"Where are the others?" Meiser asked.
"Our people have already gone to pick them up."
Hearing Loll's words, Meiser nodded. "Alright, got it."
At least they were smart enough to gather everyone first.
This way, if anything unexpected happened, they could act together.
"Meiser, you said earlier you had a solution, right?" Nami asked. "What's your plan?"
"Hmm?"
Loll turned to look at Meiser in surprise. Did he have some special intelligence channels in Sabaody Archipelago?
If so...
Why did Young Master Black Leg still need to seek them out?
"I do have a way."
"Nami, do you have a Den Den Mushi with you?"
"Of course." Nami pulled one out from her bosom and handed it to Meiser. "Here you go."
"I just bought this at the shopping street."
Although they had a shared Den Den Mushi on the ship, one was ultimately too few.
So when she saw a Den Den Mushi vendor, she bought one.
"You... where did you even pull that from...?" Meiser's lips twitched.
Why did these guys all seem to have dimensional pockets?
Kalifa was like this earlier, and now Nami too... For a moment, Meiser didn't know what to say.
"Stop wasting time, just do what you need to do!" Nami snapped impatiently.
Was this really the time to worry about such things?!
"Fine."
Meiser stopped wasting words, taking the Den Den Mushi and placing it in front of him. Then he pulled out the White Transponder Snail from his pocket and set it beside the regular Den Den Mushi.
"A white... Den Den Mushi?" Nami stared curiously at the snail below. "I've never seen one this color before."
Hearing this, Loll also turned back in surprise—he'd never seen such a Den Den Mushi either.
"Is there something special about this one?"
"It prevents wiretapping."
Loll: ???
Den Den Mushi... can be wiretapped?
This was the first time he'd heard of such a thing.
"The Navy has Black Transponder Snails used for eavesdropping," Meiser explained. "This White Transponder Snail counters that."
As he spoke, Meiser began dialing Shakky's number on the Den Den Mushi.
"This thing must be crazy expensive..." Loll gulped.
"Yeah, just a few hundred million Berries or so."
"!"
The moment Meiser said this, Nami's eyes instantly changed.
It was as if what lay before Meiser wasn't a snail—but hundreds of millions of Berries!!
"Meiser..."
"You can't sell this, you money-grubber!" Meiser said irritably. "This isn't something you can even buy with money."
"There are only a handful in the entire world."
Yet Meiser's words didn't calm Nami down—if anything, she grew even more excited.
"If we could breed more of these..."
Meiser: ???
"You really never stop thinking about money," Meiser muttered. Shaking his head, he continued, "Anyway, we can discuss this back on the ship. No time for it now."
The priority was finding Merry and the others.
Nami nodded and didn't say anything more.
Just as Meiser had said, whatever she wanted to do... would have to wait until they returned to the ship!
"Puru puru puru~"
"Puru puru puru~"
"Puru puru puru~"
"Hmm?"
"Why hasn't it been picked up for so long?" Meiser frowned.
Could it be that Shakky was too busy to answer the Den Den Mushi right now?
Seeing Meiser's frown, Nami's heart skipped a beat.
"Can't get through?"
"Not sure—"
Click
Before Meiser could finish speaking, the call connected.
"Hello?"
Thud
"Ahhh!!"
Along with Shakky's voice came a man's scream.
Clearly, someone was getting beaten up by Shakky.
Nami: ???
What was going on? Why was there a man screaming?
It sounded... like he was getting beaten pretty badly.
"Shakky, it's me, Meiser," Meiser said. "More troublemakers bothering you?"
Hearing the screams, Meiser recalled the first time he'd met Shakky—she'd been beating someone up then too.
Gotta say, she really didn't hold back.
"Oh, little Meiser~" Shakky's face broke into a smile. "Yeah, a couple of unruly brats came looking for trouble."
"Hold on a sec, let me toss these two out first."
After saying that, Shakky set down the Den Den Mushi receiver, grabbed the two men on the ground, dragged them outside, and casually threw them off the building.
After washing her hands, she picked up the Den Den Mushi again. "I was just thinking about how to contact you, and here you are calling me."
After investigating the Charlotte Family's purpose for coming to Sabaody Archipelago, she'd immediately tried to reach Rayleigh.
After all, Meiser was with Rayleigh, and with the White Transponder Snail, eavesdropping wasn't a concern.
But... Rayleigh said they weren't together, which left Shakky quite frustrated.
"You needed me for something, Shakky?"
Meiser was surprised. What was this about?
"Yeah, I found out why those guys are here," Shakky said. "They're definitely looking for you."
"You know what I mean, right?"
Since those guys were on the island searching for the Straw Hat Pirates, their target had to be Meiser.
"Yeah, I get it."
Meiser understood perfectly—those guys were naturally Katakuri and his crew.
He hadn't expected Shakky to go out of her way to investigate... Feeling grateful, he said, "Thanks, Shakky."
From this, it was clear Shakky truly considered him a friend. He wouldn't forget this kindness.
"Don't mention it," Shakky laughed. "Just... be careful, kid."
