Swish!
Under the moonlight, the young Capone's body flickered. With the power of the Op-Op Fruit, he instantly swapped positions with a carpet inside the Celestial Dragon's room.
"What a miraculous ability!"
Although everyone had already introduced their powers during earlier exchanges, witnessing the sheer convenience of the Op-Op Fruit firsthand still made the Supernovas look on in amazement.
"Save the praise for later—confirm the target first!"
Using ROOM to sense the positions of the patrolling guards in the corridor, Law lowered his voice to remind everyone.
At this point, fully aware of how serious the situation was, none of the Supernovas dared to act recklessly.
Thin straw cords suddenly extended from Capone's castle-like body, rapidly spreading toward the luxurious bed in the ornate room.
With a faint rustling sound, several straw cords crept onto the grand bed—then jerked sharply.
In an instant!
As the cords tightened, the sleeping figure on the bed was wrapped tightly inside the silk blanket.
"Mmgh—mmgh—!"
The sudden change made the person on the bed cry out in muffled panic, their body thrashing wildly like a boar.
But at that very moment—
The straw cords snapped tight, yanking the tightly bound figure straight over.
As the captive drew close to Capone's body, they rapidly shrank and were dragged directly into Capone's castle form.
Bang.
The opened castle gates slammed shut again under the pull of chains, completely cutting off the sounds inside from the outside world.
Inside the castle, Capone's youthful figure materialized. He stretched out his chubby little hand—then awkwardly withdrew it after realizing he wasn't tall enough.
He immediately manifested a chair suited to his height, sat down, and issued an order to the Supernovas:
"Confirm it… is this the target we're looking for?"
In truth, there was no need for Capone to say it—they were already doing so.
Bonney, who harbored a deep hatred toward the Celestial Dragons, strode forward and yanked down a corner of the blanket, revealing an ugly, furious face.
"Damn you! Who do you think you are!?"
The moment his head was exposed, Saint Charlos began shouting at the top of his lungs.
Judging from his expression, he felt no fear whatsoever about his predicament—only boundless rage.
As a Celestial Dragon, he had likely never imagined that one day he would be kidnapped.
Bonney ignored his screaming entirely.
After all, inside the castle, his voice couldn't reach the outside.
"That's him! Celestial Dragon Saint Charlos!"
After comparing him with the portrait in her hand, Bonney pulled the blanket back up, forcefully cutting off whatever Saint Charlos was about to say.
The group exchanged glances, and Law activated his ability once more.
A shadow flickered.
Capone reappeared outside the tavern.
And the gold-trimmed carpet returned neatly to its original place.
From the moment Capone approached the tavern to the moment he left, the total time didn't even exceed three minutes!
Yet in that brief span, they had accomplished something that would shake the entire world!
To say the Supernovas weren't excited would be a lie.
Even Drake—the Marine spy among them—couldn't help showing a spark of excitement after seeing how smoothly they had kidnapped a Celestial Dragon.
No wasted words.
In his childlike form, Capone sprinted along the same cover as before. Before long, they arrived outside a remote port in the Sabaody Archipelago.
At the same time, inside Capone's body, Bonney pulled out a Den Den Mushi from her cleavage and dialed the number Red had left behind.
…
…
Night fell, and swaying lights illuminated the entire Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.
The occasional bursts of laughter added warmth and life to the secluded tavern.
After witnessing the Straw Hats' strength, Rayleigh seemed even more convinced that Luffy was the man Roger had been waiting for.
Unknowingly, his fondness for the Straw Hat crew soared.
Inside the bar, the relaxed Straw Hats chatted after dinner—listening to old Rayleigh recount tales of the past while sharing their own thoughts and perspectives.
Like long-lost friends reunited, they shared adventures across time itself.
Although many of Rayleigh's stories were things the crew had already learned from Red's "little classes," hearing them directly from someone who had lived through them carried a unique, immersive weight.
Even Red found himself drawn into Rayleigh's stories.
But just then, the ringing of a Den Den Mushi suddenly shattered the harmonious atmosphere.
"Hm?"
Seeing the call connect, Red looked puzzled for a moment, then picked up the receiver.
Instantly, the Den Den Mushi's face changed into an urgent expression.
"Hey! We've already kidnapped the Celestial Dragon you wanted!"
"Are you coming to us, or should we head over to you?"
Bonney got straight to the point the moment the call connected.
Red was momentarily surprised. "That fast?"
He quickly regained his composure.
"Well done. As expected of the strongest Supernovas of this year."
"It seems we're going to have a very pleasant collaboration."
"Just don't go back on your word—otherwise, I'll make you regret it!!!"
Fresh off the adrenaline rush of kidnapping a Celestial Dragon, Bonney was clearly fired up.
In her excitement, she had even forgotten the intimidation Red had shown earlier and openly threatened him.
The call ended.
Red acted decisively. After sweeping his gaze across the Straw Hats, he waved to Usopp.
"Usopp, come with me."
"Huh?" Usopp froze for a second, then immediately nodded. "…Alright!"
He downed his drink in one gulp and walked over to Red.
"Rayleigh, Ms. Shakky—we're going to handle something real quick," Red said calmly.
"Please, carry on~"
Snap!
Without any startup at all, Red instantly summoned an Hyperspace Hole in front of himself and Usopp.
With the mental imprint he had left on Bonney and the others, as long as they hadn't left the waters around Sabaody, Red could locate them instantly.
Bonney hadn't told him their location on the call—clearly testing whether he truly had that ability.
Whoosh—
As the Hyperspace Hole vanished, Red and Usopp disappeared with it.
