Swords Pointed at the Grand Line
"In other words... what is called divine power is actually his personal ability, a skill that can cause the body to 'transform'."
"Devil Fruit, huh?"
"I'm not quite sure... Besides this power, he seems to be able to manipulate airflow. To me, the way he controls gas... seems more like a manifestation of Devil Fruit ability. But whether he's Devil Fruit user, and what his specific abilities are... even those around him don't know. He himself never talks about it. Also... regarding the divine power I mentioned before, besides the physical changes, I also have a portion of 'memory inheritance.' Some battle scenes and fragments flash through my mind... After I regain consciousness, these combat experiences will become integrated with me, becoming my instincts. But I'm quite certain that those memories... don't come from any part of my past, but rather seem to belong to 'other people.'"
Is there anything else?
"Besides flesh and blood and experience, divine power also includes some skill-based blessings, just like the abilities of Devil Fruit... Those who are baptized will become ability users, but they will not have the weakness of fearing seawater, which means that Seastone has no effect on them!"
"..."
"Furthermore, I cannot be certain whether this ability conflicts with Devil Fruit... Currently, none of the officers on the ship are Devil Fruit users, which means they have eaten Devil Fruit, so... everyone has two abilities. This kind of skill-based divine power seems to mean that a person can only possess one... I haven't obtained this power, so I can't understand its secrets."
"Go on..."
"Several officers on the ship have awakened Haki, but they are not very strong yet... I don't know much about Haki, but I'm sure that as the captain, his level of Haki and physical skills are extraordinary. Currently, the members of the Hell Pirates scattered in the North Blue will be returning soon... I guess he will be heading to the Red Line soon."
"Be careful. The God Slayer is no ordinary person. From our analysis, he is very cunning and meticulous in his thinking... You must keep a good disguise. However, the fact that he granted you divine power should have aroused no suspicion."
"Um."
In a secluded cave on the island, Rob Lucci sat on the ground, his back against the cold wall, holding a Den Den Mushi (snail Den Den Mushi) that could only communicate with the World Government, and gave a report.
At this moment, his appearance had already changed slightly.
The most striking feature is that the pupils of his eyes have turned pale red.
More than a month has passed since he first set foot on the island.
He himself was also blessed by two divine powers: bloodline and experience.
As Lucci learned more about the Hell Pirates, especially about God Slayer, Rob Lucci apprehension deepened... But he felt no fear or dread; he simply believed that Godslayer's existence would affect the situation at sea and even the atmosphere of the world... The public opinion that God Slayer could generate was too great.
Moreover, this guy is clearly here to 'make a big splash'.
In order to uphold the interests of the World Government, or rather, to consolidate the Celestial Dragons' position and fulfill the "ideals of justice" instilled in them from the very beginning of their government training, the Hell Pirates, this "evil force," must be eradicated. If left unchecked, these people will eventually threaten the "foundation of the world."
Fortunately, the Hell Pirates are still in their early stages, having only recently been established, and their facilities are not yet fully developed.
For example, the fact that the One Piece crew lacks the 'ability' to intercept Den Den Mushi signals allows him to make preparations and find a suitable opportunity to contact the outside world with peace of mind. Moreover, Oboro, as the captain, doesn't seem to care much about this aspect.
"You did a great job."
After a while, the higher-ups gave Rob Lucci a word of affirmation, and after a brief exchange, they hung up the communication.
Rob Lucci put away the Den Den Mushi, got up from the shadows inside the cave, and went outside.
He habitually glanced around to make sure there were no other 'creatures', then moved and disappeared.
A few days later, a piece of news caused a sensation in North Blue.
The Hell Pirates set off for the Red Line.
Preparing to enter the Grand Line!
When this news broke, some people were happy, while others were sad.
The happy ones are naturally the various forces that have been able to divide up the 'cake' because of the appearance of the Hell Pirates.
What's saddening are some of the organizations and countries that belong to the Hell Pirates.
However, even if the Hell Pirates leave the North Blue, they can still return at any time, and it won't be so 'easy' to mess with their territory. Furthermore, it seems the Hell Pirates have joined forces with the Donquixote Family ... Although this hasn't been officially announced, many people have recently noticed frequent activity from the Donquixote Family within the Hell Pirates ' 'territory'.
Meanwhile, the Hell Pirates...
The trainee crew members who had been left to their own devices by Oboro have all returned.
Just as he had predicted, after a period of unbridled and reckless behavior, the One Piece became even more aggressive and arrogant.
Before the ship even reached the Red Line, many people were already clamoring that after entering the first half of the Grand Line, their Hell Pirates would begin to "slaughter everywhere," and storm the New World with "invincibility"... dismantling the power of the Yonko, and making the Navy and the World Government tremble with fear, etc.
Oboro never stopped these people from being arrogant and boastful... On the contrary, he would sometimes let Dorans fan the flames.
On the ship, Rob Lucci stood on the second deck, looking down at the One Piece below who were drinking and reveling, shouting and laughing, excited to celebrate their upcoming entry into the Grand Line. His eyes were cold.
"A bunch of trash!" He admitted that these evolved Demon Tribe One Piece were individually quite strong, at least enough to roam freely in the Four Blues... After his own evolution, he could better appreciate the wonder of his powerful physique. But breaking through the Navy's encirclement was wishful thinking! Even disregarding the title of "God Slayer," the Navy would be paying close attention to the Hell Pirates' current rise, and these few people... were simply not enough. Yesterday, Rob Lucci had even flipped through the newspaper... As a new One Piece from the North Blue, he already had considerable space on the page, comparable to some of the great One Piece from the first half of the Grand Line.
The navy could not possibly turn a blind eye to this situation.
However, this is also the source of the Hell Pirates' arrogance.
But they have absolutely no clear understanding of the Grand Line, the Navy, and the World Government.
That's... a completely different world.
"Aren't you going to do anything about it?"
Thinking it over, Rob Lucci turned around and walked to Oboro, who was lying on the chair, and tentatively asked.
He wanted to see what Oboro was up to.
He believed that Oboro couldn't possibly be unaware of the situation he was about to face.
The 'challenges' they are about to face will be more severe than those faced by other so-called Rising Star One Piece.
"What do you mean, 'manage'?"
Basking in the sun, he asked contentedly.
"We've clearly been targeted by the Navy... and now they're releasing news that they're going to enter the Grand Line. I'm afraid..." Rob Lucci.
Long smiled and gave Dorans a wink.
The latter understood, and right in front of Rob Lucci, he walked to the railing and shouted to the One Piece below, "Big guys!"
His shout immediately drew everyone's attention.
Below, some One Piece are drinking heartily, some are dancing, and some are fighting...
"The new recruit said... we should be careful, the Navy might be waiting for us on the other side of the Red Line!"
Dorans pointed at Rob Lucci behind him with his thumb and exclaimed in an exaggerated manner.
"..."
Upon hearing this, the ship, which had been bustling with celebration, fell completely silent.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
"Hey, really, newbie? We're the Hell Pirates! What are you afraid of?"
"Don't compare us to those low-life One Piece!"
"Our target is the New World! The navies in the first half of the Grand Line are nothing compared to us. They'd better have the strength to stop us!"
The next second, everyone burst into laughter, creating an even more intense atmosphere, and they all made different comments.
"..."
Seeing this, Rob Lucci frowned.
He glanced at the unmoved Long again, and a very unsettling feeling rose in his heart.
Something's not right...