Challenge of the Supernova
Roy and his group strolled down the street, attracting the attention of those around them like a magnet. There was no way around it; the two giants' sizes were simply too eye-catching. Even on the Grand Line, giants were a rare species.
"Captain, is it really okay if no one guards the ship?" Xia looked at Roy with some concern. After all, having grown up in the Well of Stars, she understood these pirates' desire for gold very well.
Roy remained silent, only looking at Enel.
"Hehe, I've set up an endless electric net on the Ark. As long as those guys dare to get close, they'll definitely be left with a deep impression—the impression of death." Enel was really looking forward to the scene when he returned; perhaps he would see a pile of charred corpses.
"Captain, it will take a week for the Log Pose to fully charge its magnetism. Should we wait patiently, or go find another pirate and 'borrow' a fully charged Log Pose?" Reiju asked.
"A week? That's fine, everyone can relax here for a while." Roy has plenty of time now, and it would be nice to experience the charm of the water city. Besides, if he remembers correctly, the blueprints for [Pluton] exist in Water 7.
Admittedly, Roy did not intend to build an Extremely Evil Battleship on his own. He was not the World Government and did not have the necessary conditions to build one in any way.
Just from the terrifying power of [Pluton], one can tell that the amount of money required to build such an Extremely Evil Battleship would be astronomical.
In addition, Roy lacked the necessary technical support and the lengthy development time required.
However, this does not mean that Roy was not interested in the blueprints for [Pluton].
By observing a part of it, one can see the whole picture. From these design drawings, one can perhaps discern the terrifying power of this Ancient Weapon, which is said to be called "divine."
Moreover, Roy was planning to cause trouble for the World Government. Although in the original story, the World Government ultimately did not obtain the blueprints for [Pluton], the future is ever-changing, and placing one's hopes on the unpredictable future is not Roy's style.
Roy's current mindset is that he can't use it himself, but he also can't let the World Government" benefit from it.
A bar in the center of Water 7 City.
There were quite a few customers here, and the bar, which should have been noisy and bustling, was now eerily quiet; you could hear a pin drop.
Many people stood frozen in mid-air, holding their wine glasses, unsure of what to do. They didn't know whether to put them down or to bring them to their lips to drink. Some even didn't notice the beads of sweat dripping from their foreheads into their glasses.
The source of all this was, of course, the two groups of pirates confronting each other in the bar.
Originally, when they learned that the Shichibukai, who had disappeared for two years, had appeared in a bar, they immediately thought they were in deep trouble.
They weren't star-struck fans among pirates; they always kept their distance from such great pirates. Trying to guess the mind of such a big shot was a foolish thing to do. Who knew if he might just shut down the bar along with it if he got annoyed?
To make matters worse, Meredith, the great pirate of Water 7, also set his sights on the resurrected Nightmare Roy.
They couldn't judge whether the long-established Shichibukai or the unstoppable Supernovas were stronger. All they knew was that the entire bar might be reduced to dust in the next moment. If it weren't for the infamous Beheader Meredith standing at the door, they would have already fled in panic.
Compared to these bewildered citizens, Bruno, the bar owner, was even more frustrated. As a member of the intelligence agency, he naturally knew just how terrifying Nightmare Roy's strength was. Not to mention that was only his combat power two years ago; he didn't believe that a man like Roy would have remained stagnant in the past two years.
As for these so-called Supernovas, he had heard of them, but apart from Fire Fist Ace who ate the Flame-Flame Fruit, the other Supernovas were not worth their attention. Supernovas strength might be passable, but they posed no threat to the World Government, so there was no need to pay them much attention.
This Supernovas is so arrogant that he dares to challenge Roy, that devil. He doesn't even know how to praise the other party's courage. Does he really think everyone is like the Nightmare Roy, who can take down a Shichibukai as soon as he enters the Grand Line?
Of course, he wasn't upset about some random Supernovas; he was just worried about his own identity.
Without revealing his true strength, he had no confidence in surviving the battle between the two sides.
But he also knew that Nightmare Roy was a top-tier expert in Observation Haki, and that if he revealed even a little of his strength, it might arouse Roy's suspicion.
Although CP9 and the Shichibukai should be on the same side in a sense, he carries a heavy responsibility. If the blueprints for [Pluton] are leaked, he doesn't believe that an ambitious man like Roy wouldn't be tempted, and then their mission would be virtually impossible to complete.
Just as Bruno was caught in a dilemma, Meredith finally spoke up, "What good luck to run into Shichibukai here."
"No, it should be your misfortune," Roy said leisurely, swirling the stemmed wine glass in his hand.
At first, Roy was really confused. Could it be that in just two years, he had become a Shichibukai? Did anyone dare to challenge him?
However, on second thought, Roy readily accepted. His goal had always been to be among the top few people on the high seas, and since he rarely had the chance to relax, he might as well have some fun with this guy.
Meredith was unaware of the tragic fate that awaited him. He simply took out the dagger from his waist, licked the blood off the blade with his tongue, and laughed in a chilling tone.
"Do you know? My ship's collection room is full of heads of all kinds, including those of high-ranking officials, nobles, ministers, skilled craftsmen, and beauties. What I'm missing now is simply the head of a strongman."
The patrons in the bar were horrified. They had heard of Meredith's disgusting hobby before, but thought it was just slander and defamation. They never expected it to be true.
After all, no matter what kind of pirate they are, they will all be known for their brutality; the only difference is the degree of their cruelty.
"Oh? You mean you want me to be part of your collection?" Roy's eyes narrowed slightly, his tone indifferent, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.
Those crew members familiar with Roy knew this was a sure sign of Roy impending anger, and they couldn't help but look at Meredith with pity; this guy was in for a lot of trouble.