Fierce winds and rain battered the ships on the sea, tossing them about.
The weather on the Grand Line was this unstable. One moment, the skies could be clear for miles, and the next, dark clouds would blanket everything.
After Roy crossed Mary Geoise atop the Red Line Continent, he arrived in the New World of the Grand Line.
A World Government vessel that had been waiting for him carried Roy swiftly toward Punk Hazard.
Wearing a raincoat, he stood at the front of the ship's unsteady deck.
Roy faced the surging sea, his face thoughtful as though he were contemplating something.
Of course, that was merely what outsiders saw. In truth, most of Roy's attention was focused on controlling Sky City above the dark clouds.
The terrible weather of the Grand Line posed no small challenge to Roy at this moment.
Violent winds ravaged the skies above the route.
While Roy struggled to control Sky City's direction,
all of Sky City's power facilities had been activated.
This storm was the first extreme weather Sky City had encountered since its founding.
Whether for Roy or Sky City, today was no small trial.
"Activate Unit One and keep Kalia Citadel on course.
Activate Unit Two and have Cloud Spider Citadel provide power to charge forward.
Activate Unit Three and have Cloud Shell Citadel maintain balance."
Inside the central command hall of Sky City, Albert, Torres, and the others calmly issued orders in an orderly manner.
As the Sky City's unique Gas Shells continuously supplied fuel to the units,
azure gas blasted out from specially constructed openings beneath the island clouds.
The city in the sky, which had originally swayed unsteadily, finally stabilized after its power facilities were activated, no longer looking as bedraggled as before.
Roy sensed Sky City gradually becoming stable.
"Long live Lord Roy! Praise the great Lord Roy! We have conquered this gale!"
Once the city above the dark clouds stabilized, Roy's burden immediately lessened.
But he did not celebrate like the Sky Islanders, because the wind and rain had not yet ended.
The reason Sky City had become stable
was, as always, that the so-called power facilities were merely auxiliary. The main reason was that Roy had devoted most of his focus to controlling the entire city.
Punk Hazard.
It was an island extremely close to the Red Line Continent.
Because it housed a World Government research institute, the island had always been a forbidden zone in the past.
In Roy's memories, this island was the Straw Hats' first stop after entering the New World.
Of course, by that time, it would already have been four years after the explosion at Punk Hazard.
After sailing for some time, Roy finally reached the waters surrounding Punk Hazard.
Standing at the front of the ship's deck, he looked at the densely packed dead fish floating across the sea.
After fermenting for more than ten days, the dead fish now emitted an indescribable stench across the water.
"Heh, it really does stink!"
He gazed at the ocean beneath the dark, overcast sky.
This sea area, once designated a forbidden zone by the World Government and the Navy, was now filled with warships coming and going.
As the World Government's largest and most important research base, Punk Hazard contained far too many things that needed to be salvaged.
As the World Government and Navy continuously deployed manpower into these waters,
Roy's ship slowly approached Punk Hazard.
He put on a sophisticated gas mask.
He gazed at the island beneath the dark clouds, saturated in purple.
Punk Hazard, once known as the "treasure trove of life," had now become a withered, hellish ruin.
Even Roy slightly opened his mouth at the sight before him.
"This poison gas is really powerful!
As expected of that fellow Caesar Clown. Poison gas bombs with this kind of power are truly tempting."
He licked his lips beneath the mask.
He looked at the desolate island ahead, where no life remained.
While everyone else was shocked by this sight,
Roy became even more determined to bring Caesar Clown under his command.
Because Caesar Clown was the chief culprit behind the explosion, he had already been imprisoned at Enies Lobby to await trial.
Therefore, Roy was in no hurry regarding Caesar Clown.
After all, Enies Lobby was CP9's headquarters, and based on Roy's understanding of Enies Lobby's judicial procedures,
the World Government would certainly not easily render a verdict against a world-class scientist like Caesar Clown in such a short time.
Bang!
The World Government ship docked at Punk Hazard's harbor.
Because the explosion caused by Caesar Clown had dealt its damage primarily through poison gas, some of the island's basic facilities had not been damaged.
"Lord Roy, according to the orders from above, your mission this time is to escort important equipment to Egghead Island.
However, the equipment is still being urgently recovered. The ship is expected to depart tomorrow."
A man who looked like a World Government official respectfully handed Roy the orders from above.
Roy waved a hand, telling the official who had come to report to attend to his own affairs.
"Oh, I didn't expect that fellow Queen to learn about the explosion at Punk Hazard.
No wonder the World Government sent us CP9 to escort the equipment. So the Yonko have set their sights on it!"
Like Vegapunk and the others, Queen was one of the world's foremost scientists.
Naturally, he was extremely interested in the World Government's research equipment.
After all, some things could not be bought with money, and that was especially true of Vegapunk's precision instruments.
With that in mind, it was no longer surprising that Queen had targeted the World Government's transport ship.
"But shouldn't the World Government have sealed off news of the Punk Hazard explosion immediately?
Then why did Queen know about it?"
Roy was somewhat puzzled. But then he remembered that even Doflamingo could plant a vice admiral as a spy within the Navy.
As one of the Yonko, Kaido's methods had no reason to be weaker than Doflamingo's.
He watched the Navy and World Government personnel wearing gas masks resolutely charge into the sea of poison gas.
After carefully folding the order in his hand and tucking it into his clothes,
Roy raised his head and looked into the distance, at the toxic sea that seemed capable of swallowing everything.
Then Roy turned and headed for the temporary command base.
Following a Navy soldier, he arrived at the room assigned to him.
With a bang, Roy transformed into mist.
"Artificial Fish-Fish Fruit, here I come."
Before you continue