Albert completely disregarded Krieg's actions after he departed, as he was eager to reach Cocoyasi Village to save Nami.
On the expansive ocean, a small vessel cruised through the waters.
With his eyes shut, Albert stood on the deck, lost in thought while Johnny and Joseph discreetly observed him from the side.
"Joseph, what do you think is going through Albert's mind?" Johnny asked.
"I believe he's thinking about Nami," Joseph replied.
"That makes sense. Nami left Albert so cruelly; it's only natural for him to feel heartbroken," Johnny said.
"I never imagined such a powerful guy like Albert would experience heartache," Joseph remarked.
"True, it seems that strength alone isn't enough; one also needs wealth. A poor guy like Albert has a tough time finding a girlfriend," Joseph said wisely.
"You're absolutely right, we need to focus on making money in the future," Johnny agreed.
"Yeah, let's work hard!"
...
Meanwhile, Albert was oblivious to Joseph and Johnny's chatter; if he had been more aware, he likely would have tossed them overboard to swim.
At that moment, Albert was absorbed in processing the skills he had gained from his battle with Hawkeye—swordsmanship, body techniques, and Haki swirling in his mind as he sought to improve.
"I've grasped Armament Haki as I suspected, and I've also mastered Soru. Geppo should definitely be within my reach as well; since it's an adaptation of Soru, I can learn it," he thought.
Suddenly, Albert's eyes flew open. Based on his mental calculations, he stepped onto the air with one foot, followed by the other, as if climbing stairs, and began ascending into the sky.
"Geppo accomplished!"
Joseph and Johnny, watching from the boat, stared wide-eyed, their mouths forming perfect O shapes.
Joseph exclaimed, "(⊙o⊙)"
Johnny echoed, "(⊙o⊙)"
Disbelief washed over Joseph as he witnessed Albert soaring in the air. "Johnny, am I dreaming? I just saw Albert fly!"
Johnny, equally stunned, replied, "Clearly, we must be sharing the same dream because I saw Albert flying too!"
"Slap!"
"Ow, Joseph, why did you hit me?" Johnny complained, rubbing his face.
"Does it hurt?" Joseph grinned.
"It hurts!" Johnny confirmed.
"We're not dreaming! Albert can really fly!" Joseph exclaimed.
As Albert landed back on the boat using Geppo, Joseph and Johnny rushed over, eager to flatter him.
"Albert, you just flew up in the air?"
With a nod, Albert replied, "Yes, I did."
"How did you manage to fly?" they inquired.
"That's Geppo, one of the Navy's Six Powers," Albert explained.
Glancing at each other, Joseph and Johnny dropped to their knees in unison. "Albert, can you teach us that flying technique?"
Albert looked at them curiously, not understanding their fervor for learning Geppo, as he didn't think it was particularly special.
"Why are you guys so eager to learn it?" he asked.
Joseph responded with enthusiasm, "Boss, flying is a man's dream!"
"That's right, it's just really cool!" Johnny added earnestly.
Albert had to concede that they made valid points. He felt a rush of excitement himself when he had been soaring earlier. Although he could fly in a plane in his previous life, it didn't compare to flying freely. And as for being cool, he felt he was already quite impressive!
"Fine, I'll teach you. But with your current physiques, you won't be able to master it just yet. I'll show you the method, and you need to work hard on your training before trying it out when you're stronger," he said.
Joseph and Johnny nodded, stifling their excitement as they noted down Albert's instructions.
...
"Have you both memorized everything?" Albert asked after finishing the explanation.
"Yes, we remember!" Joseph and Johnny replied quickly. "We'll be forever grateful, Albert!"
Albert waved dismissively. "No big deal. Now I'm hungry; I'm going to make something to eat."
The moment Joseph and Johnny heard that Albert was cooking, their mouths watered at the thought of his incredible meals. They had savored his cooking before, and every dish was a delightful experience.
"Go ahead, we'll set the table!" they chimed.
With an exasperated smile, Albert shook his head and headed into the kitchen.
An hour later, he emerged with a feast: a squirrel mandarin fish, a generous platter of grilled meat, a large pot of soup, and several smaller dishes of vegetables.
Joseph and Johnny inhaled the aroma wafting from the table, their mouths watering profusely, as Albert finally took a seat and declared, "You can eat now!"
