The Marine ship arrived at Tamarisk Port in Alabasta. Ropes were thrown out and tied to the docks, and the ship came to a stop.
Smoker stood at the front of the ship, his eyes locked on the sky.
A dark shadow flew above them in circles.
That vulture was still there.
It had started following them as soon as they reached Alabasta. For a full day, it had stayed in the air without leaving.
Smoker watched it closely. There was something tied to the bird's back—a small leather bag, or maybe a camera. It was flying too high to tell for sure.
He took a long pull from his cigar.
"Tashigi," he called.
She hurried over, wiping sweat from her forehead. "That bird again," she said, lifting a hand to block the sun. "Is it still following us?"
"Yeah," Smoker said. "There's no way that's normal. It's a trained animal."
Tashigi frowned. "Trained to do what? Watch people?"
"Yes," he said. "No wild bird circles one ship for that long."
She looked at him. "So someone sent it to spy on the Marines. Who could it be?"
Smoker blew out smoke and nodded toward the docks, then the desert beyond.
"There are four main powers in Alabasta," he said. "The royal family, the rebels, Baroque Works, and the Warlord—Crocodile."
"One of them is keeping an eye on us."
"Crocodile?" Tashigi frowned. "I know this is his land, but would he really spy on us so openly? He's a Warlord of the Sea. He works with the Marines."
"Only officially," Smoker said. "A title doesn't mean he's one of us."
Tashigi paused. "So you think the bird belongs to Crocodile?"
He shook his head. "Not exactly. He's suspicious, but I don't think it's his."
"Why not?"
"He's too famous," Smoker said. "If Crocodile used trained animals like that, the Marines would already know."
Tashigi nodded slowly. "That's true."
"That leaves three."
"The king wouldn't spy on us," she said. "He asked for Marine help."
"And if he was hiding something," Smoker added, "watching Marines would only make his problems worse."
"What about the rebels?"
"They don't have the means," Smoker said. "They barely have food and water, let alone money."
He tapped ash from his cigar.
"Training animals and using tools like that costs money. They don't have it."
Tashigi looked back up at the vulture. "So the only one left is Baroque Works."
"Exactly."
She smiled. "Captain, you figured this out fast."
"It's just ruling things out," Smoker said.
She went on, clearly impressed. "But no one else noticed any of this. Only you."
Smoker chuckled and breathed out smoke, still watching the sky.
Tashigi leaned on the railing next to him.
"Sir, should we search this area? If Baroque Works is behind this, whoever's controlling the bird must be nearby."
Smoker didn't answer right away. He was thinking.
The vulture kept circling above them.
"If someone's guiding it," Tashigi said, "they'll be watching us closely. We could catch them now."
Smoker breathed out slowly. The idea seemed great on paper—but it had an issue.
"We don't know who we're looking for," he said. "It could be anyone."
"Then we will arrest everyone who looks suspicious." Said Tashigi.
"Absolutely not!" Smoker snapped.
"There's already unrest in this country. Everyone here looks suspicious."
"If we start arresting civilians without proof, people will panic, and the rebellion will grow."
"And while we deal with that mess, the real criminals will escape."
His voice softened at the end. Tashigi pressed her lips together and looked down, staying quiet.
"I don't like being watched either," Smoker said. "But we can't move without evidence."
Silence followed.
The vulture cried softly as it passed overhead again.
Smoker rubbed his forehead. This was becoming a headache. He'd come to Alabasta hoping to relax and sightsee.
He hadn't planned to look into Crocodile or Baroque Works—but now someone was openly spying on him.
Ignoring it wasn't an option. Headquarters would never accept that.
'Fine. As a formality let's do a small investigation. If we find nothing, we can say we tried.'
Smoker turned away from the railing.
"Alright. New plan. Everyone gather around!"
The crew quickly came together on deck.
"We're splitting up," Smoker said.
Tashigi looked surprised. "Splitting up? What will we do?"
"We'll collect information on Baroque Works," he said. "We'll cover more ground if we split up."
She saluted. "Should I take a squad with me?"
"No," Smoker said. "Go alone. It'll be easier to blend in and hear some gossip."
She nodded. "Where should I go, sir?"
"Go to... Nanohana," Smoker said after thinking. "It's a port city. There are Merchants, travelers, and locals. People surely will talk there."
The plan was rushed, but Tashigi took it very seriously. She pulled out her notebook and carefully wrote everything down.
"What exactly should I look for?"
"Anything connected to Baroque Works," Smoker said. "Fake names, disguises, people who vanished."
Then he frowned. "And stop asking so many questions. Think for yourself."
"Yes, sir!" she said.
Smoker turned to the crew. "Someone is clearly watching us. You stay here and guard the ship. No one boards without my approval."
The Marines saluted together.
Tashigi looked back at him. "Where will you go, sir?"
"Alubarna," he said. "The capital."
Her eyes widened. "That's where the royal palace is."
"Exactly."
He took another puff of his cigar. "Important people live there. If someone knows some information, that will be our proof."
He didn't say what he had actually planned.
He wasn't going to run an investigation. He was going to travel.
Alubarna was famous—and full of places he'd always wanted to see.
Besides, he already knew what Crocodile and Baroque Works were doing. This was mostly for show.
'As a Marine,' he thought, 'formality is necessary.'
"I understand," Tashigi said. "Please be careful, sir."
"You too," Smoker smiled. "And Nanohana has great markets. Try not to get distracted."
She stood straight. "I'll stay focused on the mission!"
Smoker rubbed his temple. He'd meant that as a joke, but explaining it now wasn't worth it.
By midday, they went their separate ways.
Tashigi left first, riding a camel. The road to Nanohana was busy and safe. She would arrive by the next evening.
Smoker watched her fade into the distance, then turned east.
Alubarna sat on high ground, surrounded by stone walls. The royal palace stood at its center, visible even from far away.
Smoker lit a new cigar and started walking, his coat blowing in the wind.
Then he noticed something.
The vulture was gone.
His head began to ache.
That meant a message had already been sent.
Baroque Works now knew the Marines had started investigation.