"In addition to Mr. Koshiro, does East Blue really have such a strong person?"
The big news that Shanks lost an arm in the weakest sea caused a sensation around the world.
When Monet saw today's headlines, she couldn't believe it.
She had been Kahn's maid for a long time. As a rational individual, Monet was the smartest assistant Robin had ever trained, graduating faster than anyone else.
Being by Robin's side, Monet understood that the reason why this "Robin-sister" was the only one in the family who didn't rely on strength to become a top cadre wasn't just because she was the Master's first maid but also due to her intelligence and profound knowledge.
As a rational person, Monet didn't idolize Hancock, who was powerful and second-in-command of the family. Instead, she admired Robin, who might not be as strong in battle but was undoubtedly the big sister of the family.
Even after completing Robin's maid training and studying with her, Monet didn't abandon her books.
On the contrary, Monet now not only reads medical books and materials collected by Dr Kureha over several eras but also delves into various other types of books, always keeping up with the big and small news of the sea.
Monet was familiar with Shanks, one of the "Red and Black Twin Stars," who had a bounty in the billions and was known as second only to the Master and Hancock-sister.
Monet's disbelief only grew after understanding the situation more deeply.
In the weakest sea, East Blue, there was actually a strong person capable of cutting off the arm of one of the ten most notorious pirates.
And this strong person, like Kuina's father, was hidden away in the weakest sea.
In this world, there are truly always stronger people and greater challenges.
Kahn never told Monet that the one who took Shanks' arm wasn't a hidden powerhouse but a very ordinary Sea King.
This type of Sea King, living in the light-transmitting layer, wasn't even fit to carry the shoes of Sea Kings from the Calm Belt and the deep seas.
Seeing today's news, Kahn was also deeply moved.
The guide of the Son of Destiny had finished his work.
In another ten years, it would be the countdown to the beginning of the troubled times.
This was also the result of Kahn's efforts, making him one of the strongest chess players, with a development period that allowed him to control or avoid chaos.
But before the Son of Destiny sets sail, his father and guide must pave the way for him.
This decade wasn't just Kahn's developmental period.
It was also the time when Monkey D. Dragon and Shanks would rise.
Before they could become overlords, Kahn had to secure his place as an overlord first, claiming one of the largest pieces of the New World.
Thinking of this, Kahn's resolve only grew stronger, especially after thinking of Aren.
Thus, Kahn ended his tour of Water 7 ahead of schedule and took Monet and Kuina to the final leg of their voyage.
And the last stop wasn't the Sabaody Archipelago at the end of the Grand Line.
Instead…it was the Devil's Triangle!
To be precise, it was the island ship located in the Devil's Triangle—Thriller Bark.
As mentioned earlier, the time when Gekko Moria moved into the Devil's Triangle was ten years before the start of the main plot, in 1510.
For this reason, Kahn had passed through the Devil's Triangle many times before without stopping, as the Thriller Bark had not yet entered the Devil's Triangle at that time.
However, now that the Thriller Bark was present, Kahn turned back from the Broadcast Islands and returned to the waterway leading to Alabasta, not only to help Kuina broaden her horizons but also to recruit his tenth personal maid along the way.
This personal maid was Perona, who had eaten the Paramecia-type Hollow-Hollow Fruit, known as "Ghost Princess."
Perona was someone Kahn had tried to find when he was very young but couldn't locate.
Like Kahn, Perona and Gekko Moria hailed from West Blue.
Perona was a crucial addition to Kahn's crew.
Her Hollow-Hollow Fruit was incredibly powerful.
Especially with Mary, who had the Paramecia-type Castle-Castle Fruit by her side, Perona's biggest weakness could be covered.
That weakness was the vulnerability of her body when her spirit left it. Mary could place Perona's body inside her castle, keeping it safe.
If the enemy didn't know about Mary's Castle-Castle Fruit, they wouldn't be able to find Perona's body even if they searched the entire island.
This setup would allow them to use Perona's abilities without worry unless the enemy had powerful Haki or was somehow immune to Perona's Negative Hollows.
Otherwise, anyone hit by Perona's Negative Hollows would instantly lose the will to fight and be easily defeated.
This ability was a powerful weapon in war.
Once he secured Perona's help, Kahn would have more confidence in the upcoming battle for supremacy that he planned to initiate.
With this in mind, Kahn used telekinesis to control the wind, speeding up the journey, and within a day, they entered the Devil's Triangle from Water 7.
Gekko Moria was a notorious pirate and one of the future Seven Warlords of the Sea.
While others might not have known of his move into the Devil's Triangle, this information was no secret to major forces with excellent intelligence networks and dark world organizations.
As a top figure in the dark world, Kahn was well aware of the news.
With that knowledge, Kahn wouldn't pass up this opportunity.
Upon entering the Devil's Triangle, Kahn's unique perception quickly pinpointed the location of Thriller Bark.
He used his telekinetic power to lift the Grandine, flying it over Thriller Bark and landing on the castle's roof.
*Puchi—!*
As the ship landed, the sound of a sharp weapon piercing a body echoed from a room within the castle.
Inside, Absalom, who had not yet undergone surgery by Hogback to become an animal-human hybrid, was enveloped in a faint blue light, completely paralyzed and unable even to speak.
A knife in the room, also surrounded by the same blue light, floated up.
Eliminating the air resistance with telekinesis, the knife shot out like a sniper bullet, instantly piercing Absalom's neck.
Just like that, the user of the Paramecia-type Clear-Clear Fruit was dead.
"Monet, you and Kuina wait for me on the ship. I'll be back soon," Kahn commanded after killing Absalom, his figure disappearing from the deck.
After vanishing from the castle roof, Kahn didn't head directly to Perona and Gekko Moria. Instead, he sought out Hogback first, reading his memory and absorbing all of his medical knowledge.
Known as the "Genius Surgeon," Hogback's surgical expertise and knowledge were more advanced than Monet's, who relied heavily on the Op-Op Fruit.
Hogback's memories were a vast treasure trove for Monet.
By digesting Hogback's knowledge, Monet's development of the Op-Op Fruit would progress rapidly.
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