Encounter

From the East Blue to the West Blue, and then to the New World, even with an airship, it still took Zoro and his companions a full two months.

Airships were not widespread, and their use was limited to the major islands of the East and West Blue.

In some places, this wasn't possible; for a large part of the journey, they had to travel by merchant ship at sea.

Once you reach the island with the airship, the rest of the journey becomes much easier; you simply need to take the airship.

Airships slowly descended from the sky, landing in the spacious square, with airships coming and going.

This is Plun Island, a large island in the southern part of the Night Sea Domain near the Calm Belt. It is also the first stop for people traveling from the West Blue to the New World. As a result, the large influx of people made the island very prosperous in just two or three years.

Most of them are guests from all over the world, and of course there are also people who want to go to or return to the world.

"This is the New World!" Zoro, with his short stature, looked around curiously. Clearly, he saw many powerful individuals among them.

Among them are pirates, bounty hunters, and lone wolves.

Everything he experienced along the way filled him with curiosity.

"This is just the first stop, gathering powerful individuals from all corners of the world. Once we reach Pagila Island, that will be the real New World," Koshiro with a smile, wearing his glasses.

"I also ventured out to sea when I was young. The New World has changed a lot. Now, let's grab something to eat first, and then buy a map."

Koshiro may look a little thin, but his strength should not be underestimated. This is the territory of the Night Pirates, and it also contains a large number of pirates.

Pirates from the West Blue, and even the four seas, want to cross the Grand Line, evade the Navy's pursuit, and reach the New World directly.

Many pirates retained their original bad habits, and with watchful eyes all around, Koshiro's calm face belied a powerful aura.

He turned his head slightly, and the spying pirates felt a blinding glint in his eyes, and were genuinely terrified, as if they were being targeted by a hunter.

Now they realized that this was someone they couldn't afford to offend.

If anyone dares to cause trouble, the Night Pirates will strike them down immediately. The entire island boasts a three-thousand-strong army led by a Demon Pillar.

As their first stop, the stability of this island is crucial to the reputation and interests of the Night Pirates. Any discovery there would be seen as a provocation against them, and they would not let it go easily.

These pirates from all corners of the world will be easily suppressed.

The mechanical eyes hidden in the shadows, and the mechanical dogs patrolling in the open, were all things that most of the guests from all over the world were seeing for the first time.

To accommodate guests from all over the world, the island is well-equipped, especially in terms of dining and entertainment.

This is a bustling metropolis, backed by the enormous profits of being the first stop from all corners of the world to the New World. Wealth from all corners of the world flows into Plun Island, as well as various islands that arrive at Pagila Island, and into the Night Sea Domain.

This is essentially the development of the tourism industry.

Thanks to Koshiro's intimidation, some unnecessary trouble was avoided.

After resting, the three of them took the airship back to Pagila Island.

It was a long journey, both for Zoro and Kuina. It was their first time leaving Shimotsuki Village, and for such a far place, taking so long.

However, they didn't find it boring; they continued their special training and battles along the way.

The competition within the Combat Pyramid is extremely fierce; those who want to rise to the top must improve their strength as much as possible.

They lack the experience and skill to hone their combat abilities; their usual battles are merely sparring sessions.

They are prepared, and they need to put in more effort.

On the other side, Garron and Mijela, both seven years old, said goodbye to their mother and grandfather and left the island where they had lived for seven years.

"Should we go see Father first, or Brother first?" Under Mody's escort, the two boarded the airship bound for Pagila Island. Garron looked at Mijela and asked.

"Of course I'd go find my father. I often have video calls with Saga, so there's no point in seeing him." Mijela answered Garron's question without hesitation, without considering whether his words would hurt Saga if he heard them.

"That's true. By the time we get to Pagila Island, Father will definitely know how we are doing." Garron nodded. Their father had been keeping an eye on them, and he probably already knew in ways they weren't aware of.

My mother and grandfather will definitely tell my father about their departure.

Saga leaned back in his chair, looking out the window at the sea.

He was already thinking about the Devil Fruit he was about to acquire, and at the same time, a domineering figure different from his father appeared in his mind. He already had Devil Fruit he wanted.

His heart was pounding; he was filled with anticipation.

Just as Garron had suspected, Teach already knew that his children had set off and would arrive soon.