The lively tavern fell into brief silence after their departure.
"Those guys sure move fast," Zoro muttered from the corner, where he'd been drinking alone.
He lifted his gaze and locked eyes with Sanji across the room.
In an instant, two invisible auras surged between them.
Compared to their earlier squabbles, what awaited them now… was the real challenge.
The rest of the Straw Hat crew also grew solemn after Red left.
Before long, they would be colliding with the most mysterious and powerful force in the world.
Anticipation and vigilance intertwined in their hearts.
Even Nami and Robin—who weren't particularly fond of fighting—had deepened gazes.
Shakky stared blankly, cigarette still between her lips, letting the expensive smoke burn down to the filter.
Rayleigh set down his glass, looking at the Straw Hats with surprise.
"Kidnapping a Celestial Dragon? What are you planning to do?"
The silence didn't last long before Rayleigh voiced his confusion.
In his view, with Red as vice-captain, the Straw Hat Pirates were a rational crew that always planned ahead.
Kidnapping a Celestial Dragon—high risk, low reward—didn't seem like something they'd do.
Ransoming a Celestial Dragon from the World Government was absurdly dangerous with little payoff.
So…
What exactly were these youngsters trying to accomplish?
Rayleigh turned his gaze to Luffy.
"Eh?" Luffy leaned back in his chair, arms draped over the backrest. "Red told me not to tell outsiders about this…"
"But Rayleigh, you're not really an outsider, right?!"
"In that case, I'll tell you!"
Luffy suddenly clenched his fist excitedly and grinned at Rayleigh.
"We're going to climb the Red Line and free the slaves imprisoned there!"
"Just like that Fish-Man hero from decades ago!"
"Free… the slaves?" Shakky's hand trembled violently, cigarette nearly slipping from her fingers as she stared at Luffy in disbelief.
Rayleigh's eyes gleamed as he smiled faintly.
"So that's it."
"No wonder you're rushing to master advanced applications of Haki…"
"But charging straight into Mary Geoise with just that is incredibly dangerous."
"Hehe~ Don't worry, Rayleigh!" Luffy laughed confidently after looking around at his crewmates and receiving their unwavering support.
"Our strength isn't limited to just that!!!"
"Is that so… youth really is something special," Rayleigh said calmly, lifting his glass again—though the shifting light in his eyes betrayed his turbulent thoughts.
If necessary, he wouldn't mind returning to the world stage to help these dream-filled youngsters.
But judging by their expressions… they didn't seem to need anyone's help at all.
…
…
"I never expected you to move this fast!"
Inside a small shack at a rundown port in the Sabaody Archipelago.
Less than a minute after the call ended, Red and Usopp suddenly appeared before a stunned Capone, who had already returned to normal.
Red first offered Capone a look of approval.
Then his gaze locked directly onto Capone's belly—precisely where Law and the others were gathered inside the castle.
"So the other Supernovas—and the Celestial Dragon you captured—are inside your Castle-Castle Fruit ability, right?"
"Yes, Lord Red."
Capone nodded, but his heart was in turmoil.
This guy… can actually sense what's happening inside my Castle-Castle Fruit!?
His ability could hide living beings inside his body—even their presence was perfectly concealed.
Not even top-tier Observation Haki should be able to bypass the fruit's limitations and detect what was inside him!
Then… what was this!?
Fear surged through Capone's heart.
He desperately wanted to believe Red was just guessing, that he'd coincidentally looked in the right direction.
But his instincts screamed the truth at him—
The concealment of the Castle-Castle Fruit was completely useless against Red!!!
Just who in the world is this man?!
"Lord Red, there are too many eyes and ears out here," Capone said, suppressing his shock as he opened the castle gates on his belly and gestured invitingly.
"Let's discuss what comes next inside."
"No problem."
Red accepted without hesitation, striding toward Capone with Usopp following behind like a stoic bodyguard.
Under the world's strange rules, once they drew close enough, a mysterious force acted upon them, instantly shrinking them down.
But neither Red nor Usopp—who possessed the Storage-Storage Fruit—remarked on the familiar sensation.
As if strolling through a garden, they calmly entered the castle within Capone's body.
"Good evening, everyone."
Red smiled warmly as he greeted the assembled Supernovas.
Yet upon seeing him, their reactions varied.
The impatient Bonney stepped forward.
"Red, I've delivered the Celestial Dragon you wanted!"
"Now you can tell me about the Warlord of the Sea—Bartholomew Kuma, right?!"
"Don't rush, Bonney." Red's smile remained unchanged as he spoke plainly before them all.
"I'll be telling you about your father very soon."
"But I hope you're mentally prepared."
"His current condition… isn't good. And it's not something many people should know."
"Father?!"
That single word stunned the Supernovas.
They all turned to Bonney in shock.
Bonney's father… is the Warlord Bartholomew Kuma!?
Then why had she gone to sea alone, desperately searching for him?
And more importantly—
Even Bonney herself hadn't found Kuma, yet Red could speak of him so confidently.
Just how vast was his intelligence network?!
They were all rookies who had only entered the Grand Line this year—
So why was the gap between them so enormous?!
Countless questions churned in their minds, plunging the Supernovas into silence.
Bonney, who had been on edge moments ago, finally calmed down after Red directly acknowledged her relationship with Kuma.
At the very least, it meant he wasn't lying.
He truly knew… her father's situation.
But upon hearing that Kuma's condition wasn't good, Bonney clenched her fists tightly.
She could tell Red didn't want to discuss it in front of so many people.
"Father… where are you now…?"
Only ten years old, Bonney felt tears well up in her eyes.
(End of Chapter)