Eternal Log Pose

After hearing Nova's words, Laboon's eyes showed a hint of hesitation. Then he shook his head, instantly stirring up enormous waves.

"Your Majesty, please stop talking to him, alright? If this goes on, everyone on this ship is going to die!"

Gogoya was so frightened that she sat on the deck, tears streaming continuously from her eyes. Fear had clearly taken hold of her.

The others were likewise filled with panic. Even Junhe was at a loss when faced with such a situation.

Only Nova burst into hearty laughter.

"Set sail. The mission comes first. We can come back and chat with this whale when we get the chance!" Nova said with a smile as he gave the order to those beside him.

None of them had any desire to remain here. Every last one of them hurried to leave. Facing something so enormous, even a sneeze from it could probably sink their little ship in an instant.

Barlow wished he could use both hands and feet, and even wished the ship could grow wings and fly away from this place. The danger he felt was simply too overwhelming.

Just exchanging a few words had already made them feel as though their lives were in danger. If they kept talking, that whale could wipe them all out with the slightest slip.

"Goodbye! When I get the chance, I'll come back and talk with you again. Of course, if you're willing, you can come find me in the Tru Kingdom of the West Blue!"

The ship had already begun sailing, yet Nova still refused to give up and shouted toward Laboon.

Not long after they departed, an old man who looked to be in his fifties appeared atop Laboon's head. His eyes were clouded, and only after the ship vanished from sight did he slowly disappear back into Laboon's massive head.

This voyage was not exactly an adventure. At most, it was to complete a mission, nothing like the encounters a protagonist would face upon entering the Grand Line.

Besides, at this point in time, there were not as many pirates on the seas as one might imagine, especially in the first half of the Grand Line.

Encountering one or two along the way would already count as remarkably good luck.

After all, the sea was so vast. The odds of running into a tiny pirate ship were indeed not high.

"Gogoya, where does the Log Pose we have lead?" Nova asked curiously.

"My apologies, Your Majesty. The Log Pose we obtained only leads to Alabasta. This is the only Eternal Log Pose for the Grand Line that we were able to purchase."

Gogoya said.

Gogoya, who had accompanied them this time, was dressed in a style completely different from before.

She had deliberately adopted the mature style Nova liked: a white blouse, a hip-hugging skirt, black stockings and high heels, a long ponytail, and black-rimmed glasses. It was clear that she had been full of anticipation for this voyage.

After all, with a capable king like Nova, there were many things others could not even imagine.

However, Nova noticed a key phrase: the Eternal Log Pose led to the country of Alabasta. He still had quite an impression of that place.

Then Nova seemed to suddenly remember something!

"Junhe, once we arrive in Alabasta, we'll dock there for a week. During that time, I'll give you a task. You must complete it!"

Nova's expression suddenly turned serious, surprising everyone around him.

Gogoya had never expected that merely mentioning the name Alabasta would make her king reveal such an expression.

Junhe wiped the smile from his face and adopted a grave, earnest expression. In a firm voice, he said, "Please give your orders, Your Majesty!"

"In the Alabasta royal palace, there is something vital to us: the item kept on Bartoll Island. There is a Poneglyph there, and I need you to destroy what is written on it. Are you confident?"

Everyone standing on the deck was one of his trusted confidants, so there was no need to hide anything.

Although Gogoya was curious about what exactly was kept on Bartoll Island, judging by the expressions on their faces, it was not difficult to guess that it was extremely important.

Naturally, she could not possibly guess what it was, but the seriousness on Junhe's face was unmistakable.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. Your subordinate will definitely accomplish it!"

Junhe said earnestly.

"There's no need to rush too much. That thing is kept in their royal palace, after all. Besides, this order isn't absolute. Just do your best!"

Nova suddenly relaxed and spoke to Junhe with a smile.

"Your Majesty, you once said that thing concerns the life and death of our kingdom. Even if it costs me my life, I will definitely accomplish it!" Junhe said.

"Then I'll be watching with anticipation!"

Nova said with a smile.

During the voyage that followed, the group encountered almost no obstacles. Their route led directly to Alabasta. Though they passed several islands along the way, none of them were of any use to them.

The ship was not lacking in supplies, so they only needed to head straight there.

However, as a kingdom that frequently appeared in newspaper headlines, the Tru Kingdom's departure was hardly a secret.

Before Nova and his party even reached Alabasta, the country had already begun making thorough preparations.

Inside the Alabasta royal palace.

"Left Minister, where are they expected to be now?" Cobra asked a man about his own age, though somewhat fat and round-faced.

"Your Majesty, the king of the Tru Kingdom is expected to arrive in Alabasta in another two days. However, we cannot be certain whether they will dock in Alabasta," the rotund Left Minister said.

"Don't worry! They will definitely dock here. After all, they need to travel to Mary Geoise, and only Alabasta possesses an Eternal Log Pose that leads there!"

Cobra said with a smile.

"However, Your Majesty, how could a small country in the South Blue know about something like an Eternal Log Pose?" the Left Minister asked again.

"You're mistaken. If they knew nothing of it, do you think that country could carry out such massive maritime trade, even rope the Marines into it, and leave them speechless?"

Cobra did not believe the other side lacked intelligence. Judging from the newspapers of the past, the Tru Kingdom was definitely not as simple as it seemed.