He informed Mostima of the news, trusting that Mostima would handle it.

"The child of the Overlord?" Mostima muttered to himself, taking the news very seriously, and picked up a Den Den Mushi.

"What can I do for you, Mostima?" Lafitte answered the Den Den Mushi, somewhat curious about why Mostima was calling.

Mostima explained the situation, Lafitte nodded before quickly flying away from the Combat Pyramid. With the captain's children arriving, their safety naturally needed to be ensured.

Teach, after putting down the Den Den Mushi, went alone to a small courtyard.

The yard was empty except for a small tree with only one huge fruit on it— Devil Fruit.

The fruit has a ferocious appearance, is golden overall, with mysterious patterns, three leaves drooping to one side, and shimmering light flashes around the fruit.

Teach could clearly sense the violent and terrifying will within the fruit.

Seemingly sensing Teach's arrival, the calm Devil Fruit began to stir with excitement.

The invisible force it exudes carries considerable pressure.

Electricity was generated from the void, and an invisible force field seemed to surround the area.

This is an electric arc generated by the powerful gravitational distortion of the magnetic field, emanating from the power within the fruit.

It's clear how terrifying this Devil Fruit; the God Creation Plan has been a complete success, and the Devil Fruit is nearing maturity.

The will contained within the Zoan Devil Fruit was fully displayed at this moment. Teach could clearly feel its excitement, like a child calling out to him, wanting him to eat it.

Teach himself clearly felt a desire to eat it, but he managed to suppress it.

Standing before it, Teach reached out and gently stroked it, his fingers brushing over the three slender leaves that resembled a head, a feeling of intimacy welling up within him.

"Soon, just wait a little longer, let it grow a little more," Teach comforted it softly, calling its name. "Then, we'll be one, Ghidorah."

Seemingly having heard Teach's words, it withdrew its power and calmed down, but the shimmering light around the fruit did not disappear. Bathed in sunlight, it seemed to be absorbing nutrients to grow.

Teach also wanted to eat it, but it hadn't reached its limit yet. The Devil Fruit's growth was still in its nascent stage; once it was picked, the fruit's power would only be at this level.

Teach hopes it can grow to its full potential and become even stronger.

Ghidorah is Mythical Zoan, a legendary creature created by humans.

They are alien species, powerful life forms living in space, and the kings of monsters.

As his last Devil Fruit, Teach placed endless expectations on it.

Watching it grow from the size of a flower bud to what it is now is truly like watching my own child grow up, and I've spent countless times more time with it than with my own children.

It is precisely because of this that he has witnessed its growth from a weak will to the powerful and domineering state that Teach imagined it to be—a true Beast King.

It will take time to grow, but it will be soon, about a year, when it will be at its most perfect.

Teach's heart was pounding, as if resonating with Ghidorah. He would not leave the Night Palace for the foreseeable future, until Ghidorah reached its full potential and finally merged with him.

After a long journey, the three finally reached their destination, Pagila Island, and were awestruck by the enormous harbor before them.

The Plun Island they had seen before was already very prosperous, but compared to Pagila Island, they had to admit their ignorance; Pagila Island's prosperity was beyond their imagination.

Although Kuina was shocked inside, she handled her facial expression well.

Zoro stared wide-eyed, his mouth agape, as if he were a complete country bumpkin.

Members of various races can be seen, Long Arm Tribe, the Long Leg Tribe, the Snake-Head Tribe, and even the Giant race.

Since the Night Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates formed a marriage alliance, the Giant race have reconciled with Big Mom and formed a marriage alliance with the Big Mom Pirates.

Many more giants have left Elbaf, and now the Giant race in the Night Sea Domain exceeds fifty, most of whom are on Pagila Island.

The giant guardians of the Combat Pyramid are also a unique feature of the Combat Pyramid, giving countless first-time Combat Pyramid a profound sense of awe.

Several members of the Giant race were unloading goods at the port. With their enormous appetites, they had to work to support themselves since they couldn't plunder.

What attracted his attention most was the Combat Pyramid, which could be seen from afar.

At a height of several thousand meters, everything seemed incredibly small in the face of the Combat Pyramid; that was where they would be staying.

