Chapter 453: Am I such a petty person?
"Ah... this is really good stuff!" Karp held a box of senbei that Zhang Da gave him, tore open the package and started eating on the spot.
"Thank you for your trouble." Zhan Guo and Zefa also accepted the "bribe".
In order to ease the awkward atmosphere, Zhang Da also took out a small gift he had specially prepared.
…
Generals such as Gion, Kake, Hirosan, Storobeli, Kizaru, and Aokiji, who were either familiar or had only met once, also brought some cigarettes, alcohol, tea, candy, etc. Since many people were not at the headquarters, Zhang Da also put a note on the outside of the gift box and asked Zefa to help pass it on.
Some of the things being sent were purchased in Shampoo Land these days, such as rice cakes for Sengoku, senbei for Garp, and sherry for Zephyr.
Some were brought from the East China Sea or the islands of the Grand Line during the journey. For example, the tea for Vice Admiral Tsuru came from Pucci Island near the Seven Water City, and the perfume for Vice Admiral Gion came from Nahana, the port city of Alabasta.
It didn't actually cost much to add one more dollar, and he didn't mean anything special by it anyway. It was just a small token of appreciation, and I felt a little embarrassed about it.
This matter was first brought up by Shark Chili, who was very thoughtful.
Tom watched Zhang Daye giving gifts the whole time and always felt that there was something discordant. He thought about it, took out a small bundle of hay from somewhere, and placed it in front of the lamb next to Zhan Guo's desk.
The lamb rubbed Tom's cheek with emotion. It could finally eat the food that normal sheep eat. Since following Zhan Guo, it has been eating some confidential documents that need to be destroyed every day. It almost forgot what grass tastes like. It is not a paper shredder!
Altria looked at Tom feeding the sheep thoughtfully. The sheep was indeed a little smaller and thinner.
The lamb happily lowered its head to eat grass, without any awareness that it was being targeted by a top predator.
While listening to Zhang Daye talk about the origins of the various gifts, Zhan Guo carefully observed each member of the Amber Tour Group: some listened attentively to their conversation, occasionally interjecting; some shared snacks with Garp at his invitation; some, after looking around his office, were so bored that they yawned; and some stared intently at his lamb, as if they were plotting something sinister...
They seem to be a group of people who are easy to understand, and their thoughts are basically written on their faces. At least they don't look like scheming villains.
"Then let's stop chatting here." Zhan Guo's expression turned serious. "I have some questions I want to ask you."
Zhang Da didn't know the reason for Zhan Guo's change of tone, so he asked curiously, "Just tell me."
"To be honest, we have investigated you before," Zhan Guo said straight to the point, "but except for Princess Weiwei and this little girl named Perona, we couldn't find any of your backgrounds."
"Even you, with the longest resume, can only trace it back to May of last year, a year and two months ago. And in that time, members of the Amber Travel Group have appeared around you one after another. These people are either powerful or have unique abilities, but their origins are all unknown..."
Zhan Guo looked into Zhang Daye's eyes, and his lenses seemed to flash white light: "Is this really a coincidence? Where... are you from?"
The atmosphere in the office suddenly became solemn and quiet, as if you could hear a pin drop. The children were too nervous to make a sound - if Garp hadn't been crunching on the senbei at this time.
Zhan Guo glanced at this atmosphere destroyer, but as expected, it had no effect.
Zhang Daye thought for a moment and said, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhang Daye, and I'm from Jiangcheng."
"As for them, they're from Britain, Juxia City, Tokyo, Bozhou, Fiore Kingdom, and Xinxiang," Zhang Da pointed at the others and introduced them one by one. "Tom... I guess he's from Xinxiang, too."
"The biggest problem is that we can't find the exact locations of these places. In other words, we're homeless in this world. If you could find my hometown, I'd be very grateful."
Zhang Da spoke with genuine emotion. Although he had a good life here and had made new friends, he sometimes couldn't help but miss the land where he was born and raised. It was hard to say whether he could adapt to life there again, but he was certain that his feelings were genuine.
