Chapter 47: The Route Is Confirmed!  

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At the Twin Capes, two figures lurked in the shadows, sneaking glances at Laboon.

"Miss Wednesday, who would've thought you'd deliver such great news so soon after joining the Baroque Work? This enormous whale could feed a small town for two or three years! Baby! Hohoho!" Mr. 9 said, laughing dramatically.

"Yes, Mr. 9! I also spotted a man surfing on the whale! Hohoho!" Vivi mimicked Mr. 9's exaggerated laugh. However, as she had only recently joined Baroque Work, her laugh wasn't quite as polished. 

Vivi felt a mix of excitement and unease. After joining Baroque Works, she'd been eager to gain more trust, and this whale might just be her ticket. Spotting a man riding the enormous creature and riding wave after wave, Vivi hurried to inform her partner. Mr. 9, who had gone out to search for food, joined her, and together they tracked the whale to this location.

Capturing the whale would surely solidify her standing with Baroque Work, which had recently revealed glimpses of its enigmatic boss. If it was truly who Vivi thought it was... disaster could follow.

"Miss Wednesday? Miss Wednesday!" Mr. 9 snapped Vivi out of her daze.

"Yes? What's wrong, Mr. 9?" she asked, quickly regaining her composure.

"Stop spacing out! Grab your weapons! We're about to capture this whale. You still have a lot to learn. Baby!" Mr. 9 instructed.

"Understood!" Vivi nodded, picking up her hand cannon.

——

Meanwhile, Ace and his crew stood at the edge of the Twin Capes, bidding farewell to Crocus and Laboon. 

Ten days had passed. Thanks to her incredible learning abilities, Kaya had absorbed almost all of Crocus's lifetime medical knowledge. Of course, this was only theoretical—putting it into practice would take time. But given Kaya's talent, this wasn't a concern. 

"You've done an amazing job, Kaya," Crocus said, his eyes red from exhaustion but full of pride. He never imagined anyone could possess such a miraculous talent for medicine. What others would learn in a year, Kaya grasped in just a day.

In these ten days, Crocus had grown fond of his bright pupil. Despite only getting a couple hours of sleep each day, he devoted himself to teaching Kaya, passing on everything he knew.

"You're an incredible teacher, sir," Kaya replied, touched by his dedication. Over these days, she had come to regard Crocus as her mentor, and now she was reluctant to part with him.

"I told you, my ship's doctor is the best in the world," Ace said, throwing his arm around Kaya, grinning broadly.

Kaya's face turned bright red at Ace's casual gesture.

"Hahaha! If you give Kaya time, I believe she could become the greatest doctor in the world," Crocus said, laughing heartily.

"For now, we need to go, Laboon. Remember our agreement!" Ace called out to the giant whale.

Laboon let out a low, emotional cry, its enormous eyes filled with sadness as it watched its friends prepare to leave. 

The crew—Kaya, Nami, and Nojiko—walked up to Laboon, touching its massive body and promising to return. Even Tashigi, after some hesitation, gently placed her hand on the whale's side.

——

Suddenly, two figures leaped out from the nearby cliffs. 

"Now's our chance!" shouted Mr. 9.

"We're taking this whale! It's ours now, baby!" Mr. 9 roared, aiming his cannon at Ace's crew.

Vivi followed his lead, leaping into the air. Her heart hesitated for a moment, but thoughts of her homeland, Alabasta, steeled her resolve.

Bang! Bang!

In an instant, Mr. 9 and Vivi cried out in pain as their weapons were knocked from their hands.

"Whoosh!" 

Nojiko stood with a rifle raised, smoke curling from the barrel.

"Hmph! Did you really think you could hurt our companions? Your weapon skills are too slow," she said, confidently pointing her rifle at the now-terrified intruders.

"We surrender! Please don't kill us!" Mr. 9 dropped to the ground, sobbing. 

"We had no choice! There's no food in our town, so we were forced to hunt for it!" he cried, tears streaming down his face.

"Oh? How touching. It seems you care about your people," Ace said with a smirk as he snatched the Log Pose from Mr. 9's trembling hand.

"A Log Pose! How could I forget about that?" Crocus exclaimed, slapping his forehead. He'd been so focused on teaching Kaya these past ten days that he completely forgot about such an essential item.

"Nami, since you're the navigator of our crew, this is important for you," Crocus said, turning to Nami, who was now holding the Log Pose.

"In the Grand Line, the islands are connected by a magnetic field. The Log Pose records the magnetic signature between islands and leads you to the next one," Crocus explained.

Nami examined the Log Pose. "I see... So this is how we navigate."

"Exactly. You must choose your route carefully. Once chosen, you can't change it. Only here, at the start, can you decide your path," Crocus advised.

Mr. 9 and Vivi pleaded, "Please, don't take the Log Pose! We can't get back without it!"

Vivi, though putting on a brave front, still felt uneasy. She hadn't fully adapted to the life of a Baroque agent yet.

"Mr. Crocus, you said we have to choose our route from here, right?" Ace asked.

"Yes, so be cautious," Crocus confirmed.

Ace looked at Vivi and smiled. "Well, that makes things simple. I feel like this lady and I are fated to meet, so let's make her town our first stop."

"What?!" Vivi and Mr. 9 exclaimed, but then exchanged a knowing look. If they couldn't return with food, maybe bringing these pirates would still earn them some merit.

Ace watched Vivi's every move and chuckled.