Trafalgar, what do you mean?
Luo did not answer the question.
He simply raised his hand slowly, his fingers spread, and the light shield of the Operating Room contracted slightly by an inch under his mental control.
"Everyone!"
"It's not too late to leave after you've finished speaking."
Luo's voice wasn't loud, but every word clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
Kid was imprisoned in Udon Prison.
Straw Hat Luffy and Zoro are currently being escorted to Udon Prison.
Apoo paused in his steps.
"Our original plan was to rescue Kid."
Now there are just two more goals.
The targets have increased, but the location remains the same— Udon.
"I can understand your fear of Kaido."
"But do you think Kaido will let you go if you quit now?"
The four of you were ordered by King to hunt down Straw Hat Luffy, but not only did you fail to catch him, you also let him cause such a huge commotion in the Flower Capital.
Now that Straw Hat Luffy has been captured, the four of you are getting away unscathed?
Is it possible?
"Moreover, this is the main base of the Beasts Pirates!"
The expressions of the four Supernovas changed simultaneously.
Although their contact was brief, they knew Kaido's temperament all too well.
That drunken madman never reasons with anyone.
You mean--
"I mean, you're already tied to this ship."
From the time you evacuated with us,
Whether you like it or not, Kaido will equate you with Straw Hat Luffy.
Apoo fell silent.
Hawkins flipped over a card and glanced down at it.
The card depicts the "star" upright—a symbol of hope.
He put the cards back into the deck and nodded slowly.
Bege took the cigar from her mouth, twirled it between her fingers twice, and then put it back in her mouth.
Anyway, I've been wanting to get revenge on that drunkard for a long time.
"Last time you got drunk and treated my men like bowling balls, I still hold a grudge."
Drake finally spoke, his voice hoarse:
" Udon is Queen's territory."
That guy may look funny, but his strength shouldn't be underestimated.
"I've already found out the basic layout of the Udon."
Luo unfolded a simple map and used the scabbard of Kikoku to point to the marked locations on the map.
Queen had about five hundred men under his command, but most of them were just fodder.
The only real threat is Queen himself.
"The prison holds a large number of prisoners, many of whom were Wano Country samurai who rebelled against Kaido."
Once these warriors are released, they will become our natural allies.
Nami interrupted, asking, "How do you know they'll help us?"
Luo glanced at her:
"Because they also hate Kaido, and right now, the only person who dares to confront Kaido Straw Hat Luffy, is locked up right next to them."
" Luffy has a special talent."
Luo paused, a hint of admiration in his voice that he himself was unaware of.
Turn enemies into friends.
Even the most stubborn enemies, once they've spent time with Luffy, will be moved by his naive persistence.
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke:
"Really.
That idiot is good for nothing, but he's a master at making friends.
Nami smiled too, though her eyes were still red.
"That guy... he makes a bunch of weirdo friends wherever he goes."
Usopp wiped his nose, Chopper burst into laughter through his tears, and Brook and Franky both breathed a sigh of relief.
Luo looked around and, seeing that everyone's hope had been rekindled, began to assign tasks.
" Kin'emon, continue contacting your old comrades in Wano Country. How long will it take?"
Kin'emon straightened up from his kneeling position, and a long-suppressed excitement appeared on his square face.
"I have already contacted Denjiro —he is now using the alias Kyoshiro and controls a considerable underground force in the Flower Capital."
The whereabouts of Kikunojo and Ashura Doji have also been confirmed. Apart from Kanjuro, whose whereabouts are unknown, the remaining eight members of the Nine Red Scabbards can be assembled within a week.
"Very good.
You don't need to participate in the frontal attack.
Your mission is to infiltrate the prison amidst the chaos, find your former comrades who were captured years ago, and lead them to provide support from within.
" Sanji, Nami, Robin, you're in charge of scouting the area around Udon."
I need to know the guard shift change schedule, the prison map, Queen's activity patterns—every detail.
Sanji nodded, Robin smiled slightly, "Leave it to me."
" Usopp and Franky prepare siege equipment, Chopper prepares medical supplies."
"Got it!" Franky gave a thumbs up.
"The four of you."
Luo turned to Apoo, Hawkins, Bege, and Drake.
"Stay at home for now and do not go out."
You are now our hidden trump card.
Apoo shrugged and didn't say anything.
Luo finished assigning tasks and folded up the map.
"Intelligence gathering is expected to take a week."
A week later, regardless of how well-prepared they were, the operation began.
Nami looked at Law, a determined glint in her eyes.
" Luffy, wait for us."
Sanji a cigarette, a slight smile playing on his lips, "That idiot captain, he's always a headache."
Chopper wiped away his tears and gripped his little hooves tightly. " Luffy and Zoro, don't let anything happen to you..."
Kin'emon clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, his weathered face filled with determination.
" Oden Oden's last wish—I will fulfill it, even if it costs me my life."
Night fell over the Oden residence.
Inside the mansion, everyone had already begun preparing for the rescue operation a week later.
Franky was banging on siege equipment in the backyard, the clanging of metal echoing incessantly.
Chopper was organizing the first-aid kit inside the house, arranging and checking the bandages, ointments, and disinfectants one by one.
Usopp was adjusting his slingshot in the corner, muttering, "This time I'm going to make those Marines—no, pirates—taste my newly invented explosive bullets."
Luo leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, seemingly resting, but in reality, his mind was racing, repeatedly rehearsing every aspect of the rescue operation.
Where to infiltrate, where to retreat, what to do if we encounter Queen, what to do if we encounter Kaido.
He had rehearsed every possibility countless times in his mind.
······
The sky gradually brightened.
The quarry at Udon Prison was already bustling with noise before dawn.
This place is less like a prison and more like a huge open-pit mine.
The entire valley was carved into a bowl-shaped pit hundreds of meters in diameter, with layers of prison cells carved into the pit walls and a quarry at the bottom.
Every day before dawn, the prisoners were driven out of their cells by the guards, put on heavier Seastone shackles, and carried stones under the scorching sun.
Those who couldn't work were whipped, those who worked slowly were kicked and beaten, and the elderly and injured who couldn't work were thrown directly into bottomless abandoned mine pits.
Here, human life is cheaper than a stone.
"Hurry up! You bunch of useless trash!"
A burly guard brandished a leather whip, lashing it across the back of a lame old man.
The old man stumbled, and the stone he was holding fell to the ground, nearly hitting his own foot.
The guard kicked the old man in the waist, knocking him to the ground.
"Old man! This rock is worth far more than your worthless life! Can you afford to pay for it if you break it!"
The old man was curled up on the ground, his lips moving but no sound came out.
Such scenes occur every day.