After telling Benson to watch the house, I slipped into the forest, shifted into full-beast form, and rode my flame-clouds toward Water 7. I can fly decent distances now—Water 7 was far, but with a few rests to recover stamina, manageable.
Back in Waterland's treasury I'd found a set of blueprints—turns out they're for a submarine that can traverse the Calm Belt. Building it though? That takes a monster of a shipwright. Basically… Tom.
Three days later I reached Water 7, blanketed the city with Observation Haki, and found him at a somewhat shabby yard. Tom was still under watch—after all, he'd built the Pirate King's ship. He'd dodged a sentence by pitching the Sea Train, buying time to research. For now, he was shackled to Water 7.
"Mr. Tom, hello. I'm Karl. I've got a hell of a set of plans I want built. Can we talk somewhere private?"
"Oh? Certainly, Mr. Karl. My office."
I unrolled the blueprint and waited while his big eyes traced every line.
"This… is magnificent," he rumbled. "But it won't be easy. We'll need seastone and Treasure Tree Adam—things only the black market or the Government can supply. All told… about 3 billion beli."
"If the money's there, can you source the materials?"
"I can. But it must be soon—I'm shifting to dedicated Sea Train work in a few months."
"No problem. I'll bring the money tomorrow night."
"In that case, leave it to me."
I left. Three billion meant borrowing from certain corrupt nobles—the kind of "loan" you don't repay.
Said and done. That night I cleaned out a kingdom's treasury and even found a Devil Fruit. No idea which—would need the encyclopedia later.
By noon next day I'd fenced the loot in another port and hurried back to Water 7. Net gain: just over 3 billion beli plus one Devil Fruit.
At dusk I handed Tom the cash. "I'm counting on you. Timeline?"
"Two months."
"Great. I'll return then. Here—my transponder snail. Call if anything comes up."
I flew home under cover of night. Three days later, Baterilla's glow broke the horizon—and Marines were already garrisoned in town.
In the woods, I found Ellie mid-experiment, plunging a syringe into a pirate's arm. A dozen shackled scumbags lay strapped to cots. Benson was assisting, jaw set.
"How is it?"
"Karl-nii! Good. Those two on the end were feeble for three days. After one dose, they stabilized. I've withheld food for three days as well; their life force clearly increased. The formula works—I'm dialing the dose."
"Brilliant." I ruffled her hair. "Ten drumsticks tonight."
"Hee-hee—anything to help you."
"Finish up and get some sleep," I said, and headed home.
Rouge was watering flowers in the yard. "I'm back."
"You're back? The Marines set up in town last night. I think they're here for me. What do we do?"
"It's fine. In a dress, your belly doesn't show yet. Once they come up empty, they'll ease up. And even if they don't—I'm here. If they uncover you, I'll get you out."
"Mm. I know."
The sweeps started. Infants from zero to one, and pregnant women—any the Marines and CP (Cipher Pol) found were hauled away "for investigation." Supposedly they'd be released if clear.
Days passed. No one came back. No one knew where they'd been taken. Panic spread.
Rouge's guilt gnawed at her—she knew why this was happening. Watching it did something ugly in me, too.
"Sis, don't spiral. I know where they're being held. If they move to kill, I'll take them back."
"Karl, they're too cruel. If you have a way, please save them."
"I will."
Two months in, the Marines and CP had turned the town upside down; every pregnant woman they could find was taken. Rouge stayed invisible by living up the mountain, binding her belly, and deliberately strolling past Marine patrols—just another local girl in a dress.
Each time she came back, her eyes were hollower. That decided it. I had to move. The ship was ready; once I pulled them out, they couldn't return here. I'd ferry them to an uninhabited island first.
Night fell. In black from hood to boots, I slid into town. A pulse of Conqueror's sent Marines and CP agents crumpling in alleys and corridors.
I found the husbands and parents of the taken and, after a lot of persuading, got them to follow. Hope beats hopelessness.
We reached the holding site. Babies cried. Women wept. Interrogators barked at terrified mothers. Chaos.
I dropped onto the roof and rolled out a heavier wave of Conqueror's—guards, interrogators—out cold.
"Go," I told the families. "Find your own." We had to step over dozens of bodies that were already cold. Dozens of homes smashed forever.
No time to grieve. We hustled to the docks. People on the streets watched… and said nothing.
We boarded the large ship I'd readied and cast off. The hold was stacked with food—a month's worth for these numbers.
Once Baterilla shrank behind us, I knocked everyone out with a light pulse. Couldn't risk them learning the route. We ran by Log Pose through the dark and reached the island at first light.
I woke them, shepherded them ashore, and had them unload all supplies.
"From now on, you live here. If the Government or Marines find you outside, they won't show mercy. This island's uninhabited, near the Calm Belt. Plenty of fruit, arable soil. You can make this work. This is as far as I can take you."
"Thank you, benefactor—my wife would've been done for—"
"Thank you!"
"Thank you!"
"Get shelters up first," I said, then shoved off. When the island dipped from view, I climbed into the sky and took one cut through the hull. The ship broke cleanly in two and sank.
Mission complete. No trail.
I slipped back through the forest to the villa.
"How did it go? Did you get them out?" Rouge rushed me, worry raw on her face.
"They're safe. Settled, too."
"Good… Go change."
"On it." I downed a glass of water after changing. "By now the agents will have realized the prisoners vanished. They'll assume their target was among the escapees. With that, they'll ease their sweeps here."
"Mm. Oh—your transponder snail rang this morning. A 'Tom' said the ship you hired is finished."
"I'll call him."
Upstairs, I dialed.
"Purururu… click."
The snail's face shifted to Tom's whiskered grin. "Mr. Karl? The boat's done! Sea trials, too—a fine ship! When will you come collect?"
"Mr. Tom, apologies. Things blew up here. I can't leave yet. Could you store her for a while? Might be long—a year and a half or so."
"No problem! When you're ready, call me."
"Thank you, Mr. Tom."
I hung up and finally exhaled. If Tom couldn't have held it, I'd have a mess on my hands. I can't be away long.
Sea Circle Calendar 1499, February
"Sis… if it comes to it, could you deliver early? Pushing this long is too hard on you."
"I'm okay, Karl. I'm just delaying a few months. I can bear it. The agents and Marines are still here; I can't let the baby be born now—it would expose us. We've come too far to throw it away."
"…All right. But if you feel even a little like you can't hold on, promise me you'll deliver immediately."
"Okay. I promise."
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