Chapter 163 Rusukaina
"Mamamama! Hiding? That makes sense. After all, with such a massive bounty on his head, he must be dodging the World Government's pursuit everywhere."
"But this is a golden opportunity for us. As long as I can offer him protection, it'll be easy to get him to join us—maybe even become my latest husband!"
Charlotte Linlin's moods came and went in a flash. As she spoke, she broke into another fit of laughter, her fat quivering.
"Worororo! A member of the Three-Eye Tribe... Linlin snatched the last one, so I'm definitely taking this one!"
In Wano Country, inside the Skull Dome of Onigashima, Kaido stood up from his throne, slightly tipsy as he gulped down more sake.
"Hmm? Does Lord Kaido intend to personally capture that Three-Eye brat?"
To the side, King, who had been standing with his arms crossed like a statue, spoke up in surprise. He was all too familiar with his captain's temperament.
"King, the Three-Eye Tribe is rumored to possess the hidden ability to decipher Poneglyphs. How could I possibly miss out on someone like that!" Kaido drained the last of his sake and laughed, tossing the jug aside.
BOOM!
His massive, brawny body began to transform, stretching and expanding. Kaido smashed through the ceiling and soared into the clouds as an Azure Dragon hundreds of meters long.
"Captain, should we go see this Three-Eye guy?" Inside a bar on an island in the New World, Building Snake, the navigator of the Red-Hair Pirates, waved a bounty poster.
Opposite him was the captain of the Red-Hair Pirates, Shanks!
"There's no need for now. He's just entered the New World, so he'll be extremely guarded. Approaching him recklessly might trigger a massive battle." Shanks waved him off, then reached for a nearby plate without looking.
Slap!
"Ow! That hurts!"
Shanks quickly withdrew his hand, blowing on his reddened palm.
"Captain, this is my meat! Don't even think about stealing it!" Lucky Roux, having slapped his captain away, pulled the plate protectively toward his chest and began gnawing on a large bone.
"What do you mean 'stealing'? I just reached for the wrong thing!" Shanks argued, his face flushing red.
Lucky Roux chuckled and kept on eating with even more gusto.
This infuriated Shanks, who immediately tried to snatch the food back.
Watching the two of them fool around, Benn Beckman, sitting at the same table, sighed helplessly.
Their captain was incredibly reliable at times, but other times he acted just like a mischievous child.
Sighing, Beckman looked at the bounty poster Snake had left on the table.
'A Three-Eye... For the World Government to issue such an absurd bounty, there's a high probability this guy has already awakened the ability to read Poneglyphs. But even so, it shouldn't be this high. Could he have killed a Celestial Dragon?'
The highly intelligent Beckman fell into deep thought.
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"Captain, the resupply is complete!"
Aboard the New Riding the Wind and Waves docked at the port, Zane stood by the railing with his arms crossed, surveying the small island and the town in the distance.
Nico Robin walked up behind Zane to report the status of their supplies.
"Then let's set sail!"
Zane turned to Nico Robin and gave the order with a smile.
Nico Robin nodded and immediately passed down the command to depart.
Once she left, Zane looked back at the town.
'It should be about time. After wiping out so many pirate fleets along the way and making a deliberate appearance this time, I've drawn enough attention,' Zane thought silently.
Ever since entering the New World...
He was well aware that his every move would attract various factions.
If nothing else, the fact that he had killed a large number of Celestial Dragons was enough to bring the World Government's wrath down on him.
So from the very beginning, he hadn't truly intended to roam the New World just yet.
Along the way...
Everything they had done was simply to create the illusion that he was venturing deep into the New World.
The real goal was a secret diversion.
The Hunting Team set sail once more.
As they moved further away...
After using Observation Haki and God's Eye to ensure they weren't being watched, Zane quickly activated his Door-Door Fruit powers, commanding the three warships to enter a massive spatial gate.
With the long-range vision of God's Eye...
Most of the secret places in this world could not escape Zane's notice.
In the first half of the Grand Line...
In the Calm Belt adjacent to the South Blue...
The Hunting Team, which was supposed to be in the New World, was currently sailing right here.
The electrically powered paddle wheels churned.
Even in the Calm Belt, the New Riding the Wind and Waves and the escort ships navigated the waters with ease.
BOOM!
Conqueror's Haki erupted, precisely targeting the area beneath the warships.
Several Sea Kings that were about to approach were instantly cowed by the aura and fled in a panic.
'I still need to get more Sea Prism Stone.'
Sitting on the golden throne on the deck, Zane shook his head as he sensed another wave of Sea Kings being scared off.
Sea Prism Stone emitted the same energy as the sea.
By embedding it in the hull, a ship could effectively evade detection by Sea Kings, allowing for "stealth" travel.
However, the scale of the New Riding the Wind and Waves and the escort ships was simply too large.
Even with the Sea Prism Stone Zane had acquired in passing, it wasn't enough to make both ships completely "invisible."
"Boss, is that Rusukaina place really suitable for training?" Manlong, sitting cross-legged nearby, asked Zane with interest.
"Of course. It's a prime training ground I specifically chose for you all!" Zane turned to him and said with a smile.
Rusukaina.
This was the place where Luffy would spend two years training after the Summit War in the original story.
Zane's grand entrance into the New World had been a feint; his true destination was Rusukaina.
Much like the sparring matches between the Hunting Team and the Whitebeard Pirates back at Fishman Island...
Although the Hunting Team's growth had been rapid, they were still green compared to Yonko-level forces like the Whitebeard Pirates.
The intensity of the New World was on a completely different level than Paradise.
Even with his protection, the strength of Manlong and the others was still lacking.
Therefore, before truly taking on the New World, Zane intended to have the Hunting Team undergo further intensive training.
Rusukaina was located in the Calm Belt near the South Blue.
At the same time, it was very close to Amazon Lily.
When Zane had Shakky contact Hancock, it wasn't just because he was drawn to her beauty; it was to give her a heads-up about their training on Rusukaina.
Guided by the insight of God's Eye...
The Hunting Team traversed the Calm Belt without incident and finally arrived at Rusukaina.
ROAR!
Before the ships even reached the shore...
The ferocious beasts of Rusukaina seemed to have already detected the arrival of intruders.
Earth-shaking roars echoed from deep within the island's forests, startling large flocks of birds into the sky.
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