Louis felt a chill inside. Contact for a Cipher Pol series undercover mission was usually one-way, with the spy reporting upward. That was the best way to avoid exposure. But now, someone had deliberately chosen this moment to make contact. Louis couldn't imagine what the contact agent had learned in basic training—unless someone had told him to do this.
"Huh? This? The Log Pose."
Louis raised his left hand. The three needles wobbled constantly. "It's got a lot of sentimental value. As for the sound, maybe it's the wristband rubbing against the ship's railing?"
The wristband was leather, its surface richly textured. It would certainly make a sound against the railing.
The more tense the situation, the more composed you had to be. Louis had understood that for a long time, but it was only after coming here that he'd truly put it into practice.
The slightest slipup would mean death. At that moment, Louis's heart was racing and his mind was working at full speed, but he still wore a carefree smile.
"The Log Pose?"
Baro raised an eyebrow and walked over. "I've never seen you use it."
"Like I said, it's a keepsake. Whether I use it or not doesn't matter."
Louis gave him a sweet smile. "It means a lot to me. It's a reminder of my youth."
"Oh, I see!"
Rhode laughed and clapped Louis on the shoulder. "I get it, I get it. Every man has a girl like that in his heart, someone he can never forget. A romantic story is every young man's dream!"
"Mm-hmm."
Louis nodded in agreement. Compared to Baro, Rhode was much easier to deal with.
"But you see..."
Louis spread his arms, speaking in a declamatory tone. "What men long for isn't a gentle harbor! It's the vast, stormy sea!"
"Compared to the unknown, endlessly beautiful ocean, human charm is woefully inadequate!!"
"Hahaha! Hey!! Mario! Hahahaha!"
Rhode's eyes widened. "You little brat! You're right up my alley!! Exactly, exactly! What's a beauty worth? Compared to this beautiful sea, she isn't even a drop of seawater!"
"You said it!"
Louis clasped Rhode's hand tightly. "Captain Rhode!"
"Indeed, Mario!"
Their four hands clasped tightly together.
"...Mario."
Baro smiled brightly. "Could you let me take a look at your Log Pose?"
"Uh, First Mate..."
Louis's muscles began to tense, but his face showed only reluctance. "This is..."
"I understand. It's precious to you."
Baro smiled awkwardly. "I'm ashamed to say I've never been in love, so I'd like to see what a keepsake filled with love looks like."
"Pfft, hahaha!"
Rhode laughed so hard that tears came to his eyes. "Poor Baro. Hey, Mario, let him have a look. Let the poor man see what love is supposed to be."
"Oh, all right!"
Louis couldn't hide his smug look. This was really difficult. His current persona was that of a capable, easygoing new pirate with a somewhat proud streak. In a situation like this, he had to think through every expression and every movement. Carefully and quickly, he took off the Log Pose and handed it to Baro. "Be careful with it, First Mate."
"Oh! You really do seem to handle it a lot."
Baro held the Log Pose and weighed it gently in his hand. The wristband felt like it had been handled often. Cipher Pol really was professional when it came to the details.
"Is the base made of solid metal?"
Baro tapped the base of the Log Pose with his finger. It made a somewhat dull sound, and he looked a little surprised. "It's solid?"
Unlike the Log Poses in Paradise, the ones in the New World had three dials, three needles, and three bubbles. Louis's Log Pose had a metal base. Beneath the central mount that held up the needle, a tiny snail was hidden. Of course it wasn't solid, but the tapping really didn't sound hollow.
"Crack!"
Baro gripped the Log Pose in both hands and tried to pry it open for a look.
"Hey! First Mate!"
Louis cried out at just the right moment. "What are you doing?"
"Hey, Baro."
Rhode slapped Baro on the shoulder, at a loss for words. "Are you trying to ruin someone else's keepsake because nobody loves you? That's pathetic."
"Oh, sorry. I couldn't help myself, I couldn't help myself."
Baro scratched his head with a sheepish grin and handed the Log Pose back to Louis.
It's solid, and it won't come apart. Is there really nothing inside? Am I just being paranoid?
He pondered the matter. Unlike the careless captain, the first mate was much more meticulous.
"Honestly, First Mate."
Louis snatched the Log Pose back and examined it carefully, looking it over from every angle. Only after confirming that it was undamaged did he breathe a sigh of relief and strap it back onto his wrist. "No wonder no one likes you. These days, most girls prefer gentle types. You need a good face to pull off the domineering type."
He quickly used Life Return to withdraw the hairs he'd previously slipped through the gaps and used to tightly wrap around the snail, fill the entire space, and jam the switch shut. If he didn't pull them back now, Louis was afraid the snail would suffocate.
"Huh? Really?"
Baro exclaimed.
"Honestly..."
Rhode shook his head, then beamed and shouted, "Set sail, you lot!"
Louis breathed a sigh of relief. He'd gotten through that, at least. But that Baro...
The Blood Hand Pirates set sail once more, but this voyage didn't last long. Just a day later, news came from the Golden Lion Pirates.
The Roger Pirates had been found. It seemed they'd just returned from the Four Seas, and they were resting on some island. Overjoyed, the Golden Lion issued a call for all the pirates under his command to return. War was about to break out.
Louis was a little surprised. He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. He guessed Roger probably hadn't been trying to hide. Otherwise, with his terrifying Observation Haki that let him hear the Voice of All Things, and Rayleigh's ability to cover an entire island and instantly identify the presence of every living thing there, Louis couldn't imagine how a bunch of nameless pirate crews could have found them. Unless they simply didn't care.
Roger, after all, was a man who never feared a challenge and never backed down.
The Blood Hand Pirates began their return voyage. This time, they traveled much faster than on the way out. The Golden Lion was eager to get going, after all.
Louis's unease never let up. The Golden Lion Pirates against the Roger Pirates—with himself caught in the middle, he felt like an ant swept up in a whirlpool.
His only goal in life was to survive, slowly work his way up, and live in peace. Now, things were developing in a way that completely went against his wishes. He wanted to contact his superiors and find out whether he could pull out. If he didn't seize the chance soon, he might really end up taking part in the Aethelwold Sea Battle.
But there was a problem: he didn't dare. A certain man had been keeping an eye on him. Louis could sense it.
"Honestly..."
That night, Louis tilted his head back and stared at the sky. "Why do you have to stand in my way?"
He had to do something.
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