Eight months later.

Pegasus Town.

Numerous merchant ships and tourist boats are docked at the port, and the town is bustling with people.

Every now and then you can see a few kabuki actors performing in a brightly lit square, attracting a bunch of tourists.

At that moment, a warship docked in the harbor, and a group of sailors disembarked from the warship.

The navy ships marched in orderly columns toward the town.

"Wow, this is Pegasus Town! It's amazing!"

The leader was dressed in a standard navy white and blue jacket suit, with a brightly patterned handkerchief tied around his thick, long pink fur coat, a pair of glasses on top, a scarf tied around his chest, and a navy cloak draped over his shoulders.

He looked around, his gaze first lingering on the numerous heavy artillery pieces at the coastal defense post, then settling on the bustling town ahead.

"I heard that Pegasus Town was occupied by pirates just last year, but it has become so prosperous in such a short time. It's amazing and incredible!"

The pink-haired navy man clenched his fists, looking excitedly at the bustling town.

"Pshaw, what's so great about it?"

Beside him, a blond man curled his lip in disdain and yelled at the pink-haired youth, "Hey, now's not the time to get excited. Go find that idiot Kuro first!"

The blond man wore a large felt hat and a navy coat similar to a trench coat, with two huge daggers hanging on either side of his waist.

"Okay, I just wanted to take a look." The pink-haired marine scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "I've heard from headquarters that Pegasus Island is an 'island of hot springs and dance,' and I've always wanted to see it for myself. I have to say, Colonel Kuro is truly amazing!"

"Hahaha, impressive! Then take a good look. What's the big deal!"

Suddenly, a hearty laugh came from behind them. Hearing the sound, Coby and Helmeppo quickly turned around and looked over.

The man was quite old, with short white hair, wearing a white suit and a navy cape. He walked like a gorilla, carrying a bag of rice crackers in one hand and occasionally taking one out with the other as he walked slowly towards us.

The old navy man took a bite of a senbei (rice cracker) and laughed heartily: "What a wonderful island!"

"We didn't come here just to stroll around!" the blond navy officer exclaimed urgently.

"Haha, young people shouldn't be so hasty in doing things."

The old navy man patted the blond navy man on the shoulder, making him grimace; his shoulder felt numb.

"but..."

After taking the photos, the old navy man turned to look at the naval fortress standing high in the heart of the bustling town.

"Hahaha, let's go find Kuro first!"

The arrival of the navy did not surprise the townspeople; they seemed to take it for granted.

This piqued the curiosity of the pink-haired navy officer. In the past, when he went on missions, the locals were very enthusiastic but also fearful when they arrived at each island, since the arrival of the navy meant that pirates might be around.

He had encountered pirates in other seas, but he hadn't seen a single pirate ship in this particular area.

"Hey, sir, can I ask you something?"

He pulled over a person carrying a bag of apples and asked, "Aren't there any pirates around here?"

"Huh? Pirates?"

The middle-aged man paused for a moment, then sneered and looked the pink-haired navy man up and down. "Is he a new navy man?"

"Ah...yes, we're here on a mission," the pink-haired naval officer said.

"You must be a Marine who saw Pegasus Island's prosperity and thought pirates would covet it, so you came here to make a name for yourself. Let me tell you, there are no pirates here."

The middle-aged man puffed out his chest and proudly declared, "There's no way there could be any pirates around Pegasus Island, where Colonel Kuro is located. It's the most peaceful island in the West Blue!"

"Yes, it is indeed the most peaceful."

A passing merchant interjected, "Sir Navy, we all love doing business here because it's so safe. We don't have to worry about pirates, there aren't even any gangs here, and no one collects protection money, so no one raises prices, making the goods here very cheap. Although it's near Reverse Mountain and is a necessary route for many people heading to the Grand Line, no pirates dare to approach here."

"Of course, this is all thanks to Colonel Kuro and Major Cass. They are our guardians. One guards the island, and the other is out there fighting off pirates. It's impossible for any pirate to get in here. We don't even need to carry weapons when we go fishing."

The uncle proudly said, "There was a guy who was lucky enough to survive and drifted to this island. That's how we learned that his former pirate crew was unable to reach Reverse Mountain because they were afraid to get close to Pegasus Island and didn't have enough supplies. They were destroyed by the ocean currents!"

"I've heard about it too."

The merchant chimed in, "Besides being known as the 'Island of Hot Springs and Dance,' Pegasus Island also has another name: 'Island of Pirate Burial.' No pirate dares to approach this place."

The goods are of good quality and inexpensive, and the area is both bustling and safe, so it's no wonder that it attracts a large number of people.

Nobody remembers that just last year, this place was a mess, a chaotic gathering place.

"Haha, well done, you brat!"

The old navy man laughed heartily and walked forward.

"Thank you so much."

The pink-haired navy officer thanked the two and followed behind them.

"That man..."

The businessman looked at the tall, elderly man with some confusion, his gaze uneasy, as if he seemed vaguely familiar...

In the center of the town is an extremely large naval base, surrounded by high walls. Apart from the huge fortress at the very center, there are naval buildings in other places as well.

The gate was tightly closed and no one was stationed there. As the navy approached, the sounds of training could be faintly heard from inside.

"I'll knock on the door."

Just as the pink-haired navy officer was about to knock on the door, he saw that the old navy officer was faster, walking over with his fist clenched.

"No need for that."

boom!

With a single punch, the door was shattered, debris flying inside and kicking up a cloud of dust. From within the dust, the old marine slowly emerged, laughing heartily: "Kuro, where are you? This old man has come!"

The sounds of training abruptly ceased.

At this moment, in the square, a group of navy men were exercising with their arms bare and sweating profusely. In another open space, a burly man was holding a cross-shaped pistol, standing in a horse stance, thrusting the pistol forward one thrust after another. The ground was riddled with holes from his thrusts, indicating that he had been training for a long time.

An unpleasant odor, like the smell of medicine, wafted from a nearby detached building.

On the other side of the open space, two people were sparring. One of them, wearing a black suit, was pushing up his glasses and had one foot on the navy man below. He was about to say something.

All the images froze after the old navy man broke down the gate.

The navy man who had been stepped on by the man in the black suit looked up with a bruised and swollen face. Upon seeing the newcomer, he was startled and exclaimed, "Vice Admiral Garp?!"