Several Marine warships were cutting through the waves toward the harbor, along with a ship bearing the World Government's emblem.
The Marine commander in the black suit watched Wuli and Bins break through the encirclement, his face contorted with anger.
He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "They got away! We just let them escape!"
He turned to Strawberry and said, struggling to contain his anger, "Vice Admiral Strawberry, why didn't you act? This is dereliction of duty!"
"You don't get to tell me what to do," Strawberry said flatly.
The commander's face darkened. "Hmph. I may not be able to command you, but I'll report every bit of this to our superiors. Let's see if you're still so calm then."
Suddenly, a Marine reported, "The Admirals are almost here!"
"The Admirals are here?!" The commander immediately looked toward the harbor. Sure enough, the ships were about to dock. When he spotted the one bearing the World Government's emblem, delight spread across his face.
He shot Strawberry a smug look, only to find that Strawberry had closed his eyes again, his expression unchanged. With a snort, the commander waited for the Admirals to arrive.
On the other side of the island, at the hot spring inn.
Steam rose around the baths. The hot water relaxed the body and felt wonderful.
It seemed to wash away every trace of fatigue, leaving everyone too lazy to do anything but soak. Strangely enough, a skeleton was soaking in one of the pools too.
Amid the swirling steam, a head emerged from one of the pools. "You finally made it. I nearly fell asleep waiting for you."
"Kuzan!!!"
Luffy and the others sprang up in alarm. Their faces turned grave as they watched Kuzan warily and prepared to fight. Only Brook, the