alley.
As soon as Sabo was gone, the shadow clone reappeared, grumbling, "Is my tracking really that bad? How'd he spot me so easily?"
Sabo spent the next few hours weaving through areas 1 to 29 with a clear objective, finally settling near a holding facility where Ivankov and Inazuma were being detained. He waited patiently, watching for an opportunity.
By evening.
A group of Marines emerged from the holding building, escorting Ivankov and Inazuma, who were shackled with sea-stone cuffs.
Sabo had already scouted the area. There were only about a dozen Marines present, and Kizaru was nowhere to be seen. The odds of success were looking good!
Without a second thought, Sabo brandished his pipe and charged toward the Marines holding Ivankov and Inazuma.
"Huh? What's Sabo doing here?" Ivankov spotted him approaching from a distance, surprised.
The Marines, seeing Sabo rush toward them, readied their weapons, but before they could react, Sabo disarmed them with a flurry of strikes, sending their weapons clattering to the ground.
"So the Revolutionary Army has come to rescue them after all!"
"Don't worry! Admiral Kizaru is nearby. This kid won't get far!"
The Marines didn't panic, even after being disarmed.
"Give me back my comrades!" Sabo scowled as he took down the Marines standing between him and his friends.
Reaching Ivankov and Inazuma, he was ready to make a quick escape with them.
"Sabo, leave us! Get out of here now!" Ivankov said, his face grim.
Sabo shook his head. "No! I can't leave you behind!"
"You fool!" Ivankov shouted, exasperated. "Don't you see our comrades? You need to find them and take them back to safety. Forget about me and Inazuma! Kizaru's nearby. If he sees you, you won't stand a chance!"
Ivankov had barely finished speaking when a tall, thin figure stepped out from the shadows nearby. "Oh dear, seems like someone was calling for me."
"Damn it!" Ivankov's expression turned grim.
Inazuma shouted, "Sabo, run!"
Just as Kizaru was about to act, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared, grabbed Sabo's hand, and whisked him away before anyone could react…
************
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