Another Shichibukai

There are seven routes from the beginning of the first half of the Grand Line to the arrival at Sabaody Archipelago and Fish-Man Island.

The Straw Hat Pirates chose the middle route.

Given the intense pursuit by the government and navy, Oboro and Dom remained hidden inside the Sea Kings's body until they were almost close to the Calm Belt. At that moment, the Sea Kings finally broke out of the water, opened its huge mouth, and allowed the two to walk out onto land.

Long had no intention of going through the Reverse Mountain, where a large number of people had surely been deployed, and he would be besieged as soon as he showed his face.

There might even be a naval admiral.

Therefore, he planned to go to the East Blue from the Calm Belt in the first half of the Grand Line, and then cross the Red Line into the North Blue.

The North Blue is located on the edge of the Calm Belt of the New World, and it is not safe to reach the New World. Fish-Man Island is definitely being targeted.

Not to mention, once we enter the New World, the Yonko might make a move.

The entire ocean is divided into four sea areas by the Red Line and the Grand Line. Only the East Blue and the South Blue are connected to the first half of the Grand Line, the Calm Belt.

Given his current condition, he has no way to reach the West Blue or the North Blue directly.

Of course, ships belonging to the World Government and the Navy are an exception.

Once ashore and breathing in the fresh air, both of them felt as if they had 'come back to life'.

Oboro saw that there were no warships or One Piece ships in the nearby waters, so he had the Sea Kings leave them here, thinking it was an uninhabited island.

"Are there towns?"

Oboro saw the building in the center of the island in the distance.

The Grand Line, though seemingly small on a map, is actually quite vast. The islands and locations marked along its routes are generally large or well-known, or at least inhabited by island nations. And there are many such fragmented islands, inconspicuous on the map, like the one beneath his feet. This area is close to the Calm Belt, so there are far fewer ships here. Most of the information he remembers comes from Luffy's Luffy; this one, being the furthest out... is completely unfamiliar to him.

The same goes for Dom.

His previous Flame Dragon Pirates sailed on the sixth route, which was quite far from here.

The purpose of going ashore was twofold: first, to gather intelligence, and second, to determine the location.

Judging by the time, they've been hiding at the bottom of the sea for almost a month now.

I don't know what the outside world is like now...

Since it's close to the Calm Belt, it's basically the edge of the first route.

Sea Kings are already considered fast swimmers.

Let's go.

Long was the first to throw away her filthy clothes and made a simple disguise, mainly covering her face.

The same goes for Dom.

After saying that, he headed towards the center of the island.

Along the way, Oboro discovered that all the timber on the island had been cut down, which was why he was able to stand on the shore and see the houses in the distance.

Because it's close to the Calm Belt and has a tropical, humid climate, it's conducive to vegetation growth. The ground is covered in lush, green weeds, leaving only scattered tree stumps—all signs of logging. After walking less than a kilometer, local residents appeared on a small path, most of them shirtless, using pickaxes to dig deep into the soil.

Meanwhile, some women and young children carried baskets on their backs, laboriously carrying the ore that had been plucked out.

Extracting resources.

What particularly interested Oboro was that there was a One Piece standing in front of them.

"Um?"

Upon seeing the two unfamiliar faces, the local residents became wary, while the One Piece instantly changed his expression and arrogantly walked over.

"You two..."

The moment he opened his mouth, Dom sprang into action, a blur of motion, and with a swift slash, slit Dom's throat.

Seeing this, the group of laborers turned pale and dared not make any rash moves.

The men shielded the women and boys behind them.

"Boss..."

Dom turned the body over, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

As One Piece, Dom was very familiar with the situation on this island.

Even without him saying it, Oboro had already observed it.

This is a private island, mostly occupied by a group of One Piece. The clothes worn by the dead bear the mark of One Piece flags.

It was a white skull, with two venomous snakes baring their sharp fangs emerging from its eye sockets.

Long had a brief exchange with the group of laborers; he asked questions, and they answered.

These people were clearly being watched by the dead One Piece. They were all local residents engaged in mining labor. If they were people brought in from outside through human trafficking, there was very little 'family' atmosphere. Some of the men, women and children looked like a family.

Upon inquiry, this was indeed the case.

