Chapter 103: Saron Island

After departing Marineford, Rowan set sail directly for the Gates of Justice. Since his destination, Saron Island, was nearly a month's journey from Marineford but only three days from Enies Lobby, passing through the Gates of Justice to Enies Lobby and departing from there was the optimal route to ensure a swift arrival.

Half an hour after passing through the Gates of Justice, Rowan arrived at Enies Lobby. After coordinating with the authorities there, he officially set course for Saron Island.

After spending half a day on board, Rowan realized what a blessing it was to have an adjutant like Pengeris. He recalled the battle with Tuqi half a month ago, which had left his warship riddled with damage of all sizes. Yet, as he walked the decks today, he found the ship looking practically brand new. Had it not been for the faint signs of repair on the deck planks, Rowan would have truly believed Pengeris had fought tooth and nail to secure them a replacement vessel.

Time flew, and three days passed. Thanks to Nami's newly acquired navigation skills and her absolute sensitivity to the weather, the journey was relatively uneventful. After navigating smoothly through a sudden storm, the rest of the voyage was calm and peaceful.

Peering through his telescope at the distant island, Rowan felt a sudden, ominous foreboding. For some reason, looking at the blurry expanse of charred blackness, he was reminded of Gosa Town—another place turned into a living hell by pirates.

As the warship drew closer, Rowan's expression darkened. Through the telescope, he had only been able to see a smudge of soot and ruins, but now, the full view of the island was laid bare before him. The phrase "living hell" was far too mild to describe this scene.

It looked as if the Marines had unleashed a miniature Buster Call. Craters scarred the earth everywhere, surrounded by charred corpses. Perhaps the pirates felt a mere bombardment was not enough, for they had put the entire island to the torch. Even the uninhabited forests had been reduced to ash. Amidst the blackened ruins, Rowan could see countless bodies—some slaughtered during the raid, others consumed alive by the flames. Witnessing this devastation, Rowan finally understood why Marine Headquarters had bypassed the nearby G-8 Branch to dispatch a force directly from headquarters.

Who could look upon such a sight and not be consumed by rage? If the Marines failed to dispatch a force directly from headquarters to hunt down these pirates, how much more arrogant would they become? What kind of encouragement would this send to other outlaws? And where would the Marines' honor lie? Looking at the records of Saron Island's past—an island once famous far and wide for its commerce and flower arrangement, now reduced to a heap of charred wasteland—fury welled up in Rowan's chest. Although joining the Marines was merely a step in his grand plan, eradicating these ruthless pirates was a conviction he had held from the very beginning. If he did not crush these monsters with thunderous force, Rowan knew he would never sleep peacefully again. The moment he closed his eyes, the tragic image of Saron Island would surely haunt him.

"Go ashore and search for survivors. Even if the chances are slim, if there is even one person left alive—a single soul from Saron Island—I will keep them alive no matter the cost," Rowan said, his face dark as a stormy sea, his teeth clenched as he stared at the ruined island.

"Yes, sir!" The other Marines gritted their teeth in shared outrage. The moment the warship docked, several of the stronger Marines leaped ashore without waiting for further orders, fanning out across the island to begin their search.

However, three days had already passed since the tragedy. Combined with Saron Island's tropical climate, a suffocating stench of decay hung heavy over the land. The Marines' hearts sank. They knew that even trained soldiers like themselves would struggle to survive a single day in such an environment, let alone three. Hope for finding survivors quickly dwindled to nothing.

They understood Captain Rowan's intent. If even one native of Saron Island survived, then when the island was eventually rebuilt, it would remain Saron Island, no matter how many outside immigrants moved in. But if everyone was dead, Saron Island would exist in name only; even if rebuilt with the aid of the World Government, it would be nothing but an empty label on a map. Despite the grim odds, they refused to give up. As Captain Rowan had said, as long as there was a single breath of life left, they could not abandon the search.

Minutes ticked away. The horrific environment proved too much for several Marines, who began to retch. Watching them, Pengeris gritted his teeth, disembarked, and joined the search. To give up so easily felt like a betrayal of anyone who might still be clinging to life. The best thing he could do was throw himself into the search and help conduct a thorough sweep of the island as quickly as possible.

Perhaps moved by Pengeris's resolve, Zoro watched for a moment before handing his sword, Wado Ichimonji, to Rowan for safekeeping and leaping down to join the search. Now, only Rowan and Nami remained aboard the warship. Had he not needed to guard the vessel and protect Nami, Rowan would have been out there searching alongside them.

Perhaps Saron Island was not destined to perish just yet. After what felt like an eternity, Rowan finally received good news: Pengeris had found a survivor and was heading back. The ship's doctor accompanied him; stabilizing the living took immediate priority over searching for the unknown.

Rowan had hoped to gather information about the pirates from the survivor, but his heart sank the moment he saw the figure Pengeris and the doctor were carrying. Had Pengeris not insisted the man was breathing, Rowan would have mistaken the charred, blackened body for a corpse. It was obvious the man could not speak. Instructing the doctor to do everything in his power to save him, Rowan turned his gaze back to the ruined island.

Following Pengeris's discovery, the Marines began finding other survivors. Unlike the first man, these survivors, though severely injured and in some cases missing limbs, still retained their human form. Rowan breathed a sigh of relief. When he had read about Gosa Town in the newspapers, there had been no survivors at all. Saron Island, it seemed, was far more fortunate, yielding a small hand of survivors. If the island were to be rebuilt, these people would form its foundation, keeping the legacy of Saron Island alive.