One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral

The night sea resembled spilled ink—an expanse of darkness everywhere.

The sound of colliding waves only added to the oppressive, stifling atmosphere.

Jake disliked the ocean at night.

It was too dark, too vast—so vast that it made one feel suffocated just being near it.

As Holy Light circulated through him, a soft glow emanated from his body, slightly illuminating the black waters.

The warmth and steady breathing against his back eased some of the unease he felt towards the sea ahead.

"Jake, the seventeenth ice platform is five meters to your right. Can you make it?"

"Don't worry, it's easy."

With a slight push from his feet, even while carrying Monet, Jake leaped over effortlessly.

The ice platform dipped a few centimeters under their combined weight but held firm, showing no signs of cracking.

Though Monet had been training hard during this time, her Doriki was likely still below 80.

While her progress was impressive, in situations like this, it was far more efficient for Jake to carry her.

Under the cover of night, the two made their way from the train tracks all the way to Gourmet Town.

Even before setting foot on the island, when they were still about two hundred meters away, Jake and Monet could already catch the scent of freshly baked cake.

The aroma wasn't overpowering, but once it filled their lungs, it was impossible not to linger on it.

The fragrance carried notes of wheat, fruit, flowers, and fresh grass—everything Jake recognized and even things he didn't, all blended into that single, intoxicating wave.

If given the chance later, he'd definitely bring Monet here for a proper meal or two.

But now wasn't the time.

As they stepped onto the shore, the sand felt slightly loose underfoot.

Jake took off his shoes and with Monet still on his back, leaped into the dense forest in a few bounds.

He removed his shoes to avoid leaving sandy footprints—though it might go unnoticed, it was better to minimize traces.

Once Monet slid off his back, her face was slightly flushed, though the darkness masked it well.

"Jake, where do we go next?"

In response, Jake pulled out a slightly yellowed piece of paper from his pocket and said,

"Before coming, I got a map of Gourmet Town from Old William. Even though we've never been here, it's a famous tourist spot—basic maps are everywhere."

"Tourist town?"

"Hmm, Pucci main source of income is tourism revenue. Although they have abundant delicacies, their grain production is quite limited.

Water Seven and many nearby islands are severely affected by typhoons. Due to grain production constraints, they choose to use as little grain as possible to create more delicious food to attract tourists, thereby generating economic benefits."

"After earning money, they use it to purchase cheaper grain to sustain residents' livelihoods while continuing to make delicacies with the remaining grain to attract tourists.

But even so, if Gourmet Town encounters a typhoon disaster year, they'll lose all the savings from previous years. At best, they can barely survive."

Listening to Jake's explanation, Monet nodded, recalling that her hometown seemed to be in a similar situation.

She couldn't help but sigh.

"Jake, I've never thought about these things before. Why do you know so much? Or rather, your way of thinking seems quite different from mine."

"It's just that our thought processes differ. There's nothing particularly praiseworthy about it. By the way Monet, do you see that small hill over there?"

While answering Monet's question, Jake pointed toward a highland not far away.

"I see it. Is there something noteworthy there?"

"According to the map, all of Gourmet Town's grain storage and production facilities are located on that highland because it's the only place unaffected by typhoons from the sea. The locals call it 'Hope Highland,' and that's our target this time."

"If the Donquixote Family bastards plan to cause trouble for us, their best bet would be to exploit the conflict between Gourmet Town and the Big Mom Pirates to force us Marines to intervene. The easiest way to create conflict would be to destroy Gourmet Town's food supply."

Monet nodded at Jake's words but then looked puzzled.

"But even if the grain is destroyed, couldn't they just buy more food from nearby towns?"

Jake shook his head and sighed.

"If it were that simple, things wouldn't be so complicated. Gourmet Town's most famous dessert is called 'Black Truffle Cake.' The black truffles in it have to be shipped from islands in the West Blue.

It's May now, nearing typhoon season—few ships from there are willing to come here. Usually, they order a year's worth of stock in winter. Ordering now would be nearly impossible, both time-wise and logistically."

"The Big Mom Pirates are probably after that cake too. If it can't be made, bloodshed is almost certain. So, our priorities are: first, to place surveillance Den Den Mushi to capture any potential criminal evidence, and second, to temporarily take some black truffles as a contingency measure."

Listening to Jake's analysis, Monet couldn't help but develop a sense of admiration and dependence towards him.

Recalling the solid warmth she felt when pressed against Jake's back earlier, a blush quickly spread across her cheeks.

"Jake, sometimes you're really amazing. The things you think of never even occur to someone with a dumb brain like mine."

Caught off guard by Monet's sudden remark, Jake was momentarily stunned before smiling at her.

"It's just that you haven't encountered similar situations much. You're actually smarter than me. Anyway, let's head over early. The sooner we go, the more at ease I'll feel."

"Mhm, I'll follow your lead."

Their figures moved through the dense forest, though not particularly fast, as Jake advanced slowly while maintaining his Observation Haki to scout ahead.

He avoided any areas his Observation couldn't perceive.

Though this approach might seem overly cautious, Jake believed that in the real world where life only comes once, no amount of prudence was excessive.