"Question is,"
Tsuru posed a question,
"How do we set sail in the first place? All ships were used by the Marine and World Government in this war, and none of them were fit for sailing. They need to be repaired, which will take some degree of time."
"We haven't come here alone."
Crocus turned, and everyone followed his gaze.
From the horizon, the ships began to appear majestically.
"Smoker!!! Everyone!!!"
There was a black-haired woman at the flagship, waving her hands at them.
Smoker's eyes widened,
"Hancock?"
Boa Hancock and the Kuja Pirates have arrived.
"Come!! We heard about the ongoing situation!!"
Hancock shouted,
"You need a ride, right?!"
Next to Hancock, there was another woman, standing with her arms crossed. Though they've never met, Smoker noticed the identity of this woman: Shakuyaku, the former empress of the Kuja tribe.
And next to Shakuyaku, there stood a woman who appeared short relative to Hancock and Shakuyaku: Gloriosa, the former empress of the Kuja tribe before Shakuyaku.
Though Shakuyaku was holding in, it was evident that a rage dwelled in her. On the other hand, Gloriosa was seemingly in a thought.
"To Laugh Tale, that is!!"
Crocus smiled sadly.
<<...And that's why we need you to do it for us, Crocus.>>
"Are you kidding me, Rayleigh? Walk into the middle of the marines? When I was a part of you people, of all things?"
<<...>>
"Ha... don't expect too much from me."
With a solemn expression, Crocus gazed at a vivre card on his palm.
It was in the process of withering away into nothing—signaling the loss of the Roger Pirates.
"Crocus..."
Brook looked at Crocus in sadness. The friends whom Crocus so cherished, were now gone.
"It is the matter that dictates the fate of this world."
Crocus whispered to himself as he clenched the ash that remained in his hand.
"They knew full well that this was going to happen. Yet, they still tried, and in the end, no matter how short it may be... they bought some time for us."
"Then,"
Smoker spoke in resolution.
"It is our duty to make sure that their deaths aren't for naught."
Those around Smoker grinned.
Smoker, looking up at Hancock and smiling, stated,
"We'll be relying on you and your friends, Hancock."
Hancock nodded and motioned,
"Quick! Get on!"
__________
"Laugh Tale is within the sea that lies ahead of Lodestar, the final island that one can reach through the help of a Log Pose."
"Underneath this sea are millions of volcanoes. From the immense heat it receives, the water boils to a scorching hot degree. It has the potential to burn anyone who comes in contact with it."
"Even worse, the vaporized steam off of the water too is hot enough to produce the same burning effect. Without Haki and a tough ship, entering this ship is impossible. Furthermore, it is impossible to enter this sea by crossing the Reverse Mountain, for nothing can be seen due to the thick steam that covers the entire area."
"What Four Road Poneglyphs point at, is one specific, hidden location in Lodestar island. This exact spot, able to see through the slightest gap between the rising steam, shows the body of water that reflects the image of the Reverse Mountain."
"Being able to reflect the image of the Reverse Mountain means that it is able to receive the light. Therefore, the phototrophic creatures, able to survive the heat of the boiling water somehow, are concentrated around this region. They process the light to produce their 'food' as well as the oxygen. Oxygen becomes saturated in the water, which reacts with the water and pyrobloin present in the sea to produce... the sea cloud."
The white path of cloud. At the end of such a road lies... the Laugh Tale.
"...The route now lies clear. The real question is, how far ahead is Blackbeard?"
"He was at Zou. If there was enough time for the survivors to be drifted away to Wano, he must've sailed much more by now."
"We need to slow him down somehow, to an extent where we can, at the very least, reach Laugh Tale before him."
"How?"
"...I have a plan,"
Said Tsuru.
<
A few days passed. With an incredible, inhumane rate of regeneration, Smoker had enough rest while boarded atop the Kuja Pirates' ship.
Currently, he was speaking into a Den Den Mushi—one that was being sent throughout the world, onto every single Den Den Mushi.
<>
The ships of Kuja Pirates were bravely sailing across the sea of the New World, one which notably calmed down after the portion of Red Line fell due to the battle between Smoker and Imu.
It was a smooth sail, much to many's surprise.
<
"This is..."
King Cobra of Alabasta listened to Smoker's voice from Den Den Mushi, pleasantly surprised.
<
"..."
Neptune, while listening to the voice, grimaced.
<>
People gasped. Some exhibited confusion.
"What the fuck is going on?!!"
It was simply far too much information that was being relayed at once.
<
And that's when everyone stopped moving.
"H-He... what?"
The shipwright in Water Seven, Tom, widened his eyes as he dropped a tool in his hand.
