Red-Haired's gifts and counsel were like stones cast into a lake, their ripples lingering in everyone's hearts. Robin immediately took the rubbing concerning the "Resonance Ritual" to cross-reference and decipher it against the Poneglyphs they already had. Shanks's warnings about Blackbeard's ambitions, Imu's threat, and not becoming a new "god" cast an even deeper shadow over them all.
But having come this far, they could only press on.
The combined fleet of the Dawn Ark and Revolutionary Army warships sailed out of the relatively calm passage on maximum alert. Just as Shanks had said, its end opened into denser gray-white fog that seemed almost solid. Visibility plunged below fifty meters. The currents grew chaotic and violent, and the ships occasionally gave teeth-grating creaks, as though invisible forces might tear them apart at any moment.
"Abnormal energy readings! The fog contains intense interference particles! Radar and sonar effectiveness is down seventy percent!" Franky's voice came urgently over the communications channel.
"Observation Haki is badly disrupted too. Its range has been compressed to under a hundred meters!" Zoro said gravely, his hand never leaving his sword hilt.
"All ships, maintain tight formation! Rely on visual contact and basic communications! Reduce speed and proceed slowly!" Dragon's orders came through.
Like blind men, the fleet struggled to feel its way through the all-devouring fog. Time blurred again, its passage marked only by the ticking of shipboard clocks and the uneasy beating of hearts. The oppressive atmosphere almost took physical form. Everyone felt as though cold eyes were piercing the fog, watching them from hiding.
After this suffocating atmosphere had persisted for roughly an hour, terrified cries and violent explosions suddenly came from the Revolutionary Army speedboat scouting ahead!
"We're under attack! It's Black-aaaah!!!" The transmission cut off.
"Enemy attack! All hands, prepare for battle!"