Zhan Guo paid attention to everyone's expressions. Judging from his feeling, Zhang Da was telling the truth, but... it was the same as if he hadn't said anything.
There was little point in asking for such a long list of place names; he had never heard of any of them. Although he couldn't know all the islands and countries in the world, he shouldn't have never heard of the hometowns of so many powerful people, right?
The only thing that comforted him was that Zhang Da was willing to tell him all this without reservation, so at least these places should not be lawless or rebellious places, right?
Moreover, in this great route with chaotic ocean currents and climate, it is quite normal to not be able to find the way home after setting out to sea... I guess.
"Let's put aside the question of your origins for now," Zhan Guo said. "So, you want to travel around the world in search of your hometown?"
That's a good reason! Zhang Da almost nodded in agreement. However, they hadn't colluded beforehand, and this wasn't something that needed to be demonstrated. He said frankly, "No, the purpose of our trip is to travel."
"Huh?" This answer was somewhat unexpected by Zhan Guo. He couldn't even find his home, and he was traveling just for the sake of traveling? You guys are pretty bold.
"If we have to say we have a purpose, we all have our own interests and hobbies. Some like to collect art, while others want to find the legendary ALL-BLUE."
Zhang Da also suddenly remembered one of the reasons why he came to the Navy Headquarters: "Speaking of this, do you know the Boeing Islands? We want to go there. Also, do you know how to get to the Sky Islands safely? Are there any must-see attractions on the Sky Islands?"
Altria's eyes lit up, and the others looked at Sengoku expectantly.
What we're discussing now affects how the Navy and the World Government will treat you in the future. Could you please be more serious? Are you asking me for travel tips?!
Zhan Guo was a bit troubled. Did these people really not understand the significance of this conversation, or were they so careless that they didn't feel nervous at all? "We'll talk about this later. Anyway, your goal is just to travel, right?"
"That's right." Zhang Da nodded. Worried that Zhan Guo would bring up the incidents they had caused, he added, "You're probably familiar with the things we encountered on our journey. It was mostly trouble that came our way. Catching pirates was just a way to earn some pocket money, and occasionally dealing with some lawless criminals was considered heroic. It's what we, enthusiastic citizens, should do."
So, would you classify the removal of Moria as trouble finding its way, or as a heroic act? Would a caring citizen secretly take out a Shichibukai?
Judging from their style, there is no need to ask questions like their stance. They definitely hate pirates, but since they can be on good terms with Jinbe and have ignored Rayleigh for such a long time in Sabaody, it shows that they are not extreme in character.
Judging from the stories of Moriah and Crocodile, they probably don't have much respect for the World Government and simply prefer to avoid trouble. However, judging from the Golden Lion incident, they actively chose to get involved in trouble in order to protect civilians, which shows that their nature tends to be kind.
If any of the Seven Warlords of the Sea messes with them in the future, they will most likely choose to kill him quietly, then create an alibi, or find some evidence of his crime and kill him openly.
Zhan Guo already had a general understanding of Zhang Daye and the others' behavior patterns. What bothered him most was that, according to his inference, if people from the World Government caused trouble for them, these people probably would not show mercy, even if they were...world nobles.
So what he had to do next was to try his best to prevent the worst from happening, especially to prevent the Five Elders from issuing any more strange orders.
Today's conversation also needs to be written into a report and submitted, but he is afraid that the Five Elders will not believe that such a group of powerful people gathered together "simply for a trip". This report is giving him a headache.
Also, just in case, he has to discuss the internship location of the training camp with Zefa and try his best to avoid those Celestial Dragons.
"That's all I wanted to ask." Zhan Guo had almost sorted out his thoughts. "As for your questions , I'll share some low-security nautical charts with you. If there's any island you're interested in, go check it out yourself."
Zhang Da and the others were delighted. They visited bookstores almost every time they visited an island, but unfortunately, sea charts were so difficult to find. It would be best if Zhan Guo could provide some directly. After they had visited all the islands he provided information about, they could think of other ways.
"Regarding Sky Island, I must remind you," Zhan Guo said, "There is indeed a 'safe' route to Sky Island, but that route has a so-called survival rate. Of a hundred people who go there, only a few will survive."