<
Smoker, speaking through a dial in his hand, paused for a brief moment. Then, he spoke,
<
"Why make such an announcement, Tsuru-san?"
Smoker placed the dial down as he recalled his conversation with Tsuru.
"Blackbeard's face has already been well-known thanks to his activeness for the past 4 years. The key isn't to send a warning to the civilians, but rather, to..."
Rouse the pirates.
"..."
In one bar on an island of the New World, a group of pirates fell silent as they finished listening to Smoker's words.
"Hey, captain, isn't that..."
The captain of the crew gazed at one filthy-looking man who was vigorously eating away the mountain of food.
"This cherry pie is so good I could die!!!"
Black-haired. Obese yet muscular. Characterized by a long, unkempt black beard on his chin.
"So..."
The captain's eyes gleamed in excitement,
"He knows where One Piece is?"
He drew his sword, and so did his crew members.
They, grinning evilly, were preparing to back-stab this pirate, Blackbeard, who was munching food, carefree.
...
"Zehaha..."
Blackbeard, with his hand crushing the neck of the pirate captain who launched a surprise attack on him, laughed.
"...White Hunter Smoker."
Loosening his grip and letting the corpse fall, he growled out the name as the grin faded away from his face.
"So you are Garp of this generation."
He raised his other hand, which was holding onto the Log Pose that the navigator of the fallen crew in front of him had.
This was how Blackbeard had been traveling since Zou. He would reach an island, seize the Log Poses of the pirates that were fully recorded, and head to the next island, before repeating the process.
And he knew which direction the Log Pose in his hand was currently pointing at. After all, it was the island which he was the most familiar with,
Fullalead.
"However,"
Blackbeard then grinned again,
"There isn't Roger this time around."
The image of Shanks popped up in his mind,
"For he is already down."
__________
"Lodestar."
In Elbaf, the giant who used to be a marine in the past concluded.
"After reading all these research articles from Dr.Clover and other Oharan researchers, it seems that,"
Staring at hundreds of books that were on bookshelves at the back, this giant, Jaguar D. Saul, muttered as he adjusted the glasses that he was currently wearing.
"the Lodestar island has something to do with Laugh Tale."
He placed his hand below his chin and hummed.
"It seems that you're trying to slow Blackbeard's speed of travel as much as possible, eh, Smoker? If so..."
The research done by the Oharans revealed some degree of truth.
"I cannot sit still and watch."
The Great Kingdom of Fable—the kingdom of Giants, ruled by Buccaneers.
After learning what it means to be free from Jaguar D. Binks, after the kingdom fell from the great war, they changed. They named their kingdom 'Elbaf', the reverse of Fable, and made a promise to themselves that they would never revert to what their ancestors were.
"Dark Dark fruit. Rocks D. The true goal of Blackbeard is to..."
Saul's expression darkened,
"...restore the Fable Kingdom."
He stood up and walked out of the room.
"We cannot allow the history to be repeated, can we?"
Chuckling dryly, he whispered,
"We may be meeting again soon, Smoker, Robin."
__________
The state of Fullalead, the paradise of pirates, was boisterous as ever.
No, it was more than that. After hearing the information spoken by Smoker via Den Den Mushi, the island was more chaotic than ever.
"One Piece..."'
One pirate whispered. He then raised his spear to the sky and screamed,
"I'M GOING TO KILL BLACKBEARD AND GET ONE PIECE!!! WHO'S WILLING TO JOIN ME?!!"
"""HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"""
Pirates all laughed in mockery of the man,
"You?! Of all pirates in the world?!"
Another then cried,
"If anything, I should be the next King of Pirates!!!"
BANG!
"Fuck off!!!"
"A contest it is... to see who's the rightful owner of One Piece!!!"
The bullets flew in all directions. Blood splattered here and there, and corpses accumulated as the insanity took over the island.
And in the middle of such a scene, there was one man, sitting with boredom written on his face.
Dracule Mihawk.
He, after having been lost after the laser beam from the Uranus of the World Government, ended up in Fullalead, lamenting the fact that he didn't get to enjoy the fight against the Revolutionary Army to the fullest.
"...One Piece, is it."
Mihawk muttered, frowning.
"Blackbeard, Rocks D. Xebec. Perhaps,"
His eyes shifted to the side, glancing at the path where one man was found walking from far away.
The pirates stopped. It was as if their bodies were simultaneously frozen.
Mihawk's eyes gleamed as he slowly took out his black sword, Yoru.
"Perhaps you can quench my thirst for a thrilling battle, one which the World Government failed to give."
Blackbeard, grinning, was approaching Mihawk and the group of pirates, with his attire stained in blood from head to toe.