"Eva, take me to Hancock's room!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral (Marshall). This way, please!"
Very quickly, Luo Lan followed Eva to Hancock's room.
It wasn't the same room as yesterday—it was the ICU.
Good grief... she's probably the first person ever sent to the ICU since Jun Lin was founded.
Luo Lan couldn't help but silently complain.
"Brother Luo Lan, our big sister..."
"Please, do something to save her!"
Sandersonia and Marigold rushed over the moment they saw Luo Lan arrive.
"Don't worry. I think I know what's wrong. You two wait outside—I'll go in and confirm it myself."
After comforting the two sisters, Luo Lan pushed open the door and stepped inside.
By the bedside, Hancock was panting heavily, drenched in sweat, clearly in a bad state.
Seeing her like this made Luo Lan even more certain of his guess.
Could it be... because I killed the Rosward family? And helped her remove the Celestial Dragon's slave mark?
If that's the case, then...
"Hancock..."
"Ah! Luo Lan, you're here?!"
Just moments ago, Hancock looked like she was on the brink of death.
Now, she suddenly leapt up from bed, her face filled with excitement!
Seriously...?
This has got to be the infamous 'Lovesickness' passed down through generations of Amazon Lily's emperors. No doubt about it.
"They said you suddenly fell gravely ill, so I came to check on you."
"Impossible! My body is in perfect condition!"
"Is that so? Then let's get you back to a regular room. The ICU is a bit... oppressive."
Looking at Hancock, her cheeks flushed bright red, Luo Lan could only offer a helpless smile.
"I'm a patient!"
In the next moment, Hancock plopped herself back down on the bed and looked up at him with pitiful, teary eyes.
Luo Lan froze.
Then, as he stood there in shock, Hancock opened her arms toward him, clearly asking for a hug.
What the hell...?
Is this really Hancock?!
Then again... after falling victim to Lovesickness, this kind of behavior did seem plausible.
With a helpless sigh, Luo Lan stepped forward.
He carefully lifted her in a princess carry, making sure to avoid the injuries on her back.
Moments later—
Outside the ICU, Sandersonia and Marigold saw their big sister being carried out in Luo Lan's arms, her face red as a cherry.
Both of their jaws practically hit the floor.
Is that really their big sister? Or did someone possess her?!
---
The next day.
A few hours after Luo Lan left the hospital...
Hancock's lovesickness relapsed.
But this time, the symptoms were milder—nothing like the severe episode before.
Then came the third day...
The fourth...
The fifth...
Each time Luo Lan left, Hancock's condition flared up again.
However, the episodes kept getting milder with each occurrence.
By the tenth day—when the back wounds on Hancock and her sisters had fully healed—the illness finally stopped recurring.
According to Eva's research during that period, she came to a conclusion:
This strange lovesickness appeared to be a one-time affliction. Once cured, it wouldn't relapse again in the future.
This conclusion brought great relief to Luo Lan.
Otherwise, if a mere few hours apart triggered it every time, life would become incredibly troublesome.
Now, with Eva's findings, Luo Lan could finally rest easy.
---
That very same day—
Jun Lin's sixteenth battleship, the final ship of the First Fleet's Haiser-class battleships...
Was officially commissioned.
With that, Luo Lan's original plan for Jun Lin's First Fleet was complete.
The entire fleet now consisted of 42 warships, including:
16 battleships
24 destroyers
At first glance, this ratio looked absurd—like something designed by an amateur.
After all, out of just 42 ships, 16 were battleships?
In the modern world, no one would assemble a fleet like this.
But this wasn't Earth. This was the world of pirates.
The enemies were different, and thus, the fleet's composition had to be different too.
After careful consideration, Luo Lan finalized this unusual configuration.
In fact, if not for the limited dock space and time constraints, Luo Lan would've skipped destroyers altogether, focusing solely on battleships and high-speed battlecruisers.
That said, now that East Blue had been conquered, they needed many destroyers and escort ships for regional patrols.
That was one of the main reasons behind the mass production of destroyers.
With mid- and small-sized docks available, building destroyers in bulk wasn't a waste.
Next step: once the Second Fleet was built, the plan to fully take over East Blue could officially begin.
However—
Luo Lan wasn't going to get the time he wanted.
Because right then...
Robin barged into his office without even knocking.
"Luo Lan, we have a problem!"
"What happened?"
Luo Lan frowned slightly, sensing trouble.
"Just now, a rebellion broke out in the Arkado Kingdom in East Blue. Only the royal palace remains under control—it's just a matter of time before it falls."
"Also, our agents confirmed that Dragon is there."
"That's right. Dragon personally showed up in the Arkado Kingdom and is leading the rebellion himself."
"And this news has likely already reached the Marines and the World Government."
Bang!
Luo Lan slammed his palm on the desk.
"That bastard really went through with it—and so fast!"
"Looks like after escaping from Baltigo, he rushed to East Blue and struck while the Navy was still focused on hunting me in the New World."
"He moved quickly to launch the rebellion."
"But by showing up personally, once the suppression fleet arrives, they won't leave a single survivor."
"Why the hell is he playing it like this?! What's his goal?"
Luo Lan's face twisted with fury.
"Guards!"
Hearing his shout, a messenger immediately rushed in.
"Fleet Admiral (Marshall)!"
"Notify all officers ranked commodore and above—emergency meeting, now!"
"Yes, sir!"
With a salute, the messenger dashed off.
Moments later, all core officers in Jun Lin received a call.
Everyone dropped what they were doing and made their way to the Jun Lin Building (formerly the Navy HQ, renamed a month ago).
---
At the same time—
Marine HQ was also holding an emergency meeting.
Everyone who wasn't out at sea chasing the Revolutionary Army—such as Akainu and a few vice admirals—had gathered in the conference room.
"Everyone is here. Let's begin."
"According to the latest intelligence, the Revolutionary Army launched a rebellion in the Arkado Kingdom of East Blue. Half the nobles are already dead, and the rest are holed up in the palace. But the fall of the palace is only a matter of time."
"Furthermore, it has been confirmed that Dragon is in Arkado, personally commanding the operation."
Boom—
The entire room erupted as Sengoku finished speaking.
And Garp...
Had a very dark expression on his face.
"Sengoku! Let me lead the fleet!"
"That damn brat—I'll bring him back myself!"
Moments later, Garp stood up with a furious shout.
But everyone looked at him... strangely.
Even Sengoku was no exception.
Are you sure sending you is the best idea...?
Will you really catch him...?