After the Alabasta incident, Roy followed Ace around for a full two weeks.
In the past two weeks, he has witnessed firsthand what it means to "search for someone like a headless fly."
Ace chased Blackbeard purely out of brute force; he rushed into a tavern as soon as he arrived on an island and asked...
Have you ever seen a fat, dark-skinned man?
After asking around, they moved on to the next island without any information, not even having a proper intelligence network.
Several times Roy watched him rush into the tavern, get into fights with people after just a few words, only to realize afterward that he had attacked the wrong person.
Then, looking apologetic, he helped the person up and even offered to pay for their medical expenses.
The most outrageous thing was that he once got into a fight with a fishmonger just because the fishmonger was wearing a hat that looked like Blackbeard.
Roy watched as Ace walked out of a small-town tavern, looking dejected.
His hat was askew, and his face was full of frustration, as if he hadn't found it again.
Roy slapped his forehead and stopped in mid-air.
Am I stupid?
Roy muttered to himself, his tone full of self-loathing.
Why should I follow him around like a nanny, getting nothing in return?
"Why don't I just go straight to the finish line and wait for Blackbeard?"
Roy sat there for two seconds, thinking more and more that he felt like he'd lost his mind.
What is the purpose of a tracking hunter?
Go and keep a close eye on your prey.
Blackbeard was initially looking for Luffy, Roy knew Luffy's Luffy very well.
That fat, dark-skinned man will appear in Mock Town on Jaya Island sooner or later. He just needs to go there in advance and wait for him to come to him.
"They're gone."
Roy paused, changed direction in mid-air, and stopped following Ace, instead speeding towards the first half of the Grand Line.
Jaya Island, Mock Town.
This town is exactly the same as Roy remembers it.
Dirty, chaotic, and squalid; the streets were teeming with drunken pirates; the air reeked of cheap beer and vomit.
A brawl could break out at any moment in a corner, and no one would clean up afterward.
The injured crawled to find a doctor on their own, while the dead were simply thrown into the sea to feed the fish.
Roy changed into a gray cloak, covering most of his face, and completely concealed his presence.
With his current strength, as long as he doesn't want to be discovered, even Marine Admiral drinking coffee next to him might not be able to sense his presence.
He walked into the tavern from back then, found an inconspicuous spot in a corner, and ordered the cheapest ale.
The tavern owner has changed; it's not the old man anymore, but a middle-aged, overweight man, but the tavern's layout remains exactly the same.
The bar counter is still the same bar counter, the corner wall is still the same wall, and even the knife marks on the wall are still there.
In a corner, a few old pirates were gathered together, boasting loudly enough to be heard throughout the entire tavern.
"I personally witnessed the Heavenly Dao Emperor beat up the Donquixote Family right here!"
An old pirate with a face full of Scar slammed his fist on the table and said,
Keep bragging!
Who is the Heavenly Dao Emperor?
The leader of Hachinosu, the king of the New World! Why would he come to such a small place?
You don't believe me? I was sitting right here back then!
I saw him walk in, order a beer, and get into a fight with Doflamingo and his gang, after which the whole street exploded!
Roy's lips curled up slightly.
These old pirates have pretty good memories, but their ability to embellish is even better.
He didn't Doflamingo with a single punch back then; it was Bullet and the others who beat them up.
He sat quietly in the corner, not drinking a drop of ale, yet his Observation Haki had already silently spread out.
The entire Mock Town was within his perception range; every person's aura, every word, and every movement seemed to be watched by an invisible eye.
Roy waited for three days.
Finally, on the afternoon of the third day,
A sailboat with a ram's head prow swayed and drifted into the harbor of Mock Town.
The hull was covered in repair marks, and several planks were clearly newly replaced, their color completely mismatched with the surrounding old planks.
The sails were patched in several places, the stitches crooked and uneven, clearly done by an amateur.
Going Merry
Luffy was the first to jump off the ship, and the moment his feet touched the ground, he started yelling that he wanted to find meat to eat.
Zoro followed behind him, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning the menacing pirates around the harbor.
Sanji walked at the back, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes fixed on Luffy figure, as if afraid the guy would cause trouble again.
Nami and Usopp stayed on the ship, while Chopper lay on the gunwale, gazing longingly towards the harbor.
He wanted to go down, but Nami said, "You have to stay and watch the ship," so he had no choice but to squat on the deck and draw circles in frustration.
Just as Luffy pushed open the tavern door, Roy picked up a glass of beer that had been sitting untouched for three days.
"Meat--!"
Luffy's loud voice drew everyone's attention in the tavern.
Completely ignoring the scrutinizing and hostile stares, he swaggered to the bar, sat down, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted.
"Boss! Bring up all the good food you can find!"
The tavern owner glanced at him, then at the Straw Hat on his head, a strange look flashing in his eyes, but he still turned around to prepare the food.
Next to Luffy sat a burly, dark-skinned fat man with a huge basket of cherry pies in front of him. He was stuffing a piece into his mouth, his cheeks bulging like a hamster's.
He ate the cherry pie with extreme concentration, chewing slowly with his eyes closed, as if he were savoring some rare delicacy.
Roy squinted under his cloak.
This fat, dark-skinned man was much fatter than he had been on Whitebeard's ship back then. His face was even more fleshy, his stubble on his chin was messy, and he was wearing a dirty floral shirt with only half the buttons fastened, revealing his round belly.
But those eyes hadn't changed—they still held that calculating and greedy glint, hidden beneath an honest exterior, impossible to detect without close inspection.
Luffy's cherry pie was also served.
He grabbed a piece, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and his expression instantly contorted.
"It tastes awful!"
Luffy threw the half-eaten cherry pie onto the plate, stuck his tongue out, and scrunched up his whole face.
Blackbeard suddenly opened his eyes and glared at Luffy with an expression that looked like his ancestors had been insulted.
"What did you say?
This cherry pie is simply the most delicious thing in the world!
How can you say it tastes bad?
"It's awful! It's way too sweet! It's so sweet it's making my teeth fall out!"
Luffy glared back defiantly.
"Sweetness is the essence of cherry pie! You have no idea what good food is!"
"I think it tastes awful! Boss, another serving of meat!"
"Boss, give me ten more cherry pies!"
The two of them then began to compete.
Luffy orders an extra serving of meat, Blackbeard will order an extra serving of cherry pie.
Luffy ordered another serving of meat, Blackbeard ordered another cherry pie.
The plates on their table piled higher and higher, and they glared at each other, neither willing to give in.
The other pirates in the tavern were dumbfounded.
What's going on?
Two adults were arguing about the taste of food, and the argument was getting more and more heated.