Chapter 673 The Mysterious Little Girl
The story begins a week before the Marines received the report. The peaceful town of Colkla welcomed two unusual visitors.
One was a petite, delicate girl about ten years old. The other was a man wearing a mask.
The combination of expensive, luxurious clothing and a young girl quickly attracted the attention of the local thugs. That very day, they snuck into the inn, intending to kidnap the girl and use her as leverage to extort the man for money.
And then…
There was no "and then."
The thugs' corpses were discovered the next evening by the town sheriff near the edge of a remote forest. While the townsfolk loathed the gang for their misdeeds, they were equally terrified of the person capable of killing them so effortlessly.
Naturally, the townsfolk had no idea at this time that the mysterious duo was responsible.
---
On the third day, perhaps due to failing to find what they were looking for, the two visitors paid a visit to the town mayor. The mayor warmly welcomed them into his home.
The mayor's greed was well-known throughout the town, so no one was surprised by his behavior.
But on the fourth day, the mayor's wife returned home to find the mayor nailed to the wall of his study. The entire mansion looked as though it had been ransacked, with everything in disarray.
The town was thrown into chaos.
Given the town's small size, it didn't take long for the residents to verify that the only people missing were the mysterious duo. The mayor's wife immediately declared them the culprits and ordered the town's security forces to search the forest.
The pair was indeed found in the forest.
But it didn't matter…
It was during this encounter that the town fisherman provided his eyewitness report: the man, presumed to be Orrick, had grabbed the mayor's wife by the throat with one hand and stabbed her through the forehead with a single sword thrust. He then discarded her body off the cliff.
The entire security force— a group of dozens of the town's strongest men— was annihilated. The terrified townspeople quickly reported the incident to the nearest Marine branch.
The branch leader decided that this level of criminal was far beyond the capability of their non-G-series unit and escalated the matter to Bastille, who was supervising the construction of G-11 at the time.
As a "Quasi Vice Admiral," Bastille recognized the man in the portraits through his own channels and immediately contacted government officials. The news quickly spread from there.
---
"Rustle..."
Rowen absentmindedly flipped the pages, only to realize this was the final one.
He raised his head, startled, and looked at Kalifa, who was standing by for orders.
"That's it?!"
"You don't know what he was looking for in the forest, what's missing from the mayor's house, whether there were any other eyewitnesses, or who the descendants of Alchemy's refugees are?!"
"Bang!"
Rowen slammed the table and glared furiously.
"Are you intentionally keeping information from me?!"
Kalifa flinched at the outburst and dropped to one knee in fright.
As a CP0 member, she technically had the authority to ignore Rowen's questioning as a Marine Admiral.
But as a 'person,' she couldn't withstand the wrath of the Soryu (Azure Dragon).
"Our deepest apologies!"
Kalifa hastily explained, "This is truly all the information we could gather, Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon)! Chief knew the Gorosei (Five Elder Stars) would not be satisfied with this report, which is why he left the island to investigate the surrounding seas in hopes of finding more leads."
In truth, piecing together Orrick's movements on the island alone had already drained most of CP0's resources.
After all, their opponent was ''that'' Orrick.
The same Orrick who once stood before the Gorosei (Five Elder Stars) and declared for the world to hear, "The wheel of fate turns, and this year, it's my family's turn!"
With immense power, noble lineage, far-reaching vision, ambitious aspirations, and daring courage, such a figure would be a nightmare opponent for any ruling authority in any era.
It was likely that Orrick simply didn't consider CP0 or the government's pursuit to be worth his attention, which is why he left without razing the town.
Otherwise…
Rowen silently stared at Kalifa. The intangible pressure of his Haoshoku Haki and the thunderous Azure Dragon pattern radiated an aura both divine and demonic, suffocating everyone nearby.
Dark clouds loomed in the sky above, oppressive and foreboding.
Kalifa trembled violently, her lips turning pale at a visibly rapid pace.
Seeing this, Rowen withdrew his aura and waved dismissively. "Leave. I believe you wouldn't lie to me."
"Thank you!"
Kalifa exhaled deeply, her chest heaving visibly in relief. Without regard for the cold sweat soaking her clothes or the bra strap now exposed on her shoulder, she quickly turned and ran out of the room.
''Thud!''
As the sound of the door closing echoed, Rowen took a slow drag from his cigar, his eyes fixed on the final section of the report.
> "...An hour after the report was submitted, the entire population of Colkla Island fell into a deep sleep and awoke precisely 48 hours later."
> "However, they had lost all memory of this period (unconfirmed). Apart from displaying reactive behavior towards CP0-style uniforms (especially masks), they showed no awareness of missing two days and even accused us of lying."
> "Since no significant incidents occurred during those two days, we have no way to prove that the time elapsed."
> "They are, essentially, humans living two days in the past."
Closing the file, Rowen smirked. "How mysterious."
Whether it was an advanced hypnotic technique or an unknown Devil Fruit ability, one fact remained indisputable— two days had indeed passed.
What the villagers believed was irrelevant. In the world of 'One Piece,' democracy had no place; strength was the only law. What difference could the perspective of a group of weaklings, easily wiped out with a single motion, make?
Had they not potentially held clues to Orrick's whereabouts, CP0 would have likely subjected them to inhumane experiments to uncover the truth.
Reflecting on it, Orrick's move almost seemed like an intentional red herring.
---
''Knock, Knock, Knock!''
Just then, a knock at the door broke Rowen's train of thought.
It was Vice Admiral Onigumo, one of the officers accompanying the Buster Call mission. Since Akainu's rise, officers of the War Faction, such as Onigumo, have gained significant influence.
Among the Vice Admirals on this mission, only Momonga stood out for his seasoned experience, while the remaining four, including Onigumo and Doberman, were sharp "fangs" of the War Faction.
"Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), we've captured a young girl at the port. According to the locals, she isn't a resident of the island. I suspect—"
"Don't jump to conclusions just yet, Vice Admiral Onigumo."
Rowen cut him off with a heavy tone, extinguishing his cigar in the ashtray.
"Bring her to me."
"Yes, sir!"
The most reliable trait of War Faction officers, perhaps, was their strict adherence to orders. Regardless of their personal thoughts, they executed commands with absolute precision.
---
"Let me go! Let me go! Is bullying a little girl fun for you adults?"
"Silence!"
''Clang!''
Onigumo harshly tossed the girl to the ground, his thumb flicking the hilt of his blade, revealing its sharp edge.
The girl immediately fell silent. Her time spent wandering had taught her one thing: reasoning with Marines was a futile effort.
While pirates killed for gain or malice, Marines killed strictly by command.
Seeing her quiet down, Onigumo sheathed his blade and saluted. "Admiral, the target has been brought."
"Good. Thank you for your efforts."
Rowen nodded, his gaze falling on the girl before him. She wore a deep purple dress, her long, fluffy golden hair cascading down her back.
"It seems... something rather extraordinary has occurred."
With the girl nervously staring back, Rowen spoke in a measured tone:
"Your name, gender, and… age."
'(End of Chapter)'
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