The journey, which originally required fifteen days, was shortened to just ten days thanks to continuous accelerated sailing.
There are two main routes to reach the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
One route involves requesting permission from the World Government, allowing direct passage across the summit of the Red Line to reach Mary Geoise. Although this requires a lot of money and time for the application process, it's very safe.
The other route involves coating the ship with Yarukiman Mangrove resin and diving 10,000 meters below to Fish-Man Island, passing through a giant cave beneath the Red Line to enter the New World.
This path comes with potential hazards such as Sea Kings, underwater volcanoes, and even if one reaches Mary Geoise, they still have to face the natural barrier of the Red Line.
Since Wood and the others were escorting slaves for the Celestial Dragons, they naturally took the official route.
Although they had to pass through multiple layers of checks, their documentation was complete, and they quickly passed through all the checkpoints.
It's worth mentioning that the Fish-Men they captured were released by Wood and his group before reaching the Red Line.
The reason for doing this, aside from not wanting to let the Celestial Dragons gain more Fish-Men slaves, was to earn Fisher Tiger's initial trust.
Initially, Gion did not agree with Wood's decision.
She felt that the tiger shark Fish-Men were no good and thought that if they weren't going to let the Celestial Dragons have them, they should at least be killed to prevent them from causing trouble for others in the future.
However, Wood believed that it wasn't worth making an enemy of Tiger just for a fleeting moment of satisfaction.
In the end, after Wood persuaded her and confirmed that the tiger shark Fish-Men were not wanted pirates but rather adventurers, Gion reluctantly agreed.
"Don't worry, I'll find a way to get you out of the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, and back to your homeland.
That's a promise, Mary, Sonia."
As they were about to reach the summit of the Red Line, where the Holy Land Mary Geoise is located, Mary and Sonia, who were locked in a cage, couldn't hold back their tears due to their young age.
Although they hadn't gone hungry these past days, listening to the other slaves talk about the horrors of the Celestial Dragons had filled them with deep fear of the unknown future.
All Wood could do at the moment was extend his pinky finger into the cage and make a pinky promise with the two little girls.
On the way to Mary Geoise, Wood had considered leaving some of the slaves on islands they passed, planning to come back for them later.
After all, the Celestial Dragons were most interested in the female mermaid among the group.
As for the others, as long as they weren't of a rare species, the Celestial Dragons likely wouldn't care much if a few ordinary humans went missing.
However, the chains on Hancock and her sisters were special. While not as dangerous as the explosive collars they would wear later, they weren't something that could be easily removed.
Leaving these shackled people on a deserted island would likely be just as dangerous for them.
Moreover, Hancock would one day become a peerless beauty and the "Love-Love Fruit" would play a crucial role. After some hesitation, Wood decided not to take the risk.
"You despicable liar! Mary, Sonia, don't be fooled by his righteous appearance.
He's taking us to the Celestial Dragons, and now he says he'll save us. Isn't that laughable?"
Seeing Wood smiling and making promises to her sisters Mary and Sonia, Hancock glared at him with contempt, as if she were looking at scum.
After spending more than ten days together, Hancock's attitude towards Wood remained hostile. Yet, she had briefly entertained the hope that Wood was different from the others, especially after he released those Fish-Men. She had hoped he might also release her and her sisters.
But reality was harsh. The man before her was no different from the others. He talked big, but in the end, he didn't dare to defy the Celestial Dragons.
If he hadn't given them hope at the start, it would have been better. Hancock had just started to believe in him, only to have him turn around and deliver them to the Celestial Dragons.
Giving them hope and then crushing it made Hancock loathe Wood even more.
Seeing him now, still deceiving Mary and Sonia like they were children, made her feel sick.
The Holy Land, Mary Geoise, is the headquarters of the World Government, the residence of the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons.
With the massive Red Line as a natural barrier, Mary Geoise is almost impregnable, even more so than Marine Headquarters.
People who enter here, unless recognized by the World Nobles, have never been known to escape.
For this reason, Hancock believed that Wood was simply deceiving them!
"Deceiving you wouldn't benefit me in any way. Besides, I never break a promise with children!
My name is Wood. If I break my promise, you can come after me for revenge in the future."
Wood wasn't bothered by Hancock's hatred. Considering her circumstances, anyone in her place would probably feel the same.
"It seems our Seaman Recruit Wood is quite concerned about those little girls.
Do you know them? Or is one of them also a big shot like Fisher Tiger? Or do you have some peculiar hobby?
I mean, that black-haired girl does look quite good, but it seems she's not interested in you."
Gion had been observing Wood for a while. Compared to the other slaves, he did seem particularly attentive to these three little girls.
Logically, shouldn't the most special being on the ship be that female mermaid?
Gion had secretly observed the three Amazon girls, but she hadn't found anything special about them.
Their physical abilities and backgrounds were average, and they weren't Devil Fruit users like Tina. But Gion knew Wood well. If he was so attentive to strangers, it meant these strangers weren't ordinary.
"You don't think I'm a lolicon, do you? I have a younger sister back on Maple Island.
Seeing them, who are about the same age, becoming slaves to the Celestial Dragons... It makes me want to help them for once. Is that so wrong?
Hiding my strength doesn't mean I don't have it, nor does it mean I lack the determination to grow stronger. If needed, I'll give my all without reservation!"