Azir, the Emperor of Sands, was still stuck in his forced transformation state, so he remained behind to guard the floating island.
Meanwhile, the Sea Dragon quietly prepared to depart. Naturally, given its colossal size, the moment it began to move, countless people spotted it instantly.
As for the safety of the floating island, there was nothing to worry about. With Shiki and his gravity-manipulating ability in charge, the island wasn't going anywhere.
Moreover, Shiki had Sousuke Aizen's Kidō spells secretly planted inside his body; he wouldn't dare try anything funny even if he wanted to.
The massive dragon, originally ten thousand meters long, rapidly shrank its body down to around a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. Then, with a powerful flick of its tail, it soared into the sky and flew away.
A short time later, the Sea Dragon left the airspace above Water 7 and set course straight toward the New World.
"The Vivre Card points southwest..."
The voice drifted softly through the air. The next moment, a flash of white light burst into existence above the dragon's head, and Vladimir materialized out of thin air.
He extended his right hand. Resting in his palm was a small white card. It trembled faintly as it steadily indicated a specific direction.
"I need to pick up the pace. The destination is still quite far away... After selling the Five Elders, I'll also need to find a suitable venue to host the Grand Auction."
With that thought in mind, Vladimir commanded the Sea Dragon to push its speed to the absolute limit.
In truth, he could have used his Shadow Step ability to travel via spatial jumps, but without knowing the exact coordinates, that method was quite troublesome and unreliable. It was far easier to simply ride on the Sea Dragon's back.
Although the Sea Dragon wasn't quite as fast as his Archangel form, at its current five-star strength level, the difference wasn't very significant.
High above in the vast blue sky, the shadow of the divine dragon streaked across the horizon, vanishing from sight in mere moments.
...
Five days later, somewhere in the sea within the New World.
Most of the Sea Dragon's massive body was submerged beneath the waves, leaving only its enormous head exposed above the surface. Sitting cross-legged right on top of its snout was Vladimir.
He lowered his gaze to look at the Vivre Card in his hand.
Compared to five days ago, the card was trembling much more violently now, and the direction it pointed was constantly shifting slightly, meaning the target was moving.
"We're getting very close... Hmm?"
Suddenly, Vladimir raised an eyebrow. His perception picked up the presence of a vessel nearby.
It wasn't a large ship at all, and there was only one distinct human signature aboard. Yet, the aura felt familiar—definitely someone he knew.
Vladimir focused his vision. His gaze seemed to pierce through several nautical miles of distance until he clearly saw a tiny wooden raft floating on the water.
Sitting calmly upon it, one leg crossed over the other, head bowed down reading a book with a serene expression, was Bartholomew Kuma.
"Interesting... Did the Revolutionary Army know I would pass through this area?"
Vladimir smiled faintly and directed the Sea Dragon to sail straight toward the raft.
About ten minutes later, the two sides drew close until they were barely ten meters apart.
Standing before Vladimir was indeed Kuma—full name Bartholomew Kuma, one of the current Seven Warlords of the Sea, and secretly a high-ranking commander within the Revolutionary Army.
Kuma slowly closed his book and stood up from his seat. He looked toward Vladimir with his usual calm and expressionless gaze.
"Sea Dragon... or should I address you as Emperor Vladimir?" His voice was soft and calm, yet carried a hint of confusion.
"You two look remarkably alike in appearance, yet the aura you exude is completely different."
He had met the Sea Dragon once before. Back at the Sabaody Archipelago, when the Sea Dragon fought Kaido, Kuma had assisted the Marines by using his ability to send Vladimir flying all the way to Elbaf, the island of giants.
Taking advantage of that opening, the Marines had managed to temporarily suppress and capture Kaido, though he eventually escaped later on.
Vladimir had no patience for such trivial questions. He said directly: "I have arrived as promised. Where is Dragon?"
Hearing this, Bartholomew Kuma remained silent for a moment before replying: "Mr. Dragon is waiting for you on the island ahead. I will take you there."
As he spoke, he maneuvered the raft closer toward them. At the same time, he slowly removed the glove from his right hand, revealing his strange, paw-like palm.
"I apologize... but we cannot allow you to know the exact location of our base. Therefore, I will have to use my ability to send you directly there."
Kuma raised his right hand high and swiped it powerfully toward Vladimir.
The Revolutionary Army was the World Government's number-one enemy. It was absolutely vital that their true whereabouts remained hidden, otherwise they risked facing the full might of the Government and being completely wiped out.
Vladimir naturally understood the necessity of such caution. However, understanding it didn't mean he was willing to passively comply.
"Hmph."
With a low sound of disdain, Kuma's palm struck out. Yet, Vladimir simply raised his left arm and blocked the blow effortlessly.
BOOM!
It sounded as though some invisible force or ability had shattered instantly. Where the palm and arm collided, a faint shockwave rippled outward.
Bartholomew Kuma's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart trembled with shock.
"What...?!"
For the first time in a long while, a look of genuine surprise appeared on his usually impassive face.
"I shall go there myself," Vladimir said calmly.
He shook his left arm slightly, and the sheer force sent Kuma flying backward with a loud whoosh, hurling him dozens of meters through the air.
Just as he was about to plunge into the sea, Kuma slapped the air with his right hand. In a blur of motion, he instantly reappeared standing steadily back on his raft, as if he had teleported.
He let out a quiet breath, and when he looked up at Vladimir again, his eyes were filled with deep shock and disbelief.
"I am the user of the Paw-Paw Fruit... a Paw Human. My ability allows me to repel anything—fatigue, pain, injuries, even the air itself. Ever since I gained this power... this is the first time it has completely failed to work..."
He spoke softly, almost to himself.
It wasn't simply that Vladimir had used Armament Haki to resist or block the force of the repulsion. What happened was far more terrifying—the moment Kuma's hand touched Vladimir's body, his ability had been completely erased, rendered null and void.
"As expected of Emperor Vladimir... the man rumored to possess the power to suppress the monstrous beings within Phantom..."
Kuma steadied himself, looking at Vladimir with deep respect. "Follow me, please. I shall guide you there personally."
Vladimir nodded calmly and signaled the Sea Dragon to follow.
At the same time, the Sea Dragon spoke in a deep voice: "I am curious... how did you know we would appear in this exact location?"
"The Divination Fruit," Kuma replied honestly, hiding nothing. "At first, we tried to predict exactly when Emperor Vladimir would arrive. But we failed repeatedly. It was as if some strange power was actively preventing the results from appearing. So we changed our approach and simply divined when anyone from Phantom would appear. After several attempts, we finally got a result... and the answer pointed toward the Sea Dragon."
He paused briefly before adding: "Though... I honestly didn't expect that you yourself would actually come."
____________________
For more advance chapters visit my patreon
patreon.com/kane45
Tier: 10$ Casual Reader - +20 Advance Chapter
20$ Intermediate Reader - +40 Advance Chapter
40$ Expert Reader - +80 Advance Chapter
Update: "Monday to Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day"
"Saturday and Sunday - Off"