The Dead Silence of Punk Hazard

Chapter 29: The Dead Silence of Punk Hazard

Fierce winds accompanied by rain battered the ships on the sea, tossing them about unstably.

The weather in the Grand Line was notoriously unpredictable; one moment it could be clear skies, and the next, overcast with dark clouds.

Roy crossed over Mary Geoise, which lay above the Red Line Continent, and arrived in the New World of the Grand Line.

World Government ships, which had been waiting there for a long time, quickly took Roy towards Punk Hazard.

Wearing a raincoat, he stood at the front of the pitching ship's deck.

Roy faced the churning, surging sea, his expression pensive, as if lost in thought.

Of course, this was merely the appearance to outsiders. In reality, Roy's mind was mostly occupied with controlling the Sky City above the dark clouds.

The harsh weather in the Grand Line presented a significant challenge for Roy at this moment.

Furious winds raged in the skies above the route.

While Roy struggled to control the direction of the Sky City...

Inside the Sky City, all the power systems had been activated.

This storm was the first extreme weather the Sky City had encountered since its establishment.

Today was a considerable challenge for both Roy and the Sky City.

"Activate Unit 1, maintain Kalia Citadel's direction.

Activate Unit 2, have Cloud Spider Citadel provide forward propulsion.

Activate Unit 3, have Cloud Shell Citadel maintain balance."

In the Sky City's central command hall, Albert and Torres were systematically issuing orders.

The unique Gas Shells in the sky continuously supplied fuel to the units.

Azure gas erupted from specially created openings beneath the Island Cloud.

The city in the sky, which had been swaying precariously, stabilized its form as the power systems were activated, no longer appearing as disheveled as before.

Sensing the Sky City gradually stabilizing.

"Hooray! Praise the great Lord Roy, we have conquered this gale!"

After the city on the dark clouds stabilized, Roy felt his pressure lessen.

However, he did not join the Sky Islanders in their revelry, as the storm had not yet ended.

The reason the entire Sky City had stabilized was, as stated before, that the power systems were merely auxiliary. The primary reason was that Roy had expended most of his energy controlling the entire city.

Punk Hazard.

This was an island extremely close to the Red Line Continent.

Because it housed a World Government research institute, this island had always been a forbidden area.

In Roy's memory, this island was the Straw Hats' first stop in the New World.

Of course, that was four years after the Punk Hazard explosion.

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 dense mass of dead fish floating in the sea.

After about ten days of decomposition, these dead fish now emitted an indescribable stench on the surface of the water.

"Heh, it really is quite foul!"

Gazing at the sea shrouded in dark clouds in the distance.

This area, once declared a forbidden zone by the World Government and Marines, was now swarming with numerous warships.

As the World Government's largest and most important research base, there were too many things to salvage at Punk Hazard.

With the World Government and Marines continuously deploying forces to this area.

As the ship Roy was on slowly approached Punk Hazard.

He put on a sophisticated gas mask.

Gazing at the island, filled with purple hues beneath the dark clouds.

Punk Hazard, once known as a "biological treasure trove," had now become a desolate, ruined hellscape.

Even Roy's mouth slightly agape at the sight before him.

"The power of this poison gas is truly formidable!

As expected of Caesar Clown, such potent poison gas bombs are quite enticing."

He licked his lips beneath the mask.

Looking at the barren, lifeless island ahead.

While everyone else was shocked by this scene...

Roy, however, became even more determined in his heart to take Caesar Clown as his own.

Because Caesar Clown was the mastermind behind this explosion, he had already been imprisoned on Enies Lobby to await trial.

Therefore, Roy was not in a hurry regarding Caesar Clown at the moment.

After all, Enies Lobby was the stronghold of CP9, and based on Roy's understanding of Enies Lobby's trial procedures.

The World Government would certainly not easily pass judgment on a world-class scientist like Caesar Clown in a short period.

Bang!

A World Government ship docked at the port of Punk Hazard.

Because the main destructive force of the explosion caused by Caesar Clown was poison gas, the basic infrastructure on some islands was not damaged.

"Lord Roy, as per the instructions from above, your mission this time is to escort important equipment to Egghead Island.

However, the equipment is currently being urgently salvaged, and it's estimated that the ship won't be able to depart until tomorrow."

A man who appeared to be a World Government official respectfully handed the orders from above to Roy.

Roy waved his hand, signaling the reporting official to go about his business.

"Oh, I didn't expect Queen to know about the explosion on Punk Hazard.

No wonder the World Government sent us CP9 to escort the equipment; they're being targeted by a Yonko!"

As one of the world's top scientists, alongside Vegapunk.

Queen naturally had a great interest in the research equipment held by the World Government.

After all, some things couldn't be bought with money, especially the precision instruments in Vegapunk's possession.

Thus, it was no longer suspicious that Queen was targeting the World Government's transport ship.

"But, wasn't the explosion on Punk Hazard supposed to be immediately contained by the World Government?

Why would Queen know about it?"

Roy was somewhat puzzled by this, but then he considered that Doflamingo could plant an undercover Vice Admiral within the Marines.

As one of the Yonko, Kaido's methods were unlikely to be weaker than Doflamingo's.

Looking at the Marines and World Government personnel wearing gas masks and bravely charging into the sea of poison gas.

Roy carefully folded the order in his hand and tucked it into his pocket.

He then looked up at the distance, at the sea of poison that seemed capable of devouring everything.

Turning around, Roy went to the temporary command base.

Following a Marine soldier to the room assigned to him.

With a bang, Roy transformed into mist.

"Artificial Fish-Fish Fruit, here I come."