The scale of this Marine search and sweep was massive, and the lawless zones of the archipelago quickly ground to a halt.
Countless pirate crews fled the island in haste, though some were unable to escape the pursuit and ended up being captured.
Meanwhile, the reason behind the operation spread like wildfire:
A Celestial Dragon's slave had escaped on the island!
This was huge news!
Everyone knew full well what it meant when the words "Celestial Dragon" were involved. It meant there was a very real possibility that a Marine Admiral himself would be dispatched.
For the moment, however, Oboro was relatively safe following Dom and his men, though they were temporarily cut off from contacting the rest of the Flame Dragon Pirates. Marines and pirates were sworn enemies.
Furthermore, aside from pirates, the lawless zones were filled with underworld organizations and factions from all over the Grand Line — groups that would never simply surrender or wait to be rounded up.
So despite the terrifying reputation of the "Marine Admirals," these groups would fight back fiercely. They might even join forces if necessary, just to create a slim chance of survival.
Sabaody Archipelago was extremely close to Marine Headquarters at Marineford, meaning reinforcements arrived swiftly.
Judging by the scale of the chaos and the determination behind the Marine operation, it was clear they would never rest until they found that escaped slave.
The longer the situation dragged on, the larger their forces would grow — a fact that put all pirates at a severe disadvantage.
Therefore… if they wanted to escape, they had to move fast.
That said, not every faction or business was targeted equally. Some organizations with powerful backers, or those that had deep‑rooted operations on the island, had their own "countermeasures."
In the Grand Line, the Marines were not absolute rulers — they were merely one of the strongest powers active there.
If they truly controlled the entire Grand Line completely, they wouldn't have had to work so hard and struggle constantly all these years.
From their time spent "fleeing," Oboro learned that Dom was actually born and raised here.
He knew the terrain and the layout of the buildings perfectly, and it was precisely thanks to his guidance that they managed to brush past Marine patrols several times over the course of a full day and night, narrowly avoiding capture each time.
Although the lawless zones were officially designated Districts 1 through 29, the actual area they covered was vast.
With their current manpower, a true blanket search was simply impossible for the Marines to carry out.
Districts numbered above 10 formed the core of the lawless zones, located right at the center of the archipelago.
Districts above 20 bordered the coastline, and were where most of the ports used by pirates to flee were situated.
Adjacent to these districts was the Hotel District, numbered from 70 to 79.
Dom led them into a small inn. He clearly knew the owner, because they were let in through a back entrance, meaning they didn't have to worry about being reported to the Marines.
"They've already reached this area."
Inside the room, one pirate stood by the window, peering out at the street below, his voice low and grave.
Down there, Marines were already conducting house‑to‑house searches all along the street.
Compared to the violent chaos in the lawless zones, the Hotel District remained relatively calm.
The Marines were acting with less aggression here, though there were noticeably far fewer civilians or tourists on the streets.
It was clear people had been warned to stay indoors for the time being.
"At this rate, we'll be found soon…"
Another crew member sat trembling on the bed.
All the arrogance he had shown earlier when talking about the Flame Dragon Pirates was gone.
Getting captured meant imprisonment. If they were sent to an ordinary prison, it might be manageable… but if they ended up in Impel Down…
"Damn it! So what if one slave went missing? Are the Marines really this arrogant?! Do they expect every pirate here to be dragged down to die with them?!"
Someone cursed aloud in frustration.
"Dom, what do we do?"
Several pairs of eyes turned toward the blond‑haired man. After all, he was the local.
One crewman, with a pistol tucked into his belt, clutched a Den Den Mushi in his hands, looking frantic and anxious.
The snail kept ringing, but no one was answering.
They couldn't get in touch with their Captain.
It seemed this incident had affected even their leader. He might already be in danger.
But what worried them most was the possibility that, in order to save his own skin, their Captain had fled the island ahead of time, abandoning them completely.
"Maybe… we should go back."
Just as everyone fell silent, stuck and unsure what to do, Oboro — who had been leaning against the wall — spoke up.
"Go back? Go back for what? To die?!"
One of them stared at Oboro as if he were an idiot.
The most dangerous place is often the safest… At least back there, we wouldn't have to keep hiding and running all the time.
In a peaceful district like this, all it takes is for someone to catch a glimpse of us and we'll be reported instantly.
Besides… no matter how powerful the Marines are… there are people they simply dare not provoke. The fact that lawless zones exist at all means there's a reason for it.
If the Marines really were as all‑powerful as they claim, they wouldn't have let Sabaody Archipelago remain out of their control right under their noses…
Oboro spoke calmly and casually.
"I'm just offering a suggestion… I don't know this island very well, but I heard there are businesses here owned by the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
He raised a single finger as he spoke.
His shirt collar was pulled high, covering his neck and hiding the slave collar locked around it.
If not for that, these men would have realized immediately that he was the person the Marines were searching for.
But truth be told, these guys weren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed, so Oboro wasn't too worried about that.
"Seven Warlords?!"
The three words stunned the whole group.
"Donquixote Doflamingo."
Dom's eyes suddenly lit up, and he slapped his thigh in realization.
The Human Auctioning House!
There was indeed a major event happening on Sabaody Archipelago recently: the annual Grand Auction was about to begin.
And the most famous and largest auction house around… rumor said the owner behind the scenes was none other than Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords.
Outsiders might not know the details, but pirate crews — and locals like Dom — knew exactly what was what.
The reason Celestial Dragons visited Sabaody in the first place was closely tied to this event. Slaves sold at auctions had long been a fixed channel through which Celestial Dragons found new "toys."
There were also rumors that Doflamingo maintained a very close relationship with the Celestial Dragons, and that he ran these operations specifically to please those who sat high above everyone else.
"Blend in… at the auction…"
Dom murmured thoughtfully.
They were pirates, but the auction house did business openly and welcomed anyone with money.
It really was a risky, desperate plan.
But it meant using the authority and protection of the Warlord Doflamingo as a shield against the Marines.
The only problem was: if Doflamingo decided to cooperate fully with the Marines' investigation, they would be finished. And they had absolutely no way of knowing what the "Joker" was thinking.
Dom then began explaining the details of the annual auction to everyone. His mind was a mess and he clearly couldn't make up his own mind.
Doflamingo values this celebration highly. After all, it's the biggest event of the year for his business.
He might cooperate with the Marines at first… but if they keep pestering him and interfering again and again, it will undoubtedly delay the auction.
He's probably poured a fortune into advertising and promoting it…
Oboro smiled.
But honestly? The key person isn't him… it's the Celestial Dragons! They have been invited and are waiting.
If the auction keeps getting delayed and doesn't start, the ones who will be most displeased are them.
The Marines might be determined to find that slave no matter what… but they definitely don't have the authority or confidence to go against the Celestial Dragons.
After all, the Dragons are the absolute masters here. If we can just hold out for a while, the Celestial Dragons themselves will likely lose patience, order the Marines to suspend their search, and tell them to wait until the auction is over.
"And our chance… is to leave Sabaody Archipelago within that window of time."
Oboro laid out his analysis clearly and logically.
When he finished, the room fell dead silent.
The crew members just stared back at him, wide‑eyed.
"You…"
"You really sure you ain't a pirate?"
Dom narrowed his small eyes, looking at him suspiciously.
"Wasn't one before… but I am now. Didn't I just join the Flame Dragon Pirates?"
Oboro lifted the corner of his mouth into a confident smirk.
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