Chapter 146 Sabaody Archipelago
"What's going on? Why did they stop moving?"
"Damn it, Big Brother Manlong must have finished his fight. The zombies' Devil Fruit powers are gone."
"I was just a hair's breadth away from winning!"
"If I'd known, I would've told Big Brother Manlong to take his time."
"Dammit..."
Manlong moved quickly, returning to the New Riding the Wind and Waves just before Moria drew his last breath.
Zane didn't dare waste a second. He immediately activated [LET'S DUEL!] to plunder his target.
With Moria's death...
Wails of frustration broke out across the island ship.
It wasn't because Moria's subordinates were mourning.
Instead, it was because his death caused the shadows to flee from the zombies, leaving the members of the Hunting Team without opponents.
Not being able to fight to the end and personally crush their foes...
...was nothing short of a cruel case of combat blue-balling for the Hunting Team.
Their resentment was so palpable it reached the New Riding the Wind and Waves, making Manlong scratch his head in embarrassment.
It really wasn't his fault; if a Warlord like Moria had been any stronger, he wouldn't have finished the fight so quickly.
"How can this be? Why are the shadows leaving?"
Perona, who had hurried back to her physical body after the castle collapsed, stared blankly as the shadows flew into the sky and scattered in all directions.
"Ocho Fleur: Clutch!"
Eight arms suddenly sprouted from Perona's body, swiftly locking her limbs in a joint lock and forcing a cry of pain from her lips.
"So your real body was hiding here. You certainly gave us a run for our money earlier," Nico Robin said with a frigid smile, her face shrouded in shadow as she approached with her arms crossed.
"Step aside! I want to finish this woman myself!"
Baby 5 rushed over in a similar state of fury, her arms transformed into blades as she stomped toward Perona.
It was obvious.
Perona had been the one the two women were fighting.
Given the nature of the Hollow-Hollow Fruit, even Baby 5—who had awakened Armament Haki—had been toyed with and left in a pathetic state.
This 'pathetic state' wasn't physical; it was the horrific humiliation to their pride.
Thinking back to their shameful behavior while under the influence of the 'Negative' ghosts...
...both Baby 5 and Nico Robin were itching to kill Perona on the spot.
However, Nico Robin was far more composed than Baby 5.
"Don't be reckless. She's an ability user; we need to leave her for the Captain," Robin reminded her.
"Hmph. Fine, I'll let you live a little longer."
At the mention of her Captain, Baby 5 immediately stopped, suppressing her anger.
Showing no mercy...
...Robin increased the pressure, snapping Perona's limbs before Baby 5 grabbed her and headed back toward the shore.
Another bountiful harvest.
Though he had been a spectator for a while...
...the gains were substantial.
Looking at Perona as she was brought back by Baby 5 and Nico Robin...
...Zane immediately sent her into the Munch-Munch Space.
Hmm...
He didn't plunder her immediately like he had with Moria, but it wasn't because he was captivated by her beauty.
Nor did he want to force her into submission.
He wasn't in a hurry to plunder because, aside from the Hollow-Hollow Fruit, Perona had nothing worth taking.
Zane had no interest in the Hollow-Hollow Fruit.
So, he could only keep her in the Munch-Munch Space for now.
Most importantly, he wasn't short on Imprint Entries.
After digesting the members of the Donquixote Pirates, he had three spare Imprint Entries.
With such a surplus, there was no need to rush to increase the count.
'The Dark-Dark Fruit... I can't miss out on that. I have to find a way to get it.'
Zane thought to himself as he sensed Perona imprisoned in the Munch-Munch Space.
Currently, the only known method to extract a Devil Fruit was the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Unless a new ability imprint appeared, or a prey had other outstanding traits...
...it was better to keep an ability user like Perona alive. He could extract her fruit later to strengthen the overall power of the Hunting Team.
Sensing with Observation Haki...
...and peering with God's Eye...
...the Florian Triangle was simply incapable of trapping Zane.
With Moria dealt with...
...the New Riding the Wind and Waves set sail, successfully breaking through the fog and continuing toward the Sabaody Archipelago.
"The Black Blade Shusui... its craftsmanship is truly remarkable."
Inside the training room as the warship sailed toward Sabaody, Zane examined the dark-purple blade in his hand with interest.
Shusui, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords.
This blade was Wyper's contribution.
During the battle with the General Zombies, Wyper's chosen opponent had been the legendary Great Swordmaster Ryuma.
Although Wyper and Ryuma hadn't finished their duel because Manlong defeated Moria first...
...Wyper had recognized that Shusui was no ordinary sword. He seized it before leaving and eventually handed it over to Zane.
Speaking of Shusui...
...its material didn't particularly impress Zane.
After all, whether it was memory alloy or his new alloys, they both surpassed Shusui's composition.
What truly intrigued him was the forging process.
The weapons he had previously forged for the Hunting Team relied mostly on superior materials to match the quality of famous blades.
If he could incorporate superior forging techniques, he could undoubtedly create even better weapons.
Obtaining Shusui now allowed him to bridge that gap.
* * *
Before they knew it...
...a faint black line, resembling a long dragon, appeared on the horizon ahead.
This line was the Red Line, the continent that divided the world in two.
As the distant Red Line became clearer...
...Zane, standing at the bow, looked up toward the summit.
His gaze was cold and distant.
Perched there was Mary Geoise, the Holy Land where the Celestial Dragons resided.
Given his circumstances, a reckoning with them was inevitable.
The warship plowed forward.
Welcoming them was not only the towering Red Line but also the Sabaody Archipelago, formed by the exposed roots of the world's largest Mangrove tree, the Yarukiman Mangrove.
The entire archipelago consisted of 79 islands.
Each island was formed by a branch of a Yarukiman Mangrove.
These islands housed towns and various facilities.
Due to different needs, each island was numbered and categorized.
Areas 1 to 29: Primarily consisting of human auction houses, slave shops, and lawless zones.
Areas 30 to 39: Featuring facilities like Sabaody Park.
Areas 40 to 49: Mainly tourist areas and souvenir shops.
Areas 50 to 59: Home to shipyards and coating mechanics.
Areas 60 to 69: Containing Marine bases and government transit points.
Areas 70 to 79: Consisting of the hotel district.
Since the area numbers were printed on the towering Yarukiman Mangrove branches of each island, it was easy for visitors to find their way.
The New Riding the Wind and Waves and its escorts sailed straight into the port of Grove 1.