The Old Waterway

The entrance to the old warehouse district was blocked by a rusty iron gate, which bore a seal left by the Kingdom Engineering Department thirty years ago.

The seal had been worn white by the wind and sand, and there was a very fresh cut in the middle.

Pell squatted in front of the door, looking at the cuts.

"They went in."

Sabo placed his hand on the iron gate, pressing his warm palm against it.

The lock on the iron gate turned red after a few seconds, and the internal mechanism made a soft click.

Vivi tugged at his sleeve.

"Wait a moment."

Sabo turns his head.

"What's wrong."

Vivi took out a small bag of powder from her waist and sprinkled it in front of the door crack.

The dust was gently blown up by the airflow inside the door, shifting slightly to the left.

There are ventilation openings inside.

Pell looked in the direction of the sand powder.

"If they buried poison gas behind the door, ventilation will carry the smell out."

Vivi shook her head.

"There was no poison gas, but there was kerosene."

Sabo removed his hand from the iron gate.

Pell looked through the crack in the door.

How did you know?

Vivi pointed to a small patch that had darkened after the sand and powder fell.

"Ket oil changes color when it comes into contact with this powder. When we were kids, Koza and his friends used this to sneak into kitchen oil containers."

Sabo held the pipe horizontally in front of him.

"They knew I had fire abilities, so they put oil behind the door."

Pell's face darkened.

"Once you melt the lock, the kerosene will ignite, and the wooden beams beneath the old warehouse will catch fire."

Vivi looked at the door.

The old waterway will collapse.

Sabo withdrew his hand and took a half step back.

"It seems they don't want us to get in alive."

Pell draws his sword.

I broke through the wall from above.

There might be oil behind the wall.

Vivi walked to the left side of the iron gate and crouched down, feeling around in the corner.

"This warehouse was formerly used to store irrigation equipment, and there should be a maintenance access road next to the old waterway inlet."

She used her dagger to pry open a loose brick.

A very narrow copper ring is visible behind the stone brick.

Pell reached out and grabbed the brass ring, pulling it outward with force.

A stone slab in the corner slid open, revealing a narrow passage just wide enough for one person to bend down and enter.

Sabo looked at Vivi.

How many places did you crawl through when you were a kid?

Vivi sheathed her short sword.

"Knows more than his father."

Pell entered the secret passage first.

Sabo followed behind, with Vivi bringing up the rear.

The passageway was narrow, and there were numbers carved by repairmen from the old days on the walls.

After walking about twenty meters, Pell stopped ahead.

"Someone's there."

Sabo lowered his voice.

"Several."

"One."

"Alive."

Pell did not answer.

He took a few steps forward, turned a corner, and saw a white-suited agent leaning against the wall, his mask half-cracked, his chest rising and falling weakly.

Sabo stepped forward and placed the pipe against the other man's shoulder.

"CP0."

The man did not speak.

Vivi noticed a deep wound on his abdomen, the blood staining his white suit dark.

Pell frowned.

"We didn't hit him."

Sabo crouched down and reached out to remove the other person's mask.

Beneath the mask was a young face, looking no more than thirty.

The agent opened his eyes, saw Sabo, and his lips twitched slightly.

"Revolutionary Army."

Sabo said.

Who hurt you?

The agent coughed, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"You've come looking for the door too."

Vivi took half a step closer.

Where is the door?

The agent's gaze shifted to her, then settled on the outline of the brass key on her chest.

"As expected, it's here with you."

Pell held the knife to his neck.

"Answer."

The agent chuckled briefly.

"Answering won't help."

Sabo placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Why."

The agent peered into the depths of the secret passage.

"Zero Zero One is here."

Pell and Sabo exchanged a glance.

Vivi asked.

Who Zero Zero One?

The agent's breathing became heavier.

"The person in CP0 who is closest to the will of the Celestial Dragons."

Sabo's expression changed.

"Isn't there five people in your second group?"