"And this 'chance of survival' isn't necessarily related to strength. This is one of the reasons why the World Government has never placed Sky Island under its jurisdiction—the cost is too high."
"Why is that?" Zhang Da also asked, "Is there something wrong with that route? Is it a sea monster? Bad weather? Or something else?"
"I'm not sure. Perhaps it was a sudden epidemic, a toxin, or an environment only a few people can adapt to. There are so many unsolved mysteries on this ocean," Zhan Guo said in a heavy tone. "The soldier who managed to return from exploring the route couldn't explain it. He just saw his companions fall one by one, even the major general leading the team was not spared."
Zhang Da also frowned, trying to recall any useful plot or information.
Tom was terrified when he heard what Zhan Guo said. He had already imagined the scene where everyone flew into the sky on the Amber, but fell to the ground one by one and he couldn't wake them up no matter what.
The others also saw Tom's vivid imagination and their faces changed.
Perona said weakly, "How about we not go to Sky Island?"
Weiwei was also frightened by such a scene. She was very adventurous and still remained curious, but she would not willfully encourage others to accompany her on the adventure just because of her curiosity. She just waited silently for others to make a decision.
Xia Lulu said more rationally, "If it's just a danger, then we can just find a way to deal with it. But if we can't determine the source of the danger at all, wouldn't it be better to do more research?"
She felt a little regretful that she couldn't control her predictive magic, otherwise she might be able to find some clues with the help of foresight.
"Then I'll think about it." Zhang Da readily agreed. If they had to face unknown dangers, they might as well take advantage of the surging ocean current. However, that approach would require more preparation, such as setting a small goal: having everyone learn the Moon Walk during the training camp!
"Thanks for the reminder. In return, I'll give you a heads-up." Zhang Da also said, "If you have time to investigate us, why not check for the mole in the navy first?"
Zhan Guo asked, "What does this mean?"
Zhang Da also said: "Commodore Vergo, who is currently stationed on Gaya Island and is in charge of establishing the naval base, is most likely an undercover agent planted by Doflamingo in the navy."
"What?" Zhan Guo and Zefa were both surprised. The rank of brigadier general was not low, enough for him to access a lot of important information .
Considering Vice Admiral Tsuru's previous attempts to apprehend Doflamingo had failed many times, Sengoku couldn't help but take it seriously: "Is there any evidence?"
"If I have to say it, it's probably intuition, right?" Zhang Da also made up a story. "We've captured many of Flamingo's men, Diamante, and Vergo has a similar aura to him. It's more like a foul odor."
"I can't investigate a Brigadier General just because of your 'intuition .'" Sengoku was already half-convinced. Intuition might sound a bit mysterious, but Sengoku knew it was real. Some people are naturally incredibly intuitive, able to instinctively avoid danger and seek advantage like wild animals. If you had to be so sure, this ability could even be considered Observation Haki.
"I wouldn't slander a navy commander for no reason. Besides, I've sparred with him and learned a few things from him," Zhang Da also said. "How about you think carefully about the events related to Doflamingo after Vergo joined the navy and see if there's anything strange."
Of course.
When it comes to events related to Doflamingo, the first thing that Sengoku thinks of is the Mignon Island incident in the North Sea, or the Operation Fruit incident.
Sengoku's adopted son Rocinante (Corazon) met with an accident in that incident. Coincidentally, Vergo was among the navy that went to Mignon Island for support!
If he is really an undercover agent... Zhan Guo clenched his fists.
"Anyway, I'm just giving you a heads up. It's up to you whether you want to investigate or not." Zhang Da also said, "If you really want to investigate, remember to send someone reliable. Especially don't let Smoker know about this. I have a feeling that guy will just rush in and confront us, and then get beaten to death."
"I'll find a way to verify it, and please keep it a secret for now." Zhan Guo said, "Zefa, take them to arrange accommodation and other things first."
As everyone left the office, Ye Yan whispered to Zhang Daye, "Boss Ye, are you putting eye drops on Vergo because he hit you so hard the other day?"
Zhang Daye: ???
Am I such a petty person?
