The clear water lapped against the rocks along the coast as several boats docked on the shore of Yerug Island. Larson and the others jumped off one after another.
After several days of journeying, they finally arrived at the heart of Yerug Island.
"It seems we're still a step behind," Rayleigh said, glancing at the pirate ships docked nearby. Further in the distance, the shadows of more ships were visible, indicating many had arrived ahead of them and already landed.
"Sometimes, it's not about who comes first when it comes to treasure," Larson remarked, his eyes fixed on the island's depths. "It's about ability."
Rayleigh nodded. "You're right, but I think some of these people aren't lacking in ability."
"Hmm?"
Rayleigh pointed out a naval warship docked nearby. "The Navy's here too."
The warship was significantly larger and more powerful than the standard ones, indicating it carried a high-ranking officer, at least a rear admiral.
Larson smiled knowingly. He hadn't told the others the Navy would show up. The call he had received before was clearly a test to gauge his response. In truth, the Navy never intended to leave the fate of Yerug Island in the hands of pirates like Larson. They had been planning to intervene all along.
Whitebeard glanced at the naval ship indifferently, then looked away. "Whatever they're here for, if they get in our way, we'll just kill them."
Roger grinned, staring into the island's depths. "Maybe we'll even run into some old friends."
Just as the group was about to head inland, a hesitant voice interrupted them. "Um, excuse me... can we leave now?"
They turned to see Roberta and Jim standing near the boats. The two had been so quiet the entire journey that everyone had forgotten about them.
Seeing them now, Larson recalled that they still hadn't dealt with the pair. It could be said that Larson and his group made it to the island so quickly thanks to Roberta and Jim. Without their guidance, they might have taken many wrong turns.
No one had any intention of making things difficult for them. They had been helpful throughout the journey, and even in challenging situations, Larson and the others weren't cruel enough to treat them badly.
Larson considered it briefly. "You can leave, but I'd advise you to stick with us."
His suggestion was sincere. Yerug Island had become a dangerous place filled with both pirates and Navy forces. If Roberta and Jim wandered around on their own, they might not survive for long. They were too weak to defend themselves if anyone targeted them.
However, Roberta unexpectedly declined. "No, we don't need to."
Rayleigh gave Larson a sharp look. "Forget it, Larson. Some people just want to die, and you can't stop them."
Everyone understood what fate awaited Roberta and Jim if they left on their own. Still, it was their decision.
Larson said nothing further. It wasn't in his nature to force anyone, even if it meant watching them walk toward certain danger.
"It's not like that," Roberta stammered, glancing nervously at Jim. "We just want to leave."
Roberta and Jim weren't foolish. After seeing how powerful Larson and the others were, they realized how outmatched they were. With so many other strong pirates on the island, they had no chance of competing for whatever treasures were here. At this point, all they wanted was to survive and go home.
In truth, if not for Larson leading the way, they would have left long ago. Now that they'd reached their destination, they could finally express their desire to leave.
"If you want to go, that's fine," Larson said, suddenly thinking of something. "But do you even have a boat?"
Their original boat had been left behind on the island where Kaido was found. They'd traveled here on Larson's ship. And now that Larson and his crew had more to do, they couldn't give up their ship.
This left Roberta and Jim with the problem of wanting to leave but having no way to do so.
"There's a boat! There's a boat!" a voice piped up from nearby.
It was Xiao Dao, the captain of the Thiessen. He came running over, raising his hands enthusiastically. Judging by his excitement, it seemed like he was offering his boat to Roberta.
Rayleigh chuckled. "You're giving them your ship? What will you do after that?"
Xiaodao rubbed his hands and smiled sheepishly. "Well, we don't want to get involved, so I decided to leave with them."
He had made the same decision as Roberta after witnessing the might of the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates. Any desire to press further into the island had evaporated. His courage had drained the moment he saw who was here.
No one objected or even acknowledged his decision. To Larson and the others, Xiaodao and Roberta were insignificant, barely worth noticing. They had no bearing on the larger events unfolding.
Thiessen, however, stood off to the side, keeping his head down and not daring to speak. Unlike Xiaodao, he had been assigned to guide Larson and his crew deeper into the island. Watching his partner leave, he could only silently endure the separation, knowing he had no choice but to stay behind.
Once Xiaodao and the others left, Larson and his group resumed their journey into the island.
"Let's go. Time to see what's really here," Larson said, motioning for the group to move forward.
As they ventured deeper into the island, Larson kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings. But the further they went, the more concerned he became. His brow furrowed as his sharp gaze swept across the landscape.
Before they arrived on Yerug Island, there had been numerous strange occurrences reported at sea—enhanced Sea Kings, mysterious shells, and all sorts of bizarre phenomena. The island was rumored to be at the heart of it all.
Yet now that they were here, none of those things were visible. No enhanced Sea Kings, no mysterious shells. Not even the slightest hint of the abnormalities that had caused so much commotion in the surrounding waters.
"This doesn't make sense," Larson muttered to himself. If Yerug Island was truly responsible for altering the Sea Kings and causing all the disturbances, there should be clear signs of something out of the ordinary. But so far, the island seemed utterly normal—almost too normal.
In fact, the island appeared so mundane it bordered on suspicious. There wasn't even the shadow of a Sea King or any mysterious force at play. It was as if Yerug Island was just an ordinary patch of land, with nothing remarkable about it at all.
And that felt completely wrong.