Yemu wasn't a fool—nor was he insane.
He knew exactly what it meant to have killed a Celestial Dragon. In the eyes of many, that alone made him guilty of an unforgivable crime. Both the Marines and the World Government were eager to capture and execute him on the spot. Yet here he was, openly walking into Loguetown—the most heavily patrolled, tightly guarded, and spy-infested place in the entire pirate world.
But Yemu had thought it through.
Sometimes, the most dangerous place is the safest.
At this moment, aside from hiding in the Calm Belt, Loguetown was the safest place for Yemu and the Sky Pirates.
Anywhere else—even the smallest island—so long as there were people, they'd risk being found by the World Government's spies. And once exposed, who knew what terrifying forces the Marines or the World Government might unleash to eliminate two people considered so dangerously criminal?
The Marines might be stretched thin, but the World Government had deep reserves. Yemu couldn't afford to be careless.
Loguetown, however, was different. It was about to host an event that would shake the world: the public execution of the Pirate King, Roger.
Right now, countless eyes across the globe were fixed on this one place.
Until Roger's execution was over, neither the Marines nor the World Government would want trouble here. They'd be desperate to ensure the execution went off without a hitch—and wouldn't dare risk anything going wrong.
After all, whether it was Yemu's Mera Mera no Mi or Enel's Goro Goro no Mi, if a battle broke out, they wouldn't go down easily.
And once the execution was done, Yemu had even less to worry about.
Roger's death would mark the start of the Great Pirate Era. Even if the Marines and World Government still wanted him dead, they'd be too busy to spare much manpower.
The creation of the Shichibukai proved this point.
The Marines had to recruit pirates to deal with pirates—if that didn't show their grip on the Grand Line was slipping, what did?
Later, Tiger would scale the Red Line and storm into Mary Geoise to free slaves held by the Celestial Dragons. That incident would further prove that even the World Government and the Five Elders had lost control of the world's balance.
After that, the first half of the Grand Line might still be risky—but once they entered the New World, the sky would be the limit, and the seas theirs to roam.
Another reason Yemu had to be in Loguetown was to witness the birth of a new era with his own eyes. This event wasn't just historic—it was transformative for the pirate world. As a player in this world, he couldn't just sit it out.
And then, there was the task he had given Tiger.
Yemu, after all, was just a transmigrator. His understanding of this world was only surface-deep. But out on the seas—especially the Grand Line—even the smallest oversight could be fatal.
Thankfully, Tiger was a pro. A seasoned traveler who had completed a solo voyage around the world. Logistics and provisioning were right up his alley—Yemu trusted him completely.
Of course, beyond all those reasons, Yemu had one more, admittedly minor, motive.
He clearly remembered that Loguetown was home to two fine swords.
The same swords Zoro would one day pick up—one being Yubashiri, a Meito among the 50 Skillful Grade Blades, and the other, the cursed blade Sandai Kitetsu.
With his current strength, Yemu didn't particularly need those swords, nor was he a dedicated swordsman. But he was a pirate—and what pirate would ignore treasures dropped right in front of them?
Even if they weren't useful to him now, he could stash them away and gift them to future crewmates.
He wasn't sure, though—since the timeline had shifted nearly twenty years ahead, who knew if the swords were even here, or if that weapon shop still existed?
But Yemu wasn't going to force anything.
After parting ways with Enel and Tiger, he threw on a trench coat, pulled up a hood, and casually wandered the streets of Loguetown.
Of course, his disguise only worked on ordinary folk. From the moment he stepped off the ship, countless eyes had already locked onto him—but Yemu didn't care.
He strolled through town as if he were just another shopper, casually browsing the island's weapon shops...
…
Loguetown, inside the Marine Headquarters conference room.
Sengoku looked at the assembled officers and asked,
"What's the current situation? Are the three members of the Sky Pirates under surveillance?"
"We've already deployed personnel. CP9 has also sent agents. Shall we proceed, Admiral Sengoku...?"
Sengoku shook his head. Just as Yemu had predicted, unless they could quickly take him down or Yemu made the first move, there was nothing they could do before Roger's execution tomorrow.
"Not yet. But we absolutely cannot allow such dangerous criminals to walk out of Loguetown tomorrow. Inform Vice Admirals Kuzan and Kizaru—the moment Roger's execution ends, their top priority is to capture the Sky Pirates."
"Understood!"
As his subordinates exited, Sengoku let out a long breath, his eyes cold as they fell upon the bounty posters of the three Sky Pirates on the table.
"You chose not to walk the path to heaven—so now, there's only hell left. This time, you won't leave."
Unfortunately, Sengoku had no idea that by tomorrow, a single sentence from Roger would trigger the birth of a new era. And when that happened, even if the Marines still wished to act, they would be powerless...
...
With his memory hazy and the timeline advanced by twenty years, Yemu could no longer recall which shop had Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu.
But he had his own method.
At each weapon shop, he would pull a pouch from his belt, place it on the counter, and casually let a few glimmering gold coins spill out.
Without fail, the shopkeeper's eyes would instantly light up with greed as they eagerly asked,
"Welcome... Looking for anything in particular?"
"Bring out your finest, most expensive blades."
"Of course... Please wait just a moment..."
Unfortunately, the best blades Yemu saw were merely Meito-class—just below the 50 Skillful Grade Blades. They were good, but far too common to be rare or worth collecting.
And so, Yemu continued from shop to shop.
Luckily, even though Loguetown was large, the number of weapon stores wasn't overwhelming. When he reached the fifth one and stepped inside, the shopkeeper's distinct look and the shop's layout sparked a faint memory.
"Looks like this is the place..."
But before Yemu could even speak, the shopkeeper's eyes landed on the Shishimaru at Yemu's waist. His face went pale, eyes bulging with fear as he stammered,
"You... You're the captain of the Sky Pirates... The Most Evil One... Yemu..."