Chapter 122: Reunion with Hawkeye

Watching the retreating figure of Hawkeye, Momousagi's expression continuously shifted.

Several times, her hand had already rested on the famous sword Konpira at her waist.

But in the end, Momousagi still did not make a move. Instead, her face darkened as she gathered the Marines and left the street.

'Her decision not to act was not solely based on considerations of their respective strengths.'

'In this era, the Shichibukai system had just been established. Apart from mandatory summons for major events, the Shichibukai were essentially free from any constraints.'

'Without sufficient justification, even if Fleet Admiral Kong were present, he could not easily take action against a Shichibukai. Such an act would directly shake the foundation of the newly established Shichibukai system, causing it to collapse.'

After Momousagi and the Marines left.

On the street, wisps of sand seemed to come to life, moving without wind, and eventually gathered together to form a human figure.

This was a man with a slicked-back hairstyle, a long horizontal scar across his face, and a golden hook for his left hand, his expression sinister.

Sir Crocodile, with a cigar in his mouth, was gazing in the direction where Momousagi and Hawkeye had departed.

'"Another Marine officer who doesn't understand the significance of the Shichibukai title..."'

'"If the Shichibukai were that simple, why would I go through so much trouble to obtain the title..."'

A mocking smile appeared on Crocodile's lips.

In this era, the Three Great Powers—the Four Emperors, the Marines, and the Shichibukai—stood in a tripartite balance.

Among them, the Shichibukai might seem like the weakest of the three, but they were by no means insignificant.

Crocodile shifted his gaze toward the direction of Loguetown's port.

From this vantage point, he could see the bustling streets of the port area, filled with arrogant pirates.

Further out in the nearby waters, pirate ships flying the Jolly Roger were constantly arriving.

As the last town before the entrance to the Grand Line, Loguetown was never short of pirates.

'"A bunch of rookies."'

Crocodile commented.

Every year, countless pirates from the four seas entered the Grand Line.

The best among these pirates were known as the Supernovas of that year. They braved the dangers of the first half of the Grand Line, full of ambition as they headed to the New World.

But what awaited them was a true nightmare.

Every year, the Supernovas were either captured by the Marines, had their heads smashed by the Four Emperors, and then either willingly or forcibly joined a Yonko's crew, or died.

The remaining pirates could only struggle to survive in the narrow gaps between the forces of the Marines and the Four Emperors.

The Shichibukai system offered pirates a different possibility. They didn't have to face the Four Emperors or be enemies of the Marines, providing a way to co-opt some of the powerful pirates that the World Government found difficult to control.

Crocodile's body once again turned into a pile of sand, disappearing in the direction of the town's depths, where Hawkeye and Momousagi had gone.

'"Hawkeye, and a Marine Vice Admiral, both appearing in Loguetown in the East Blue... Is this a coincidence, or is there something important happening that I don't know about?"'

'"How interesting..."'

........

Meanwhile.

Sig and his group had just emerged from the old district of Loguetown.

He had finished gathering information and now had a sufficient understanding of Loguetown and the man known as Roger.

It had been 14 years since Roger's death.

In those 14 years, no one had found the legendary One Piece. Instead, the Four Emperors had firmly established themselves in the New World, essentially crushing the dreams of pirates hoping to reach Laugh Tale.

After so much time, more and more people had begun to doubt the existence of One Piece, even in Roger's hometown.

With all preparations complete, Sig and his group arrived at the final destination, the most famous landmark in Loguetown.

The execution platform in Loguetown's central square, where Roger had been executed.

Sig raised his eyes to look at the execution platform in the square, then glanced at the bustling crowd, sighing with emotion:

"Roger's execution platform... It's not much different from what I remember."

"It's just that Loguetown is far more prosperous than I imagined."

'The impression Sig referred to was naturally from his memories of the manga and anime in his previous life.'

At this moment, Loguetown's square was indeed crowded with people, as if Roger's execution platform had become some kind of cultural landmark.

However, these words stirred something in Stussy's mind.

'"Sig has an impression of Roger's execution platform, but he seems unfamiliar with Loguetown itself."'

Stussy had already found Sig's earlier actions in the old district quite surprising.

For the past few hours, Sig had acted like an ordinary tourist, wandering through the old district, chatting with residents, and asking about the history of Loguetown and Roger's past deeds.

With her meticulous mind, she quickly pieced together the truth based on Sig's actions in the old district:

'"Sig has some impression of Loguetown, but it differs significantly from the current state of the town."'

'"This suggests... he must have been to Loguetown before, but his last visit was likely many years ago, which is why he's amazed by the town's prosperity now."'

Stussy wasn't surprised by this deduction.

A figure like Sig had likely already entered the Grand Line, so it wasn't strange for him to have visited Loguetown many years ago.

However, what struck her as odd was Sig's excessive interest in Roger's story and the history of Loguetown.

'"Perhaps his connection to Loguetown and Roger is deeper than I imagined..."'

While Stussy was analyzing this in her mind, a bald man squeezed through the crowd.

"Boss, the supplies have been purchased. We can set sail for the Grand Line at any time."

The bald man whispered in a low voice.

Sig nodded calmly.

"Good, no rush."

His attention was focused on the execution platform in the square.

"The execution platform is quite high. The view from up there must be pretty wide..."

Sig casually remarked.

The bald man's eyes lit up.

"Boss, do you want to go up on the execution platform?"

Sig shot him a glare and flicked his forehead, though he chuckled inwardly.

'What a joke. Who in their right mind would voluntarily stand on an execution platform? Only an idiot like Luffy would do that. Do they think the Marines aren't brave enough?'

Shaking his head secretly, Sig glanced at the subordinates behind him and waved his hand.

"We've seen Roger's execution platform, and the supplies are ready."

"It's time for us to head to the Grand Line."

Sig turned around with a relaxed smile.

But at that very moment, he felt a familiar, sharp pain across his skin, as if being cut by blades.

Sig shuddered.

Amid the bustling crowd, he caught sight of a pair of sharp, golden eyes, piercing like a hawk's.