Farewell, Blue Sea! (Please Keep Reading)

(Author's note: The conversation between Annus and Dragon in chapters 34 and 35 has been revised; you can go back and reread it... Also, please keep reading. If the follow-up numbers don't rise, this book won't make it to the third round, especially on Tuesday! Please help this streamer turn the final page! Don't let it sit in your library!)

Rocks planned to rebuild a reliable new force. Perhaps there would be a place for Sain, but Annus had little interest in Sain's field of specialization.

He would soon be returning to Sky Island, and biological weapons not only damaged the natural environment, but were also disgusting... disgustingly so on a level rooted in his bloodline.

Honestly, compared to Sain, Annus felt that he would be better off working with another scientist who specialized in "Lineage Factor" and "modified humans."

That man was named Vinsmoke Judge, the father of Sanji from the Straw Hat crew in the original timeline.

His personality was terrible, and his mind was nowhere near as useful as Vegapunk's...

That was why Annus had always paid little attention to anyone else at the Peace Research Institute besides Vegapunk.

Because even all the others combined were not as reliable as Vegapunk alone. Since that was the case, why bother wasting the effort?

"Alright, I understand, Mr. Annus. If I make a breakthrough in human modification technology, I'll be the first to contact you..."

Sain was somewhat disappointed that he had not received the answer he wanted, but he quickly pulled himself together.

There was nothing to be discouraged about. Compared to doing nothing, receiving Calamity's verbal promise was already an enormous gain.

Besides, there was still Rocks! He was the most infamous vicious pirate of the age!

Thinking of that, Sain finally found some motivation again.

However, when he returned to the paddle steamer, he was greeted by his colleagues' mockery.

"Shurorororo! Sain, stop trying to curry favor with Calamity and Rocks! No matter how sincere and humble you act, they won't invest in you! Vegapunk is there, after all!"

The speaker was a young man with a devilish face, shoulder-length black hair, and a pair of demon-like curved horns. One look was enough to tell that he was no good.

If Sain's appearance could be described with the word "thug,"

then this young man could probably be described as "sinister" and "treacherous."

"Exactly. You should have understood that long ago, shouldn't you? In proud Calamity's eyes, there's only Vegapunk. No amount of effort will matter... All this extra work you're doing is just a waste of time..."

At that moment, Sain's other colleague also came over. He was a thin, ambitious-looking man, though among the three of them, he looked the most like a scholarly researcher.

Listening to Caesar Clown and Vinsmoke Judge mock him, Sain snorted in displeasure. Then, suddenly thinking of a wicked idea, he smiled.

"Who said I failed? Calamity personally admitted that once I develop human modification technology, Big Brother Calamity intends to provide me with funding!"

"Huh?"

"You're lying, right? Proud Calamity would pay attention to you?"

Sain's lie was immediately questioned, but it also stirred different thoughts in Caesar and Judge's hearts, leaving neither of them able to remain calm.

What if it was true... Wouldn't that mean there really was a chance to get some money?

Some time passed once more. It was now the fourth month after the God Valley Incident.

Annus's five ships had all been modified, and it was time for inspection and acceptance.

It was worth mentioning that the process should originally have taken longer.

But for some reason, the other two scientists who had been staying aboard the ships, Vinsmoke Judge and Caesar Clown, had personally joined in without asking for anything in return. They guided Vegapunk's workers in their tasks, greatly shortening the required time.

"It's time to depart."

That day, after inspecting the performance of Aviation 1 through 5, Annus and his group finally prepared to leave Water 7.

"You lost the bet, didn't you? Garp's son still hasn't appeared, and that Azure Dragon Fruit..."

Before leaving, Rocks demanded his wager from Annus.

"What's the rush? Isn't he here now?"

Rocks froze, then followed Annus's gaze toward the dock. Sure enough, he saw a familiar figure walking toward them beneath the setting sun.

"Worororo... You actually called it... Come, Teach. Pay your respects to your 'godfather'!"

Though he had lost the bet, Rocks was not upset. Instead, he was delighted.

There was nothing bad about his son gaining another protector. He was already among the small handful of the world's strongest people. Where else could he find someone on his own level to protect his son?

Whether he won or lost, he had profited immensely. After all, in the entire Rocks Pirates, Annus was the only person he trusted.

"Why does it feel like I'm the one who lost out?"

Annus smiled, pulled two-year-old Teach close, pressed on his shoulder, then dabbed his forehead with olive oil he had prepared beforehand.

"I anoint you as my godson, so that you will not fall into darkness," he said softly.

At the same time, Dragon walked over from the distance, his gaze gradually becoming resolute.

"Looks like you've made your decision?" Annus asked Dragon.

"Mm." Dragon nodded.

"Then board the ship first. I'll assign you a mission afterward..."

After saying that, Annus left Dragon standing there and walked toward Rocks.

Rocks was now saying his final farewells to his wife and child. He did not intend to go to Sky Island with Annus and the others. Instead, he planned to remain in the Blue Sea and continue his plans.

"Xebec, you must be careful."

Alice held Rocks's hand. This strong woman, who had once been a pirate herself, did not stubbornly insist on leaving with her husband. Instead, she chose the safer, more conservative path.

That way, even if Rocks failed once again, the bloodline of the Davy Clan would not be extinguished.

"Don't worry, Alice. I won't lose again." Rocks curled his lips into a wild smile. "This time, I will definitely succeed! When that day comes, I'll go to Sky Island and bring you and Teach back!"

Little Teach said nothing, but he clung tightly to Rocks's leg. Although he was closer to Alice, the time they had spent together recently had made him reluctant to part from his father.

"Finished saying goodbye? I'm very busy, and the ship is about to start."

Annus interrupted the tender moment. "Rocks, are you really not coming back to Sky Island with me?"

"Worororo! It can't be helped, because I'm that kind of man! Until I ascend the throne of the World King, I will never give up!" Rocks spread his arms, his bold voice echoing throughout the area.

Fortunately, there was no one nearby. Otherwise, the World Government would probably soon learn that Rocks was still alive and currently in Water 7, located in the first half of the Grand Line.

Annus could only shake his head helplessly.

Rocks was the one person he could not interfere with. He was a man with his own convictions, and his strength was evenly matched with Annus's.

"Take care."

At last, Annus left those words behind and boarded the Aviation 1 airship with Alice and Teach, who kept looking back with every step.

As Annus placed his hand on the ship's energy-gathering core, countless electric currents flowed through copper wires into the energy storage compartments. The Double Breath Dials beneath the ships erupted with tremendous wind, and together with the immense kinetic energy converted from the power released by hundreds of Electric Dials, the five airships rose into the sky.

Below, by the harbor, a fat horned fish-man who had just arrived on the island looked up at the five ships soaring into the heavens, dumbfounded.