Although Axie's attitude wasn't the best, Blake was very satisfied with his actions.
Blake remembered that this guy seemed to have a lot of bombs in his possession.
In the original plot, he even detonated bombs, attempting to die with the treasure hunter.
Now, his honest return indicated that he had given up struggling.
Everyone returned the way they came, exiting the Anglerfish's body, and once again stood on the sea surface frozen by Mandy.
Blake slowly turned around, his gaze fixed on the enormous fleshy orb still emitting an eternal light in mid-air.
With a calm expression, he reached out and took the longsword Mandy offered him at the opportune moment.
"Secret Art: Ghost Flash!"
Swish, swish, swish!
Three consecutive sharp slashes accurately landed on the connection point between the pure gold orb and the Anglerfish's head.
Without any surprise, the massive fleshy orb detached with a heavy whoosh and plummeted straight towards the ice surface.
Blake simply raised one hand casually and effortlessly cradled it in his palm, his figure as steady as a rock.
This action caused some people behind him who were not entirely aware of Blake's true strength—
Such as Dr. Fran and the recently "rescued" Axie and his daughter—to be momentarily stunned.
Olga's mouth was agape, her eyes wide, staring intently at the pure gold, which was countless times larger than her entire body:
"You're kidding, right?"
"Such a huge thing... he just caught it with one hand?"
"This is beyond what a human can do, isn't it?"
Blake couldn't be bothered with this ignorant little girl. The pain caused by severing the pure gold seemed to be waking up the colossal creature before him:
"Can't let it go to waste!"
He walked to the Anglerfish's side, his right hand turning a deathly pale, knuckles stretching and sharpening, fingertips glowing with a metallic chill, emitting an ominous aura.
The next instant, Blake silently plunged his palm into the Anglerfish's tough skin.
In a flash, a crimson energy stream, solid as a physical entity, surged up his arm, continuously pouring into his body.
At the same time, the Anglerfish's massive body began to shrivel and deflate at a visible rate, its skin gradually losing its luster... In his previous life, Blake was a good young man who never wasted food.
Facing a gigantic Anglerfish, a creature that had existed for who knows how many years, it was naturally impossible for him to let go of its vast life force.
It could be said that even if he hadn't found the pure gold on this trip, the life force alone absorbed from the Anglerfish would be enough to keep Blake alive for a very, very long time.
This wave, ah... this wave is called taking everything, even the kitchen sink.
Dr. Fran, Axie and his daughter, the Basilisk Lizard, pure gold, life force... Blake completely stripped the Anglerfish bare! All the benefits related to pure gold were bundled up and taken away!
As Blake withdrew his hand, Stella rushed forward, took out a handkerchief to wipe his hand, and then opened an air door.
Blake lightly tossed the enormous pure gold into it, and it vanished.
Back on the sanctuary, Blake looked at the slightly nervous Axie and his daughter, as well as Elizabeth, who was looking left and right, and instructed Stella:
"You're still responsible for settling these people."
"Don't worry, Your Highness."
Stella smiled at Blake, then turned to the two people and one beast:
"Please follow me, everyone."
Watching them leave, Blake lay back in his lounge chair, content.
Even if Hancock and Kalifa had been quite competitive lately, the most attentive person by his side was still Stella, who had been with him the longest.
No matter what kind of trouble, as long as it was handed over to her, it seemed she could always resolve it properly.
Blake lay down, relaxed, his body gently swaying with the ship's movement.
These past few days, he seemed to calmly orchestrate everything—
First, sailing at full speed to reach the Anglerfish's location as quickly as possible.
Then, he had to patiently wait for Dr. Fran to complete that crucial reflection device.
Finally, he had to enter the Anglerfish's belly.
Even though he always appeared to be confident and indeed had full assurance, the importance of the pure gold still caused an unconscious tension within him.
Now, with the pure gold safely placed in Stella's dimensional space, and the new members' arrangements fully entrusted to the capable head maid, Blake could finally enjoy his own time without any worries.
Picking up today's newspaper, the news about the Ope-Ope no Mi and the Immortality Operation was still fermenting.
The first thing that caught his eye was the World Government spokesperson's brief statement:
"No comment on unverified false rumors."
Blake scoffed:
"Even at this point, they're still trying to cover it up... Can they really keep it hidden?"
He turned his attention to other news—
A certain underground auction in the New World, with the starting bid having set a new historical high.
Whitebeard issued a statement somewhere in the New World: Immortality? That's the most boring toy!
Blake didn't know that Whitebeard had no scars on his back because he ran fast when he was young.
But he found that old Whitebeard knew how to show off.
Blake rubbed his scepter with his thumb, thinking with interest:
"Whitebeard might not have truly considered immortality, but what about the sons who view him as their faith?"
"Especially Marco... as the ship's doctor, he should have already noticed Whitebeard's physical anomalies, right?"
During the Marineford War in the original story, Whitebeard's body was almost completely broken down.
He had several bottles of medicine hanging from his arm, and even drinking alcohol was restricted.
For his illness to have such a significant impact on Whitebeard's extraordinary physique, it was highly likely that it hadn't appeared within just one or two years.
Perhaps some early signs already existed now.
Even if Whitebeard's body showed no problems upon examination, he believed his sons would still want to help their old man live forever.
Kaido and Charlotte Linlin's reactions did not surprise Blake—
Both had recently issued private bounties for Devil Fruits simultaneously.
Putting down the newspaper, Blake knew very well that these people's actions would yield no results.
The news of the Immortality Operation would only unleash its true power when the Ope-Ope no Mi appeared.
The Ope-Ope no Mi, which was originally not so widely noticed, is now known to everyone. Does the World Government still think it can easily get its hands on it?
As for actions like gathering information and increasing bounties, they were actually more of a psychological comfort.
After all, even without this news, those major powers had always been searching for Devil Fruits.
Their level of importance could not affect the probability of a Devil Fruit being discovered.
Blake tapped the table with his finger, pondered for a moment, and then took out the white den den mushi he used to contact Aramaki again.
The den den mushi was quickly connected, and Aramaki's panting voice came from the other side:
"Your Highness!"
Blake nodded in satisfaction; it seemed this guy really did train regularly.
He instructed:
"There's a Marine officer named Dies Barrels, his rank should be between Lieutenant Commander and Vice Admiral."
"Send someone to keep a close eye on him."
"If this guy makes any move to betray the Marine, notify me immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Hanging up the den den mushi, Blake waved his hand:
"Rami, tell the Slaves to set sail, we're going to East Blue!"
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