Rocks' Mission! Heading to the West Blue!

A few days later, Beehive Island.

The conference hall.

"You should have all noticed the recent movements of the Marine Headquarters."

"Not only have they recalled the two Admirals, Zhu Yan and Qiong Qi, but they are also deploying the vast majority of their elite forces to bases across the New World, drilling day and night."

"Clearly, in the near future, we will inevitably face a massive encirclement by the Marines!"

A deathly silence filled the council chamber.

"Sitting around waiting for death is certainly not my style."

Rocks stood up and walked over to the massive nautical chart on the wall, his finger tracing across the vast expanse of the New World:

"Therefore, we must strike first and seize the initiative before the storm fully forms."

He turned around, his eyes burning with a wild, frenzied flame:

"But before that, we need more weapons and ammunition, and our overall strength must be raised to the next level!"

"For the next period of time, I have important matters to attend to."

As he spoke, his gaze swept across all the executives present:

"You lot cannot remain idle either."

"Each of you will lead your respective fleets and plunder every force you see within the New World—be it pirates, kingdoms, or any other small fry."

"In short, complete the mission as quickly as possible, then use the plundered treasures to trade on the black market for the military supplies we need—weapons, ammunition, warships, and... Devil Fruits."

"Of course, do not stop your own pursuit of strength."

"If any emergencies arise during this time, contact me via Den Den Mushi."

The executives in the hall listened in silence, none raising any objections.

Everyone understood that Rocks was accumulating the capital required to shake the world for the final showdown that would inevitably come against the Marines and even the World Government.

This was not mere looting; it was the final preparation before war.

"Meeting adjourned."

Rocks waved his hand.

The executives rose and left one after another.

Soon, only Luo Tian and Rocks remained in the council chamber.

No one was surprised that Luo Tian was left behind.

Given the strength and status he had displayed, the captain surely had a more critical mission to entrust to him.

Luo Tian said in a calm tone: "The captain kept me behind specifically, so there must be a secret mission for me, right?"

Rocks laughed:

"Hahaha... you guessed correctly. There is indeed one matter that only you can handle."

"But the location for this mission is not in the New World."

"For the sake of security, you are the most suitable candidate."

"With your strength and Devil Fruit ability, even if a Marine Admiral were to arrive in person, they might not be able to stop you. Furthermore..."

He paused:

"The place you are going is quite far."

Luo Tian understood in his heart and nodded slightly, signaling his acceptance.

Suddenly, a location flashed through his mind.

With the entire crew mobilized to sweep the New World for treasure, it meant his mission was also about "seizing treasure," and the destination was so remote that it required special emphasis...

Combining this with certain information from the original story, Luo Tian tentatively asked:

"Is the target this time... the Ice Continent?"

The Ice Continent was located within the territory of the Flower Country in the West Blue. Legend had it that beneath those eternal glaciers lay a mountain of astonishing treasure, accumulated over more than ten generations.

It was the ancestral secret treasure guarded by the Happo Navy for generations, and its value far exceeded that of the Heavenly Tribute they had previously seized.

Although the Rocks Pirates were infamous across the four seas, their actual sphere of influence was primarily entrenched in the New World and had not yet extended to the distant West Blue.

If the target were within their New World territory, any core executive could complete the task.

But the West Blue was entirely different.

Once the operation was detected by the Marines in advance, even someone as strong as Whitebeard would find it extremely difficult to escape unscathed when faced with the encirclement of several top-tier Marine powerhouses.

However, the power and space abilities controlled by Luo Tian granted him immense mobility and breakthrough capabilities, making him the perfect candidate for such a long-range, covert raid.

"Oh? It seems you have heard of that place as well."

A flicker of surprise flashed in Rocks' eyes, and he immediately confirmed:

"Not bad, it is indeed the treasure sleeping beneath the glacier."

"The accumulation of eleven generations, its value..."

Rocks paused, his voice carrying a rare hint of anticipation:

"I fear it is far greater than the Heavenly Tribute we seized last time."

"If it weren't located all the way in the West Blue, this treasure would have been ours long ago."

He was slightly surprised that Luo Tian knew of this, but since the other party was aware, it saved him quite a bit of explanation.

"Once the deed is done, half of the treasure will be yours personally, and the other half will be added to the pirate crew's treasury."

This offer could be called generous.

Half of the treasure of the Ice Continent... that would be wealth enough to buy an entire country.

Luo Tian nodded calmly:

"Understood."

"I will set off for the West Blue tomorrow."

The next day, Luo Tian arrived at the port alone.

The island seemed much quieter than usual.

Whitebeard, Shiki, Linlin, and other commanders along with their fleets had already departed; the vast Beehive Island seemed to be left with only Rocks' direct fleet remaining.

Luo Tian walked to the pier, seeing that the berths, once crowded with masts, were more than half empty. Only a few ships remained docked, appearing exceptionally desolate.

They move fast; the orders were given just yesterday, and the commanders have already led their fleets out to sea today.

Luo Tian walked to the end of the pier, where a giant pirate ship was docked.

The hull was painted a dark red, with towering masts and rows of naval guns. Although not as massive as Rocks' flagship, it could still be considered an elite warship.

This ship was assigned to Luo Tian by Rocks for this mission, and it would also shoulder the heavy responsibility of transporting the treasure back.

Luo Tian's figure flickered slightly, and the next moment he appeared in the center of the deck.

"Look! It's Commander Luo Tian!"

"Greetings, Commander Luo Tian!"

The pirates waiting on the ship immediately gathered around, bowing respectfully.

These pirates were all elites directly under Rocks, their discipline far exceeding that of ordinary crew members.

"Is everyone here?" Luo Tian swept his gaze over the crowd and asked indifferently.

"Reporting, sir! All personnel are present, supplies are loaded, and we are ready to depart at any time!"

Luo Tian nodded slightly, saying nothing more.

He walked to the bow, facing west, his thoughts stirring.

Hum—

The entire massive pirate ship shuddered slightly, then slowly lifted off the sea surface, hovering in mid-air.

"It's, it's flying!"

"As expected of Commander Luo Tian! This ability is just like Commander Shiki's Float-Float Fruit!"

A chorus of suppressed, excited exclamations erupted on the ship. Although these pirates had seen Shiki's ability before, seeing Luo Tian use a similar method to make the ship fly still left them stunned.

Luo Tian ignored the commotion behind him. He pressed his hands into the air, and then—

Directed Void Flow!

[Directed Void Flow] triggers void energy to form a directed, surging current, pushing objects to move at high speed along a designated path!

BOOM!!!

An invisible current erupted behind the hull, propelling the thousand-ton giant ship like an arrow released from a bow, shooting toward the west!

As the hull moved at high speed, it rubbed against the air, causing a faint red glow to appear on its surface, and a cone-shaped shockwave even formed at the bow.

Three days later.

West Blue, a vast stretch of sea.

Luo Tian stood at the bow, gazing into the distance where the outline of the horizon was gradually becoming clear.

The faint coastline ahead should be the territory of the Flower Country.

This country is famous for its abundance of flowers and spices, and it also intimidates the West Blue with the formidable combat power of the Happo Navy.

"Raise the flag."

Luo Tian commanded indifferently.

Before long, the skull flag of the Rocks Pirates slowly rose to the top of the mast.

That flag, with its black background, a skull wearing a crown, and crossed blades behind it, symbolized the majesty of the overlords of the New World.

The hovering pirate ship flew into the territorial waters of the Flower Country.