"You can basically buy anything in the world here, but the most important thing is the Combat Pyramid. It's a bit of a pity that I didn't come to the Kendo Tournament many years ago." Koshiro said with some regret. Back then, he actually wanted to participate in the Kendo Tournament.

Unfortunately, his daughter was too young and his wife had died early, causing him to miss this opportunity.

Countless swordsmen have broken through in kendo tournaments, and hundreds of Swordmaster have emerged. Perhaps he can also take this opportunity to make even greater progress.

In his spare time, he would often watch the battles of various Great Swordmaster in the kendo tournament and gain some insights, but unfortunately, it couldn't compare to the understanding he gained from personal experience.

"Crack!"

"Garron, that little green-haired brat looks kind of cute, though he's a bit silly." A clear laugh rang out from the side as a silver-haired girl in a black dress pointed at Zoro and laughed at her younger brother beside her.

Holding the camera, he shook it slightly. "I've already taken the picture. I didn't expect to see such an interesting scene so soon after arriving."

"Sigh." Kuina rubbed her forehead, feeling ashamed to face anyone. Zoro's appearance was indeed quite embarrassing.

Garron did find Zoro's appearance somewhat amusing, and he was also quite shocked, but he didn't show it, lest he embarrass himself in front of so many people.

Look at the photos taken by Mijela; the angle and timing are just right, perfectly capturing Zoro's shocked expression.

Mijela's personality is like that; she seems quiet, but she's actually very lively.

She also has the talent of a photographer, and she took quite a few photos along the way.

Hearing someone laughing at him, Zoro went closer to take a look and blushed instantly when he saw his own face. "Hey, hey, delete it right now!"

He has a strong sense of pride, which angered Zoro so much that he drew his wooden sword.

Garron frowned slightly, knowing that this wouldn't do and would cause trouble, and that it was also his sister's fault.

"I'm sorry, that's just how Mijela is. I apologize on her behalf." Garron's words calmed Zoro down considerably. The other person had apologized; he was just angry in the heat of the moment and didn't really want to attack.

"It's nothing, just delete the photo," Zoro said, feigning magnanimity. Right now, he just wanted to delete the photo that made him feel ashamed.

Mijela was furious. She wasn't going to delete it so easily, but she admitted that she had started the whole thing, which didn't mean she would give in easily.

He glanced at Zoro, his eyes darting around.

Seeing his sister like this, Garron knew things weren't going to end so easily. He felt somewhat helpless. Mijela was stubborn and willful.

They had just arrived on Pagila Island; shouldn't they have kept a low profile? After all, their identities were special and they couldn't easily expose themselves. They never expected to cause such a mess.

"Want to delete the photos? No problem." Mijela glanced at the sword Zoro was holding and said with a smile, "You're a swordsman, right? You came to Pagila Island to Combat Pyramid."

"So what?" Zoro didn't know what Mijela was trying to say.

"Perfect timing, my brother and I are the same." With that, Mijela patted Garron on the shoulder. "He's also a swordsman, and a very strong one. If we defeat him, I'll delete the photo, how about that?"

"Don't you have confidence in your own abilities?"

To Garron, Mijela's smile seemed incredibly cunning, having dragged him into this mess in an instant, leaving him with a terrible headache.

This person had him completely under their control. In combat, they would not hold back. The young swordsman with short green hair in front of them was a little older than them, but they were confident in their own strength.

"No problem, when do we start?" Zoro was eager to start a battle right after arriving on Pagila Island.

"There's plenty of time. We have things to do right now. Since your goal is also the Combat Pyramid, see you there, green-haired kid." With that, Mijela pulled Garron away quickly.

"Okay, see you at the Combat Pyramid," Zoro replied. After a long pause, feeling a bit strange, he realized what was going on. "Damn it, what green-haired kid? My name is Zoro!"

"Let's go get something to eat." Koshiro watched all this with a smile.

His gaze, however, drifted to the side.

Just now, a gaze locked onto him, carrying a hint of malice, if he were to attack those two children.

However, he didn't have such thoughts; the person who was targeting him was very powerful.

"This is truly New World, "Koshiro thought to himself.

In his eyes, the other person should be similar to himself, both having been tempered in the Combat Pyramid by protecting the younger generation.

Lafitte, naturally, was in the shadows. Watching Garron and Mijela depart, he followed them.