After the Red-Hair Pirates left, Momousagi and Shiryu stayed on the island for a while longer. However, a few hours later, a large fleet arrived and the two were "driven away".
While it wasn't exactly rude to "rush" them, it was clear that the two weren't very popular. Momousagi, keenly sensing the atmosphere, said, "I have official business to attend to and cannot stay any longer."
Momousagi could understand this, since the secret research institute would likely be relocated later, and they certainly didn't want "unrelated people" to know where it was moving to!
As a complete outsider, Shiryu was even more determined to leave, and he acted as if he had no interest in these matters.
After losing to Gennosuke by half a move, Shiryu seemed quite unhappy, somewhat stubborn and resentful.
Momousagi didn't say anything explicitly, but mentioned that she had underestimated the Red-Hair Pirates and that they already had the strength of a hegemon. She then exchanged a few words of encouragement with Shiryu.
However, Shiryu's pouting expression made Momousagi somewhat unwilling to talk to him...
What Momousagi didn't know was that Shiryu's inner emotions were completely different from what she showed!
At this moment, Sig was cautiously tracking the location of the relocated research institute.
Vegapunk collected all the remaining flesh and blood at the scene, but Sig was there even earlier...
What Vegapunk could collect were all ordinary Shiryu's flesh and blood. Even if he took them for analysis and research, he would only find that they were not special except for being stronger. Sig had even simulated the mutation of the Lineage Factor brought about by the Devil Fruit!
After all, he had seen Vegapunk's experimental data on Artificial Devil Fruit and knew what aspects Vegapunk would check.
Unless Vegapunk actually uses Shiryu's Lineage Factor to create an Artificial Devil Fruit, no one will notice any flaws.
Given Vegapunk's mindset, it's impossible for him to turn around and repeat research that he had already "abandoned" or that he had already completed without a technological breakthrough.
Meanwhile, there was another portion of flesh and blood that Vegapunk didn't have time to collect...
This part of flesh was left behind by Sig and has been completely corrupted and mutated by the "Hanged Man's " abilities!
Once it landed outside the Den Den Mushi, this part of the flesh silently Distortion and transformed into a shadow worm, stealthily roaming in the shadows.
Worms attached themselves to various instruments and test subjects that were to be taken away, and their existence would later guide Sig!
In fact, it is possible to sense location through "believers," but doing so would alert Vegapunk, since the "Pacifista" are still in the experimental stage and their data is being monitored in real time.
From Subordinate Deity perspective, Sig's perception of them, and Vegapunk's data monitoring, are essentially both forms of information transmission, which can interfere with each other.
These worms, formed from flesh and blood, are all products of Sig's carefully controlled function—the less feedback they receive, the weaker the information they trigger, and naturally, the less likely they are to be discovered.
Sig dared not be careless in dealing with Vegapunk.
Just as he had told Dego before, Sig did not believe that the research institute had no other trump cards and that he could capture Vegapunk alive simply by betraying them!
Of course, if Sig is willing to take a gamble, rescuing his own body shouldn't be a problem, because as long as he touches his own body, Sig's original body will awaken, something even Vegapunk can't stop.
If Vegapunk's mind was five hundred years ahead of the world in the field of technology, then Sig's Sequence 5 abilities were five hundred years ahead of the world in the field of mysticism—both are levels that ordinary people cannot reach.
After resuming operations, Momousagi also issued a gag order to her subordinate navy regarding the "emergency rescue" incident, as if nothing had happened, and continued patrolling.
The patrol route was planned step by step, decided after discussions between Momousagi and Shiryu. It mainly followed the branches of the Grand Line, occasionally crossing the Calm Belt to conduct spot checks in the East Blue and South Blue, rather than going through the Grand Line first and then entering the other seas.
This makes their movements more "mysterious," which makes spot checks more effective...
What Momousagi didn't realize was that Shiryu had been secretly "stirring things up" during the recent spot checks!
Not only was Shiryu doing this before, making the Navy focus its confidence in reorganization on herself, but recently, Shiryu has been guiding Momousagi, making her feel powerless that "I can't change anything."
Because often, even when Momousagi and Shiryu have discovered the problem, they have to turn a blind eye to some evils for the sake of the bigger picture.
Ultimately, this inner conflict erupted completely as they approached Alabasta...
Momousagi volunteered to go to Alabasta for an inspection!
"Alabasta? Pfft pfft pfft..." Shiryu sneered after hearing Momousagi's words.
"Is it funny?" Momousagi retorted angrily and stubbornly, "Don't you also think that this isn't an inspection at all, but just picking on the weak?"
Upon hearing the mention of pinching, Shiryu instinctively glanced at the giant rabbit, then coughed and said, "You can't say that... But what are you going to inspect in Alabasta? There aren't any naval bases there, are you just going to inspect a few contact points?"
"But there's an ambitious Shichibukai there! Even... the King of Alabasta might have been blinded by him. As the Guardian of Justice on this sea, shouldn't the Navy go and inspect the Shichibukai..." Momousagi's voice trailed off.
Indeed, in theory, they can not only patrol naval divisions, but as Momousagi said, the peace and tranquility of the entire ocean is the responsibility of the navy.
However, Shiryu's expression now seemed to be questioning, "You can't even manage the Marine branch, yet you have the mind to manage the Shichibukai."
In the Captain's cabin, Shiryu sat behind his desk with his feet on it, looking at Gion, who stood in front of him with her head almost touching her chest, with a mocking gaze.
Momousagi's body was already trembling slightly, and her lips were also quivering slightly—logically speaking, she wasn't a young girl who had just joined the Navy; on the contrary, she was already considered a veteran, so she shouldn't have "broken her guard" so easily. But... there was a master of psychological manipulation on the ship right now!
While it may seem that Momousagi wanted to prove herself and the Navy, her decision to go to Alabasta was actually entirely Sig's doing...
After all, Robin has already entered the Grand Line, Sig is probably in Alabasta.
Just as Momousagi was bracing herself for Shiryu's mockery and refusal to go to Alabasta, Shiryu spoke up, "Hmm, go and give the order."
Just as Momousagi was about to dejectedly agree and admit defeat to reality, she suddenly realized something and looked up at Shiryu, who was still hiding behind the newspaper, with surprise, gratitude, and admiration...