When Badak told Capone Bege that he needed the Capone Family's influence to locate the West Sea's renowned figure—Gekko Moria—Bege's face twisted in disbelief.
That's it? For something this trivial, our family was nearly wiped out? You could've just spent some money! It wouldn't have cost much! If I'd died over this, I wouldn't have been able to rest in peace!
But with his back against the wall, what else could Capone Bege do? Of course, he had no choice but to agree.
With Bege's promise secured, Badak swiftly departed on his Somersault Cloud with his companions. They had already exchanged Den Den Mushi numbers, and lingering would only make the Capone Family uneasy.
Watching Badak and his group fly farther away, Vito asked respectfully, "Godfather, are we really going to help them find Gekko Moria?"
"Of course. Not only will we help them, but we'll do so wholeheartedly. We must locate Gekko Moria as quickly as possible."
Capone Bege had already regained his composure. Though wrapped in bandages, his commanding presence quickly calmed his restless subordinates. "Gekko Moria is incredibly powerful. Even if he suffered a setback in the New World, he's not someone to be trifled with. Let them tear each other apart. Also, have our men investigate underground—what kind of power did Badak use to knock out so many people at once? Hmph, this world is truly fascinating. To think such power exists."
"Understood, Godfather. I'll arrange it immediately."
Vito hurried off, while Capone Bege puffed on his cigar, still staring in the direction Badak had left. Though he didn't say it aloud, this humiliation was unprecedented—he had never been beaten so badly that he had to surrender to avoid further punishment.
Just wait. Once I gather all the intel and formulate a detailed plan, this won't be the end of it.
Aboard the White Dragon Horse, Badak and the others had already returned.
"Badak, are you sure this is fine? Capone Bege won't just let this go, will he?" Robin asked with concern.
"It's fine. Capone Bege definitely won't let this slide, but he's the type to plan carefully before acting. As long as he lacks confidence, he won't make a move. As long as we stay stronger than him, he'll never get the chance."
Badak had already considered this, so he wasn't worried. Turning to Daz Bones, he asked, "Bonis, how's your mastery of Iron Cutting? Next up is Awakened Haki."
"Boss, I've fully grasped the Iron Cutting state. I can easily enter the rhythm of sensing all things' breaths. I believe I'll awaken Haki soon." Daz Bones had been refining his newfound power after the battle and was now brimming with confidence."Captain, I want to awaken Haki too!"
As a man determined to become the commander of the Tontatta warriors, Leo naturally desired greater strength, and Haki was the most powerful force he had recently encountered.
"Hahaha, good! But don't rush. We're all still young—the future of the sea belongs to us."
Standing at the ship's bow, Badak gazed into the distance, eagerly anticipating clashes with those renowned figures.
With intelligence from the Capone Family, Badak quickly learned of Gekko Moria's whereabouts. He was wandering aimlessly across the West Blue, with rumors of zombie sightings frequently emerging wherever he went.
Unfortunately, Moria never stayed in one place for long. Despite multiple attempts, Badak had yet to catch up with him.
Finding a needle in a haystack was difficult, and chasing someone across the sea—even with intelligence—was no easier. This was why the Marines, despite their overwhelming power in the Four Blues and Paradise, still couldn't eradicate all pirates.
Since they hadn't found their target yet, Badak and his crew didn't return to the Kingdom of Ilusia, continuing instead to follow Moria's trail.
Night fell, the bright moon hanging high as the White Dragon Horse sailed onward.
Suddenly, Badak turned his gaze toward a ship approaching in the distance—its Jolly Roger unmistakable. Clearly, it was a pirate vessel.
Though it was a pirate ship, Badak didn't immediately prepare for battle. In this world, some who set sail called themselves pirates without actually engaging in piracy, which was baffling. Still, he summoned Robin and the others to be ready just in case.
Upon hearing the situation, Robin crossed her arms and activated her Flower-Flower Fruit ability to gather intel on the opposing ship. Perona, joining in the fun, released a few Ghosts to scout the pirate vessel.
Before long, Robin retracted her ability and said to Badak, "I think we're getting close to Moria."
"Oh? Is Moria on that pirate ship?" Badak found it hard to believe—it couldn't be that much of a coincidence, could it?
"No, no. But all the pirates on that ship are unconscious, and most importantly, they have no shadows. You mentioned Moria has the ability to strip shadows, so they must have encountered him recently and had theirs taken." Robin patiently explained.
"I see. Bring the ship alongside theirs!"
"I've noticed you really like saying that, Badak."
As the two ships drew close, Badak used his Somersault Cloud to form a bridge, allowing everyone to board the pirate vessel.
Inside the cabin, Daz Bones grabbed one of the pirates and shook him violently. Getting no response, he resorted to slapping the man repeatedly. After a few strikes, the pirate finally woke up.
The moment he regained consciousness, the pirate screamed in terror, "No! Don't cut my shadow! I won't be a pirate anymore! Ah—!"
Daz Bones had to slap him again before the man finally calmed down, though his body still trembled.
Ignoring the rest, Badak cut straight to the point. "Answer my questions, and we won't harm you. Did you see Gekko Moria? A very tall man with horns on his head."
The pirate nodded.
"Good. When did you encounter him, and where?""During the day, near Troy Island, we had just finished plundering and set sail when we ran into that demon head-on. He was terrifying—we stood no chance against him. He even stole our shadows. Waaah..."
The pirate started crying uncontrollably as he spoke.
"Troy Island is just ahead, not far from here. Badak, let's keep moving," said Robin, who had been helping navigate the ship frequently lately and was very familiar with the sea charts.
"Badak, all the treasure on the pirate ship has been stolen," Perona grumbled, having sent her Ghosts to search the entire ship without finding anything valuable.
The pirate's sobbing grew even louder.
"Let's go! Bonis, put a hole in their ship."
"Hey! You're going back on your word! Didn't you say you wouldn't attack us?" The pirate, no longer crying, roared in anger at Badak.
"If you choose to be a pirate, you should always be prepared to feed the fish. Besides, I didn't lay a hand on you—Bonis is just helping your ship get some ventilation."
With that, Badak returned to the White Dragon Horse. Daz Bones slashed out a cutting wave, carving a massive hole in the pirate ship's hull. Seawater immediately began flooding in.
The pirate scrambled toward the lifeboat, not even bothering to save his companions.
Badak shook his head, knowing this pirate wouldn't survive either. He hadn't taken any supplies, and without a shadow, he couldn't be exposed to sunlight. His lifeboat offered no shade—once the sun rose, he would turn to dust.
"Let's go. We're heading to Troy Island. Hopefully, Moria hasn't left yet."