Storm Clouds Gathering

Abbott Island is a very famous island in the North Sea.

The island itself is a huge active volcano with abundant geothermal energy, and it has many high-quality hot springs.

So, after geologists suggested that the volcano was very stable and would not erupt for hundreds of years, the island naturally became a famous tourist destination in Beihai, and its hot spring hotels are renowned throughout the island.

Every day, a large number of tourists from other places come to enjoy the hot springs.

However, on this day, a group of special guests arrived on the island.

When news of their arrival spread throughout the island, the once bustling island fell silent as all the guests fled in panic.

The island's native inhabitants quickly closed their doors and huddled under their blankets, shivering.

Because the person who came was definitely not someone easy to get along with.

Outside the island's most famous hot spring hotel, several staff members squatted at the entrance, staring blankly up at the enormous structure in front of them.

An enormous icicle stood silently in front of the hotel, as tall as several stories and more than ten meters in diameter.

However, what's truly astonishing isn't the enormous icicle itself, but what's frozen inside it.

Countless gold and jewels lay silently within the thick layer of ice, with even a faint golden light seeping through the icy surface.

Everyone who witnessed this scene would likely be stunned into silence, and most would probably be instantly overcome with greed.

However, the hotel staff did not do anything out of line; they simply watched quietly, enjoying the view without taking any drastic action.

Because they all knew perfectly well who these treasures belonged to.

At this moment, inside the inn, in the steamy hot spring.

"Ugh--"

Sirius lay down by the pool, his face pressed against the ground, and let out a long sigh of relief with his eyes closed.

"That feels so good!"

Page One lay down next to Sirius, muttering to himself with a contented expression.

"Jack, aren't you really not coming down to soak with me?"

Sirius didn't even lift his eyelids, lazily saying, "This hot spring isn't prickly."

"Stop talking nonsense,"

Jack sat on a small stool, scooping hot spring water from a huge basin to wash himself, and rolled his eyes. "We're all Devil Fruit User, I don't have the habit of putting myself in danger."

Someone has to stay on shore to keep watch.

"Ha ha,"

Sirius smirked. "Truly reliable."

"Snort."

Jack gave a soft snort.

"Then I'll come out earlier."

Sirius said leisurely, "Pay-tan, come and scrub my back."

"Okay, brother!"

Page One tried to stand up by bracing himself against the shore, but his body went limp and he sank back into the hot spring.

Glug glug glug.

You idiot!

Sirius was taken aback; he had just been about to rescue Pay-tan.

Then he suddenly realized that if he acted, he would only give the hot springs a double kill, so he quickly shouted, "Jack, Jack, help me!"

"So I don't understand what you guys are thinking!"

Jack transformed into a giant elephant and used his long trunk to pull Page One from the water.

"Phew--Phew--I thought I was going to die!"

Page One looked terrified.

"Hahaha, Pay-tan, you'd better be careful!"

Sirius laughed loudly, "We are Devil Fruit User!"

"You know you're Devil Fruit User!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Are there any other Devil Fruit User in the world as stupid as you?"

Before she could finish speaking, Black Maria exclaimed from the other side of the wall, "Yamato! Didn't we say to be careful?"

"Hahaha! This idiot!"

Then came Ulti's triumphant voice, "She actually said she wanted to go swimming—wow!"

Thump!

"Ulti!! I told you not to leave soap lying around!"

Black Maria's voice was full of helplessness, "Hiyori, please."

Jack pursed his lips and remained silent.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Sirius laughed as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Yamato, are you alright?"

"I'm fine..."

From next door came Yamato's somewhat muffled voice, as if he was still gurgling and spitting out water.

"Sirius, be careful not to fall into the water," she added, still a little worried.

"Clear."

Sirius responded with a smile.

"So, Sirius, what is your idea?"

Jack asked as he dried himself with a towel.

"Haha, well, about that--"

In a certain sea area of Beihai, at a certain Marine Base.

A warship slowly entered the port of this base.

There was a knock on the door of the base's office.

Before Vice Admiral Tsuru could respond, the door was pushed open.

"Sister He, I'm here."

A tall, beautiful woman with a long sword at her waist walked into the room on her own.

"Gion, I think I've told you this many times already. At least you should know some manners."

Vice Admiral Tsuru He raised his head, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Alright, now's not the time to worry about these things."

Her name was Gion, and her rank was Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral. The woman casually waved her hand, signaling her boss to stop nagging.

"I didn't come alone."

Vice Admiral Tsuru looked towards the office door.

Three figures filed in.

The man at the head of the group said with a smile, "Grandma He, we've come to help."

"Kashōzan, Momonga, Strawbery," Vice Admiral Tsuru frowned. "What are you doing here? Isn't the New World already in chaos?"

"Borsalino is at G-1 base, Sakazuki is at G-5 base, Teacher Zephyr's guerrillas are in the New World. Even if they cause any trouble, they can handle it."

The middle-aged man with squinty eyes, Vice Admiral Kashōzan of the Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, replied with a smile, "So Mr. Sengoku sent us over, after all,"

"Isn't the enemy terrifying?"

Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded slightly. "Alright, then you will also join this operation."

She said earnestly, "I won't go into details about how important the Heavenly Gold is; our operation concerns the safety of several countries."

"Clear!"

The forces of justice are beginning to gather!

Let's go back to a little earlier, to an island in the North Sea.

"What did you say?"

Diamante, enraged, grabbed the man by the collar and lifted him up. "You're saying Dover is beyond saving?"

The man he grabbed screamed in terror, flailing his arms and legs, but he was unable to break free.

"Alright, Diamante, let him finish."

Doflamingo sat in a chair, his face pale, wrapped in thick clothes, and his voice extremely weak.

"Think carefully before you speak if you don't want to die!"

Diamandy threw the man she was holding to the ground.

"This man," the island's doctor quickly said.

"This gentleman is seriously injured!"

"Almost half of his internal organs were frozen and shattered. Although they have been stitched up, the severe frostbite has still caused irreversible damage to his internal organs!"

He swallowed hard. "These internal organs have lost their vitality and are unusable."

"... I can't save him."

"You bastard!!!"

Diamante drew his sword and roared, ready to kill to vent his anger.

"Wait! Wait! I may not be able to do it myself, but I know someone who might be able to!"

The doctor clutched his head, looking terrified, and shouted loudly,

"Svalbard Island! There's a doctor on that island! He's not famous and rarely treats outsiders, but I know he possesses incredible medical skills!"

Svalbard Island?

Doflamingo shivered and instinctively pulled his clothes tighter around himself. Since that battle, he had become extremely sensitive to the cold.

"Let's go there."