At about the same time, Nezumi and his accompanying sailors, completely abandoning all pretenses, so to speak, ran towards their ship at full speed. After all, the sayings about rats fleeing a sinking ship were not born out of thin air. Nezumi, even resembling these rats externally, felt with every fiber of his soul the impending... danger. Now, after conversations with Zoro, the "Pirate Killer," Nezumi clearly understood what a colossal mistake it was to indulge in Arlong's promised feast. On the other hand, a third of a hundred million berries! Consider thirty-four million, which you just had to come and take! No, of course, now Nezumi perfectly understood that there could be no "just come and take." And there was no one to blame but himself! He had heard repeatedly that these "Pirate Killers" were completely crazy headhunters, and their "Queen," beauty or not — she was quite a beauty! — was incredibly dangerous. In general, we are all strong-minded in hindsight.
When the harbor loomed ahead and their ship came into view, Nezumi felt a slight relief. And after he and his men boarded and raised the sails, the captain felt even greater relief. Perhaps all his fears were overly imagined? They were headhunters, of course, but maybe it was all just talk? After all, Nezumi, at regular gatherings held once a quarter, had heard other captains complain about the ridiculous jokes of the "Pirate Killers." He also heard about their strong penchant for mocking the Marines in general, and ordinary marine soldiers in particular. Could it be that he himself fell victim to such a "joke"?
A few more minutes, and Nezumi finally convinced himself that there was actually no danger to him, and there never had been... a person rarely missed the opportunity to deceive himself. And Life, in turn, never missed a chance to remind of it. At that very moment, when Nezumi completely relaxed, reassured by his thoughts and with the shore gradually disappearing from view, Death arrived. Death looked exactly like the "Pirate Killer," and, worse for Nezumi, he held someone's severed head in his hand. Such an unexpected and dramatic appearance threw the captain off balance, so it took him a good ten seconds before he could realize that the "Pirate Killer" was holding the head of his first mate.
"You know, there are not many things in the world that I really dislike," Zoro said peaceably. The swordsman sat on the railings, his legs crossed. In his right hand, lying on his right knee, he held a bloodied sword with a black hilt, and in his left hand, he held the aforementioned head of Nezumi's first mate. "For example, I don't like being disturbed while sleeping. It infuriates me incredibly if someone disrespects my captain, even if he prefers it that way. However, what I really hate is traitors. I don't really care what a person betrays – another person, some idea, or themselves. The fact of betrayal angers me. If you take on certain obligations, you must fulfill them. Otherwise, you're just a worthless... You understand what I'm getting at?" Unlike the rest of his words, Zoro said the last sentence in a completely different tone, devoid of any peacefulness.
Nezumi did not respond, feverishly trying to think. The captain looked around. His subordinates had already noticed the uninvited guest and were arming themselves, but they did not rush to attack. Among the crew, there was not a single person who was eager to clash with the infamous pirate hunter of the entire East Blue... Frankly speaking, the fame of the "Pirate Killers" extended far beyond the borders of the East Blue. Of course, some newspapers were distributed only within a certain sea – why would the residents of the East Blue need to know about various details happening, for example, in the West Blue? — but some news reached the world's major newspapers, spreading worldwide. Considering how much the "Pirate Killers" had accomplished overall and the "Pirate Killer" himself, Roronoa Zoro, his name had been known globally for quite some time. Not to mention that, while serving in the Marines, Nezumi, and through him, his crew, knew much more about the swordsman than the common people.What was worth the last emergency meeting of Marine captains after recent, but still constantly discussed in taverns and mentioned in newspapers, defeat of Don Krieg's fleet and the capture of Don himself?
This event tilted the scales so strongly in favor of the Marines that the high command simply could not miss such an opportunity. Almost all patrol routes, their number, and compositions were quickly reviewed. It was foolish to send five or six ships in one patrol at once when the likelihood of encountering even one pirate ship approached zero. In the event of such an encounter, it was easier to call for reinforcement and track. Moreover, new patrol routes were designed with the consideration that, firstly, they covered as much water space as possible, and secondly, each patrol ship, in case of a request for assistance, could quickly be supported by at least two reinforcement ships. The high command of the patrol intended to squeeze the maximum possible out of the situation and, if not completely eradicate pirates in the East Blue, then at least maintain their current, almost non-existent, level for a long time. In connection with this, in the East Blue, contrary to the usual rules – "All attention on the Grand Line!" — additional forces were even sent.