The sanctuary drifted at sea for a few more days, and Scarlett gradually became accustomed to life on board.
Perona played pranks every day, Robin was still sharp-tongued, Koala silently exercised, and Mandy coldly wiped her sword.
Stella and Rami would usually watch the playful group from the side with smiles on their faces.
As for Black... in Scarlett's eyes, he was just a lazy dog and an overgrown child.
He could engage in a battle of wits with Perona over pranks every day, never tiring of it.
He would also bicker with Robin, back and forth.
But today was different, because Rami had a fever, and Stella and Mandy were taking turns looking after her.
Scarlett stood outside the door, listening to the coughing from within, and something inside her was gently touched.
She pushed the door open and walked in:
"Do you need any help?"
Stella looked up, a relieved smile appearing on her tired face:
"Thank you."
At this moment, Scarlett suddenly understood that perhaps on this ship, she had found not only shackles, but also a faint glimmer of light.
At the same time, Black, lying on a lounge chair, curved his lips into a smile... Time slowly passed, and the sanctuary gradually approached the waters near Wano Country.
Although Wano Country implemented a closed-door policy, in reality, there were quite a few ways to enter Wano Country.
Besides the rather absurd method in the original story of jumping down from Zunesha, there were at least three other routes.
The first, naturally, was to go up through the waterfall, pulled by fish.
This route was, of course, the most dangerous.
The second route was to first go to the port of Onigashima and then proceed to Wano Country via Onigashima.
The third route was the safest, directly entering the Blade Harbor.
As a World Government ship, the sanctuary naturally chose to land at Hakumai.
Wano Country had no concept of the World Government; World Government, Marine... none of them were allowed to land here.
Moreover, as the location where the ancient weapon Pluton was stored, Wano Country's stance eight hundred years ago was self-evident.
But now the Blade Harbor was in Kaido's hands.
Kaido had seen the power of the World Government and naturally wouldn't act rashly.
Despite his burly appearance, he was actually a cunning character.
He wouldn't create powerful enemies for himself without a purpose.
Before the sanctuary even docked, the Beasts Pirates' small fry reported the news layer by layer, until it reached Kaido.
Kaido was hiding in his cave drinking when he heard the news, and his eyes narrowed slightly:
"What do those World Government guys want, coming here at a time like this?"
Abel's expression was equally serious, with a hint of hatred in his eyes:
"Should we send people to drive them away?"
"Or at least probe their purpose for being here."
Kaido took a big gulp of sake and waved his hand carelessly:
"Go if you want."
"With me here, there's nothing to be afraid of."
...Just as Black docked, he saw a tall figure flying from a distance.
Dark wings spread behind him, each feather seemingly imbued with the sharpness of the night.
A Black metal forehead protector secured his mask, with burning chain decorations hanging from both sides.
When he saw Black, who was wearing a spacesuit and a fishbowls (helmets), a strong hatred flashed in his eyes.
He landed on the dock, his height of over six meters, combined with the wings behind him and his combat-ready attire, created an immense pressure.
Stella and the others behind Black were all intimidated by this aura.
"Heh!"
Black chuckled softly.
The laugh was not loud, but it swept through like a gentle breeze, dispersing the aura brought by the other party:
"It's Abel, it seems Kaido treats you well?"
The World Government knew of Abel's existence, but because he had Kaido's protection, it was inconvenient to continue pursuing him.
Abel's face hidden behind his mask showed no expression, and he said coldly:
"Celestial Dragons."
"Have you come here to start a war with Governor-General Kaido?"
Celestial Dragons usually do not stay in the New World for long, at least not frequently appearing in the territory of a major pirate.
After all, it was very troublesome for the World Government to deal with the great pirates of the New World.
One or two Admirals from the Marine couldn't deal with them, and a large-scale entry into the New World could easily cause pirates to band together.
So Abel didn't care much about Black's identity.
"Don't be so nervous, Abel."
"It seems your childhood experiences left you with quite a psychological shadow."
Black waved his hand:
"War is not something I should announce."
"I just heard that Wano Country has been a bit lively recently, so I thought I'd come and see."
He slowly walked closer to Abel, with Mandy and Koala a half-step behind him, and the others following closely.
"Don't worry, my arrival might even be a good thing for you."
Black's hand pressed on Abel's body, exerting a slight force, and the latter involuntarily retreated several steps before steadying himself.
His expression showed a hint of imperceptible surprise:
"You..."
Black had already passed him, waving his hand without looking back:
"If you want to drive us away, you'll probably have to go back and call Kaido."
With that, he disregarded Abel's attitude and walked straight into Wano Country.
This trip, without CP agents following him, Black could slightly display his strength.
After all, Kaido's dream was to start a war that would cover the entire world, making all those high and mighty people experience the same powerlessness as ordinary people in war.
In simple terms, he was another one who loved to watch chaos unfold.
So even if he knew Black's strength, he wouldn't inform the World Government, but would instead want to see what kind of commotion Black could cause.
Abel stood at the port, hesitated for a moment, and then decided to go back and discuss it with Kaido.
The power Black displayed with that push was something Abel had only felt from Kaido.
Although he couldn't fully determine Black's strength, he had to be more cautious.
When Kaido heard Abel's narration, he also had a headache.
He was indeed not afraid of the World Government, but he also didn't want to provoke them for no reason.
Taking a big gulp of sake, Kaido mumbled indistinctly:
"Then send people to keep an eye on him and see what that guy really wants to do."
...Black had long anticipated the Beasts Pirates' reaction.
However, he didn't intend to do anything to Kaido this time.
Even though Black had decided to let the Revolutionary Army probe the World Government's true strength, he had not abandoned his original plan.
As the saying goes—
Any plan that spans more than a year will inevitably encounter unexpected events during its execution.
It's not wrong to have a backup plan.
Teacher Kaido was the most important person in Luffy's growth path; if something happened to him, how could Nika awaken and fight Imu?
A relay battle and group beating were simply too un-"sun god."
Perhaps letting him have a one-on-one fight with Teacher Kai could lead to a more complete awakening.
I'm a good person, no need to thank me.
On the other hand, Black intensely disliked the Kozuki family.
If he had to choose a few people he disliked the most on the sea, Black would choose Koby, Oden, and Momonosuke.
The Kozuki family could account for two of the top three.
Therefore, Kaido's power must be strengthened!
Strengthened severely!