After four successful treasure hunts along the trade route between the Starfish Archipelago and Loguetown, Noah and his team had explored most of the seafloor, focusing on areas more than 200 meters deep.
As soon as the New Year celebrations passed, Noah checked in on Joshua and the others' progress. Without missing a beat, he took Vic out to sea again.
This time, their destination was the route between Loguetown and Reverse Mountain.
This particular route was far busier than the one between Starfish Island and Loguetown—dozens of times more so, in fact. Not only that, it was the main passage for pirates from East Blue making their way into the Grand Line. This meant that the seabed here would likely be littered with shipwrecks.
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Two days later.
Aside from a brief six-hour rest on a deserted island's shoreline, the two had spent the entire time traveling.
Soon, they arrived at the targeted section of the trade route—southwest of Loguetown's harbor. This path led directly toward the Reverse Mountain Canal.
Using his Observation Haki, Noah quickly honed in on a promising area, a reef zone about 100 meters deep.
As expected, the moment they entered the region, Noah sensed the outlines of several shipwrecks scattered across the seabed.
Having done this enough times to know the drill, Vic wasted no time. After Noah used his Conqueror's Haki to clear away the surrounding sea creatures, Vic dove down with his tools.
Under the glow of his flashlight, the scene was grim—sunken ships lay wrecked, their hulls covered with gashes, big and small.
Vic's gaze fell on a wooden plank carved with a string of skulls. Recognizing the mark, he realized this was likely a pirate ship.
He pushed aside the rotting door, finding a skeleton lying motionless on a wooden plank, still clutching a corroded axe. Judging by the layout, this must have been the captain's cabin.
Vic pried a ring off the skeleton's bony finger and opened a nearby drawer, discovering a decayed pile of Beri, along with about twenty gold and silver items, and a dozen gemstones.
After securing the valuables in his bag, Vic raised his metal hook and began jabbing at the floorboards, searching for any hidden compartments.
Several cracks formed as the rotting planks gave way under the pressure.
Suddenly, something caught his eye. Beneath the skeleton, the beam of his flashlight revealed a faint golden glimmer between the floorboards.
He quickly moved the bones aside and pried open the floor, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside were several wooden chests, one of which had already split open, spilling its contents of gold and silver.
Excitement surged through Vic.
This haul's looking pretty good.
He opened each chest. Two were filled with gold and silver treasure, while another contained decayed Beri.
The final chest held a mix of random items—some rotted books, a Log Pose, a dagger with a large blue gemstone embedded in its hilt, and a small box.
When Vic opened the small box, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Inside was a black, melon-shaped fruit covered in intricate spirals.
Is this… a Devil Fruit? Incredible!
Vic quickly pocketed the Devil Fruit and did a final sweep of the ship's remains before returning to the submarine with his haul.
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Half an hour later.
Vic climbed out of the submarine's dive hatch, holding the black fruit in his hand, his expression still brimming with excitement.
"Brother, take a look at this!"
Noah's eyes lit up with surprise as he glanced at the fruit. "A Devil Fruit? And one I've never seen before, no less."
Finding an unknown Devil Fruit wasn't all that surprising to Noah. After all, much of the information from his previous life had centered around the main characters.
But outside the main cast, there were certainly Devil Fruits that hadn't been documented.
Noah examined the fruit closely. "Vic, I'll figure out what kind of Devil Fruit this is. If it turns out to suit your abilities, it's yours."
Vic, however, shook his head. "Brother, this one should go to Lilith or the others. I'd rather not become a sitting duck in the water. Besides, I'm confident I can get strong by mastering the Six Powers and Armament Haki."
Noah smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll find more Devil Fruits. Whether you eat one or not, you'll always get your share."
"Thanks, Brother!" Vic said, clearly touched.
Noah nodded and then instructed him to rest. Meanwhile, Noah steered the submarine toward a location about 80 kilometers southeast of Loguetown.
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Four hours later.
The submarine arrived at a bay on a deserted island.
After securing the submarine, Noah and Vic made their way onto the island.
In the dense jungle, Noah changed his appearance once again. He told Vic to remain hidden by the shoreline and keep watch over the surrounding waters.
Taking out his Den Den Mushi, Noah dialed Morgan's number.
"Blub-blub-blub…"
Before long, the Den Den Mushi transformed into Morgan's signature bird-headed figure.
"Ah, if it isn't Lord Dawn!" Morgan greeted with a chuckle. "What big news do you have for me today?"
Noah didn't bother with small talk. "I've got two pieces of intel. In exchange, I want the most comprehensive Devil Fruit encyclopedia and a detailed map of the Grand Line's Paradise region. Have them delivered to your branch in Loguetown. I'll pick them up in a week."
"A Devil Fruit encyclopedia and a Paradise map? Sure thing. But is your intel worth the price?"
Noah's tone remained calm. "One information is a scandal involving the World Government. The other is intel on Kaido."
"Oh?" Morgans' eyes lit up with interest. "You've got your hands on both World Government dirt and information on Kaido? Now that's the kind of intel I'm after. We've got a deal."
"Good. As always, I'll give you the information about the scandal now, the easier one to verify. The second one, you'll get once I've received what I asked for."
"Fair enough."
"In the North Blue, there's a town called Flevance, also known as the 'White City.' For nearly a hundred years, they've been mining a mineral called Amber Lead. The townspeople don't know this, but the dust from mining it is highly toxic. The World Government has been covering it up to maintain profits, and they've rebranded the resulting lead poisoning as a mysterious infectious disease. They're even planning to incite the surrounding nations to destroy Flevance entirely."
Morgan, a seasoned newsman who'd seen it all, swallowed hard at this bombshell. He knew this story could drive the World Government into a frenzy.
But the allure of a massive scoop was irresistible to him.
After a moment of contemplation, Morgan finally spoke again, his voice tinged with amusement. "You're not with the Revolutionary Army, are you, Lord Dawn?"
"No," Noah replied without hesitation.
Morgan gave him a long, curious look before nodding. "Alright. Your items will be ready for pick-up in Loguetown in seven days. Until next time."
"Until then."
Noah sealed the Den Den Mushi and returned to the treasure hunt with Vic, continuing to explore the trade routes near Loguetown.
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