The Journey Home: The Weight of the Truth

The Void broke through the deep sea and surfaced, giant waves rolling down the ship's sides, causing the entire vessel to violently rock and sway.

Kaido gripped the ship's edge tightly to steady his massive body, roaring in a gruff voice, "What the hell?! You almost threw me into the sea to feed the fish!"

Bullet emerged from the cabin, soaking wet, and casually tossed aside his dripping black hair, his tone indifferent. "The descent was perfectly smooth, but the ascent is such a mess."

Jin landed lightly on the air currents from the top of the mast, his white robes still dripping wet, his expression remaining indifferent. "The descent was steady and controllable, but the upward force was difficult to suppress. Next time, I will restrain my abilities."

Lin Yuan stood alone at the bow of the ship, most of the seawater in his cup spilling out. He silently placed the cup gently on the gunwale. Just then, the Den Den Mushi suddenly emitted a series of rapid buzzing sounds, Ginny's anxious voice burst out. "You finally have news! After spending so much time at the bottom of the sea, what crucial information did you find?"

"In just one day, we glimpsed the whole truth Void Century."

The rustling sound of papers turning on the other end of the phone filled the air, Ginny's tone instantly turned serious. "I've compiled three core historical facts. First, the World Government, which currently rules the world, was established after the twenty-nation coalition destroyed the Ancient Kingdoms, completely erasing that part of history; second, the locations of the Three Ancient Weapons have been determined: Uranus is hidden underground in Mary Geoise, Poseidon resides on Fish-Man Island, and Pluton slumbers beneath Wano Country; third, the D. Clan is the guardian of the Ancient Kingdoms, passed down through generations."

Kaido plopped down on the deck, looked up at the gray sky, and muttered to himself, "D... Roger was D, Garp also carries the name D. But you don't have a D, so how did you get into the secret realm that holds the truth of history?"

"The secret realm never recognizes only the name of D. Those who can reach it are chosen by fate. D is merely the guardian's mark, never the only ticket to entry."

Jin slowly stepped forward, his golden eyes shrouded in an impenetrable chill. "The Lunarian race were originally allies of the Ancient Kingdoms. The World Government slaughtered my people not only to covet our undying flame, but also to erase the history we know. The flame we were born with is power, but also a shackle that binds our entire race."

A faint gray flame flickered at Huijin's fingertips as he softly echoed, "All those who knew the secret of the Void Century either kept silent and lived on, or faced death. The root cause of our clan's annihilation lies here."

Bullet wiped the seawater off his fists, leaned against the gunwale, and asked, "The truth is all there. What do you plan to do next?"

A salty sea breeze swept across the entire deck, plunging everything into a deathly silence.

Lin Yuan's voice clearly reached everyone's ears. "We must first become strong, and then take Mary Geoise directly."

Kaido raised an eyebrow, his sharp gaze fixed on Lin Yuan: "Just for the affairs of an ancient kingdom that perished eight hundred years ago?"

"I'm not trying to save the ancients who have passed away, but those who are currently suffering on this sea. The South Blue is a hunting ground for humans, Punk Hazard's inhumane human experiments, and slave auctions are everywhere in the Sabaody Archipelago... This world shouldn't be this twisted. The end tells me only one thing: someone has to walk this path."

Kaido paused for a moment, then raised his hand and hoisted the Spiked Club from his shoulder. "So, are we going to deal with the Celestial Dragons? The Five Elders? Or the entire World Government?"

"What needs to be overthrown is this corrupt system that breeds injustice. Even if all those currently in power are killed, new ambitious individuals will soon take their place."

"If this succeeds, who will rule this world?"

"The ocean doesn't need a lofty king; it just needs to return to the freedom it rightfully possesses."

Huijin looked up at Lin Yuan, his tone tinged with concern. "How much of a chance do you have of winning such a world-shaking event?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but we can't just stand by and watch the status quo continue."

Kaido threw his head back and burst into loud laughter, his rough laughter sweeping across the sea. "Oh ho ho! That's well said! Compared to those bunch of useless Marines who spout empty words of justice, your ideas are much more to my liking!"

Bullet gave a curt hum and straightened up. "Since the decision has been made, let's return to port to rest and regroup before making further plans."

Jin gazed at the boundless sea and spoke softly, "Rocks left alone after reading the Poneglyphs, without uttering a single word."

"That guy is always like that, he'll just stand by and watch, he'll never lend a hand, and he'll never interfere." Jin leaped onto the mast.

