Pluton sailed away from the edge of the Lethe Stream, leaving that bizarre and chaotic star field behind. Thanks to the engineering team's all-out efforts in repairing the ship and the Heart of the Ark's own slow recovery, the damage on the hull no longer appeared so gruesome. The newly formed patterns emitted a soft and restrained light in the stable starry sky.
The destination has been determined— Planet Faras, a notorious gray area in the universe, a crossroads of the black market and intelligence.
" Planet Faras has no fixed ruler," Sabo explained to the group. "It's maintained in a fragile balance by several of the largest black market guilds, intelligence leaders, and powerful underground mercenary groups. It operates on an absolute 'profit above all else' principle; you can buy almost anything contraband or intelligence, including World Government secrets, as long as you can afford it. But at the same time, there's absolutely no order there; betrayal and double-crossing are commonplace."
"We need intelligence," Allen, looking at the star map. "The plans for Imu's next move, clues about more Poneglyph, information about the ' Children of the Abyss ' and those black warships... perhaps the answers can be found there."
"But our wanted posters are probably plastered everywhere," Ace said, arms crossed. "Such a huge Pluton is too conspicuous."
"That requires a bit of 'disguise' and 'discretion'." Tesoro smiled and stepped forward, snapping his fingers. Some of the armor plates on the Pluton's exterior began to writhe, and large amounts of gold flowed from his private workshop, quickly covering the key, iconic parts of the Pluton's hull. The gold transformed, forming exaggerated, space pirate-style ramming horns and decorative patterns, even simulating some minor damage. "How about temporarily turning it into a 'fallen' but still somewhat powerful pirate treasure ship, the ' Golden Deer '? As for us..."
He clapped his hands, and several of his former subordinates (whose loyalty had been confirmed) carried over several large crates filled with various disguises, masks, and even rudimentary biosignal simulators.
"Wow! A costume party?" Luffy excitedly put on a skull eye mask. "Just a necessary measure." Sabo chose a hooded trench coat and a mask that covered half his face. Ace chose a turtleneck jacket, covering his signature freckles and part of his face. Allen simply messed up his hair and put on an ordinary cloak, but the slight fluctuation of the Power of Zhulong made the light around him seem slightly distorted, making it difficult to see his face clearly or even causing him to be ignored.
After some preparation, a seemingly well-off, somewhat menacing space pirate squad was formed. The Pluton (now the Golden Deer ) also suppressed its energy fluctuations and headed towards the Planet Faras using conventional power.
From space, Planet Faras resembles a steel hedgehog encased in countless abandoned spaceships, space stations, and makeshift platforms. The planet's surface lacks any obvious natural scenery, only endless, towering clusters of metal buildings and spaceships of various types and origins constantly taking off and landing. The air seems to be permeated with the smells of engine oil, exhaust fumes, and various unknown chemicals.
Pluton, mingling with the other ships, slowly docked at what appeared to be the largest and most chaotic spaceport—" Shattered Star Port." After paying a hefty docking fee (paid in Tesoro's gold), the group set foot on the land of Planet Faras.
The port was incredibly noisy, with all sorts of bizarre alien races, masked humans, fully armed mercenaries, and cunning information brokers bustling about. Huge holographic billboards scrolled with auction information for various contraband, mercenary missions, and even wanted posters—including, of course, Luffy and his crew's astonishing new bounty, attracting many onlookers to stop and discuss.
"2.2 billion... that's insane..." " Straw Hat Kid is at 1.5 billion too!" " Fire Fist and the Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff are too..." "If we could catch just one of them, we'd be rich..."
Luffy and his crew lowered their hat brims and blended into the crowd, carefully avoiding scrutinizing gazes.
"Split up," Sabo whispered. " Koala and I will go to the black market ' Whisper Alley ' to gather information about Imu and the Poneglyph. Ace and Jinbe will go to the Mercenary Guild and the bar; those are where the most rumors and low-level information are found. Luffy, Sanji, and Chopper, you go to buy supplies, especially food and medicine, and keep a low profile. Allen, you, Robin, Tesoro will go to the largest auction house, ' The Feast of the Void,' where unexpected things sometimes appear, even... clues to the Poneglyph. Franky, Usopp, and Brook, inspect the ship and gather technical intelligence about the port. Stay in touch, and signal immediately if you encounter any trouble."
The group nodded and quickly dispersed, blending into the vast and chaotic city.
Sabo and Koala sneak into the dimly lit, shadowy Whisper Alley, engaging in dangerous deals and probing with the intelligence brokers hiding behind curtains.
Ace and Jinbe entered a noisy mercenary bar, immediately enveloped by loud music and a strong smell of alcohol. They quickly overheard the patrons talking loudly: "Have you heard? The Navy's been making frequent moves lately, apparently planning a major exercise near the ' Totto Land Remnant '?" "What a load of bull! I bet they're after that 'big fish' that got away a while back!" "Is what happened in the Gold City true? Has Tesoro really rebelled?" "Who knows... anyway, the price of information about Ancient Weapon on the black market has skyrocketed..."
Luffy almost got caught in the food court because he saw a huge piece of grilled meat and was forcibly dragged away by Sanji. Chopper carefully purchased precious medicinal herbs.
Meanwhile, Allen, Robin, and Tesoro entered an auction house called " The Feast of the Void." The place was incredibly luxurious, and all participants wore masks that shielded their senses, creating an eerie and quiet atmosphere. The auction items ranged from rare planetary slaves and powerful weapon blueprints to forbidden biological specimens—everything imaginable.
Tesoro, leveraging his past status and the gold to pave the way, secured a private box. "Look at that," Robin suddenly whispered, pointing to an item about to be auctioned—a tattered, ancient scroll seemingly made of some kind of animal hide. The writing was blurred, but the style... "It's somewhat like the material of Poneglyph, but the writing system is different..." Allen's Power of Zhulong could sense extremely faint traces of time remaining on it. "Worth bidding on for research," Tesoro assessed.
However, just as the auctioneer was about to bring down the gavel, Tesoro was preparing to place his bid—
Boom!! The auction house doors were suddenly blasted open! A well-equipped team of people in black uniforms rushed in, their movements perfectly synchronized. The leader brandished a token. " World Government CP0! Ordered to inspect contraband! Everyone stay put and submit to inspection!"
Chaos erupted instantly! Screams and shoving filled the air! CP0's gaze swept across the room like a hawk's, quickly settling on the private room where Allen and his two companions were! Clearly, they had a target in mind!
"We've been exposed?!" Tesoro's expression changed. "They don't seem to be after us, they're after the auction items!" Robin keenly noticed that CP0's gaze was mostly fixed on the animal hide scroll! "But we're in trouble too!" Allen stood up, Power of Zhulong began to circulate.
Meanwhile, Sabo, Ace, and the others also received the message via the miniature Den Den Mushi. "CP0? What are they doing here?!" "The plan has changed! Retreat to Pluton immediately!"
The gray balance on Planet Faras was instantly shattered by the sudden intervention of the World Government's highest intelligence agency! A sudden conflict seemed inevitable! The whereabouts of Pluton's group appeared to be at risk of being exposed!