The two were enveloped in Telekinesis and slowly rose from the sky above Shimotsuki Village.
At first, Kuina kept her eyes tightly shut, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
She wasn't unfamiliar with heights, but this feeling of having nothing beneath her feet and being lifted upwards by an unseen force was unlike anything she'd ever experienced.
It's completely different from standing on a mountaintop and looking down.
Roy glanced down at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, and deliberately slowed his ascent.
"Open your eyes and take a look; it's a shame not to."
Kuina bit her lip, hesitated for several seconds, and then opened her eyelids a crack.
Then she could no longer close it.
The pale moonlight dyed the entire sea a deep black.
The Shimotsuki Village beneath our feet grew smaller and smaller, the wooden houses and stone paths becoming squares on a chessboard, and the bamboo groves turning into a small tuft of emerald green down.
The island is dotted with lights.
"So beautiful..."
Kuina murmured that he had never seen the island he lived on from this perspective before.
Roy didn't respond, letting her watch for a while longer.
When Shimotsuki Village is completely reduced to a tiny dot on the coastline,
He then raised his hand to adjust the angle of the Telekinesis Field, allowing the two to fly smoothly towards the direction of Foosha Village.
"Now that you're not nervous anymore, let's get down to business."
Roy's voice remained clear in the sea breeze, carrying a calmness that made people unconsciously take him seriously.
"You're coming to Hachinosu with me soon, so there are some things I need to make clear to you beforehand."
Don't arrive at the destination completely clueless and know nothing.
Kuina immediately looked away and nodded solemnly.
The shock and amazement from before vanished in an instant, replaced by a seriousness that Roy was already very familiar with, his back ramrod straight, as if he were listening to his master's lecture in a temple.
"Tell me first, how much do you know about the New World?"
Kuina thought for a moment, then shook her head somewhat shyly.
All I knew was that it was dangerous there.
My father never talked to me about the New World. He only said that he went there once and never wanted to talk about it again after he came back.
"Normal.
People of your father's generation who came from Wano Country generally don't have a very good impression of the New World.
Roy crossed his arms, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority.
"However, since you're going to Hachinosu, you need to understand one thing first— the New World cannot be summed up in the word 'dangerous'."
Roy pointed down to the calm surface of the East Blue Sea.
"The sea you see now is called the East Blue, which is the weakest of the Four Blues."
The average bounty for pirates is less than a third of that in the Grand Line, and even the largest Sea Kings are only a few dozen meters long. The climate there is as stable as a bathtub.
Kuina glanced down in the direction of his finger, but said nothing.
"Next is the first half of the Grand Line, which we usually call ' Paradise '."
The climate there started to become erratic, the magnetic field was so chaotic that ordinary compasses were unusable, and pirate bounties began to skyrocket.
But ultimately, the first half was relatively well-organized.
The Navy can control them, the Shichibukai can keep them in check, and once the World Government's flag is raised, most pirates will still avoid them.
But the New World is different.
Roy's tone remained unchanged, but Kuina could sense that the weight of those sentences was gradually increasing.
The climate of the New World is unreasonable.
Ten minutes ago the sun was blazing, and ten minutes later hailstones could fall that could smash through the deck.
The Sea Kings a warship, and its surface currents can drag a medium-sized sailboat to the bottom of the sea in ten seconds.
The magnetic field is completely out of control; the three pointers Log Pose pointing in three different directions simultaneously. Choosing the wrong path means total annihilation.
But these aren't the most dangerous things.
Kuina instinctively held her breath.
"They are people from the New World."
Roy looked into her eyes and said, word by word,
"In the first half of the Grand Line, the Shichibukai are the ceiling."
But in the New World, the Shichibukai are only capable of protecting themselves.
The Marine Admiral and emperors of the sea—those are the true rulers of the New World.
Every emperor possesses world-destroying power, and any one of their core subordinates could be a big shot in the Paradise.
"And Hachinosu."
Roy paused for a moment, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"It's the lair of one of the five great emperors."
Kuina's pupils contracted slightly.
She knew Roy was powerful, and she knew Hachinosu was vast, but she never imagined that the place she was going to would be the core of the most powerful force on this vast ocean.
"Scared?" Roy tilted his head, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"I'm not afraid."
Kuina answered almost without hesitation, and the light in her eyes shone even brighter than before.
"That suits me perfectly."
Roy looked at the burning fighting spirit in her eyes and nodded in satisfaction.
"Okay. Then I'll continue telling you about the configuration of Hachinosu."
He raised his hand and made a gesture in front of him, using his Telekinesis to draw an invisible map in the air.
"The defense system of Hachinosu itself is managed by Bar."
He is Devil Fruit User the Island-Island Fruit, which allows him to transform the entire Hachinosu into his own body.
He would spot anyone who stepped on the ground without permission immediately.
Meanwhile, the island is also home to tens of thousands of genetically enhanced elite soldiers, equipped with the most advanced weaponry on this vast sea.
"Core cadres--"
Roy started counting on his fingers, and with each finger that fell, Kuina felt her heart skip a beat.
Bullet, first mate of Hachinosu.
Nicknamed ' Demon Heir ', Zoan Mythical Zoan user who Devil Fruit Awakening.
In the New World, the number of people who can go toe-to-toe with him can be counted on one hand.
" The Red Count, Patrick Redfield."
The previous generation's maritime tyrant, a super strongman who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Roger and Whitebeard all by himself.
"Now it is one of the core combat forces of Hachinosu."
Tesoro, Devil Fruit User the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, is the Finance Minister of Hachinosu.
His lightning can turn a town into ashes in an instant. He's in charge of coordinating the overall planning for your special training this time.
Crocodile, Moria, Kuma—each one is a powerful figure renowned throughout the seas.
You might never have heard of these people in the East Blue, but in the New World, any one of them would be enough to Marine Headquarters a major headache.
Kuina silently memorized these names one by one, her fingers tapping unconsciously on her knees as if taking notes.
Roy glanced at her serious expression, smiled, and softened his tone slightly.
"But they're not what you need to worry about right now."
"You will be my teacher from now on--"
" Hawk Eyes, Jora Mihawk. The current World's Greatest Swordsman."
Kuina suddenly raised her head, her eyes almost overflowing with light.
" Hawk Eyes —I've heard that name before!"
Her voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"My father once said that he is now the one who stands at the pinnacle of all swordsmen."
His swordsmanship is already on another level.
Yes. He's your head coach.
Roy nodded, then delivered another blow.
"But don't think that learning swordsmanship from him will be easy."
That sword— Black Blade Yoru —is hailed as the World's Strongest Black Blade. Its training methods, like the man himself, are utterly ruthless.
"I'm not afraid."
Kuina's answer was still those two words, but this time, as she said them, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
"Besides swordsmanship, your physical training will be overseen by Savi."
Roy continued,
He is one of the core cadres of Hachinosu, possessing Awakening physique with the bloodline of the Giant Ape.
He will hone your physical abilities in the most primal way—the basic application of Six Powers, Fish-Man Karate, and Armament Haki are all within his training scope.
Let me tell you in advance, his training intensity is no less than Hawk Eyes's.
Kuina nodded vigorously.