"Hello!"
" Roy is in charge? That's really rare."
You actually contacted me first.
Luo tried to keep his tone calm, but everyone else in the cabin could see that their captain's shoulders were visibly tense.
Roy's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, in his usual unhurried tone, getting straight to the point without a single pleasantry:
"Luo, where are you right now?"
"Near Punk Hazard."
"Put aside what you're doing and go back to Hachinosu."
"I need your Op-Op Fruit ability for something."
Luo remained silent for a few seconds.
He didn't ask what it was about, nor why he had to go.
Roy saved his life and gave him the opportunity to become stronger on Hachinosu; he always remembered this kindness.
Given Roy's personality, he would never make this call unless there was something absolutely necessary for him.
"Okay," Luo replied simply.
The Den Den Mushi hung up. A moment of silence filled the cabin, then Bepo spoke first:
"Captain, are we not going to Punk Hazard?"
"Postponed."
Law put away the Den Den Mushi, turned to the cockpit, and gave the order.
"Turn around, target: Hachinosu."
Wow! Hachinosu!
Bepo's eyes lit up immediately.
I've wanted to go see it for ages!
I heard that the Fish-Man District over there has the best Sea Kings barbecue in the entire Grand Line!
Penguin nudged Bepo with his elbow, signaling him to shut up.
But Law paid no attention to Bepo's shouting; his mind was no longer on Punk Hazard.
Roy approaching him at this time, specifically requesting the power of the Op-Op Fruit, only means one thing—
Hachinosu is about to accomplish something that requires precise surgery.
What Roy would personally contact him for couldn't be a minor surgery.
Now Roy is asking him to come back. Maybe it's not just because he needs his abilities, maybe there's something else going on.
The submarine traced an arc on the seabed, then turned and headed towards Hachinosu.
The crew members in the cabin began to busy themselves, checking the course, adjusting the depth, and monitoring the ocean currents.
Luo stood in front of the chart table, looking at the dark sea outside the window, his mind racing with various possibilities of Roy finding him.
Whatever it is, you'll find out when you get to Hachinosu.
When Luo's submarine turned around and headed towards Hachinosu,
The smoking island of Punk Hazard sat quietly on the horizon, completely unaware that it had just escaped an explosion.
Inside the cabin, Bepo lay in front of the periscope, his chin resting on his furry bear paw, watching with regret as Punk Hazard grew smaller and smaller in the lens.
"Captain, are we really leaving like this? I've even prepared the explosives."
"Stop talking nonsense."
Penguin walked up from behind and slapped Bepo on the back of the head.
"The captain said it's a postponement, so it's a postponement. What's the rush?"
Bepo covered the back of his head and muttered a few words, the gist of which was...
"I've already found out the width of Punk Hazard's sewage outlet; our submarine can just fit through. If we miss this rotation, we'll have to wait another three days," he muttered to himself.
Luo ignored their usual bickering and leaned against the bulkhead to rest with his eyes closed.
Over the years, Law has thoroughly investigated all the strongholds connected to Doflamingo.
From the underground auction house in the North Blue to the weapons transit station on the Grand Line, from Punk Hazard's experimental base to that small kingdom that Doflamingo renamed " New Donquixote ".
He had the topographical map of every place etched in his mind, and he could recite the deployment and rotation schedule of every stronghold from memory.
But simply knowing these things isn't enough.
Doflamingo was also modified on Hachinosu.
Although Doflamingo was repeatedly beaten to a pulp by Roy back then, that doesn't mean he was weak.
In fact, after undergoing bloodline modification on Hachinosu, Doflamingo's strength was a level above that of the original story.
The range of the String-String Devil Fruit Awakening has expanded several times over, and even Armament Haki is harder than before.
With Law's current strength, he's more than capable of dealing with ordinary pirates, but if he were to face Doflamingo head-on, his chances of winning would be no more than 40%.
Luo's fingers unconsciously tightened around the scabbard of the Kikoku sword.
This feeling is very unpleasant.
Even though the enemy is right in front of you, and you're already very strong, it's still not enough.
Doflamingo is like an unyielding iron plate; every time Law thinks he's about to reach him, the guy reveals even more of his trump cards.
"Captain."
"The currents near Hachinosu are a bit turbulent. Should we surface and walk on the surface?"
Luo opened his eyes and glanced at the nautical chart.
They had reached the outer waters of Hachinosu, where the water depth data marked on the nautical charts became extremely complex.
Countless ocean currents converge from different directions, forming a natural barrier around Hachinosu.
People unfamiliar with ocean currents who venture in recklessly will most likely be swept away to who-knows-where.
"Let it float up."
Luo stood up and walked to the cockpit.
"Take the south route from Hachinosu; there are guide ships there."
The submarine began to surface.
The seawater receded from the portholes, and sunlight streamed back into the cabin.
Through the gradually clearing seawater, the outline of Hachinosu can be seen slowly rising above the horizon in the distance.
Bepo had somehow gotten close to the porthole, his bear nose almost touching the glass.
Wow--that's Hachinosu? It's so much bigger than it looks in the pictures!
"The expansion of Hachinosu began two years ago."
Luo stood behind Bepo, watching the coastline draw ever closer.
" Roy used his powers to move several nearby uninhabited islands over and connect them into one."
In the New World today, no power is larger than that of Hachinosu.
"So our captain used to train here?" Bepo turned to look at Law, his eyes full of curiosity.
Luo nodded.
"Captain, are you very familiar with that Heavenly Dao Emperor?"
He sounded very casual when he called you just now.
Luo was silent for a moment, then said something that Bepo didn't quite understand, "He saved my life."
When the submarine surfaced, a guide ship flying the Hachinosu flag was already waiting nearby.
The captain of the guiding ship was a Fish-Man in his forties with dark blue skin and a long Scar on his neck.
He stood at the bow of the ship and waved to the submarine, signaling them to follow.
" Heart Pirates, Captain Trafalgar Law. Headquarters has already notified us, please come with us."
Luo stood on the deck of the submarine, his coat fluttering in the sea breeze.
He looked at the shipping lane ahead, with neat rows of buoys on both sides, each marked with the symbol of Hachinosu.
The waterway was lined with ships—merchant ships, warships, fishing boats, and even a few research vessels with special markings.
All vessels sailed in an orderly manner along the prescribed routes, forming a busy but orderly maritime traffic network around Hachinosu.