While everything on the surface of the world seemed calm, beneath it, turmoil was already brewing.
In the early hours before Gol D. Roger's public execution, the Marines stationed around Loguetown spotted a pirate ship approaching from afar.
That alone wasn't unusual. Over the past few days, countless pirates had appeared in the waters near Loguetown, sneaking into the town hoping to witness Roger's execution. Along with them came adventurers, pirate hunters, merchant convoys, and even ships from various kingdoms' governments—so many that the port of Loguetown had been clogged for days.
But this ship was different. Rear Admiral Yamakaji from Marine Headquarters instantly recognized the pirate flag fluttering on its sail.
"These pirates are bold... Someone, report to Admiral Sengoku. Let him know the Sky Pirates have shown up. Should we take action?"
"Yes, sir..."
While Yamakaji awaited a response, the dazzling Twin Goddesses sailed smoothly into Loguetown's harbor, joining the sea of vessels already anchored there.
On the deck.
Tiger, looking slightly tense, carefully steered the rudder as he eyed the human ships and crowds in the nearby channels. He turned to Yemu with concern.
"Captain Yemu, is it really okay for us to enter Loguetown so openly?"
Yemu responded with an easygoing smile.
"Relax, Tiger. At least until Roger's execution is over, we won't be in any danger. After that, things might get unpredictable... Whether we can outrun the Marines and make it into the Grand Line will be up to you. By now, you should be pretty familiar with our ship."
That eased Tiger's nerves a bit. He nodded.
"Yeah, I've got the hang of the Twin Goddesses' systems. I can steer her just fine now."
Then he couldn't help but add with admiration,
"I've traveled the world for years and seen all kinds of ships, but our Twin Goddesses is definitely one of the best. With her speed and capabilities, the Navy's ships won't be able to catch us. And if it comes down to it, we can always retreat to the Calm Belt..."
"Exactly. So no need to worry too much. Besides, I'm sure the whole world's going to explode with excitement tomorrow, and Loguetown won't be any different. Whether the Marines will even have time to deal with us is anyone's guess..."
Tiger finally felt at ease after hearing that.
Just then, Enel emerged from the cabin, munching on an apple and grumbling.
"We're out of apples. Not much fruit left in general, either..."
Yemu laughed.
"There's still plenty in the Gravity Chamber, isn't there?"
"Tch..." Enel scoffed with a displeased grunt.
"They're all buried in a pile of corpses. Smell terrible..."
"What a waste. Still, after all these days and nothing's changed, looks like my plan didn't work. We'll toss out those fruits when we get a chance. Let's dump those four bodies too. After that, we'll head into town and restock—pick up more fruit and supplies we'll need for the Grand Line. Stuff like a Log Pose and nautical charts. Tiger, that's on you. You know more about that than the rest of us..."
Truthfully, Yemu felt a bit let down. Back on Earth, he'd read pirate intel claiming that after a Devil Fruit user dies, the power reincarnates in nearby fruit. That's why he'd told Enel to spare those two CP9 Devil Fruit users—just to test it. But in the end, it had only wasted food.
"I understand... but my identity..."
Hearing Yemu's words, Tiger nodded, though a trace of hesitation lingered. Over a year of slavery had left him wary of humans. As a fish-man, moving freely through a human-dominated town like Loguetown wouldn't be easy.
"I'll have Enel go with you... Loguetown's a big place, bustling and lively... Feel free to explore, wander around, and buy anything you like... You can use the gold from the ship to exchange for this world's currency..."
Yemu had intentionally arranged for Enel and Tiger to explore Loguetown on their own.
On one hand, with Enel's protection, Tiger's safety wasn't a concern—if anything happened, Enel could alert Yemu immediately.
On the other hand, Yemu also wanted Enel to discover some enjoyment and a life of his own. For the past ten years, the two had been inseparable, living a monotonous life of nothing but training. While disciplined, it was utterly dull.
Enel was clearly tempted. No matter how mature or arrogant he acted, he was still just sixteen at heart—how could he not be curious about a lively world like this?
Skypiea had towns and villages too, but they were much smaller, with fewer people and nowhere near as vibrant as Loguetown. And given Enel's childhood abuse, he had a deep-seated resentment toward Skypiea. That's why Yemu had always been the one dealing with the Skypieans and handling the supplies.
But Loguetown was different. This human world was completely new to him.
"What about our ship...?"
"Just leave it at the port... But Enel..."
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on it..."
"Alright, then I guess you'll just have to take on more work—your Observation Haki is too useful to waste..."
"Tch..."
Enel wasn't thrilled. While his Observation Haki far outclassed Yemu's, he lagged behind significantly in Armament Haki. And in these past five years, no matter how hard he tried, he still hadn't awakened his Conqueror's Haki...
He wouldn't say he was jealous of Yemu, but that competitive drive inside him was hard to suppress.
Yemu understood that.
It was exactly why he felt Enel needed to find his own interests and way of life.
Right now, aside from Yemu, whom he saw as an older brother, there was almost nothing Enel truly cared about.
People needed desires. Only when there was something they yearned for could they develop a powerful will to pursue it. That kind of desire was the real source of strength.
Yemu had that desire—an ambition to rule and overturn this world.
Tiger had it too—he wanted to liberate his people and let them live on land.
But Enel didn't—or if he did, it wasn't as strong as Yemu's or Tiger's.
Over the past decade under Yemu's care, the hatred Enel harbored toward Skypiea had faded.
Even his desire to rule the world was rooted in his attachment to Yemu.
Maybe that was why he still hadn't awakened his Conqueror's Haki.
"...Once we dock, let's split up. As long as you don't cause too much trouble, do as you please. We'll meet again tonight."