As the sun slowly sank below the horizon, the Den Den Mushi) began ringing urgently again. Ginny spoke rapidly, "Urgent intelligence! Three hours ago, two CP0 high-speed warships headed towards your area. They are unaware of our underwater dive; they only sensed a massive energy disturbance in this area."

Jin suddenly turned around and looked at the sea behind him, his eyes sharp. "The two warships with pure white sails are CP0's exclusive ships."

Kaido, his fighting spirit surging, clenched his fists. "Let's just charge in and crush them!"

"Let's see what their purpose is." Lin Yuan remained standing at the bow of the ship, not moving an inch.

Two warships accelerated to flank, their hulls cutting through layers of waves. The decks were filled with agents in white suits and cold masks, their movements as synchronized as mindless puppets. The leader's voice was flat and emotionless, like reading a verdict. "Captain Lin Yuan, by orders of the Five Elders, you are to be captured alive and brought back to Mary Geoise. Any resistance will be met with immediate execution."

Kaido leaned out from the ship's side, sneering disdainfully, "Capture me alive? You'd better think twice before you do it!"

Two agents simultaneously raised their hands, and Shigan covered in high-level Ryuo blossoms shot out, faster than bullets. Jin activated the Float-Float Fruit, and an invisible airflow condensed into a barrier in front of the Void. The two Shigan slammed into the air barrier, the air exploded, and ripples spread across the sea.

"Launch the Seastone Binding Net!" a CP0 officer shouted the order.

Two enormous Seastone nets shot out simultaneously, sealing off all escape routes for the Void. Jin raised his hand to control the giant nets in mid-air, and with a gentle push, the two nets plummeted straight into the deep sea, sinking instantly.

Bullet leaped toward the enemy ship on the left, and the instant he landed, he slammed his fist into the gunwale, shattering the sturdy wooden planks and causing the ship to tilt violently. Dozens of agents immediately surrounded him, unleashing a barrage of Six Powers moves: Rankyaku, Shigan, and Tekkai layered upon each other.

He met the attack head-on without dodging or avoiding it, shattering the lead agent's Armament Haki defense with a single punch. The man screamed as he crashed through the hatch. Another agent circled around and launched a surprise attack, his Armament Haki Haki-clad leg aimed at his neck. Bullet dodged by tilting his head, grabbed the other agent's ankle with his other hand, and flung him away like trash, knocking down several agents on the spot.

On the other side, Kaido landed steadily on the right deck of the warship, his Spiked Club slamming down heavily, causing the ship to sink a few feet under the weight. A CP0 officer, wielding a short sword covered in Armament Haki, charged forward, the blade gleaming coldly, and slashed hard at Kaido's shoulder, tearing through the surface scales, and blood slowly dripped down.

Kaido glanced down at his wound, raised an eyebrow, and slammed his Iron Club into the deck, denting a large section of the bow. "It hurts a little, that's all."

The officer, wielding his knife, fought back with all his might, but was sent flying, knife and all, crashing through the ship's hull and plunging into the sea. Kaido swept his Iron Club across, sending the three agents tumbling into the waves like seashells, unable to rise again.

As the Ember swooped down from the sky, its undying golden flames coalescing into a fire dragon that slammed into the deck of the second warship. The flames exploded, burning a huge hole in the deck and causing seawater to rush in. The ship's agents were forced to jump into the sea and could only watch helplessly as the Void sailed away.

Lin Yuan stood at the stern, raised his hand, and tore open a spatial rift. "Jin, use the airflow to carry the entire ship through."

Jin used his aura to envelop the Void, and the ship smoothly passed through the portal, instantly teleporting hundreds of meters away. Bullet and Kaido followed suit, passing through the second portal that opened simultaneously, and landed steadily back on their own decks.

The CP0 officer who had fallen into the water struggled to the surface and was about to give chase when Lin Yuan tore open the dark portal to another dimension, cutting off all passageways. By the time the enemy reacted, the Void had already created a huge distance and sailed away through the waves.

"Close." Lin Yuan raised his hand and closed the spatial rift.

Two damaged warships behind them tossed about in the waves, no longer able to give chase. In the distance, on the horizon, a Marine warship slowly turned course. Garp stood at the bow, his dog-headed hat pulled down to his brow, a bag of senbei in his hand, his gaze fixed silently on the direction where the Void had disappeared.

A naval soldier behind him asked in a low voice, "Vice Admiral Garp, should we report the CP0 attack to headquarters?"

"Report it? Report that we watched our target escape and both CP0 warships were destroyed? I don't want to get a good scolding from Sengoku, haha!"

