After returning to the Lilith ship, Eust organized a discussion about their next steps. As usual, Eust and Lila discussed the plans, with Sunny deferring to Eust’s decisions and Lilith following her leader, Sunny.
Eust needed Lila’s help to analyze where the Black Bear Pirates might have gone after leaving Hertz Island.
Lila, familiar with the islands near Hertz Island, suggested two possibilities: Ande Island or Rike Island. She clarified that these were just educated guesses and that the pirates might have gone elsewhere.
Eust understood the difficulty of tracking a pirate crew on the sea but knew they had to take action rather than wait for a chance encounter. He decided to head to Ande Island first since it would be closer to Rike Island if they found no clues there.
With the decision made, they set sail immediately and reached Ande Island by evening. After some investigation, Eust was disappointed to learn that the island’s residents had not seen the Black Bear Pirates.
This left two possibilities: either the pirates hadn’t come to Ande Island, which was preferable, or they had passed through without stopping, using the island as a navigational marker.
If it was the second scenario, tracking the pirates would be even harder. Eust could only hope for good luck.
That night, the crew rested on the Lilith ship anchored at Ande Island’s shore. Lilith’s current form, designed and modified by Merry, provided a comfortable living space, making it unnecessary to stay in an island inn.
Early the next morning, after enjoying a delicious breakfast prepared by Chef Lila, the crew set off for Rike Island.
They had replenished their supplies the previous day upon arriving at Hertz Island. Despite Sunny’s mission space convenience, their resources were nearly depleted after eight or nine days on the deserted island.
Eust, experienced in supply management, ensured they were well-stocked. He prided himself on being a resourceful man, using his pirate hunting to support the crew and saving money with his fishing skills.
He often boasted about his title as the fishing king, saving substantial Berries on food expenses.
Eust pointed out that they hadn’t planned to venture into the dangerous waters of the East Blue yet. They were gradually building experience and strength before tackling more perilous seas.
Eust’s strategy was to navigate safer areas first, accumulating experience and strength before heading to the Grand Line.
Upon reaching Rike Island, they were fortunate to find that the Black Bear Pirates had indeed been there, staying for a night without causing trouble. Instead, they spent a lot of money, which was unusual for pirates.
Eust was pleased to have information on the pirates but puzzled about the locals’ confidence in dealing with them. He wondered about the relationship between the island residents and pirates but decided not to delve into it deeply.
Eust believed in the saying that existence implies some rationale; if something is unreasonable, it will eventually fade away.
He decided to continue tracking the Black Bear Pirates, with the next destination being Anderson Island. Lila suggested that if the pirates had rested on Rike Island, they might head to Anderson Island next.
Eust finally discovered a new use for Sunny’s mission fruit: avoiding wasted opportunities during sea voyages.
Thanks to Lilith’s contributions, Eust and Lila could easily navigate the ship with just one person at the helm, allowing them to complete tasks and enhance their skills during the journey.
For instance, Eust would steer the ship one day while Lila accepted and completed a task from Sunny. They would switch roles the next day.
Sunny’s mission fruit tasks were usually well-suited to their current situations, making this method effective for skill enhancement.
Even if an unsuitable task appeared, they could simply skip it without any major loss.
This improved approach ensured that Eust and Lila’s skill growth wouldn’t be hindered by their sea voyages. Eust credited his smart thinking, but Lila pointed out it was due to Lilith’s “selfless contribution.”
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