Inside Laboon's inner world.
Red stared at Aisa's status panel, his expression a mix of delight and regret.
No matter what, with little Aisa joining them, their exploration capabilities had received an almost epic-level boost!
Aisa's talent in Observation Haki could be said to surpass even Enel's, second only to Issho, who could pluck meteors straight out of the void.
After all, Enel's terrifying Observation Haki was largely amplified by the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
In the deep sea, it was practically useless.
But little Aisa was different.
She was a genuine, pure, natural-born Observation Haki user—an absolute prodigy!
With Red's help, Aisa, who had originally only been at a single-digit level, was successfully raised to Level 16.
While that wasn't particularly high, it greatly enhanced both her physical stamina and mental strength.
Coupled with the long-term growth to her spiritual power from the move Calm Mind, there would no longer be any need to worry about Laboon's poor vision in the deep sea.
Watching Aisa dance with joy just because of a small island fragment, a glimmer of emotion flickered in Red's eyes.
Who would have thought…
That soil which was worthless in the lower world would become an important and precious resource on Sky Island!
With Laboon's powerful transport ability and the spatial transfer of Hyperspace Hole, he could strip Sky Island of its resources in minutes if he wanted to!
"What a pity… time is limited~"
"Otherwise, I could've emptied the entire Sky Island in no time!"
Looking toward a distant island formed by layers of Sky Island–exclusive Island Clouds, stacked high with containers filled with various Sky Island specialty Dials, Red couldn't help but sigh in regret again.
Still, being able to recruit Aisa—a powerful living radar—was already an unexpected gain.
"To sacrifice the most talented individual of the entire tribe for the sake of a stubborn, arrogant warrior…"
"The Shandians… are they really a species from this universe?"
Recalling theories he had seen in his previous life from famous One Piece commentators about the origins of the Shandians and Sky People, Red couldn't help but feel curious.
Especially the scene where the Shandians had brought little Aisa over like a sacrificial offering—it made it impossible for him to associate them with wisdom or technological advancement.
After introducing Aisa to the "native residents" of the inner world, such as Mr. 5 and Wapol, Red returned to Sky Island and continued accelerating construction.
In truth, facilities like the execution platform had already been completely finished a day earlier.
At this point, his main role was simply transportation—helping Usopp ferry various combat insects and ammunition up to Sky Island.
After a full day of nonstop work, Red and the Straw Hat crew had completed all the preparations they could.
What remained was to continuously enhance their combat strength by every possible means.
Since they had no idea what scale of force the Marines and the World Government would deploy over a single Celestial Dragon, Red and the others could only prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Even though their ultimate goal was merely to escape the joint encirclement of the Marines and the World Government.
And reality soon proved…
Thorough preparation was absolutely necessary.
That very night, deep in the sea, little Aisa suddenly contacted Red with an urgent call.
"R-Red-sama, something's wrong!"
"I can feel it… there are so many people and ships right above us…"
Having just joined under the Straw Hat banner, Aisa hadn't even had time to fully settle in before she was already shining, providing crucial intelligence for the crew.
...
...
"The Marines really are formidable."
That night, the Straw Hats, Ace, and Issho gathered around a round table in the divine palace, holding their final pre-battle meeting.
Zoro looked at the whiteboard in front of him, where Red had listed tens of thousands of Marine soldiers and hundreds of warships, and couldn't help but sigh.
Under Aisa's observation, the seas around Jaya—directly beneath Sky Island—were already packed with Marine warships.
Even Jaya itself, once crawling with pirates, had transformed into a temporary Marine base in just a single day.
The speed was nothing short of astonishing.
"Well, they are the Marines, after all." Red chuckled casually, then turned to Ace."But this at least tells us one thing…"
"The Marines' encirclement of Whitebeard in the New World should be over."
"The Whitebeard Pirates are safe for now."
"Even if they suffered heavy losses during this time…"
"Once Whitebeard has had time to catch his breath, he won't give the Marines another opportunity like that."