"They're not easy to deal with."
After all... the Charlotte Family was one of the Four Emperors Crews in the New World. Getting on their bad side could lead to irreversible consequences.
She wasn't particularly afraid of them, but for the Straw Hat Pirates, such opponents were still too much too soon.
So... avoiding conflict was best.
"I've already run into them."
"You have?"
Shakky was momentarily stunned before responding helplessly, "Seems my intel came too late... So Meiser has already made contact with the Charlotte Family... I just wonder what exactly happened between them. I hope they didn't fight."
A trace of concern flashed in her eyes as she considered this.
"No, I'm still very grateful for your help, Shakky," Meiser added quickly, perhaps sensing her worry. "Don't worry, there was no conflict between us."
Shakky's eyes showed puzzlement upon hearing this—no conflict at all? Could it be that Meiser agreed to become Charlotte Linlin's son-in-law?
But that didn't seem right either. This kid didn't strike her as someone who would betray the Straw Hat Pirates. She had full confidence in her judgment.
"Could it be... that the Four Emperors have become more reasonable?"
This thought only lasted an instant before Shakky dismissed it. Since when did the Four Emperors Crew become reasonable? That would only happen if the sun rose from the west! Charlotte Linlin was notoriously unreasonable—those who declined her tea party invitations would be killed, let alone those refusing marriage proposals.
Then... what exactly happened?
"Shakky, explaining this would take too long. Let's talk about it later," Meiser said. "Right now, I need your help with something else."
"Go ahead," Shakky chuckled, lighting a cigarette. "Since little Meiser is asking for my help, of course I'll assist you."
If Meiser was reaching out, she naturally wouldn't refuse.
"Camie and Merry were kidnapped by human traffickers."
Snap—
The cigarette in Shakky's hand broke in half. Her expression darkened. "Kidnapped by human traffickers?"
"Yes."
Shakky fell silent for a moment before rubbing her temples in frustration.
This must be related to Monkey and his crew. Thinking about it, amusement parks were prime hunting grounds for human traffickers.
"Shakky, can you track their location?"
"Give me your Den Den Mushi number. I'll contact you in five minutes," Shakky said.
"Got it."
Without wasting words, Meiser relayed the number from his new Den Den Mushi before Shakky hung up.
"Human traffickers... truly despicable," Shakky muttered grimly.
Even as she spoke, her hands moved swiftly, dialing another Den Den Mushi number.
Purupurupuru~
Purupurupuru~
Purupurupuru~
Click—
A man's low voice answered, "Your orders?" Clearly, he knew exactly who was calling.
"A young Merfolk woman and a little girl were taken by human traffickers. Find their location as fast as possible," Shakky commanded. "You have five... no, four and a half minutes."
"Understood!"
Without hesitation, the man hung up and rushed off. After all... four and a half minutes was cutting it close.
Watching the Den Den Mushi begin eating, Shakky murmured, "I hope they haven't been put up for auction yet... Otherwise, they might run into Celestial Dragons."
After all... merfolk are an extremely sought-after species on land!
Thinking of this, Shakky silently sighed.
"What should we do now?"
Seeing Meiser hang up the phone, Nami asked, "Should we wait?"
"Of course not." Meiser shook his head, then turned to Loll and said, "Hey, you from the Flying Fish Riders—you used to be in this business too. You should understand the twists and turns of this trade."
"Have your people started searching?"
Shakky's side was one lead, and the Flying Fish Riders were another.
"We only ever captured pirates..." Loll replied. "Also, we've changed our name."
The Flying Fish Riders... that was their old name. They were now the Rosy Life Riders!
"Does that matter?" Meiser snapped impatiently. "Get to the point!"
Seeing Meiser wasn't in the mood for small talk, Loll nodded. "Yeah, we've already started looking."
"While gathering you all together, we've also been asking around with other kidnapping groups for information."
Of course, they weren't moving that fast.
Just who did that guy contact earlier...? Loll wondered to himself.
For something happening in the Sabaody Archipelago, they only needed five minutes?
That... that kind of intel network is terrifying.
Then again, this ninja has a bounty of 400 million Berries—knowing someone like that makes sense.
"Alright, got it."
Just then, two more Flying Fish Motorbikes approached from the distance.
"Hey~"
"Meiser!"
"Nami!"
"Huh?"
Hearing the voices, Meiser turned and immediately spotted two familiar figures.
"Chopper! Hachi!"
"Whoosh~"
Soon, the three Flying Fish Motorbikes gathered together, flying side by side in the sky.
"Meiser..." Chopper sobbed. "Merry and the others are gone..."
Hachi also wore a pained expression, clearly drowning in guilt.
"If only I hadn't been so careless..."
"I already know what happened," Meiser said calmly. "Don't panic. We'll get them back."
Seeing how distraught the two were, Meiser couldn't bring himself to scold them.
"Hey, Hachi!"
Meiser glanced at Hachi sitting on the bike. "Didn't it occur to you to go to Shakky?"
"Did you forget what she does?"
"Huh?!"
