Whack-a-Mole  

"Yare yare, a starting bounty of 300 million, huh?"

Zavia sat on the bow of a small ship sailing across the sea, a newspaper clutched in his hand. The newspaper detailed the incident at the Sabaody Archipelago Human Auction House. It described how Zavia had freed all the slaves, killed Marines, and publicly insulted a Celestial Dragon.

Although Zavia had no idea how Morgans had obtained such a complete account of the events, he didn't care and remained indifferent.

Below the article was a picture of Zavia, his trench coat billowing as he held the Yamato blade. Underneath the picture was a line of numbers – his Marine bounty.

"Wow, big brother, you're in the newspaper!" Arthur ran over to Zavia, his eyes wide with curiosity as he looked at the newspaper. Being just a child, he didn't quite grasp the implications of the situation.

"So, what do you think? Am I cool or what?" Zavia asked, striking a pose with a playful smirk.

"Wow, you're so cool! I want to be as cool as you when I grow up!" Arthur clapped his hands excitedly.

"Hmph hmph hmph." Zavia chuckled, a smug smile on his face.

"By the way, big brother, where are we going?" Arthur suddenly asked, looking ahead.

"We're going to a beautiful but tragic place, a country built on a desert." Zavia patted Arthur's head, a smile playing on his lips.

"On a desert? Can people really live on a desert?"

"Of course, it's just that the ruler is a bit incompetent. Well, with an opponent like that, it can't be helped." Zavia muttered the last part under his breath.

"Huh? What did you say, big brother?"

"Nothing. Alright, get some rest. We'll be sailing for a few more hours. I'll take the helm. Judging by the weather, it shouldn't be too bad... probably." Zavia tossed the Eternal Pose in his hand and smiled at Arthur.

…

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

"Sigh."

Sengoku sat in his office chair, holding a newspaper and sighing deeply.

"Don't be so glum, Sengoku. Come have some senbei." Garp sat on the sofa nearby, munching on a bag of rice crackers with a cheerful grin.

"Garp! You're stealing my senbei again!" Sengoku glanced at Garp and noticed the familiar bag of snacks, causing him to yell.

"Maa maa, don't be so stingy, hahaha." Garp laughed heartily, completely ignoring Sengoku's "angry" expression.

"Sigh, whatever." Sengoku sat back down, his face etched with sadness, unsure of what to say.

"Are you still worried about that brat?"

"...Yeah."

"No need to worry. That brat must have his reasons for doing what he did. Even Zephyr didn't say much."

"That's true, but..." Sengoku remained worried. He still hoped Zavia would return to the Marines.

"Don't overthink it. You're the Fleet Admiral. The Fleet Admiral can't afford to show negativity all the time. What kind of image would that portray for the Marines?" Garp took a bite of his senbei, looking at Sengoku.

"..."

Sengoku didn't say anything, simply staring at the newspaper in silence.

…

Grand Line, first half, somewhere at sea.

Zavia stood at the helm, steering the ship towards the sea ahead. Arthur rested beside him.

"This aura? That's it, it must be the climate of Alabasta."

Suddenly, Zavia felt a dry aura, characteristic of the island climate of Alabasta. He could sense the island's climate due to the Legacy of the Demon God and his Observation Haki. The Legacy had the ability to self-improve, so even without actively training his Observation Haki, it would still be honed to its peak, albeit at a slower pace.

Of course, if Zavia practiced his usual training and meditation, he could accelerate this process.

Overall, it was similar to Saitama's training method – simply doing daily exercises. However, it wasn't as powerful as Saitama's training.

The Legacy of the Demon God primarily focused on perfecting abilities and techniques, rather than enhancing the physical body like Saitama's training.

Although his body had undergone significant improvement and refinement upon inheriting the Legacy, Zavia hadn't felt much change since then. He mostly noticed subtle enhancements in aspects like willpower, techniques, and skills.

This was Zavia's current understanding of the Legacy, but he had a feeling there was more to it than he currently grasped.

One hour later, a port appeared in Zavia's line of sight.

Fifty-eight minutes later, he arrived at the port.

"Hey, Arthur, remember to put on your cloak. The wind and sand in the desert can be quite harsh."

