Chapter 43: Set Sail

Neither Nami nor Nojiko accepted Smoker's apology. After all, they didn't blame him, and he hadn't done anything wrong in their eyes.

While Smoker may have been negligent, their forgiveness wasn't necessary at this point.

"Smoker, I have a suggestion for you," Luo Ning said as he was about to leave. "Don't drive around in your Marine uniform if you really want to find out what's going on. Go undercover as a civilian, otherwise you'll only get false information."

There are indeed some inconsistencies and problems with Smoker's portrayal.

Smoker is established as a man with a strong sense of justice, akin to Fujitora. However, he seemed unconcerned with the major East Blue pirates with tens of millions in bounties, even allowing someone like Buggy to reach the Grand Line with a massive fleet.

If not for his unfortunate encounter with Mihawk, Smoker might have made a name for himself by capturing Buggy in East Blue.

But did Smoker care? It seemed he completely ignored them. Buggy occupied territory as well, yet Smoker did nothing. Arlong was another story – Smoker knew Arlong had colluded with some Marines, all while the fishman occupied dozens of villages and extorted protection fees.

Unlike flamboyant figures like Krieg and Buggy, Arlong operated under the radar.

Then what? Smoker became fixated on Luffy, chasing him relentlessly. He ignored the heinous pirates and instead pursued Luffy, who had done nothing wrong.

This is a glaring inconsistency with Smoker's character design. It can only be attributed to a major plot issue. Otherwise, with Smoker's strong sense of justice, how could he have remained fixated on Luffy and not gone after other pirates earlier?

"I see, thank you for the reminder, Mr. Luo Ning!"

Smoker nodded and departed. On Colonel Mouse's side, Smoker only needs to question a few more villagers to secure a conviction. One or two accusations might be dismissed, but a hundred? A thousand? On top of that, Arlong's transaction records with Colonel Mouse seal his fate. This time, Colonel Mouse is finished, and none of the Marines in his branch will escape punishment.

"Aren't you going to stay at home for a few more days? I still have some things to take care of here in East Blue. I can pick you up when I leave," Luo Ning said in surprise, glancing at Nami, who was already loading the ship with her belongings.

Though Arlong is gone, shouldn't Nami spend more time with Nojiko?

"There's no need. I've spent a lot of time in the village already, and it feels strange to stay any longer. Nojiko understands too. In short, I'm coming with you!"

Nami smiled, saying that as everyone was about to leave after moving their things, the people from Cocoyashi Village also came to see them off. This time, there were no worries about Nami stealing everyone's wallets.

After saying their goodbyes, the warship set sail once more.

"Mr. Luo Ning," the jailer officer asked again, "where are we headed next?"

"Since we've reached East Blue," Luo Ning said, taking out his compass, "we're going to search for a legendary figure from the past. I'll point out the direction, and you all steer the ship."

Luo Ning had come to East Blue not only to find Nami, but also the Golden Lion. According to him, the Golden Lion was currently hiding above East Blue, studying a new drug that could potentially devastate the entire region.

Considered a legend alongside Roger in his prime, the Golden Lion was ultimately defeated and crippled by Luffy in a past encounter. One could almost say it's a testament to Luffy's incredible strength in the movies, where he often seems invincible.

However, in this scenario, the Golden Lion is different from his previous incarnation. Fueled by a vendetta against Roger, this version is intent on destroying all of East Blue. It's a non-canon scenario, of course, but the possibility remains unsettling.

With a rudder implanted on his head, one might wonder if the Golden Lion isn't a little… full of holes (figuratively, of course). But one thing's for sure: if successful, his plan could very well bring about the destruction of East Blue.

The drug he researched can make creatures berserk and become extremely powerful. How many creatures teem in this sea?

Once he releases this concoction into the sea, the sea beasts throughout East Blue will rampage, transforming into the monstrous kind that plague the Calm Belt.

The entire East Blue will be plunged into this chaos, leaving the Marines utterly powerless to fight back.

East Blue will become a haven for these monstrous beasts. While his plan seems unorthodox, it's arguably more practical than Zephyr's idea of bombing the New World.

However, encountering Luo Ning has thrown a wrench into his plans, ensuring their certain failure.

"Where are we headed?"

Nami's confusion mounted as Luo Ning issued a flurry of course corrections. As a skilled navigator, Nami found herself utterly bewildered.

They were darting across the sea like headless chickens, a situation far outside her experience. For years she had sailed these waters, yet she had never encountered anything so bizarre.