"There are five."

The agent raised his finger, pointing to the wound on his chest.

"But Zero Zero One isn't considered a group member."

"He is the order."

The sound of water droplets hitting the ground came from deep within the secret passage.

One drop.

Two drops.

Then came very light footsteps.

Sabo stood up and shielded Vivi behind him.

Pell spread one of his wings, blocking the narrow passageway from above.

The footsteps stopped in the darkness ahead.

A person wearing an unnumbered white mask stood there, his suit spotless.

He glanced at the agent lying against the wall.

You talk too much.

The injured agent's expression changed.

"Zero Zero One, I have completed the guidance task."

"You let the target into the maintenance access area."

Zero Zero One raised his hand.

"Mission accomplished."

Sabo's tube shot out as he raised his hand, the Armament Haki -covered tube striking Zero Zero One's wrist.

No refund Zero Zero One.

His index finger touched the side of the pipe, causing it to deviate by half an inch, leaving a deep mark on the wall.

Pell's knife slashed down from above.

Zero Zero One sidestepped, the blade grazing the edge of his mask and missing its mark.

While the two were fighting, Vivi bent down to help the injured agent.

The agent's eyes widened.

"Save me."

Vivi gritted her teeth.

You still haven't told me where the door is.

The agent was dragged to the back by her, and the expression on her face was very unpleasant.

"At the third fork on the left, go down, and don't take the path where you hear water."

Vivi looked up.

Sabo and Pell have been forced back to the middle of the secret passage by Zero Zero One.

Zero Zero One made very few moves, but each strike reduced the room for maneuver in the confined space.

Sabo's flames had just ignited when the opponent's Rankyaku severed the line of fire.

Pell's wings were restricted and could not be fully extended.

Zero Zero One glanced at Vivi.

"Hand over the key, and you can live until the list is published."

Vivi stood up, leaning against the wall.

"Then what."

"Then the Five Elders will decide whether Alabasta needs to continue to exist."

Vivi took the brass key out of her collar and held it in her palm.

"Then there's no need to discuss it."

Zero Zero One's finger was raised.

Sabo stood in front of Vivi, his shoulder grazed by Shigan, his clothes torn, and blood trickling down his arm.

Vivi's breathing hit a beat.

"Sabo."

Sabo did not look back.

"Walk."

Pell gritted his teeth.

"Princess, go find the door."

You can't hold him off for long.

Sabo's flames ignited along the tube, illuminating the secret passage.

"So you need to hurry."

Vivi watched the two figures disappear into the distance.

She pushed the injured agent against the wall, then turned and rushed toward the third fork in the road on the left.

Zero Zero One lifted his foot to chase after him.

Pell's body transformed into a falcon, forcefully blocking the entire passage with his wings.

A flash of light slashed out from beneath the wings.

Sabo's flames pressed down from the other side.

Zero Zero One stopped.

His mask turned in the direction Vivi had left.

"The heir of the Nefertari Family is more troublesome than Cobra."

Vivi ran down the side path.

The sounds of battle echoed from behind the stone walls, fading into the distance.

Following the injured agent's instructions, she avoided the path with the sound of water and chose the dry, downward-facing stairs.

At the end of the stairs was a stone chamber half-buried in the sand.

There is a door in the center of the stone chamber.

There is no keyhole on the door.

There is only a shallow groove with the same pattern as the end of the copper key handle.

Vivi walked to the door and put the key on it.

The copper key did not turn.

An old, mechanical sound came from inside the door.

Dust settled above the stone gate, revealing a line of Ancient Script that had been buried for a long time.

Vivi couldn't understand.

But the Sky Screen brightened briefly at that moment.

Below the countdown in the sky, a new line of small text appeared.

[Historical Node belonging to the Nefertari Royal Family has been detected. Grant Public Playback Access?]

Vivi looked up at the line of text.

Zero Zero One footstep could be heard in the passageway behind her.