As Rogge's ship sailed away, Hina took a deep breath and returned to the deck. The medic was treating the wounded. Though Hina was injured too, she refused treatment and told him to help the others first.
"Hello!" Hina picked up the Den Den Mushi kept inside the mast.
"This is headquarters. Colonel Hina, is that you? What's happened?" the Den Den Mushi asked.
"I encountered the Asura Pirates from the West Blue. Their captain is Marshall Rogge, the one who stole the Heavenly Tribute," Hina said.
"Marshall Rogge? Are you certain?" The person on the other end sounded startled.
Hina nodded. "Yes, it's Marshall Rogge. We just fought them. I saw four crew members, and none of them is ordinary. I need to send you the intelligence I've gathered. I'll transmit it shortly. Be ready to receive it."
"Understood. Please send us everything you have on them." The call ended.
Hina took a deep breath. Her injuries were not serious, so she began sending headquarters what she knew about Rogge. She also gathered reports from the other soldiers on Ham, Jelly, and Cook, then organized the information on all four and transmitted it.
Headquarters received Hina's report, reviewed it, and passed it up the chain. Once it went through the strategy department, it should reach Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office.
Meanwhile, Rogge and his crew landed safely on Winter Island, the second island they had reached since entering the Grand Line. The weather had suddenly grown colder, but Rogge was still bare-chested, and Billy was still spinning and leaping around the ship. The change barely bothered those two. Everyone else bundled into down jackets and followed Rogge ashore.
"Have you been here before?" Rogge asked Simon.
"I have. There's an underground city not far ahead." Simon pointed toward a distant glacier.
Every island on the Grand Line had its own peculiarities. Unlike Drum Kingdom, this Winter Island was covered in glaciers. Snow fell from the sky, rivers of ice flowed across the ground, and an enormous glacier loomed over the entire island.
"This is Earthfire Island," Simon said.
"Earthfire Island? Isn't this a Winter Island? Why call it that?" Ares asked curiously.
"You'll understand once we get inside. It's the secret that makes this island habitable." Simon left it at that.
They followed the icy path until they reached the foot of the glacier. There was an opening in it, and they could feel warm air blowing out even before they entered.
At that moment, none of them felt cold. The air was as gentle as a spring breeze, wrapping them in warmth.
"What is this?" Ham asked in surprise.
"You'll see." Simon smiled and led them into the ice tunnel.
They walked on and on, always heading downward. After countless turns, they finally heard voices.
Stranger still, the light had not dimmed at all along the way. The glacier's interior glowed, leaving them no need for lamps.
"We're here," Simon said.
An underground city spread out before them, green everywhere. The ground was earth rather than ice, and lush vegetation grew across it, brimming with life.
Once inside, Jelly and the others took off their jackets and carried them. It was getting almost too warm.
"What's going on with this island? Why is it so hot? Is this even an Ice Island?" Ham stared at the scene before him, struggling to believe it.
"Earthfire Island means exactly what it sounds like. The island has abundant geothermal heat, and its ice isn't ordinary ice. The glacier is hollow, with countless gaps inside it. Its layers act like mirrors, absorbing sunlight and reflecting it into the glacier. That's why it stays so bright in here," Simon explained.
"So it's just another of the Grand Line's bizarre weather tricks," Rogge said with a shrug. Even a crowd of long-legged beauties underground would not have surprised him. The Grand Line had too many oddities for that.
"Earthfire, plus this kind of glacier. That's how people can live underground," Jelly said.
"Exactly. Volcanic magma flows beneath the ground, but the volcano doesn't erupt. The magma simply passes through and warms the island from below," Simon said.
"No wonder warm air was coming out," Ham said.
The environment inside the glacier was surprisingly pleasant. The underground city's houses were made of earth rather than wood; there was little timber to be had. The heat below was enough to melt ice, though the icy ceiling hung far overhead.
"More visitors. By the look of you, I'd say you're trouble." A middle-aged man on patrol approached with a gun in his hands.
"What makes you think we're trouble?" Jelly asked, annoyed.
"I've seen this one on a wanted poster." The man pointed his gun at Rogge.
"So hiding inside a glacier hasn't kept you out of touch," Rogge said.
"Don't underestimate Earthfire Island. They call this place the granary. See all those crops? They're sold to kingdoms all over, and merchants come through here constantly. Pirates like you will get yourselves killed if you cause trouble." The man spoke with obvious pride.
"You really aren't afraid we'll cause trouble? We're vicious pirates, you know." Rogge grinned. Ham and the others recognized that look. Rogge was not joking; he was interested now. They were short on money, after all.
"Afraid? You're bluffing. I bet you wouldn't dare touch this island. It's protected by the World Government, which also manages its food supply. There's a Marine fortress nearby and troops stationed right here," the man scoffed.
"How long will it take us to stock up for the next island?" Rogge asked.
"It's fairly close. Six hours should do it," Simon said.
"I feel like cutting loose. World Government territory, huh? Heh, this should be fun. No wonder there's no kingdom here. The World Government runs the island itself." Rogge laughed.
"They won't bury us here, will they?" Ham asked worriedly.
"Who knows?" Without another word, Rogge punched the middle-aged man and sent him flying.
He had not killed the man. He wanted him to tell everyone else that Rogge had arrived.
He needed no other reason. They were pirates.
Before you continue