Unexpected Turn

"Could I be that one-in-a-million super genius from legend?" Lu Ge could not help indulging in a little narcissism. He then sensed his condition and learned the specifics. "One year... This is the power I would gain after a year of training. With my current ability, is one year my limit?"

He clenched his fist and felt an incomparably immense power coursing through his body. Walking out of the room, he threw a punch at a large tree some distance away. With a bang, the bucket-thick tree snapped in half and crashed down.

But that was not all. With a thought from Lu Ge, his entire right hand suddenly turned black. It was Armament Haki.

Yes, after one year, he had successfully mastered Armament Haki. Not only that, he had also completely mastered Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki, becoming exceptionally skilled and proficient in all of them.

With Armament Haki coating his right hand, Lu Ge punched the ground. Another bang rang out, and a massive crater appeared where his fist landed. The surrounding ground cracked like a spiderweb, showing just how terrifying the force of that punch was.

"Unbelievable. In just one year, I've become this strong?"

Lu Ge was truly stunned by the power he had displayed. It was hard to imagine that his growth rate could be so fast. In only one year, he had already gained such formidable strength.

If he developed his Fruit ability further and brought out the power he would possess two years, three years, or even ten years from now, would he not become invincible in this world?

Just as Lu Ge was about to personally test the power he possessed one year later, he suddenly saw Sanya leading a large group of female warriors toward him aggressively. Every one of them wore a stern expression as they surrounded him tightly, like they were wrapping dumplings.

This formation left Lu Ge somewhat bewildered. They had been polite yesterday, arranging food and lodging for him. What was going on today? He did not seem to have done anything bad, did he?

"What is this? Did something happen?"

Lu Ge felt that something major must have happened in the village. Otherwise, they would not have mobilized such a large force. As an outsider, he would naturally be the first person suspected.

Upon hearing this, Sanya did not immediately order her people to attack. Instead, she stared directly at Lu Ge and asked, "Where were you last night? Where did you go?"

Lu Ge said, "I was here the whole time. I didn't go anywhere. Did something happen in the village?"

Sanya continued staring at Lu Ge, trying to discern any changes in his expression. "Last night, eight villagers vanished without a trace overnight. The moment you arrived, something like this happened. It is difficult not to suspect that you are involved."

Lu Ge frowned slightly. Being suspected was indeed unpleasant, but he was the only outsider here. Given the circumstances, it was only natural that he would be suspected first.

Still, eight people had disappeared in a single night without any warning. That surprised him. This was Amazon Lily, isolated from the world. Not just anyone could cross the Calm Belt and come here. He immediately asked patiently, "Are you sure they disappeared last night?"

A statuesque woman over three meters tall stepped out of the group and nodded seriously. "It was last night. We saw them during the day, and their families all confirmed that they watched them enter their rooms to sleep. But this morning, they had vanished without a trace. We searched the entire village and the surrounding area, but found nothing. They definitely disappeared last night."

Lu Ge's expression immediately turned serious. "They disappeared from their own rooms? Did no one see them leave their homes?"

A young woman stepped forward. "No. I was on patrol last night. I did not see them, nor did I notice anything suspicious, or any unfamiliar people like you."

Hearing that, Lu Ge felt that this matter was far from simple. They had all vanished from their own rooms without leaving any trace, and no strangers had been seen. What kind of person could take people away without anyone noticing?

In this world, who possessed such an ability?

A flash of inspiration struck Lu Ge, and he suddenly thought of someone. "The Door-Door Fruit? But that's not right! What was the name of the Door-Door Fruit user again? Well, I don't remember. But I think she was a spy, an undercover agent, and one of the members of a government organization. She was on the side of justice, so she should not be coming to Daughter Island to kidnap people, right?"

But people's hearts were treacherous, and such a possibility could not be ruled out.

Seeing Lu Ge remain silent in thought for a long time, Sanya frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Did you think of something? If you cannot prove your innocence, then we can only ask you to stay in our prison for a while. Once the truth comes out, if it truly has nothing to do with you, we will naturally release you."

Lu Ge was so angry that he laughed. "You suspect me, so I have to go to prison? Why? Since you did help and save me, I won't hold it against you. But someone being able to enter homes, seize people, and do so without anyone noticing does remind me of one type of ability."

Sanya asked, "An ability? You think an ability user did this? Have outsiders come to Amazon Lily?"

She had gone to sea with the Empress before, so she knew about ability users. "Who is it?"

Lu Ge said, "Have you heard of the Door-Door Fruit?"

Sanya shook her head in confusion. "What kind of ability is it?"

Lu Ge said, "Anything a Door-Door Fruit user touches with their hands can become a door and be opened. They can open doors anywhere and move freely through them, even through the air. Therefore, if such a user acted while those eight people were asleep, they could easily take them away without anyone noticing. Likewise, coming to Amazon Lily would naturally be an easy matter."

"There is actually such an ability in the world?" The others, who had not seen much of the world, all revealed shocked expressions upon hearing this.

Lu Ge said, "But I can be certain they cannot be too far away, because this ability has a limited travel range. If they are not on this island, then someone's ship must be anchored in the nearby waters. Of course, even if it is not a Door-Door Fruit user, if someone truly came to Amazon Lily, their ship must be hidden somewhere in the surrounding seas. As long as you search the nearby waters, you will find the answer."

"But be extremely careful. Anyone capable of crossing the Calm Belt to reach this place is definitely no ordinary person."

Sanya's expression immediately grew grave. "Mana, take people and thoroughly search the surrounding waters at once. If you find a ship, do not act rashly. Report back immediately!"

The woman named Mana was the statuesque beauty over three meters tall. She was a reserve member of the Kuja Pirates and had yet to sail with the Empress, but it had to be said that her figure was truly voluptuous and fiery. She perfectly embodied what it meant to be a mature, commanding beauty—big, regal, and every bit an older sister.