"So... you're just going to keep it a secret?"

"No conflict has occurred in this area today." Garp crushed a senbei cracker and waved his hand casually. "Look at the sea yourself. Where are the pirates? Where is the fighting? Turn back!"

The warship turned around and slowly sailed away in the opposite direction.

On the deck, Kaido sat cross-legged, with Huijin kneeling beside him. Gray healing flames rose from his palms and gently covered the wound on Kaido's shoulder. The bleeding quickly stopped, and the flesh slowly healed.

"That officer wields high-level Ryuo, enough to break through your scales. Don't try to tank attacks next time," Huijin warned in a deep voice.

Kaido grunted, "How can I gauge my opponent's strength without taking a direct hit?"

"You can test their strength first."

"That's not much power; it can't hurt me."

Bullet wiped the blood from his fist and said, "The Ryuo Armament, I've only ever seen it on samurai in Wano Country before, but now even the entire CP0 can master it."

"The World Government has been collecting the world's top combat techniques." Jin leaped down from the mast. "Ryuo, the Six Powers, all kinds of Seastone weapons—they've acquired them all. They're not just watching the strong rise; they're accumulating their own trump cards at any cost."

Lin Yuan leaned against the ship's railing and said softly, "They are also making thorough preparations for the inevitable great battle."

As night fell, the Void docked smoothly. Zephyr stood alone on the pier, arms crossed, his faded old coat swaying in the wind, his wooden sword resting at his feet. He glanced at the crowd, his gaze briefly lingering on Kaido's bandaged shoulder, but asked no further questions.

"Everyone is back safely?"

"Not one less."

"Come with me into the Castle for a meeting."

Ginny, clutching a thick notebook, rushed out of the Castle and stood before Lin Yuan, her voice urgent. "I've verified all three truths! The World Government's usurpation of the Ancient Kingdoms, the locations of the three great weapons, and the mission of the D Clan —all correct, right?"

"Exactly the same."

"So what's our next plan?"

"Eat and rest first, then convene an all-staff meeting immediately."

The long table in the Castle hall was filled with people. Lin Yuan sat in the main seat, his water glass refilled; Kaido sat to his left, with Bullet across the table; King and Huijin sat by the window, Kuma stood Kuma behind Ginny, Moria huddled in a dimly lit corner, Inazuma beside him wiping his scissors; Zephyr sat alone a little further away, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, resting.

Ginny spread the huge sea chart out on the table, pointing her finger at various points on it. "We now hold three key trump cards: Void Century buried for eight hundred years, the exact locations of the Three Ancient Weapons, and the mission borne by the D Clan. Right now, we still need manpower and the conditions to awaken the weapons."

Regarding allies, Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, and Roger are all potential allies; Rocks' attitude is unclear, but he will never stop us; Garp has already glimpsed the truth of history and will never devote all his strength to serving the World Government.

Regarding weaponry, Poseidon requires the bloodline of the Fish-Man Island princess to be awakened, and since she hasn't been born yet, we only need to lay the groundwork and establish good relations beforehand. Pluton is sealed beneath Wano Country, and the specifics of the seal need to be investigated on-site. I plan to send King to Fish-Man Island to finalize a deep alliance with King Neptune; Kaido will then head to Wano Country to ascertain the truth of Pluton's seal.

Kaido casually agreed, "It's a small matter, leave it to me, no problem."

Zephyr slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp. "When do you plan to march on Mary Geoise?"

"We prepared for a full year. At the end of the year, we headed straight for the Holy Land."

Late at night, Lin Yuan climbed alone to the top terrace of the Castle, holding a water glass in his hand, the cool moonlight spreading across the entire sea. Ginny walked onto the terrace and stood quietly beside him.

"You've never explained in detail why you're so determined to attack Mary Geoise at all costs."

Lin Yuan gazed at the boundless sea, his voice soft yet unwavering. "Hidden in the Final Island is not a forgotten past, but the path to freedom that was not completed eight hundred years ago. Now that we have glimpsed the way forward, if we retreat now, this journey to the bottom of the sea will have been meaningless."

Ginny paused for a moment, her tone tinged with worry. "CP0 has already detected the unusual activity in this area. Next time, the World Government and the Navy will definitely not send only two warships."

"Then let them bring in as many troops as they want."

Aren't you afraid of losing everything in the end?

Lin Yuan put down his water glass and looked at the silvery trail of moonlight spread across the sea. "Of course I have fear in my heart, but someone has to walk this path."

(End of Chapter 101)