Barnett wasn't too worried about food and fresh water, because there was another safety net on the warship: Vic, who could easily handle these matters.
Vic's Logia abilities allow him to quickly travel to nearby islands to obtain food and fresh water, or to fish with electricity in the sea or extract fresh water from the seawater. However, Barnett is unwilling to trouble Vic with these trivial matters, Vic's current training is the most important thing.
The day was calm and sunny. Vic's warship sailed on the Grand Line as usual, with everyone on board performing their duties.
Marines were fishing on the ship's side, lookouts were searching for islands on the masts, and Rebecca and the others were whispering on the deck, careful not to disturb Vic, who was sitting quietly at the bow. Ain was testing her abilities on an orange tree at the stern, a tree that Vic had asked her to bring.
"Report! Lieutenant Colonel Barnett! There appears to be an island at nine o'clock, but it's too far away to be completely confirmed. We request the warship move closer to that direction and reassess!"
As one of the two lookouts on the mast was observing the nine o'clock position through his binoculars, a fleeting reflection appeared in his view.
He looked up at the sun behind him and knew that it couldn't be the sun's reflection on the sea; it was most likely caused by something else.
One possibility is that the bird was carrying a reflective object in its beak. Many birds are attracted to glass beads and gems that can emit light or reflect light, so the lookout suspected there was an island over there and immediately climbed down from the mast to report to Barnett.
Although it couldn't be completely certain, if there was a possibility, they should go and check it out; that was also Barnett's order to his lookouts.
The ship was running out of food and they were very anxious, so they searched diligently without slacking off. Although Barnett was usually a bit serious, he was not arrogant and there was no problem finding him for serious matters.
Even if they went to check and found no island, but rather a reflection caused by a fish leaping out of the sea, Barnett wouldn't say anything to them. So even if there was only a slight possibility that an island existed, they reported it immediately.
That's how it is sometimes. If a leader has a bad temper and a big ego, subordinates won't report everything to them, because that might just get them yelled at and be a thankless task.
However, some seemingly insignificant things can turn out to be the fuse that ignites trouble and the key to success or failure, and some people simply shut them out.
Therefore, Vic had previously warned Barnett that reports from subordinates could be prioritized according to their importance and urgency, but they could not be perfunctory, their attitude had to be good, and they could not give the impression that they were indifferent or uncaring, let alone be impatient or scolding.
That way, no one will ask you to report any unusual situations anymore. In this world full of amazing abilities, many unusual situations are related to Devil Fruit powers. Ignoring them could result in total annihilation. It's just a matter of spending more time and being more patient. Details determine success or failure, and Vic has seen too many cases like this.
"Hmm! Let's head towards nine o'clock then. Helmsman! Turn the helm to left and head towards nine o'clock. If you see an island, don't rush to get close!"
Barnett took the lookout's report seriously. If there was an island, they would definitely go and check it out. Since the telescope could see it, it wasn't too far away. A little more time wouldn't make a difference, so he immediately instructed the helmsman to turn.
Not long after they set sail, the lookout actually spotted the island in his binoculars. Barnett, having received this information, knew what to do and decided to resupply on the island.
Whether it's a deserted island or an inhabited island doesn't matter. Deserted islands usually have plenty of wild animals and fruits; you just need to send people to catch and pick them. Inhabited islands are of course even better; you can just buy them with money, which saves even more time.
As the warship approached the island, Barnett realized it was a relatively prosperous island, as there was a well-developed town on the high ground in the center of the island, and several small villages surrounded the island's edge. Upon seeing this, Barnett ordered the warship to stop not far from the island and to launch small transport ships.
" Barnett! Should we call Vic to come along?"
Looking at Vic, who was still sitting motionless with his eyes closed at the bow of the ship, Rebecca asked Barnett. She was now somewhat traumatized by Vic's refusal to come to the island, as several times when things had gone wrong Vic hadn't come.
"No need to wake Vic. This island should be safe. Look, there's even smoke rising from the chimneys. If there were real danger, it wouldn't be so peaceful."
Barnett plans to personally lead a team to the island to make purchases, as he will be in charge of these transactions from now on. Therefore, he needs to familiarize himself with dealing with the merchants on the island.
"Are you sure? Every time you say something like that, something bad always comes true, even if it's not good news. Why don't you call Vic along?"
Wendy was well aware of Barnett's tendency to Karasu things. She wasn't worried about the situation on the island at first, but since Barnett had spoken, she had to be on high alert, so she took out her sniper rifle.
"Really, there's no need to worry. The island isn't that big. If anything happens, Vic can get there in an instant. Let's go, don't disturb Vic's cultivation."
Barnett said somewhat helplessly, "With their current strength, how many opponents can they possibly have in the first half of the Grand Line? Rebecca and Wendy's worries are completely unnecessary."
Rebecca and Wendy thought it made sense. If something unexpected happened, they could use Thousand-Li Sound Transmission to call for help. Vic was also at a critical stage of his cultivation. He had been sitting there for several days without moving. Suddenly waking him up might really interrupt Vic enlightenment. Enlightenment is something that can't be forced. As a swordsman, Rebecca knew this all too well.
And so, the group arrived at the small transport ship. Barnett even called some marines who were carrying food aboard. Rebecca was still holding Ain in her arms. Although she also came onto the small boat, she wasn't standing on the deck but on flying swords, as she was prepared to be on guard.
The transport ship docked at the fishing village's pier, where several small fishing boats were also moored. Nothing unexpected happened during the trip, which relieved Rebecca and Wendy a little. As ability users, they were somewhat worried at sea, but things were different once they were on the island. Even if something did happen, they could handle it.
The pier by the sea was still a hundred meters away from the fishing village. After everyone boarded the pier, Barnett did not immediately step forward. He was now a rather cautious and mature naval commander.
He stood on the dock and observed the fishing village. Smoke was rising from the rooftops of several houses, and adults were coming and going from door to door from time to time. Almost every household had fishing nets drying in front of their doors.