Hachi froze, then his face paled.
"Sorry, I... I didn't think of it..."
He had been too frantic at the time, his mind a mess, and it never crossed his mind to seek out Shakky.
Now that he thought about it, contacting Shakky first might have solved the problem right away.
After all... she's an incredibly skilled information broker!
"Whatever. I've already contacted Shakky. Now we wait."
"Thank you, Meiser..."
"Save the thanks for after we find them," Meiser said.
Nami watched Meiser curiously. She really wanted to know who this "Shakky" was, but given the urgency of the situation, she held back her questions.
"Attention all units, I've made contact with the Blood-Eyed Ninja," Loll announced into his mic. "What's your status?"
"Currently, no trace of the Pirate Hunter Zoro has been found."
Meiser: "..."
Meiser wore an indescribable expression. Where the hell had that guy run off to?
Wasn't he supposed to return to the ship? Could he have gotten lost on the way?
Or... maybe... that idiot never even remembered where our ship was docked in the first place!
"Keep searching!"
"Understood!"
Loll nodded, then asked, "Any news about the Merfolk lady and Miss Merry?"
"Nothing," replied the bearded man with a headache. "We've questioned several kidnapping syndicates, but none had any information."
"Could they be deliberately hiding it from you?" Nami suddenly interjected.
"That's impossible," the bearded man explained. "Although we only target pirates, we're all in the same business. There's no reason for secrecy between us."
"If they'd captured a Merfolk, they'd be boasting about it proudly."
Since no one would inquire about the exact capture location, they'd have no reason to hide it and would openly share the information.
"I see..."
"Continue the search," Loll said. "There are only about a dozen human trafficking groups in Sabaody Archipelago. We can find them through process of elimination."
"Understood!"
"Is there a chance of new traffickers emerging?" Nami asked.
"No," Loll shook his head. "Everyone has territorial awareness here. Anyone wanting a piece of the pie would have to fight for it first."
"We only established ourselves here after defeating many competitors."
Though Sabaody Archipelago wasn't small, who would willingly let others steal their share?
If not for their formidable strength, they would have been sold off long ago.
"That's good," Nami sighed in relief. With limited numbers, the search would be easier.
"I hope Camie and the others haven't been sent to auction yet," Hachi said gloomily.
"Why do you say that?"
"I understand his concern," Loll explained. "High-value merchandise like Merfolk... easily attracts Celestial Dragons."
"Celest—"
Chopper's mouth fell open. They might draw the attention of the World Nobles?
At that moment, Chopper recalled what he'd witnessed on the streets earlier, his expression darkening.
Those terrifying World Nobles... they wouldn't care about anyone else's lives!
If Camie and Merry fell into their hands, it would truly be a fate worse than death.
"Celestial Dragons..."
Meiser frowned. Would those arrogant bastards really attend auctions?
If they showed up, could the event even proceed normally?
Forcing everyone to kneel in service?
"Meiser, what should we do?"
"Wait for Shakky's information first," Meiser replied.
Hearing this, Nami sighed. For now... they could only wait.
Soon, five minutes passed, and Shakky contacted Meiser right on schedule.
Seeing the Den Den Mushi ring again, Nami's eyes lit up with hope.
"Quick, Meiser! The Den Den Mushi!"
Meiser sighed—as if he couldn't see that himself.
Answering the call, Meiser asked, "Shakky, any leads?"
"I've found their location," Shakky said. "They're at the human auction house on Grove 1."
Her informants worked incredibly fast—it took them just over four minutes to locate where the merfolk were being sold, which pleased Shakky greatly.
"That's great!" Hachi exclaimed with delight. "As expected of Shakky-nee!"
To think they'd found Camie and Merry's location so quickly... Truly befitting an information broker!!
"Is Hachi there too?"
"Yeah, we just regrouped," Meiser replied. "Thanks, Shakky-nee. We'll go rescue them now."
Now that they'd confirmed the location, things were straightforward. All that remained was to go and get them out.
"Meiser, you should brace yourself."
Hearing Shakky's words, Meiser paused, his hand freezing mid-motion as he was about to hang up the Den Den Mushi.
What did she mean... by bracing himself?
Had Merry and the others already been sold?
At that thought, Meiser's expression darkened. "Shakky-nee, have Merry and the others already been bought by someone?"
"No, at least not when I received the intel," Shakky said gravely. "It's something else."
"Tell me!"
"There's a Celestial Dragon at Grove 1's auction."
The moment those words were spoken, the air grew heavy with silence.
"A... Celestial Dragon..."
Hachi's face instantly paled—he knew all too well what that meant.
Even Chopper's eyes flickered with fear.
"The kind... who can summon a Marine Admiral?"
Were they really about to face such a terrifying existence?
Meiser fell silent for a moment before replying, "Got it. Thanks, Shakky-nee."
"Don't mention it. Contact me if you need anything else."
"Right."
As the Den Den Mushi disconnected, Meiser tucked it into his coat, his expression grim and unreadable.
'Looks like... we'll need to be prepared.'