"Let's dig in!"
Just as the three of them were about to start eating, the sea erupted with a tremendous roar, shaking the small boat. Once the boat steadied, Joseph and Johnny stared in horror at the enormous creature that had emerged before them.
"What is that? Is it a cow?"
"It can't be a cow—there's no way a cow would be in the sea!"
With a cold stare, Albert fixed his gaze on the massive creature several times larger than their vessel, calmly stating, "Don't panic, that's a sea cow, named Hoom Hoom."
Joseph and Johnny, still in a panic, asked, "What should we do now, Albert?"
With a mischievous grin, Albert replied, "What to do? I think our boat is moving a bit slowly, so let's have it pull us."
"Pull us?" Joseph echoed, bewildered. "It won't obey us!"
Albert smirked devilishly. "If we beat it into submission, it will listen to us."
Joseph: ...
Johnny: ...
Geppo!
In a flash, Albert activated Geppo, ascending to manatee's head where he delivered a heavy punch.
The manatee groaned, its body recoiling from the impact, tears welling in its eyes.
"Are you going to pull our boat, or not?" Albert challenged, noticing the creature's stubbornness.
After a few more punches, the manatee emitted a sound so human-like, filled with fear, that it seemed to plead silently,
"Waaah, it hurts so much! Humans are terrifying!"
Seeing that the sea cow still hadn't agreed, Albert was ready to unleash a few more punches when the terrified creature finally nodded vigorously. Satisfied, Albert flew back to the boat.
Joseph and Johnny stood in awe, their expressions a mix of shock and admiration. "Brother Albert, you're incredible!"
With an air of nonchalance, Albert replied, "Hmph, there's nothing in this world that can't be resolved with a punch. If something can't be, just throw in a few more punches."
From that moment on, Joseph and Johnny adopted this philosophy as their guiding principle.
...
On the sea, Hoom Hoom, the manatee, was tethered to the boat, pulling it swiftly through the water.
"Wow, Brother Albert is so fast!" Joseph exclaimed.
Albert soaked in the compliments from his friends, thinking to himself, Isn't this just normal?
"Alright, keep a lookout while I take a nap. Wake me when we arrive."
"Sure thing, Brother Albert!" they responded.
Albert retreated to the cabin for some rest.
He had no idea how long he had been asleep; it felt like he had just dozed off when he was abruptly awoken.
"Joseph, did we reach Cocoyasi Village?" he asked groggily.
Looking at Albert, Joseph replied, "Yes, Brother Albert, we're here."
Albert nodded and disembarked with Joseph and Johnny, heading towards the village.
Upon arrival, they observed a long trench carved into the street.
"Joseph, what happened here?" Albert inquired.
"The manatee that pulls our boat did this," he explained, puzzled.
...
The thought of such a violent sea cow surprised Joseph, who couldn't understand why the creature looked so tame. Then he thought, Is this Brother Albert's intuition? Truly, he deserves his title.
"Who are you?" a voice interrupted his contemplation.
Emerging from an alley was a blue-haired woman, her arms adorned with tattoos.
Recognizing her immediately, Albert knew she was Nami's adoptive sister, Nojiko.
"Hello, Sister Nojiko. I'm a friend of Nami's; I'm here to find her. Can you tell me where she is?" he asked.
Nojiko's expression soured upon hearing him claim to be Nami's friend. "You're here to find her? What did she steal from you? Let me clarify; I don't know where she is. She hasn't been back in a long time."
"Uh… am I being mistaken for a creditor here?" Albert thought, taken aback.
"Sister Nojiko, I'm genuinely just here to find Nami. I know she's back; I'm not looking for money—I'm here to pay her back," he stated earnestly.
She eyed him warily. "Liar! People who borrow money don't come back to pay it."
...
It seemed that Nojiko had been influenced quite a bit by Nami.
"I assure you, I'm only here to return what I owe. This shows I'm a good person," Albert explained.
While Nojiko remained skeptical, a part of her began to believe him.
"Alright, come with me to my house. It's not safe out here," she said.
Albert nodded and followed Nojiko along with Joseph and Johnny to her home.
Once inside, she poured three glasses of water and took a seat, facing Albert. "Now, what's your real motive in finding Nami?" she questioned.
Looking straight at her, Albert replied firmly, "Help her defeat Arlong!"