Old Friends Meet

"Let's stop here." Vidal suddenly stopped fighting and used Soru to move ten meters away in an instant.

Comil was in a sorry state. Sweat covered his head, and he gripped two broken swords that had been reduced to their hilts. Bloodied wounds covered his body, and he stood unsteadily in place, gasping for breath.

"You did well, Comil. I'll remember you."

The selection tournament for a place in Zephyr's special training camp ended smoothly, and naturally, no one questioned Vidal's qualifications anymore.

Instead, everything about Vidal had lately become the talk of the Marines throughout Navarone.

They were proud that their fortress had produced such a powerful "monster"!

But although most people knew Vidal was a Devil Fruit User, they hadn't seen him use those powers yesterday.

Many found that deeply regrettable. They had been too weak to force Vidal to use his full strength!

That day, Vidal once again took a small boat out through the great iron gates of the G-8 Branch alone. This time, he was going to meet someone.

Although he had gone out to find Enel a year ago, he had been more concerned with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit at the time. Enel himself had been secondary.

There were other islands near Navarone Fortress. Besides Alabasta and Long Ring Long Land, there was an island called San Faldo, home to Carnival City, which was famous for its prosperity.

It was where the movie "Stampede" took place, and a group of people and Douglas Bullet would cause a huge ruckus there in the future!

Although the Straw Hat Pirates looked as they did after entering the New World in the story—for example, Sanji already had his Vinsmoke raid suit—

the events took place in the first half of the Grand Line.

That was easy enough to understand. An event like the Pirate Expo could never be held in the New World, where the Four Emperors' forces were everywhere.

Only in this sea, known as "Pirate Paradise," could countless pirates come to the festival without a care.

That was also why none of the Four Emperors' forces participated in the movie.

But San Faldo wasn't as famous now as it would be later, and word of the Pirate Expo had only spread within a small circle. Not many pirate crews actually attended.

They also used the traditional Carnival festival as cover, so Marine Headquarters hadn't paid it much attention.

Vidal stood on the small boat's deck, the sea breeze blowing against him as he gazed out over the unobstructed sea, lost in thought.

Douglas Bullet... If I remember correctly, he's a year younger than Crocodile, so he's thirteen now. That's just when he ate the Combine-Combine Fruit.

He felt he should try to get there and take a look. Bullet was a boy with top-tier potential, after all. If he had the chance, why leave him to Roger and the others?

But Bullet was different from Enel. Thirteen was already fairly old, and given the environment he had lived in and his experiences, he was bound to be much more mature than an ordinary person.

Even so, he decided to visit the island known as the "land of endless war" and take a look. It was in the first half of the Grand Line anyway, so it wasn't far.

Should I take in another "son"?

Two days later, he finally reached San Faldo. Vidal slowly slipped the Den Den Mushi in his hand into his pocket, secured the small boat, and waited quietly at the harbor.

Although it wasn't as lively as it would be decades later, dense crowds still filled the place, and dozens of vessels of every kind came and went.

"Vidal." A deep voice came from behind him. Vidal smiled and turned around.

"I knew you'd be able to find me, Issho."

The man was the friend he had come to see, the future Marine Admiral Fujitora Issho. For now, however, Issho had not yet gone blind.

He and Issho were close in age, with Issho only a year older. Five years ago, Vidal had met him in a noodle shop while attending Carnival with his parents.

As someone who had transmigrated, he had naturally recognized Issho at a glance. Once he had recognized him, becoming friends had followed naturally.

But the man had refused no matter what to become a Marine. He said the sea was so vast that he wanted to see more of it and visit all the famous casinos in the world while he was at it.

As it happened, San Faldo had plenty of casinos, including the Grand Carnival Casino, which was famous throughout the world.

According to Issho back then, that was what he had come for.

"Let's go. I checked, and there are still seats at that noodle shop." Issho nodded in response, then turned and headed inland.

Vidal had no objections, of course. He actually liked noodles quite a bit too, though not bland soba noodles, but tonkotsu ramen.

Although, because of his fruit ability, he didn't actually need to eat.

The two walked into the noodle shop side by side. After ordering, they found a reasonably quiet place to sit, but Vidal's handsome face and tall, upright figure still caught the attention of every woman there right away.

Issho seemed not to notice those burning gazes and calmly took a sip of the hot tea in front of him.

"Phew... Tell me, why did you ask me to come?"

"What's wrong with old friends getting together once in a while to catch up?" Vidal asked with a smile, holding his hot teacup in both hands.

"Nothing. It happens to give me a chance to calm myself after being shaken by the darkness." Issho calmly gazed at the steaming tea in his cup.

"I told you before, you needed to be fully prepared and know what you were getting into. These seas aren't so easy to travel."

"Yes. There are far too many filthy, despicable people in this world. Evil is something you can never cut down or kill off completely!" Issho's gaze suddenly sharpened.

Vidal shook his head helplessly, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured him some more.

"I actually admire you. You've killed people in so many places, and most of them were powerful, high-ranking figures, yet somehow you don't have a bounty on your head."

"You know, every time Headquarters sends out new wanted posters, I worry that I'll see your face and name on one."

Of course, that was nonsense. Knowing the future, he naturally knew Issho would never have a bounty put on him, but that only made him admire him more.

"I never confront them directly," Issho replied calmly.

"That's good. I hope you keep it up. I don't want to have to arrest you myself one day." Vidal chuckled.

"Don't worry."

Just then, a petite, cute waitress carefully placed the noodles and some side dishes on the table. She shyly bowed to Vidal, then hurried away.

She's really cute. If I probably weren't going to be short on time afterward, it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask for her contact information, Vidal thought as he watched the girl walk away.

He didn't have many major interests, and pretty girls were among the few things that could catch his interest.

"Can you tell me what's going on with you now?" Issho spoke, interrupting his friend's gaze. He didn't believe Vidal had really just wanted to catch up.

"I was telling the truth, actually. At the beginning of next year, I'm going to Marineford to enter the first special training camp Admiral Zephyr has established." Vidal smacked his lips and turned his attention back.

"Once I'm there, I won't be able to leave for at least two years, so I wanted to see you while I still have these few months left."