"Okay, I know."

After stopping the ship, Zavia reminded Arthur, then put on his cloak and V mask.

Arthur didn't need a mask to hide his face because no one knew him. He was a slave, and who would bother remembering a lowly slave?

Stepping onto the land of Alabasta, Zavia felt the soft sand beneath his feet. After all, this place was a desert, with sand covering almost everything.

"Hmph, Crocodile, Pluton, Robin... Maybe I should go find Crocodile." Zavia muttered to himself, gazing at the tallest building in the distance.

Seeking out Crocodile wasn't about anything urgent, he simply wanted to use him to further his own fame. His previous plan had indeed spread his name throughout the world, but it wasn't enough. Zavia's actions were big news for now, but soon, other events would undoubtedly overshadow them. Therefore, he needed to do something, something big!

For example, defeating one of the Shichibukai, Crocodile.

The Shichibukai held considerable notoriety in this era. Just mentioning their names would elicit fear in most people, especially ordinary citizens.

If someone suddenly appeared in the newspaper, claiming to have defeated one of the Shichibukai, imagine the level of infamy they would gain.

Zavia couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction just thinking about it.

However, he wasn't in a hurry. Now that he had accomplished part of his plan, he decided to enjoy himself in Alabasta first.

Although he didn't think there was much fun to be had in this place, Arthur would likely find it enjoyable.

With that thought, Zavia glanced at Arthur, who was beaming with joy.

"Let's go, let's see if there's anything fun and delicious to discover here." Zavia shook his head slightly and patted Arthur's head.

"Yay!!!"

…

Four days later.

After spending four days exploring Alabasta with Arthur, Zavia embarked on his journey. He walked down the street, his head lowered, allowing others to only see the smile on the lower half of his mask beneath the cloak.

Zavia strolled leisurely, browsing here and there, occasionally buying cheap trinkets while "inquiring" with passersby about certain matters.

Of course, the subject of his "inquiry" was Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai.

Less than an hour after his "inquiry," a group of soldiers approached Zavia.

(Oh my, the underground rats have arrived.)

"Excuse me, sir. Please come with us." The leading soldier saluted Zavia, his demeanor polite and respectful.

"Wh-why? Wh-who are you?" Zavia feigned fear, as he had decided to play the role of an ordinary tourist visiting Alabasta.

A normal person would naturally be afraid upon seeing a group of soldiers approaching them.

"We are the kingdom's patrol guards. Our commander has something to discuss with you. Please cooperate."

The leading soldier's tone became slightly heavier when he said the word "cooperate," and the soldiers behind him gripped their weapons tightly.

The message was clear: cooperate or be forced to cooperate!

"O-okay..." Zavia nodded slightly and followed the "patrol guards" to meet their so-called commander. After being led by the "patrol guards" to a deserted area far from the city, Zavia stopped.

"Excuse me, Captain, where are we? Where is the commander who wanted to see me?"

"Hmm? Commander? There's no such person. As for this place, it's your grave! Get him!" The leading soldier stopped, turned around, and sneered.

"Yare yare, did I get tricked?"

"You're too late to realize that now, kid. Next time you inquire about something, be careful who you ask about."

The leading soldier sat on a flat stone nearby, lit a cigarette, and watched the scene unfold with amusement.

"Hmph hmph hmph, is that so..."

Zavia dodged a strike from one of the "soldiers" and chuckled coldly.

Clang!

The next second, a flash of silver light from his blade streaked across the "soldier's" vision.

1.13 seconds later, the "soldier" saw his own body standing there, frozen in place.

1.98 seconds later, a head rolled onto the ground, its expression still holding the arrogance and smugness from moments before.

"......"

Everyone present was stunned, especially the captain, who didn't even notice his cigarette falling from his lips.

"You, who the hell are you?!"

The captain, a man accustomed to living on the edge, quickly snapped out of his shock and drew his sword, pointing it at Zavia.

His action prompted the surrounding "soldiers" to do the same. No, rather than calling them soldiers of the kingdom's patrol guards, they were more like...

Pirates.

Although it was unclear which specific crew they belonged to, they were undoubtedly not soldiers, but...

Pirates.