Meanwhile, a few days later, in a clearing used for training on Egghead Island.
Kizaru stood with both hands in his pockets, leaning lazily against a railing, his gaze behind his dark sunglasses resting on little Sentomaru nearby.
The boy was swinging a wooden axe, sweat sliding down his round cheeks as he muttered grand declarations like "the world's most tight-lipped man."
"You certainly work hard~" The corners of Kizaru's mouth lifted slightly. His tone remained flippant, but something flickered briefly in his eyes.
Just moments earlier, he had heard some rumors from Vegapunk about the investigation into the disappearance of Saint Charlos, a Celestial Dragon, in the West Blue.
As the head of the Marine Science Unit, he naturally had access to some inside information.
And when he saw the two key terms "Lilikaya Island" and "Tesoro," Gern's faintly smiling face instantly surfaced in his mind.
"Tesoro, West Blue, Lilikaya Island..." Kizaru murmured, unconsciously leaning back toward the tree trunk behind him.
He remembered perfectly well that a few months ago, Gern had contacted him through a private channel and asked him to pull Tesoro's personal information.
He had not thought much of it even when Gern visited Egghead Island.
After all, Gern was the sort of fellow who occasionally made strange requests. Kizaru had grown used to it, so he had helped him out.
But now, it seemed all of this had been planned well in advance.
"What a nuisance~" Kizaru adjusted his sunglasses, the cold reflection on the lenses hiding his eyes.
Gern's intentions were not hard to guess.
He had deliberately asked Kizaru to retrieve Tesoro's records so that, once the incident happened, Kizaru would become one of those "in the know."
That forced Kizaru to a crossroads: expose Gern, or stay silent.
And troublesome choices