New World, Edd War Waters.
Above the unnamed deserted island, there was no longer an island.
In its place was a volcanic vent nearly a thousand meters across.
Once he felt it was about enough,
Sakazuki dropped into the erupting crater and used his ability to force the magma down.
Then, an instant before the seawater swallowed it,
he shot out.
Now, only the boiling seawater showed that anything had happened here.
No one would ever know where that towering wave had come from.
Because no one would care about a deserted island that had vanished...
Sakazuki looked at the vanished crime scene and nodded.
Then he shot into the sky to rendezvous with Bullet.
Grand Line, Jaya Island.
When Monkey D. Dragon's warship arrived, several other warships were already docked at the harbor.
They, too, appeared to have been called in at short notice.
The island was small.
Navy troops could be seen surrounding it and conducting searches.
At the harbor,
Spandine, wearing a striped cloak, was discussing something with several Navy officers.
As Dragon's warship entered the harbor, they waved him over.
Dragon walked over and greeted them politely:
"Rear Admiral Leo, Rear Admiral Kit, Vice Admiral Phil De."
They nodded, and Phil De said to Dragon,
"Dragon, let me introduce you."
"This is Mr. Spandine, chief of the government's CP9."
Dragon reached out and shook Spandine's hand.
"Hello."
"Hello."
After the introductions, Dragon asked about the target of their mission:
"Vice Admiral Phil De, the documents say our targets are a group of scholars."
"Why mobilize so many forces?"
Spandine spoke up:
"Allow me to explain, Rear Admiral Dragon."
"These scholars aren't your ordinary illegal organization."
"Their objective is to research subjects forbidden by the government."
"The organization itself has over a hundred members."
"And they've