Preparation

Amidst the 'great attention', the Hell Pirates finally arrived at the sea area near the Red Line, following their route.

That is, the confluence of the Four Blues tributaries that we are about to cross, the Reverse Mountain.

From the One Piece ship's position, they could already see a 'black line' on the horizon.

That place... is the Red Line.

Everyone on the ship was on high alert, and the One Piece all looked excited and ready to pounce.

Ready to make a big splash.

However, the Hell Pirates did not sail there immediately.

Instead, they are waiting for someone.

Rob Lucci stood at the back of the second deck, looking at the group led by Oboro.

The God Slayer shouldn't... possibly let his hard-won subordinates perish at the starting point of the Grand Line so easily, right? He must have a backup plan. After thinking about it, Rob Lucci glanced at other directions on the sea and could vaguely see 'black dots' anchored in the distance.

Those were all well-known One Piece from the North Blue who came after hearing the news.

It was as if they were giving a 'farewell' to the Hell King as he entered the Grand Line.

Of course, these guys didn't dare to get close... The only reason they came was to confirm that the Hell Pirates had left the North Blue and entered the Grand Line.

"They're here!"

After waiting for about half an hour, two ocean-going ships, both flying the flag of the Hell Pirates, slowly approached.

Rob Lucci narrowed his eyes. Since boarding the ship, he had been training and practicing on the island with Dorans and the others, and the only ship he had ever seen was the Hell Pirates' flagship. He had heard that the Hell Pirates also had two smaller One Piece ships, and besides the One Piece he was currently facing, there seemed to be another group of people... connected to the Germa family of the North Blue. But before this, God Slayer had already sent this group to wait near the Red Line.

"As expected..."

Rob Lucci glanced at the soldiers on the opposite ship. They were clearly not dressed like One Piece; they wore uniform combat attire and were mostly armed with firearms. Since they were here in the North Blue on a mission, the information provided by the government covered a wide range of topics, including some information about the Germa Family. Germa, as a member state, providing aid to One Piece ... this might annoy the World Government, but it wasn't a big deal.

Although Germa's soldiers are somewhat special, only a few hundred of them were sent to the Hell Pirates... so there's nothing to worry about.

It is said that this is a deal between the God Slayer and the Vinsmoke Family.

"Not very useful."

Rob Lucci did a quick analysis: the One Piece on the ship, plus the Germa soldiers... with this kind of fighting strength, they still couldn't avoid being 'wiped out'.

Is this God Slayer is preparing for?

Then, Rob Lucci noticed Oboro Ta Bu through the air and boarding one of the small ships, gathering all the Germa soldiers together. Seeing this, Rob Lucci suddenly understood, and his heart sank... As he expected, the God Slayer made no further move; all the soldiers, just like he had when he was baptized by divine power, underwent changes in their bodies and appearances, acquiring the 'features' of the Demon Tribe.

Some soldiers were even given new weapons out of nowhere!

"His divine power... has no limitations?" Rob Lucci's pupils contracted slightly. Could it be that the God Slayer could turn anyone into the Demon Tribe if he wanted to? To make them combatants? No... if that were the case, he wouldn't need to carefully select 'members,' whether it was the One Piece on the ship or the Germa. This means that his divine power was probably not granted without limits.

But...

As Lucci watched the Germa soldiers being 'converted,' he couldn't help but feel a chill Rob Lucci his spine.

This is tantamount to the Hell Pirates suddenly gaining hundreds more 'Devil Fruit users'. He wasn't sure if Oboro had granted them any skill-type divine power, but this level of combat strength was already considerable. There was indeed a sense of tension and impending battle.

Upon seeing this, the One Piece on the ship shouted and jeering, their arrogance rising.

Should we notify them?

A thought popped into Rob Lucci's head.

After thinking about it, I decided to give up.

This behavior is too dangerous; if the God Slayer discovers it, the plan will fail.

Moreover, even with such preparations, the Hell Pirates' chances of breaking through the Navy's encirclement remain extremely slim.

He didn't need to go to such lengths.

The World Government and the Navy's determination to annihilate the Hell Pirates is absolute.

After a while, Long flew back to the main ship.

Everything is ready, now... it's just a matter of waiting.

He gave Dom a look, then returned to the lounge.

He planned to cross the Reverse Mountain after dark, which was an extremely dangerous decision.

Generally speaking, no One Piece crew would choose to operate at night. Reverse Mountain has turbulent currents where the Four Blues converge. Even during the day, ordinary ships could be destroyed in the narrow channel if they were not careful, firstly because it is difficult to control the current of the ship.

Secondly, there are the hard, steep mountain walls of the Red Line.

Sailing on a narrow waterway is certainly not as pleasant as sailing on a wide sea.

This places extremely high demands on the helmsman.

Daytime is undoubtedly the best time for visibility.

In the darkness... wanting to 'climb the mountain' is no different from courting death.

Many shipwrecks remain on the seabed and surface beneath the Red Line.

It's important to know that almost every day, One Piece crews fail to break through Reverse Mountain.

Many fragments of One Piece ships fall from the high skies above the Red Line, originating from tributaries of other seas.

But given his abilities, overcoming this challenge should not be a problem.

Moreover, the time to depart is not tonight.

We'll be staying here for a few days.

He had already explained things to the crew before he came.

Dom took a Den Den Mushi and turned to leave.

Rob Lucci noticed Oboro's gesture to Dom and frowned.

"The Hell Pirates made a lot of preparations... but even with the cover of darkness, it wasn't very effective."

A thought flashed through Rob Lucci's mind, and he also walked to the side.

However, nothing is absolute.

The government has an extremely high assessment of the danger posed by the God Slayer, and finds it hard to believe that someone would insist on forcing their way through a situation with no chance of survival. Furthermore, given his previous record of escaping from under the noses of the government and the navy on multiple occasions, the God Slayer must have some secrets to hide.

If... if the God Slayer manages to escape in the end, then as the only 'informant' lurking in the Hell Pirates, he will have to carry out the 'second half' of the plan.

On the deck, even Kaka, who is usually eloquent, seemed somewhat silent.

He, Kaka, and Yingge are not yet official members of the Hell Pirates; they still need to undergo a so-called assessment.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the final test will be this entry into the 'Grand Line'.

Fighting against the navy.

Even before the two have clashed, the difficulty of this great battle is already unimaginable.

You really can die.

But there was no turning back for the three of them; this was the only way for them to integrate into the Hell Pirates.

If Rob Lucci wants to continue infiltrating the God Slayer's inner circle, he needs to deliver a 'perfect answer'.

This is under the assumption that the God Slayer might 'escape' and successfully enter the first half of the Grand Line.

Swordsman Yingge was wiping his slender katana...

Kaka warmed up by moving his limbs...

Rob Lucci leaned against the ship's railing, gazing at the seemingly sunny sky and the vast blue sea.

Unlike the excited One Piece on the first deck, the three of them each had their own 'thoughts'.

I still have a few days to rest and recharge.