Although they said they would rest and recover, the Rocks Pirates had already finalized their plan early on.
This time, they would split into two teams.
Team One: Led by Rocks himself, bringing along most of the crew. Their target—Marine Headquarters.Team Two: Led by Charlotte Linlin and Golden Lion Shiki, taking the trainee members. Their mission—attack Mariejois and slaughter the Celestial Dragons.
By the shore, not far from their ship—
The Rocks Pirates were having lunch.
"Captain Rocks! I have a request."
Amid the lively atmosphere, Kaido suddenly spoke.
Rocks finished his wine in one gulp, tossed the bottle aside, and looked at him.
"What is it?"
"When we carry out the mission… I want to join the second team."
His tone was slightly hesitant—he clearly lacked confidence, worried about angering Rocks.
Logically, he should have been assigned to Team Two already, since it consisted of trainees—
But Rocks had deliberately placed him in Team One.
"You scared, brat?" a senior pirate mocked.
"Hahaha, makes sense. He's got potential, but never fought in a real large-scale battle before," another added while chewing meat.
Rocks ignored them and stared at Kaido.
"You want revenge?"
"Yes!" Kaido nodded firmly.
"I was beaten and forced to flee by a Celestial Dragon and his guard… I must reclaim my honor. Please give me this chance!"
Rocks burst into laughter.
He grabbed half a bottle of wine and tossed it to Kaido.
"If you want to join Team Two, then go."
Kaido caught it and drank it in one go.
"Thank you, Captain Rocks!"
"Make sure you kill a few Celestial Dragons while you're at it," Streusen laughed.
Rocks, however, added calmly:
"Don't get careless. We don't know much about Mariejois… There may be monsters hiding there."
"Yes!"
After lunch, most of the crew rested on the shore.
On the ship—
Kaido approached Charlotte Linlin.
"I've done what you asked. I hope you'll keep your promise."
Linlin turned, a wild smile on her face.
"A mere Celestial Dragon? I don't care about them at all," she said casually.
"But if I run into the one you mentioned… even if his guard is strong, I'll rip his head off and toss it into the sea."
She paused, then added:
"But if I don't meet him, I won't go out of my way to find him."
"I understand," Kaido nodded.
"If we do meet… leave the final blow to me."
Linlin walked closer, patted his shoulder.
"That's easy. Now then—time for dessert."
And she left.
Two days later—
In Mariejois.
Is's digging count refreshed.
He opened his panel:
Digging Level: 1 (40/200)Digging Attempts: 1 (1/7)Characters: Madara (25%), Tatsumaki (20%)Ability: Paper Fruit (Burn Attribute)Haki:Conqueror's (600/1000)Armament (560/1000)Observation (730/1000)
Without hesitation—
"Activate positioning mode."
"Ding! Activated."
A virtual map appeared.
But this time—
Is's expression froze.
"…Wow."
"This location… it's getting farther and farther every time."
Still—
That wasn't entirely bad.
Madara and Tatsumaki had been bored stuck in Mariejois.
This trip could double as a break.
"Really? Really?!"
Tatsumaki's eyes lit up.
Since arriving in this world, she had barely gone anywhere—
Only once around Mariejois with Madara.
"You can stay here and guard the house if you want," Is teased.
"I'm not staying!"
She crossed her arms, turning away with a classic tsundere attitude.
Is chuckled.
Then turned to the maids:
"This time, everyone's coming. Consider it a trip."
"Thank you, Master!"
The maids were visibly excited—such opportunities were rare.
"Prepare yourselves," Is said.
"I'll contact the World Government to arrange a ship."
A few minutes later—
The news of Is's departure reached the highest level.
Normally, such matters wouldn't be reported—
But ever since their meeting with him, the Five Elders had started paying close attention.
They had already instructed:
"Any information about Aurelius D. Virel Is must be reported immediately."
So—
Less than a minute after Is hung up—
The Five Elders were already informed.
And somewhere unseen—
Threads were beginning to converge.
Rocks Pirates preparing to attackMariejois about to be targetedIs heading out on a long journey
A storm was quietly forming—
And this time, all paths seemed destined to collide.
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