Sea Circle Calendar, February 8, 1505.
When the allied forces of the four kingdoms stormed across the Flevance border, bristling with murderous intent,
the Noah Family had already left with Flevance's civilians and over two hundred billion Beli in treasure five days earlier.
The news took the World Government, which had secretly fanned the flames, by surprise. Even the Five Elders were alerted.
Mary Geoise.
The Room of Authority.
The Five Elders listened to the CP6 chief's report over a Den Den Mushi. Though their faces were expressionless, surprise and contemplation showed in their eyes.
Saint Topman Warcury, the Warrior God of Justice, looked at the others. "What do you think?"
"They were probably transported away by some Devil Fruit ability, but Amber Lead Syndrome isn't so easy to treat. Have someone keep an eye on the Drum Kingdom. If they want to treat Amber Lead Syndrome, they'll most likely go there," analyzed Jaygarcia Saturn Saint, the Warrior God of Science and Defense.
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
Saint Topman Warcury, the Warrior God of Justice, continued, "How should we officially characterize what happened in the Kingdom of Flevance?"
Saint Marcus Mars, the Warrior God of the Environment, proposed, "How about announcing that a massive explosion in the mining area released large amounts of Amber Lead dust, leading to the destruction of the Kingdom of Flevance, and sealing off the area for fifty years?"
"Agreed!"
"As for those people from Flevance who escaped in secret, once their location is confirmed, immediately launch a Buster Call and wipe them all out."
"Agreed!"
The World Government soon issued an announcement through its official newspaper, stating its official account of the Kingdom of Flevance incident.
Although some clever people knew there was more to the matter, the World Government's eight hundred years of fearsome authority and its control over information channels meant that no one dared openly question it.
Even Morgans received a warning.
North Blue.
Lvneel Kingdom.
The homeland of Noland the Liar.
Inside a secluded coastal villa, Andy and Mirei were hard at work on treatment. The two had spent three days in the makeshift ward.
During that time, Noah first infused Andy with roughly fifty years' worth of vitality, then injected a small dose of IQ extract into his body.
After three days of stimulation from the IQ compounds, his immune system became extremely active, like that of a bat capable of resisting many kinds of viruses. His body temperature rose to 42 degrees Celsius.
An ordinary person who maintained a fever of 42 degrees Celsius for three days and nights would have suffered severe brain damage long ago.
But the IQ compounds, supported by the vast amount of vitality, allowed Andy not only to withstand the high fever but also to expel the Amber Lead accumulated in his body through a rapid metabolism, at the cost of consuming a great deal of vitality.
With the first successful case behind him, Andy quickly made some improvements to the treatment, such as adding nutritional supplements and a potassium salt solution. These strengthened the body's ability to recover while helping it expel the Amber Lead faster.
Mirei took only 53 hours to complete the detoxification and self-repair of her body.
Unfortunately, both of them knew very well that this treatment could only be used on a few people. Treating one person consumed roughly fifty years' worth of vitality, which was simply too extravagant.
Given the number of Flevance survivors, there was no way to use it on everyone.
Andy did not even ask Noah to use this method to treat his two children, because his medical ethics would not allow him to make such a request.
The couple could use this treatment to ensure their own survival. Whether it was eating the Op-Op Fruit or developing another treatment, both required their continued efforts, so they could not die.
But Noah still had the couple treat Luo ahead of the others.
The reason was very simple.
Noah needed Luo to attract the Op-Op Fruit.
As the Op-Op Fruit's user in the original timeline, Luo and the Op-Op Fruit were the result of a mutual choice.
Moreover, to awaken Luo's desire for the Op-Op Fruit, Noah told him that his sister Lami and the other orphans could only be completely cured with the Op-Op Fruit.
They stayed in the Lvneel Kingdom for more than half a month.
Luo studied medicine under his parents while learning physical combat and Haki from Noah.
Of course, Noah did not neglect ideological education. He not only taught Luo the Five Volumes on Slaying Dragons, but also drew on the cruel reality of the Kingdom of Flevance to help him see more clearly just how hopeless the world, the Celestial Dragons, and the nobles were.
Inside the Nautilus.
Luo was blindfolded, his head covered in lumps.
Ray, who was wielding the bamboo switch, asked with a smile, "Luo, want to take a break?"
"No... I can keep going!" Luo shouted stubbornly.
Smack!
"Ah..."
"You got distracted."
At the moment, Andy and Mirei were not aboard the Nautilus. Both had been assigned to Sikasis Island to study the IQ Plant and other medicines.
Noah crossed another island off the sea chart. Clearly, this was yet another island without a Devil Fruit.
Another two months and more passed before they knew it.
The turmoil surrounding the Flevance incident gradually disappeared beneath the tides of the times.
The CP6 agents lying low in the Drum Kingdom had also spent more than two months there with nothing to show for it. They had not given up, however, and continued to lie low in the kingdom.
At noon one day,
the Nautilus changed course to avoid a vast field of icebergs at sea and came to the island before them.
"Big brother, there's a small village on the other side of this island."
Noah's eyes flickered. "I know. There's also a Devil Fruit on this island."
"A Devil Fruit?" Ray was not too surprised. Over the past two months and more, they had found another Devil Fruit on a deserted island: the Sheep-Sheep Fruit, Model: Sheep, an ordinary Zoan.
The fruits the Noah Family currently possessed but had not eaten were the Carp Fruit, Red Fox Fruit, Rattlesnake Fruit, Paste-Paste Fruit, Bully Dog Fruit, and Sheep Fruit. The vast majority were Zoans.
"Are we going treasure hunting again?" Luo asked excitedly.
"Don't get careless. Let's go ashore!" Noah cautioned them, then put away the Nautilus and landed with Ray and Luo.
The island's residents lived on the other side, and Noah kept a close watch on their surroundings with Observation Haki, so their landing did not attract the locals' attention.
They crossed mountains and ridges and spent a day searching the forests for treasure, but did not find the Devil Fruit. The three of them took it calmly.
They continued searching the next day, until they reached the edge of an area near the village.
In a vast peach grove, Luo spotted a red, heart-shaped fruit covered in arabesque patterns. These features clearly marked it as the Op-Op Fruit he had been longing for.
He hurriedly called Noah and Ray over.
The moment Noah saw the fruit, he knew it was the Op-Op Fruit.
"Luo, eat this fruit."
Luo hesitated. "If we gave this fruit to Dad, wouldn't he be able to master its power and save people sooner?"
"Your father isn't suited to this fruit. Don't you think it would mean more to save Lami with your own hands?"
Hearing Noah's persuasion, Luo quickly made up his mind and picked up the Op-Op Fruit and ate it. Although he knew Devil Fruits tasted bad, he had clearly underestimated just how bad they were.
As soon as he had eaten the whole fruit, he dropped to the ground and began dry heaving. "Ugh, ugh... It tastes awful!"
Noah casually picked a few peaches for Luo, then left five hundred Beli in coins on a tree trunk.
The group had come without a sound, and they left just as silently.