Vladimir knew exactly who Fujitora was. Unless things had changed unexpectedly, he was Issho — the blind swordsman who had appeared in the Sabaody Archipelago before.
The real question was regarding Aokiji. Why on earth would he suddenly leave the Marines?
"The world has changed quite a bit... It seems some major events have taken place within the Marines."
Vladimir pondered this, having formed a few theories in his mind, though he couldn't be certain.
But in the end, it didn't matter much. Whether it was Fujitora or Aokiji, to him they were simply Marine Admirals — nothing more, nothing less.
Although nine years had passed and the world had shifted slightly, the overall situation hadn't deviated too far from what he had anticipated.
The only thing that truly dissatisfied him was the Revolutionary Army. After nine years of development, they had only managed to form an alliance of just over fifty nations? The progress was far too slow.
"First, I need to contact Robin and have her report on the current situation in detail. Then, I will go find Monkey D. Dragon..."
At this thought, Vladimir suddenly realized: since Trafalgar Law and the Heart Pirates had only just entered the Grand Line, it meant Monkey D. Luffy would also be arriving in this "Graveyard of Pirates" very soon.
And for Luffy to reach the Grand Line, he would inevitably pass through Loguetown. And that was exactly where Dragon would go, just to catch a glimpse of his son.
"I am quite close to Loguetown. Since I am already here, I might as well go take a look."
It would be best if he found Dragon there, but it didn't matter if they didn't meet. The distance was short; going there and back wouldn't take much time at all.
Having set his plans, Vladimir looked back at Law.
"I am satisfied that you answered me truthfully. Do you have any other questions, Senior?" Law asked softly, while secretly forming his own guesses about Vladimir's identity.
Vladimir couldn't be bothered to care about what he was thinking. He waved his hand dismissively.
"No need. In the vastness of the sea, meeting like this is a kind of fate. If you ever find yourself in danger one day... call out my name, and I might just save you once. Farewell."
With that, Vladimir turned to leave. With a single step, his figure vanished instantly.
"He's an ability user? Disappeared just like that..."
"A Space-type Devil Fruit user? Or some other strange power?"
"You two idiots! I've told you before to sharpen your observation skills. That wasn't a power — he was simply moving faster than your eyes could follow."
Several crew members were talking among themselves.
"But what did he mean by that last part?" Raggy looked toward his captain. "'Save us once', 'call out his name'... we don't even know what his name is. Captain, what do you think?"
"Hmm..."
Law looked up, staring at the direction where Vladimir had disappeared, and spoke softly. "I think I know who he is."
"Who is he? He seemed like an incredibly powerful figure. He knows the Four Emperors, the Marines, even the Admirals..." someone asked curiously.
"He is... a legend..." Law murmured, then shook his head. "Let's pretend today never happened. Sooner or later, we will meet him again."
...
Vladimir moved toward the direction of the Red Line.
Once he was far away from the Heart Pirates, a thought crossed his mind. Instantly, a beam of white light projected from his chest.
The light shot into the sky, rapidly elongating and condensing into the shape of a massive dragon, a hundred meters in length.
The dragon's body was pitch-black. Vladimir leaped and landed lightly upon the dragon's head.
Without the need for any spoken command, the dragon readied itself. Its tail whipped through the air, and it soared upward, carrying its rider with it.
"Trafalgar Law has only just entered the Grand Line... meaning we are at the very beginning of the era known as the 'Worst Generation'."
Vladimir stood upon the dragon's head, gazing toward the Red Line in the distance.
"Nine years have passed... the world has probably started to forget the existence of Phantom. Hahaha... there's no rush to reveal myself. First, I'll find Dragon and ask about the Revolutionary Army's situation. After that, I'll contact Robin."
"Four Emperor Lane... now that is an interesting character. To dare call himself the 'Beast King'..."
Vladimir stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a faint smile on his face.
"To Loguetown."
ROAR!
The Sea Dragon let out a long, resonant cry, soaring over the Red Line and crossing from above into the airspace of the East Blue.
Among the four seas — East, West, North, and South — the East Blue was the weakest, yet it had produced many legends.
The most famous of all was the figure who dominated the era before last: the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
And the very place where Roger had been executed was... Loguetown!
At the same time Vladimir was crossing over Reverse Mountain...
In the East Blue, near the entrance to the Grand Line, lay a town.
This was Loguetown.
Right now, at the port of Loguetown, a pirate with a bounty of 30,000,000 Berries was leading his crew and coming ashore.
"Luffy!"
A bounty of 30,000,000 Berries!
A bounty of this level was nothing more than cannon fodder in the New World. Even in the first half of the Grand Line, it was completely ordinary and unremarkable.
Even in the South, West, or North Blue, a 30,000,000 Berry bounty didn't mean much.
Only here, in the East Blue, did a pirate with such a bounty rank among the strongest in the region.
At this moment, in Loguetown of the East Blue, a pirate with exactly that bounty had quietly landed at the port.
His name was Monkey D. Luffy, Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.
It was a newly formed crew. Aside from the captain, there were only four other members:
Navigator — Nami.
Sniper — Usopp.
Swordsman — Roronoa Zoro.
Cook — Vinsmoke Sanji.
As soon as they landed, Captain Luffy had sprinted off into the distance in the blink of an eye.
"That guy... did he really just run off to see the execution platform?" Zoro shook his head helplessly.
"He's going to get lost for sure... Does he even realize how much his head is worth?"
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