Five days later.
After all the townspeople on Clockwork Island and a group of pirate prisoners had finished modifying the Dreadnaught Sabre, the Big Daddy Pirates' ship had finally completed two clockwork upgrades.
After Kuro had kept him submerged in seawater for five days and nights without rest, Bear King had finally given in and become one of Kuro's subordinates. Kuro had given him the chance to kill himself, but Bear King hadn't dared.
Bear King had no choice but to abandon his captaincy and his glory, becoming the Big Daddy Pirates' Steel Bear and beginning life as a pirate underling.
The Poker Pirates were also officially disbanded by Kuro.
Starting with Kuro himself, they had finally brought another pirate captain aboard. This made Kuro very satisfied.
If he couldn't be a captain, then El Drago and Steel Bear wouldn't get to be captains either!
He'd been caught in the rain himself, so he might as well tear up all their umbrellas!
As for the Poker Pirates' underlings, they were left for Clockwork Island's mayor to deal with. Whether he handed them over to the Marines, killed them, or let them go was up to him.
Before leaving, Daddy told the mayor and his wife that their son was now following a young man named Broad and had become a thief.
He told them to look into the whereabouts of the thief brothers themselves. After all, Daddy didn't have time to help them find anyone.
The Cooking Competition in Loguetown was starting in just two days, so they had to hurry!
The upgraded Dreadnaught Sabre sped ahead, pulled along by the Cow Sea Beast, Momoo.
Daddy didn't want to waste any more time, so he had Nami steer the pirate ship straight for Loguetown. They would fight any pirate crew or Marines they encountered along the way.
But perhaps the Big Daddy Pirates' flag was well-known in the East Blue. They encountered no obstacles on the way and made it straight to Loguetown.
After Smoker had spent several days searching the Cocoyasi Sea for the Big Daddy Pirates without success, his superior at headquarters had already chewed him out and sent him back to Loguetown.
He was currently maintaining order in Loguetown. After all, the annual Cooking Competition had attracted quite a few visitors and chefs.
Daddy knew the Big Daddy Pirates had made a name for themselves in the East Blue. So, to give themselves enough time to find a suitable chef, they chose to land quietly in a secluded part of Loguetown, avoiding the town's main harbor.
With Momoo the sea beast there, they didn't need many people to guard the ship. And since they had plundered the Krieg Pirates and the Arlong Pirates, and had dealings with the underworld, nearly everyone in the Big Daddy Pirates had a Den Den Mushi.
Keeping in contact in real time wouldn't be a problem.
Since pirates spent so much time sailing the seas, whenever they came across an island, they were eager to go ashore. Unless they were ordered to, hardly anyone wanted to stay behind on the ship.
When they landed, Daddy had even specifically sent the swordsman Gollas to keep an eye on Zoro, the directionally challenged one, so he wouldn't get lost and fail to make it back!
Since all these crew members were wanted criminals, each of them had to disguise themselves before daring to set foot in this Town of Beginnings and Endings.
Daddy didn't go shopping with Nami and Honey Queen, nor did he go with anyone else. He had things of his own to take care of!
Back in the familiar Loguetown once more.
Daddy felt no nostalgia at all. All he felt here was frustration and anger!
He followed the familiar roads back to the home he'd once lived in.
The bloodstains on the ground from the massacre long ago had been washed away, but streaks of blood still marked the walls.
His old home was in ruins. The front door was battered, and the inside was a chaotic mess, smashed to pieces.
It seemed that after he'd killed so many members of the Barto Family, they'd taken their revenge in a frenzy.
Unable to find Daddy, they could only wreck his house.
Daddy had thought Dezaya might have protected the house. After all, it held precious memories shared by the two of them!
But now it seemed she clearly hadn't been capable of that, and her standing in the Barto Family wasn't as high as he'd imagined.
"Hah! Better this way, with no memories left!"
Daddy chuckled, tightened his grip on the Sandai Kitetsu, turned, and headed straight for Dezaya's place!
Before long, he arrived at a house.
But he only glanced at it before immediately leaving. His Observation Haki hadn't sensed anyone inside, so she was probably somewhere else.
Then Daddy hurried toward the Barto Family's underworld bar.
"Boom!"
Daddy kicked the bar's front door flying and strode brazenly into the Barto Underworld Tavern.
The gang members inside glared furiously at the entrance, but the instant they saw Big Daddy Babaya, they fell silent.
Hatred, fear, wariness, even admiration—the gang members looked at the captain of the Big Daddy Pirates, the man with the highest bounty in the East Blue, with all kinds of expressions!
Daddy slowly walked up to the bar and grabbed the person in charge by the collar.
"Where has Dezaya been lately? And where's Barto off having fun now?"
His icy tone made the tavern manager swallow several times. Then he met Daddy's sharp gaze, and his heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
"Dezaya went to sea. It seems she formed the Candy Pirates, but I don't know where she is now. As for Boss Barto, he's at the Cooking Competition venue."
The tavern manager was so frightened by a trace of Daddy's killing intent that he immediately blurted out everything he knew.
"She actually dared to go to sea on her own!!!"
Daddy's face darkened. He'd come back intending to take Dezaya away, never expecting she would form her own pirate crew and leave Loguetown.
Daddy tossed the tavern manager aside, then left the tavern and headed straight for the Barto Family headquarters.
Meanwhile, Granny Yubaba suddenly felt uneasy. Her weakened Observation Haki quickly sensed danger approaching.
That man was back!
"Bang!"
The door was blasted open.
"Long time no see, Old Lady Tang!!"
Daddy looked at the Barto Family's secret puppet master with a broad smile, though his tone was cold.
The moment he barged in, dozens of Barto Family members surrounded him. Those who recognized Babaya were already trembling.
"Babaya, didn't you promise us you'd leave Loguetown and wouldn't hurt the Barto Family?"
Baba Yuba gripped her cane tightly, watching Babaya with fear. This man had grown too quickly. His Haki had already surpassed hers, and that was without even mentioning his seemingly unstoppable Devil Fruit ability!
"Back then, I spared you for Dezaya's sake. But now she's gone to sea on her own and is no longer part of the Barto Family.
"Besides, do you think I still care what that foolish woman thinks?"
Daddy's voice grew colder and colder. At last, he let out a deranged, almost liberated laugh and roared. His powerful presence and oppressive force drained the color from Granny Yubaba's face and those of the Barto Family members.
Meanwhile, the manager of the Barto Underworld Tavern was frantically calling Bartolomeo and Dezaya on his Den Den Mushi. Big Daddy Babaya was back, and he'd returned with bloodlust in his eyes!
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