Rubbing his chin, Red continued thoughtfully, "It seems executing a Celestial Dragon really did put immense pressure on the World Government."
"Otherwise, the Marines wouldn't have mobilized such a massive force so quickly."
"Wait!"
At that moment, Ace suddenly raised his hand, interrupting Red.
"Red—if things are already settled on my old man's side…"
"Do we really still need to take such a huge risk?!"
"At this pace, the Marines and the World Government will be here soon, won't they?!"
"Why don't we take this chance to run?!"
"Huh?!"
Usopp, who had just finished deploying the ammunition and insect army, froze in place, his face full of shock.
On one hand, retreating immediately to avoid clashing with the world's top military power sounded like an excellent idea.
But on the other hand…
Thinking about the insect army he had painstakingly transported, he felt an unusual urge to test them against the Marines!
Usopp's inner thoughts: When did I get this brave?!
Before Usopp could finish struggling with himself, Red firmly shook his head, rejecting Ace's suggestion.
"I'm afraid… it's already too late."
He lifted his head, dark eyes glinting with calculation.
"This is no longer just a matter between Whitebeard and the Straw Hats."
"Don't forget~"
"Doflamingo is still waiting to see the final outcome."
"And the World Economy News Paper has already been dragged into this with us."
"Whether for moral reasons or to avoid future retaliation from those two forces, we have to see this show through to the end."
"If they spread information about the Straw Hat Pirates, it would only make our situation even more dangerous."
"No need to worry too much. With how thorough our preparations are, nothing will go wrong."
Red smiled slightly after speaking.
Considering Robin was present, he didn't say the final part out loud…
Given Sky Island's geographical advantage, even a Buster Call wouldn't be able to do much to them.
On top of that, the Marines' strength would be somewhat hindered by atmospheric pressure when first arriving on Sky Island.
If the Marines and World Government underestimated them and failed to deploy enough forces…
Then the outcome of this battle was far from certain!
"Exactly, Ace!"
Luffy laughed as he tapped the table, then grew serious."And didn't Red already say it?"
"Once we execute that Celestial Dragon, all the Celestial Dragons in the world might behave themselves for a while."
"What we're doing could indirectly save a lot of people!"
"So don't worry so much."
"Then… alright."
Ace nodded.
Though he knew Red was right, he still decided…
Once everything settled, he would have a proper talk with his old man and prepare a generous gift for the Straw Hats—as proof of the friendship between their two crews.
...
...
Meanwhile.
Several seas away from Red's Sky Island, at the outer perimeter of the Sky Islands…
Under the bright moonlight, a massive shadow suddenly appeared atop the surging White Sea.
The next second—boom!
A colossal Marine warship burst through the clouds of the night sky, emerging from the White Sea under the moon's glow.
With a thunderous crash, the warship slammed down onto the White Sea, sending layered waves rolling outward as countless clouds dispersed into the distance.
Immediately afterward, a brilliant beam of light shot skyward and exploded, hovering in midair like a flashbang, turning the White Sea as bright as day and illuminating the deck below.
Only then did Kizaru turn around and look behind him.
On the vast deck, Marines wearing special breathing equipment were still grimacing in pain from the sudden change in air pressure.
Seeing this, Kizaru immediately spoke to the man beside him, who seemed unaffected.
"Vice Admiral Momonga, assess our casualties and quickly organize rescue teams to treat the wounded."
"Yes, sir!"
Momonga responded at once and hurried off.
This single warship carried:
One Marine Admiral, ten Vice Admirals, fifty Rear Admirals, one hundred Commodores, and over a thousand additional Marine officers.
Additionally, there were three CP0 members whose strength rivaled Vice Admirals, as well as three CP9 members who had just completed a mission, along with over a hundred other elite agents from various Cipher Pol divisions.
Under orders from the World Government and the Marines, they formed a joint task force to rescue a Celestial Dragon.
And the commander and captain of this force—by rank and by strength the greatest among them—
Was none other than Marine Admiral Kizaru · Borsalino.
(End of Chapter)