This island is called Bona Island, named after the town on it, Bona... For many years, since the Grand Line's shipping route became fixed, and a large number of One Piece flocked in, Bona Island became One Piece territory. However, despite changes over time, although many One Piece crews have occupied it, life in the town has remained relatively peaceful and tranquil. The One Piece who once occupied this place mostly just collected some 'protection money' from the people on time, or built some entertainment venues on the island to make money... They could tolerate being a little harsh on the residents.

The ruler of this small island changes frequently.

The island's inhabitants had gotten used to it... but things changed when the Slick Pirates appeared.

The name Slick is the name of a venomous snake.

After the Slick Pirates landed on the island, they wiped out the previous One Piece crew and began to exploit the island on a large scale, starting with logging and now mining... Moreover, these people are doing everything they can to exploit the town.

Bona Island is not an island known for its mineral resources.

What's even more abundant here is forestry resources.

But now it has been basically cleared into a deserted island. The seemingly green grassland is actually a remnant of what was destroyed.

Selling resources!

For most One Piece, they will do anything as long as there is profit to be made.

Because, from a macro perspective, the nature of One Piece is generally considered despicable; this is a fact.

For the lowest-ranking One Piece, their dreams are not so lofty and sacred.

"The Slick Pirates? Never heard of them..." Dom shook his head.

He had been mingling in the first half of the Grand Line for a long time and didn't know there was such a group of people. However, the route area was different, and the level and information that his Flame Dragon Pirates could access were not high enough. They could only be considered the most ordinary force in the Grand Line... It was normal that he didn't know about them.

"But One Piece crews like this are indeed everywhere."

Dom added a comment.

One Piece also need to live and need money to support their crew. The simplest way to increase their income is undoubtedly through arson, murder, and looting.

His Flame Dragon Pirates had also done similar things.

Although Bona Island is small and remote, it is the best choice for many passing ships to serve as a resupply point between two navigation coordinates on the first route.

What puzzled Dom was that very few One Piece forces could occupy an island for years, no matter how small the island was; as long as it had resources, it would definitely be targeted.

Moreover, this is the Grand Line, and even some One Piece passing by are not to be trifled with.

Moreover, there's the navy.

He didn't believe that there weren't powerful pirates among the One Piece passing by Bona Island.

No navy personnel ever came.

"This is a no-go zone for mining. The Slick Pirates forbid all outsiders from entering here... You landed in the wrong place. There's a small dock on the other side of the island. Normally, passing ships dock there and are then taken to town. Although our Bona Town isn't large, it has developed into an industrial area over the years, with taverns, casinos, and shops selling weapons and supplies," the man speaking to Oboro told truthfully.

"What's the name of this One Piece crew's leader? How much is his bounty?... How can he keep this place occupied for so long? Is he very strong?"

Dom picked up the conversation.

"You'd better get out of here before their men find you!"

Suddenly, a cold voice came from the crowd.

Looking in the direction of the sound, Long found an old man in his sixties.

"No matter where you come from or who you are, this One Piece crew is not someone you can afford to mess with."

The old man repeated it.

"Oh? Why?"

Long smiled.

Dom didn't know, and Oboro had no memory of this One Piece crew... which means this group of people is probably not very good.

"The Slick Pirates were able to establish themselves in the first half of the Grand Line, occupy our homeland, mine extensively, and run various businesses... all unscathed is enough to tell you the story."

Compared to the others, the old man faced Oboro and Dom with a calm expression and no fear.

He's clearly someone who's been through a lot.

Maybe he was One Piece when he was young.

"Background?"

Long and the old man exchanged a glance, and Long immediately saw through the rhetoric.

The old man remained silent.

"Who?"

"I don't need to tell you."

The old man snorted.

"Shichibukai?"

Long stroked his chin, his eyes filled with amusement.

As expected, the old man's expression tightened as soon as he said this.

"Let me think... Although I don't know the exact coordinates of this place or its location on the Grand Line, it should be relatively far ahead... The other members of the Seven Warlords of the Sea wouldn't be eyeing such a small resource, nor would they be interested in doing such a thing... So, based on all the factors, it can only be him."

"Considering his current situation and his intense desire for money..."

As Long spoke more, the old man's pupils gradually dilated.

"You know quite a few secrets... things about him are rarely leaked... it seems your identity is not simple either."

Long smiled slightly.

"..."

An old man.

Crocodile, Crocodile.

Interesting.

Having just shaken off one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he stumbled upon another incident related to the Seven Warlords.