Woonan's Disappearance!

Near the Sabaody Archipelago, about eight or nine hundred meters underwater, Dane was slowly patrolling with seven fellow Fish-Man Race.

Today marks the sixth day since the 'Sea Spirit Special Forces' began their mission. Since yesterday, when he brought the bodies of Soto and the other three, along with the mission given to him by Vidal, to everyone in the dormitory, the Fish-Man's restless hearts have finally calmed down.

Although Vidal didn't say it explicitly, his meaning was clear: running away on his own would mean certain death! It would be better to stay and work for a few years, helping more Fish-Man and securing a bright future for himself!

Now, they are wearing blue trousers and white jackets with the word "Justice" written on the back, holding small, golden Sunflowers in their hands, swimming back and forth in this dark sea.

The standard Marine Uniform had two features: no jacket, a white shirt, and black combat boots.

However, these Fish-Men disliked the thick tops that were too heavy for them, and the combat boots were not only uncomfortable to wear but also severely hampered their movement in the water, so they simply abandoned both.

As a special operations force directly under Vidal, they couldn't very well be allowed to operate shirtless and barefoot, could they?

These Fish-Man might like this approach, but the former insisted that he was someone of importance and his subordinates couldn't be allowed to act so recklessly!

Therefore, Vidal directly pulled out a batch of coats from the logistics department, the kind that Smoker would wear in Loguetown in the future.

Originally, marines below the rank of corporal were not allowed to wear these "justice vests," but he still made sure that every member of the "Sea Spirit Special Forces" received one, citing the special treatment for special forces.

Even so, these Fish-Man didn't like wearing it, but due to orders, they had no choice but to drape it over their shoulders, leaving their arms still bare as they moved about.

Left with no other choice, Vidal turned a blind eye and let him wear it as is. As for his shoes, he changed them into white slippers, as Fish-Men love wearing slippers, though they would take them off when going into the sea.

Meanwhile, Dane, as the team leader, was promoted to corporal, or sergeant, and he divided the remaining fourteen Fish-Man members into two teams to take turns on duty.

For example, if one team patrols during the day, and a mission comes at night, another team will be taken out. If there is nothing to do at night, the other team will go to sea the next day, while the former team will rest in the dormitory.

Although the team currently only has fifteen members, which is a serious shortage of manpower, Dane still feels that such a system is necessary.

"This is so boring, Captain!"

In the training group, a Fish-Man swam along, looking at the dark surroundings and complaining.

"We might as well spread out and keep watch about 200 meters away where there is light, and then dive down when needed. That way, we can chat with the fish around us when we're not busy."

"This"

Dane paused for a moment, then stopped, because he felt the suggestion made a lot of sense; he had also been getting a bit restless for the past six days.

Although they were only patrolling near the Sabaody Archipelago, the area was still quite large. It was indeed inefficient for just one team to patrol back and forth like that, especially considering the limited visibility of only a few dozen meters.

This was his first time doing something like this, so he had absolutely no experience.

"Alright, let's do it this way. We'll keep watch at a distance of 500 meters from each other, and if anything happens, we'll contact each other using Den Den Mushi!" Dane immediately made the decision.

Although 500 meters is not a short distance, the Fish-Man can reach the destination in less than a minute with his super-fast swimming speed in the sea.

[Poluru, Poluru!]

Just as they returned to the seabed, two hundred meters below the surface where the light was, Dane heard Den Den Mushi ringing in his jacket pocket. His eyes lit up, and he immediately waved to stop the team from scattering while taking out the Den Den Mushi to answer it.

"Base Commander?"

"Yes, it's me."

Vidal's appearance was perfectly imitated by the Den Den Mushi, and even his voice was very similar.

"I just received a call from King Neptune. A pirate crew secretly infiltrated Fish-Man Island and kidnapped two young mermaids, one named Mana and the other Yinggeli. They possess the special ability to become invisible. However, the Neptune Army managed to capture a picture of their ship before they disappeared. Let me describe it to you now."

[Smack!]

Two minutes later, the Den Den Mushi hung up. Dane's face darkened, and he ordered his equally angry teammates, "You all heard that. Spread out immediately. Once you spot a target, do not act rashly. Stay hidden and report your location!"

"Clear!!"

The seven Fish-Man immediately received the order and, like torpedoes launched from the sky, sped off in all directions.

Dane turned his gaze away from them and immediately dialed the Den Den Mushi again, ordering the remaining seven team members stationed in the dormitory to come and help find the target.

This rescue operation must go all out; we must intercept the enemy, because that is the greatest reason for the existence of the 'Sea Spirit Special Forces'!

Inside the Marine Base in the Sabaody Archipelago, Vidal put down the Den Den Mushi, leaned back in his chair, and slowly closed his eyes. There were only a few documents on the desk in front of him.

In fact, there aren't many things to do at the base normally; it only seemed like a lot because it had accumulated for three days.

Once he finishes his daily necessities, he can rest until 1 p. m. However, he still has other things to do, so it's difficult for him to truly rest completely.

For example, if too many Celestial Dragons arrive and Colonel Noel is too busy, he will be needed to help create some Imperial Way, and he will also be needed to perform the "enlightenment" of 'Magical Creatures'.

However, he now has a new way to relieve stress: he prepares a batch of 'Consciousness Seeds' in advance, puts them in wooden boxes, and then has them delivered to the newly established factory. This way, he only needs to put them into the 'models' that have been built.

The development of District Zero is on track, and local residents will be able to move in around next year. His own life has become very rhythmic, and he is basically following the plan set at the top.

Although the process was rather uneventful, Vidal enjoyed the feeling that everything was developing slowly and his strength was steadily improving.

But he knew very well that these peaceful days were limited, merely a few years of calm before the Great Pirate Era swept the world.

When that time comes, whether he likes it or not, he will have to struggle desperately in the turbulent waves of the storm!

[Poluru, Poluru!]

The Den Den Mushi rang, but it wasn't one of the three office Den Den Mushi on the table; it was a personal Den Den Mushi from his coat pocket. Vidal took it out and answered it.

"Who?"

"Master, it's me!"

The caller was none other than Brian, the butler of Alabasta's Forest Palace and the Devil Fruit User.

"Oh, my head steward, what is it?" Vidal asked casually.

"Woonan has disappeared. He hasn't come back for half a year, and there's been no contact with him. He doesn't answer the Den Den Mushi!" The Den Den Mushi, mimicking Brian's expression, frowned deeply.

These words made Vidal raise an eyebrow. There was also a seed that he had planted in Woonan's body, but it was set to have an unlimited range. He needed to return to the Forest Palace every six months to prevent it from taking effect. If he exceeded this time limit, his fate would be no different from that of the four Fish-Man before him.

"Could he have died out there?"

If that's the case, then it would be a waste of a talented individual and a Devil Fruit that could be considered god-like.

"No, the Vivre Card is still intact," Brian replied.

The man wasn't dead! But he didn't return, nor did he contact anyone! Vidal was filled with suspicion and doubt. Had Woonan disposed of the seed in his heart? Otherwise, where would he have gotten the courage to do such a thing?

But the key issue is that he doesn't have a solution right now, and he's more concerned about how the other party solved the seed problem.

Thank you so much, Bird in the Sky, for the 300-coin reward! Thank you, thank you!

Thanks to Pi Shazhu for the 100 reward! Thank you, thank you!