I really don't know if Elysia's appearance just now was intentional. Is she really made of water? Crying so easily.
Raiden Ei's thoughts wandered for a moment. Completing Little Elysia's request was the most important thing right now; she should focus on the main task first!
Her gaze swept over the large expanse of forest below. She guessed that the townspeople, in order to evade the pirates, must have fled into the woods.
Since Little Elysia didn't know which direction the pirates went, they should know. Finding them now wouldn't be difficult for her.
Raiden Ei's focus returned to Little Elysia, and she slowly said to her, "Little Elysia, the people who escaped from the town should know which direction the bad guys went. Let's go look for them."
Little Elysia nodded, her bright eyes looking at Raiden Ei, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Sister Ei, you're amazing! Let's set off now! We'll go save everyone ♪ ♪ ♪"
"Heh heh, let's go!" Raiden Ei responded, and she flew into the forest at a leisurely pace with Little Elysia. Her Observation Haki spread out, searching for the townspeople.
Little Elysia also looked excitedly towards the forest below, as if she wanted to contribute some of her own strength.
"Little Elysia, you didn't say before, how old are you now?" Raiden Ei was much more relaxed, multitasking; while searching with her Observation Haki, she asked curiously.
Little Elysia heard Raiden Ei speak, turned, and looked at her doubtfully: "Huh? Aren't we looking for people right now? Why are you talking about this?"
"I'm just a bit curious. I don't think Little Elysia looks like a three-year-old. How old are you?" Raiden Ei asked with a questioning tone.
Little Elysia's slightly chubby face instantly turned red, and she said in a childish, annoyed voice, "I am not a three-year-old!"
"Oh! Little Elysia, are you only two years old then?" Raiden Ei said teasingly.
"No way~~" Little Elysia vehemently refuted.
"Oh, then Little Elysia, tell me, how old are you now?" Raiden Ei pressed, revealing an expression of someone waiting for a good show.
She thought that even the beautiful girl from the game had moments like this; she used to call Elysia 'little sister,' and now she really had become a little sister.
Little Elysia's little head, about to emit smoke from embarrassment and anger, turned to the side, saying in a tone that clearly meant she wouldn't tell: "It's not polite to pry into a beautiful girl's age! That's a beautiful girl's secret. ♪"
Raiden Ei didn't intend to break through Little Elysia's final stubbornness, so she gently patted her little head as she turned aside and said happily, "Heh heh! Alright, I won't tease you anymore. I found the people. Let's go!"
"Really? Where, where!" Little Elysia seemed to have instantly forgotten her previous embarrassment, looking curiously at the forest below with her small eyes, her little hand still clutching Raiden Ei's clothes, asking where they were.
"Don't rush, we'll be there soon." Raiden Ei took Little Elysia and flew directly toward a location in the sky.
The speed of flight was a bit fast, and the oncoming airflow blew directly onto Little Elysia, making her eyes almost unable to open. She had no choice but to use her long sleeves to block the oncoming wind pressure for Little Elysia.
After flying in the air for only a few minutes, Raiden Ei brought Little Elysia to the destination. Under the perception of her Observation Haki, everyone hiding in the forest was completely exposed.
Raiden Ei descended directly from the air to the edge of the crowd. In an instant, those who noticed her showed vigilant expressions. They quickly gathered together, seeking a sense of security.
Raiden Ei's gaze swept over these people. Most of them were strong adults, along with some elderly people and children. They held various types of weapons and watched her warily.
She didn't want to waste time here, so she unleashed her full imposing aura and slowly said to them in a commanding tone, "I have no ill intentions toward you; I just need to ask you a few things."
Little Elysia dangled her feet, looking at them curiously. Unaffected by the surrounding atmosphere, she quietly listened to the words sounding in her ears and did not interrupt Raiden Ei.
When the townspeople heard the words Raiden Ei spoke, the imposing aura pressing down on them made them all tense, causing even the hands holding weapons to tremble unnaturally.
They swallowed nervously while looking at Raiden Ei. No one dared to have any improper thoughts because of her appearance; she carried more pressure than the fiercest pirates they had ever seen.
They dared not make any moves, waiting tensely for Raiden Ei to continue speaking, genuinely hoping in their hearts that it wasn't anything difficult.
Seeing that they were all taking it seriously, Raiden Ei stated the question she needed to ask: "Which Pirate Crew looted this place last night? When did they leave, and which direction did they head?"
The crowd breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Raiden Ei's question, but they did not completely lower their guard. The matter wasn't over yet, and they dared not fully relax.
They didn't recognize Raiden Ei and dared not fully trust what she said; pirates breaking their word was the most common occurrence.
An old man with white hair walked out from the crowd. The others showed him considerable deference, making way for him to pass.
The old man walked a few steady steps forward, bowed to Raiden Ei as a salute, and then said, "Esteemed adult, we can tell you everything you asked. We only hope you will spare us."
Raiden Ei did not retract her imposing aura, and her tone remained calm as she said, "Rest assured! I am only here to gather information. You can tell me everything you know now!"
The old man thanked her, "Thank you for your tolerance."
"The ones who plundered here last night were the Tyrannosaurus Pirate Group. The Captain's nickname is Ogre, with a bounty of 73 million Berries. The crew has nearly 100 members, including over 20 with bounties exceeding one million, and 5 with bounties over ten million."
"As for when they left, we don't know the exact time, only that it was still dark then. They left from the southern port and should have headed southwest toward Sparrow Saint Island."
"Adult, that's all we know." The old man finished in one breath, looking at Raiden Ei with hope.
Raiden Ei sensed something amiss and asked, "Since you knew the pirates retreated, why are you still here?"
The old man coughed slightly before replying, "Cough, cough, we are just guessing, not certain. We wanted to wait a little longer, until morning, so everyone could return together."
Raiden Ei could tell this wasn't the first time they had hidden from pirates; otherwise, they wouldn't be so practiced.
However, she still had a slight doubt: "Aren't you afraid of these pirates? Why didn't you leave the island?"
Seeing that Raiden Ei was quite easy to talk to, the old man relaxed a bit and explained:
"No. There is a Marine Branch nearby. If they dare to stay here for more than a day, they will face encirclement by the Marines."
Raiden Ei now felt that anyone who could survive in the Grand Line had some capability; otherwise, they wouldn't be so certain.
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