Shiryu of the Rain borrowed a Somersault Cloud from Simon.
He packed some dry food, gave some to Smoothie, and guided him toward the waters of Totto Land. From there, Smoothie followed the life card's direction back to the New World, while Shiryu headed to West Blue with Kool the Feathered Serpent.
Meanwhile, Smoothie, Wilhelm, and the others continued their journey, steering the ark forward.
As night fell, they arrived at North Berry Island, near the end of the first half of the New World.
"Da da—"
A massive ark hovered above the coast, held up by strong winds blowing from below.
"Master Wilhelm, Mr. Smoothie, Mr. Strong, Mr. Simon..."
A young man dressed like a gentleman stepped forward. He wore a pink suit with a bow tie, eggshell-patterned trousers, and polished black shoes. Holding a cane, his long legs and unique outfit made him stand out.
Like the three Smoothie sisters, he was part of the Longleg Tribe.
"Eggy, it's you..."
The three Smoothie sisters were surprised.
They clearly recognized the long-legged man.
This was Baron Eggy, a former pirate captain.
A few years ago, in his youthful arrogance, he led his crew into Totto Land, attempting to challenge the Big Mom Pirates. However, after witnessing Big Mom's monstrous power, he wisely chose to surrender and join her crew instead.
"It's hard to believe such a huge ship can fly..." Baron Eggy gazed at the hundred-meter-long ark floating in the air, clearly impressed.
"That's all thanks to Wilhelm!" Smoothie said proudly.
She had to admit, her younger brother was incredibly talented.
From helping her develop her Rumble-Rumble Fruit powers to creating detailed training plans, he had thought of everything. All she had to do was follow his lead and put in the effort.
"As expected of Master Wilhelm..." Baron Eggy praised sincerely.
As a high-ranking member of the Big Mom Pirates, he had long heard about Wilhelm.
The 22nd son of the Charlotte Family had inherited the terrifying strength of their mother, Charlotte Linlin. With his nearly indestructible body, mixed blood from the Mink Tribe, and natural monstrous abilities, he was a force to be reckoned with.
Even at a young age, he had accomplished shocking feats, earning a bounty of one billion berries from the World Government.
Now, with the Big Mom Pirates heading for a direct clash with the Marines, Wilhelm played a key role in the chaos.
He had even managed to break into Mary Geoise, the sacred land of the World Government, single-handedly stealing a large number of Devil Fruits and several rare and legendary swords from the Celestial Dragons.
To protect their reputation and show that no one could challenge their power, the World Government had no choice but to order the Marines to launch an all-out attack on the Big Mom Pirates.
It was simply unbelievable.
"Eggy..." Wilhelm asked directly, wasting no time. "Where's the thing I asked for?"
Wilhelm had no ill feelings toward Baron Eggy.
As a pirate, Eggy had always been loyal to the Charlotte family.
Of course, from another perspective, supporting the Charlotte family was also in his best interest.
Charlotte Linlin had once sailed with the Rocks Pirates, alongside legendary figures like Whitebeard, Golden Lion Shiki, Silver Axe, Ochoku, and Captain John.
She had personally witnessed the terrifying strength of the Rocks Pirates—an unstoppable force filled with powerful monsters. However, despite their strength, the crew was a chaotic mess. Each pirate had their own ambitions, leading to constant infighting and betrayals.
With the fall of Rocks D. Xebec, the once-feared Rocks Pirates collapsed overnight. Though they had shaken the world and even challenged the World Government itself, their lack of unity led to their downfall.
Because of this, Charlotte Linlin came to a firm conclusion—family was the key to true strength.
She believed that only a pirate crew bound by blood could be truly united and unstoppable.
Even when accepting new members, she forced them into marriage alliances with the Charlotte family to strengthen their loyalty.
This was why Baron Eggy wasn't just an ordinary subordinate—he had married into the Charlotte family and was considered a son-in-law.
With his impressive skills and strength, Baron Eggy had earned the trust of the Charlotte family and was often given important tasks.
Charlotte Linlin herself saw him as reliable, and he had completed many missions for her without fail.
"Master Wilhelm, don't worry! I've already prepared everything!"
Baron Eggy respectfully presented a small piece of paper.
"This is a Vivre Card left behind by one of our Big Mom Pirates' spies inside the Beasts Pirates," he explained. "The other half of the card is in Wano. Just follow its direction, and you'll find your way there!"
Vivre Cards were well-known in the New World.
Unaffected by water or fire, they were made using a person's fingernails, allowing them to track the owner's location. Torn pieces of the same card would naturally be drawn toward each other.
If a Vivre Card started burning, it meant the owner was in danger.
If it was completely reduced to ashes, it meant the person was dead.
In the unpredictable seas of the New World—where violent weather, chaotic magnetic fields, and unreliable Log Poses made navigation difficult—Vivre Cards were essential for tracking people or finding safe routes.
"Good," Wilhelm said, nodding in satisfaction as he took the Vivre Card.
He wasn't surprised that the Charlotte family had spies inside the Beasts Pirates.
Right now, Kaido's crew was expanding aggressively. If the Charlotte family couldn't even infiltrate them, then how could they maintain their reputation as the best in the business?
Of course, there were still two major intelligence forces that couldn't be ignored—Cipher Pol, the World Government's secret agency, and the Revolutionary Army.
Their intelligence networks were just as strong, if not stronger than the Big Mom Pirates'.
Still, the fact that the Charlotte family had built such a powerful spy network showed that they weren't just mindless plunderers.
Some of them actually knew how to think and plan.
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You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04