Ray tossed the attacker straight back to the secret base in the Rum Kingdom, and the three of them set off without delay for the Domini Islands, north of the Organ Islands.
But traveling from the Oykot Kingdom to the Domini Islands meant crossing almost the entire East Blue from south to north. The straight-line distance exceeded 2,400 kilometers, so it would be a long journey.
Meanwhile.
Back in the Rum Kingdom, Joseph, who had gone to Mary Geoise for a meeting at the end of the previous year, had returned more than half a month ago.
As soon as Joseph returned to the Rum Kingdom, the reforms within the country intensified.
Uncle Joseph, who had previously had reservations about some of Noah's ideas, had this time become even more radical than Noah. The reason for the change was his trip to Mary Geoise.
What Joseph had seen and heard in Mary Geoise had made him understand a reality: this was a dark and bloody world, and the Celestial Dragons were undoubtedly the embodiment of evil in it.
Even though Noah had repeatedly spoken of the Celestial Dragons' monstrous crimes, Joseph had not had much direct sense of them. This trip to Mary Geoise had dealt him a tremendous shock.
After returning, Uncle Joseph not only demanded that the transformation of the Rum Kingdom be accelerated, but also stepped up his physical training.
Noah did not object to Uncle Joseph's plans. Before, Uncle Joseph's physical potential really had not been great. Even if he had eaten the Silverback Gorilla Fruit, he still would not have had the potential to reach the level of a Marine Vice Admiral.
But things were different now. With Barton as a Card Apostle, vitality could be replenished continuously. Even if Uncle Joseph trained with reckless abandon, he would suffer no serious side effects or hidden injuries.
As time passed.
Nearly three years had gone by since Noah was reborn in this world.
The members of the family were not only three years older; their strength had also undergone an earthshaking transformation.
In the secret base's training grounds.
Noah was sixteen and stood 2.76 meters tall, with streamlined muscles all over his body and long black hair tied in a simple ponytail.
He had developed the Card-Card Fruit to a formidable degree, and his mastery of the Three Types of Haki had risen to a new level. He had also mastered a series of techniques derived from the Six Powers, including Life Return. His strength was roughly at the Admiral Candidate level.
Uncle Joseph was thirty-three. His height had not increased much, reaching only 2.1 meters. He had explosive muscles and spiky black hair. His ability was the Zoan-type silverback gorilla. He had the Six Powers and Life Return, Armament Haki capable of covering his entire body, and conventional Observation Haki. His strength was roughly at the Marine Headquarters Commodore level.
His thirteen-year-old cousin Joshua had surpassed his father in height, reaching 2.55 meters. He had streamlined muscles and spiky black hair. He had no fruit ability for the time being, but was proficient in the Six Powers and Armament Haki, and possessed Ultra-Wide Area Observation Haki. His strength was roughly at the Marine Headquarters Colonel level.
Fourteen-year-old Lilith stood 2.13 meters tall and had the ability of a Zoan-type monarch butterfly. She had top-tier Observation Haki and beginner-level Armament Haki, and knew some of the Six Powers. She was a top-tier navigator and the family's steward, with strength roughly at the Marine Headquarters Colonel level.
Eleven-year-old Lilian stood 1.82 meters tall and had the Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit ability. She had top-tier Observation Haki and beginner-level Armament Haki. She was the family's cook, with strength roughly at the Marine Headquarters Commodore level.
Twelve-year-old Green Mary stood 1.93 meters tall and had the Paramecia-type Smooth-Smooth Fruit ability. She had emotion-based Observation Haki and beginner-level Armament Haki, and knew some of the Six Powers and short-sword techniques. She was the family's intelligence officer and examiner, with strength roughly at the Marine Headquarters Colonel level.
Fifteen-year-old Anthony stood 2.22 meters tall and had the Paramecia-type Sound Wave-Sound Wave Fruit ability. He had intermediate Armament Haki and intermediate Observation Haki, and knew all of the Six Powers as well as swordsmanship. He was the family's combatant and chief of staff, with strength roughly at the Marine Headquarters Colonel level.
Fourteen-year-old Tomani stood 1.91 meters tall and had no fruit ability for the time being. He had beginner-level Armament Haki and beginner-level Observation Haki, and knew some of the Six Powers and marksmanship. He was the family's combatant and painter, with strength roughly at the Marine Headquarters Major level.
Thirteen-year-old Vic stood 2.91 meters tall and had no fruit ability for the time being. He had advanced Armament Haki and beginner-level Observation Haki. He was proficient in the Six Powers and had developed derivative techniques. He was a family combatant, with strength roughly at the Marine Headquarters Colonel level.
Thirteen-year-old Ray stood 2.11 meters tall and had the Paramecia-type Hole-Hole Fruit ability. He had intermediate Observation Haki and beginner-level Armament Haki, and knew marksmanship and some of the Six Powers. He was the family's sniper and strategic support, with strength roughly at the Marine Headquarters Colonel level.
Ten-year-old Jay stood 1.8 meters tall and had the Paramecia-type Graphite-Graphite Fruit ability. He had beginner-level Observation Haki and beginner-level Armament Haki, and knew some of the Six Powers. He was the family's shipwright and engineer, with strength roughly at the Marine Headquarters Colonel level.
That was the current state of the Noah Family's eleven core members.
As for whether their strength was a little exaggerated.
In fact, it was not.
After all, Koby, the deserter under Garp, had gone from a weak pirate chore boy to an Elite Vice Admiral in only two years.
Even if he was highly talented and had received guidance and training resources under Garp.
The members of the Noah Family also had a certain amount of potential. In particular, after eating Devil Fruits and with vast amounts of vitality to expend, their strength would not have stopped there if they had not still been underage.
As for the accumulation of wealth and influence, the Noah Family had completed its initial accumulation and was now entering a period of rapid development.
The new members secretly recruited in the Rum Kingdom were still in the early stages of training. These newcomers were mostly orphans between the ages of six and twelve, numbering more than two hundred in total.
Although there were also some adult members within the Rum Kingdom, numbering around two thousand or more, they were all peripheral members and did not even know the family's true circumstances.
With more than two hundred billion Beli left behind by Barton in hand, along with the Rum Kingdom, which provided a steady stream of tax revenue, and the Rum Trading Company, the family would not need to worry too much about funding for at least the next ten years.
Of course, although the Rum Kingdom was currently the family's largest holding, Noah had no intention of making it their base of operations.
For one thing, the Rum Kingdom was an Affiliated Nation of the World Government. Many things could not be done too openly, so its transformation could only go so far.
For another, the Rum Kingdom had limited potential. Its land area was limited, after all, and there was also the looming crisis of rising sea levels. Noah therefore had to find a more secluded and secure place as soon as possible to serve as the family's base and fallback.
He planned to rest and regroup in the Rum Kingdom until June 1504, June of that year, before taking some of the members to Paradise in the Grand Line.
With his strength and that of the other members, they were more than ready to enter the Grand Line.
As long as they did not encounter multiple Admiral-level enemies, they would face no mortal danger in the Grand Line.
And of the powers on the seas capable of mobilizing two or more Admiral-level combatants at once, there were only the World Government and the sea emperors of the New World.
At this stage, there was only one sea emperor: Whitebeard.
Kaido's Beasts Pirates, Charlotte Linlin's Big Mom Pirates, and the later-rising Red Hair Pirates had yet to reach the top. The New World was still engulfed in a chaotic struggle.
Entering the Grand Line now was actually a little safer than it had been in King Luffy's time. As long as they did not rush into the New World, at least they would not have to worry about suddenly running into forces under the Four Emperors in Paradise.