"Hmm! It's truly an honor to have my name remembered by the Phantom Superstar!" Hawkins gently put away his fortune-telling cards. "But if you want to stay safe on this island, it's best to keep a low profile."
Ronglin was curious. "Thanks for the warning, but why has even asking about the Dark Exchange become taboo?"
Hawkins turned to look around. Seeing no suspicious figures, he continued walking forward and said to Ronglin, "It wasn't like this before. In the past, it was an underground trading event initiated by the Pirate Alliance. But I heard that several of the Pirate Alliance's major leaders were defeated recently. A lot of strangers have come to the island lately, and anyone who mentions the Dark Exchange simply vanishes without explanation."
"Something that strange?" Ronglin walked alongside Hawkins and asked doubtfully, "Even if the Dark Exchange's initiators were taken down, it shouldn't have become taboo, should it?"
Lowering his voice, Hawkins said, "According to unreliable information, the Celestial Dragons are about to make a major move. They intend to crush the Pirate Alliance in one fell swoop, then take control of underground trade."
Ronglin was startled. "Celestial Dragons? Why would the World Nobles involve themselves in the affairs of criminals in the underground world? If they mobilize, wouldn't that alert..."
Halfway through, Ronglin suddenly could not continue. He suddenly understood why he had encountered CP0's main force at sea, and why CP0's Log Pose had pointed toward this island.
"So the Celestial Dragons will most likely go all out to erase the Dark Exchange and completely replace its position in this world."
Hawkins spoke at length. "Just think about it. Once they take control of underground trading rights and extend the event's duration, how enormous would the profits and rare treasures they could obtain