Time flew by. It had been a long while since the battle with Hawkeye, and the Chris had been drifting across the sea ever since.
Ever since Hawkeye left, the sails of the Chris hadn't been raised once. Instead, the ship had been pulled manually through the ocean—at first by all three of them, then two, and now even one person was enough.
Naturally, this meant the Chris moved at a snail's pace.
As a result, more than a year had passed since Weiss left Twin Swallow Island, and he still hadn't arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Weiss often sat on the deck, exuding a faint, lingering killing intent that humans wouldn't easily detect—but to the sea beasts below, it was as clear as the moon in the night sky. The purpose was simple: to keep curious sea creatures from approaching the ship in hopes of "tasting nature's bounty" again.
Because the Chris had never raised its flag during this time, many pirates misunderstood, thinking it was a derelict vessel.
That misunderstanding had worked in Jack and the others' favor.
By now, they'd had to toss overboard the corpses of numerous pirates—there simply wasn't any way to preserve them.
...
Originally, Joanne had the idea to pickle the bodies, but Weiss strongly refused. Given her rather... disturbing tendencies, he didn't trust her with that task.
After months of cramming formulas and endless drills, the trio had made solid progress.
Jack and Kadun had reached a level equivalent to the so-called Supernovas. Theodore, who was strong to begin with, now possessed strength comparable to a pirate with a 200 million bounty.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Kadun seemed just as strong as Jack—there was a significant age difference between them. Jack was only twenty; Kadunn was nearing twenty-six.
Even if Kadun achieved something in the future, 200 million bounty level would likely be his peak.
Weiss had once thought about giving him a Devil Fruit, but Kadun had refused—he didn't want a Zoan-type Worm Worm Fruit.
Come on, it's a broken fruit, okay? Even if you're sliced vertically, or cut into several chunks, you can still survive. The kicker? It's hermaphroditic.
What if you developed the ability to switch between male and female at will? That'd be awesome, right?
But give it to you—would you eat it?
Weiss certainly wouldn't.
"Captain! Switch me with someone else—I can't pull anymore!" Jack shouted from the water.
Weiss didn't respond. Instead, he turned to Kadun in the helm room. "How much longer until we reach the Sabaody Archipelago?"
Kadun glanced at the map and calculated the position. "Captain, about two more hours."
"Jack, get back on board. No more pulling—we'll be arriving at Sabaody soon. Time to rest and enjoy ourselves for a bit. Theodore, raise the sails."
As soon as Weiss gave the order, Jack climbed back onboard, and Theodore sprang into action. Karina and Joanne, who had been sunbathing on deck, also rushed into the cabin to change clothes.
Weiss couldn't help but feel a bit regretful at that.
Two hours later, a massive island appeared on the horizon—though Weiss knew it was only an illusion.
The island was actually the exposed root system of the world's largest mangrove tree, the Yarukiman Mangrove. Its roots jutted above the ocean, forming the unique terrain known as the Sabaody Archipelago.
Due to the tree's natural secretion of special resins, countless bubbles floated around the island. Many of the island's structures were made from these bubbles, earning it the nickname Bubble Archipelago.
It was also known as the "Island of Failure" and the "Island of New Beginnings."
As the gateway to the New World, the island saw countless pirates coming ashore, turning parts of it into a lawless zone.
To make matters worse, the Celestial Dragons ruled the island, leading to a thriving slave trade and human auction scene.
On the surface of the sea, the Chris slowly drifted toward the island, carried by the currents.
"Look at that flag!"
"Rescuer symbol—it's the Sword Demon's flag!!!"
"Move! Get out of the way!"
A chaotic scene erupted at the port where ships waited to be coated. Pirates scrambled to move aside. One terrified pirate even hoisted his small boat above his head to make space.
The sight of the flag was enough to send minor pirates into a panic. Weiss's reputation wasn't something small fry could afford to challenge.
The Chris docked beside GR 51—the section where shipwrights and coating specialists gathered. Weiss had no intention of taking the official route through the Celestial Dragon-controlled Holy Land. The World Government wouldn't allow him anyway.
So to reach Fishman Island, coating the ship was a necessity.
On the shore, a group of coating artisans stood silently, watching Weiss with wary eyes. None dared approach—they had no idea what kind of temperament the Sword Demon had.
Judging from the sheer murderous aura in his wanted poster, he didn't seem easy to approach. So, no one made a move.
Weiss didn't mind. He was in no rush to reach the New World. Why not take his time, find Rayleigh, the Dark King, and have him coat the ship? It wasn't a bad idea at all.
Of course, he just needed a ship coater—not planning to issue a challenge or anything.
"Karina, Joanne," Weiss instructed, "GR #1 to #29 are off-limits. That's the lawless area. If you end up in danger there, protect yourselves first, and then call for help using the Den Den Mushi."
(The Den Den Mushi had been provided by rich-boy Theodore.)
"GR #30 to #49 are safe to explore as you like. We're currently docked at GR #51—remember where the ship is. Ocean travel is exhausting, so for the next few days, don't bother returning to the ship. Go enjoy yourselves!"
"Kadun, you especially. You're not getting any younger—be cautious before making a move. Don't fall into some honey trap and get yourself sliced up. That'd be fun for no one!"
Before Kadun could even retort, a cloud of dust was all that remained—everyone had already disappeared, leaving him standing alone by the Chris.
...
Weiss was just being cautious. While Jack and the others weren't incredibly strong, they were still more than capable on this island.
As for Karina and Joanne—one had managed to steal from the Golden Emperor's ship in East Blue. If she wasn't cunning, Weiss wouldn't believe it for a second.
And now with Weiss backing them, if anyone tried to traffic those two, they'd probably end up being the ones sold—and counting the money backward while doing it.
Bubbles rose from the sea, floating into the sky. The sunlight refracted through them, casting rainbows across the air.
Because the Chris had docked near the specialty shop and sightseeing area, Weiss didn't rush. With his sword Star Abyss hanging at his waist, he strolled casually.
He admired the scenery, documenting the local customs and sights using the photo Den Den Mushi in his hand.
Jack had already asked around and headed straight to the weapons shop.
Theodore, having visited countless times, found nothing new to see—so he tagged along with Kadun, who needed the extra protection.
"Kadun, not that way!" Theodore called out when he saw him turning.
"What do you mean? How do you know there aren't any navigation books this way?" Kadun asked in confusion.
"Uh... well, maybe there are?" Theodore responded awkwardly. He'd assumed something else.
Meanwhile, Karina and Joanne were already lost in their shopping spree. Weiss had given them more than enough money, and once they came across a bubble car, they bought it on the spot.
They zipped through luxury boutiques in style. Don't be fooled by Joanne's normally sweet and simple demeanor—when it came to shopping, her methods were ruthless.
If not for the bubble car, there's no way they could've carried all that loot.
But little did they know, two dangerous-looking men were hiding behind a tree trunk, glaring at Karina and Joanne with eyes glowing green...
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