Shiki's subordinates entered the room, dragging away the bodies and the wounded. The massive stone lion head crumbled into dust, revealing the unconscious Harden beneath, who was promptly seized and taken away as well.
With unnerving composure, "Golden Lion" Shiki gestured for the remaining people to continue drinking. The atmosphere hung heavy with tension, a suffocating silence blanketing the room as no one dared speak.
"Lord Shiki, if you truly wish to obtain the key technology for these vessels, you should set your sights on the East Blue," Kuro said, deliberately setting down his wine cup as he broke the oppressive silence.
The other expedition members, though they had submitted to Shiki's authority, still felt deeply conflicted. Watching Kuro's apparent eagerness to curry favor with their new master, they exchanged glances of mingled contempt and disbelief.
"East Blue?" Shiki leaned forward with sudden interest. "Are you suggesting these remarkable ships are innovations from that backwater sea?"
"More or less," Kuro replied with calculated slowness. "These vessels were commissioned by a man named Morgan William from the East Blue. The blueprints and the master shipwrights involved in their construction have likely returned there by now."
Krieg observed Kuro with a mixture of reluctant admiration and disgust. The man truly exemplified adaptability—bending like a reed when necessary and showing absolutely no loyalty when the winds changed. Not long ago, Kuro had been among William's most trusted confidants, managing his critical intelligence networks. Yet now, faced with Shiki's overwhelming power and fearsome reputation, he had immediately betrayed William's secrets without hesitation.
What game was Kuro playing? Did he truly intend to lure a monster like Shiki to the East Blue?
"Shut your mouth!" someone shouted from across the room, unable to contain their outrage.
Many of the expedition members hailed from the East Blue, where their families and friends still lived. Influenced by William's propaganda and regional rhetoric over the years, they had developed a strong sense of territorial pride. Though they had been forced to submit to Shiki's overwhelming power, none wished to see such a dangerous pirate unleashed upon their homeland. To them, Kuro's words were the height of treachery—sacrificing their home region to curry favor with their new master.
Shiki, noticing the tension rippling through the group, suddenly burst into thunderous laughter. "You fools know nothing—I was already planning to visit the East Blue!"
East Blue, Kalmar City.
When Nami disembarked at the harbor, she immediately noticed clusters of people engaged in animated discussion along the docks.
Originally, the village sheriff Genzo had insisted on accompanying Nami to enroll at Neustria Academy, even planning to remain in the city to look after her during her studies.
However, Cocoyasi Village, having only recently escaped the tyrannical rule of the Arlong Pirates, was still in ruins. The village had also severed its longstanding ties with the Faraise Kingdom and pledged allegiance to the Navia Kingdom. As a respected authority figure, Genzo faced countless responsibilities in rebuilding their community. Nami didn't wish to burden him during such a crucial transition period, knowing the village desperately needed his leadership.
Similarly, Nami had convinced Nojiko to remain behind using much the same reasoning. She now firmly believed she could take care of herself. After all, she had successfully stolen from pirates—her wit and courage rivaled those of most adults.
Curious about the commotion, Nami quietly slipped through the crowd and listened attentively. She soon learned that an envoy from the Faraise Kingdom had just departed from the docks.
Hearing the name "Faraise Kingdom," Nami's emotions grew complicated. Cocoyasi Village had once been part of that kingdom's territory. Yet during their darkest years under Arlong's brutal regime, the Faraise rulers had turned a blind eye to their subjects' suffering.
If not for the intervention of the Navia Kingdom, who knows how much longer Arlong's tyranny would have continued?
In the village, adults like Genzo might still harbor some guilt for breaking away from their former nation. But for Nami, who had endured years of captivity under Arlong, she felt no loyalty to the kingdom—only bitter resentment. Her hatred for the Faraise Kingdom was second only to her contempt for the humans she had occasionally glimpsed at Arlong's compound.
Over the years, Nami had come to suspect those mysterious visitors had been trading with Arlong and his crew. Based on her observations while forced to work on her maps, many of the supplies used by the Arlong Pirates hadn't come from raids but rather from regular transactions. Given the scarcity of Fish-Men in the East Blue, it was painfully obvious that these trading partners must have been human.
This suspicion filled Nami with disgust and festering bitterness. She had long vowed that once she gained sufficient strength to protect herself, she would uncover the truth behind those shadowy dealings from years past.
Meanwhile, news of the Faraise Kingdom envoy's arrival had also reached William. However, he showed no interest in meeting them. Instead, he instructed his attendants to arrange suitable accommodations for the foreign dignitaries and resumed listening to Edmond and the others report on their return voyage.
Edmond's group had docked at Kalmar City's port earlier that morning. Upon their arrival, William had immediately implemented his predetermined plan, dividing the returning students into specialized teams and assigning them to various shipyards under his control. The construction of new steamships was now his highest priority.
The returning vessels had carried not only personnel but also substantial cargo—components for the new steamships that had been partially completed at Water 7. Due to Galley-La Company's financial constraints, they had been unable to finish the remaining parts, which were now being transported back to East Blue for local shipyards to complete. This approach would significantly reduce the time required before the new fleet could launch.
Meanwhile, key figures including Edmond, Selkirk, Yasopp, and others had been summoned to William's private office to discuss the mysterious disappearance of Harden and his crew.
During their return voyage, Edmond and the others had already begun analyzing the situation, compiling a list of clues and suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident.
When William inquired about their findings, Yasopp—the legendary marksman with exceptional eyesight—spoke up first: "On the night Harden's ship vanished, I believe I saw something rising into the sky. It might have been their vessel, but the darkness was so complete that I couldn't be certain. I dismissed it as imagination at the time."
Yasopp's vision was renowned for its acuity, capable of detecting details at extraordinary distances even in near-total darkness.
"Rising into the sky?" William's brow furrowed in concentration.
"Could this have some connection to Sky Island? We heard mentions of it during our time at Jaya," Edmond suggested, glancing between William and Dampier for confirmation.
William, possessing limited knowledge about Sky Island, turned expectantly toward Dampier.
"The descriptions of Sky Island in historical texts don't align with this phenomenon," Dampier said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "If what Yasopp witnessed was genuine, then something must have silently lifted an entire ship skyward. But Sky Island itself is merely a location—it doesn't possess such capabilities."
"If not Sky Island, then what could it possibly be?" Edmond murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
A heavy silence descended upon the room. Even William, despite his renowned intelligence, found himself without answers. The disappearance of Harden and his crew remained a complete mystery, without a single substantial lead to pursue.
"For now, our immediate priority must be accelerating the construction of the new steamship fleet," William declared coldly after a moment of contemplation. "All shipyards must operate at maximum capacity without delay. Additionally, the textile factories in Kalmar City must begin production immediately—I require a substantial number of hot air balloons and airships."
Harden and his crew had vanished somewhere near the boundary between the Grand Line and the Calm Belt. To conduct an effective search operation, William needed more steamships capable of traversing those treacherous waters. Whether their disappearance was related to Sky Island or some other aerial phenomenon, William was determined to investigate personally. With his hot air balloons and newly developed airship technology, reaching the heights of Sky Island would no longer represent an insurmountable challenge.
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