"Relax. Don't panic. Even the Marines need to eat. We've already been given clearance, so put your weapons away. If there's an accidental discharge, that's when real trouble starts. They're just on routine patrol." The captain scolded the pirates.
However, pirates and soldiers had always been natural enemies. Upon seeing the Marines, the pirates instinctively wanted to fight back. Even after hearing the captain's words, they remained skeptical, lowering their weapons slightly but not putting them away completely.
Soon, the Marine fleet passed by their ship, sailing so close it nearly scraped against them, yet without stopping. They merely signaled with flags.
The captain nodded. "We're altering course to land at Zone B. The Marines are conducting operations, and it's best we avoid them. After all, not all Marines are willing to turn a blind eye to our business."
No one objected. The fact that the Marines hadn't attacked them outright was already surprising.
At the same time, the level of Marine vigilance was concerning. If such a fleet was just part of routine patrols, did that mean they were constantly circling the area? The manpower and resources required for that would be immense. From the defensive structures on the Eight Islands, it was already possible to monitor the entire Holy Sea from a high vantage point.
Furthermore, according to the captain, every island had specially designed fortress cannons. While they couldn't reach the main Lantis Island, they could easily cover most of the Holy Sea.
"We're about to reach Lantis. Good luck to everyone. Here's a simple map showing the new terrain changes. The island is divided into eight zones, named A through H by the World Nobles. The red zones are extremely dangerous—avoid them if you can. Stick to the green zones; they're relatively safer. It's not the most detailed map, but it's better than nothing. The more of you return alive with loot, the more profit our merchant company makes. So, don't die too easily..."
With that, the captain distributed maps to everyone, including Rosen. He had to admit, Bront was extremely capable—even in the finer details.
Before long, Lantis Island came into view. As they approached, they could see clusters of small hills on the island, forming what looked like an unbroken chain of mountains.
"Strange… It wasn't like this before. I remember Zone B being flat land," Pittas said, peering at the island with confusion.
No one paid much attention to him at the moment.
The ship didn't get too close to shore. Instead, they lowered several pre-prepared small boats, allowing the pirates to row themselves onto the island.
"We'll be back to pick you up here in five days," the captain reminded each departing group.
Having witnessed the power of the Bront Trading Company, the pirates felt a little more at ease. It was clear now that Bront had strong ties within the Marines. Without connections to high-ranking officers, there was no way they could smuggle people onto the island so seamlessly.
But since such transactions had been happening for a long time, it wasn't particularly shocking.
Meanwhile, in a lavish mansion in Mary Geoise, a sickly-looking young noble dressed in fine robes sat eagerly in front of a surveillance Den Den Mushi.
"Saint Desmeniere, today is the day for the Spectacle Garden viewing," a man named Warren said quietly beside him. He still hadn't dared to inform him of the real reason the Marines had landed on the island today.
"I know. But why are there fewer surveillance Den Den Mushi lately? There are so many blind spots now. Have the Marines install more of them on the island,"Saint Desmeniere complained. It frustrated him that he couldn't watch his masterpiece unfold as before.
He wasn't sure if he could actually cultivate "immortal" creatures, but watching pirates and monsters slaughter each other every day was certainly entertaining.
Warren hesitated but still nodded. "I will inform Base Commander Raiser of this."
The number of monsters was growing, and the island's native leaders were actively dismantling surveillance points. Eventually, Vice Admiral O'Neill had to personally oversee the reinstallation efforts, but even then, full coverage remained difficult.
In fact, this issue had cost O'Neill many of his close subordinates, leading to Fleet Admiral Sengoku discovering the truth about Lantis Island. Now, things were much trickier.
Moments later—
"Huh? So many Marines? Hahaha! Raiser works fast! He's already sending people onto the island? The pirates are watching, too..."Saint Desmeniere laughed with delight.
The surveillance room before him was filled with multiple screens—not just one large Den Den Mushi, but many smaller ones as well. They could even switch between feeds. This room was his private monitoring hub, operated entirely by his servants.
He had few hobbies, but his favorite pastime was watching the creatures he raised fight against pirates or the island's natives.
If Lantis Island hadn't become so dangerous, he wouldn't have left. As for civilian casualties, no matter how many there were, he simply didn't care.
"Wait, who's that? The Shichibukai... Crocodile?! He landed on the island, too?" Warren's expression changed as he watched the surveillance feed. This wasn't good news.
Had Fleet Admiral Sengoku summoned more than one Shichibukai? It was possible. But Crocodile was far less reliable than Bartholomew Kuma.
In any case, it would be best to notify the Marines to confirm.
"Damn it! The feed's gone black! Where are the pirates? Where are they?!" Saint Desmeniere, who had been watching with anticipation, suddenly exploded in rage as his screen went dark. He flipped over a fruit platter in frustration.
He had been waiting days for this!
Warren had a good idea of what had happened. The surveillance Den Den Mushi had likely been discovered. He tried to calm his master.
"Saint Desmeniere, we still have other surveillance Den Den Mushi. Once they start moving, we'll be able to see them again."
Meanwhile, Rosen frowned. The moment he set foot on the island, he felt an observing presence.
Using Observation Haki, he extended his senses and soon found a surveillance Den Den Mushi embedded within the trunk of a large tree. Its outer shell was encased in a strange metallic covering.
Rosen moved swiftly, appearing behind the Den Den Mushi in a flash. Using Conqueror's Haki, he knocked it unconscious. However, he wasn't sure if it had already transmitted footage before he intervened—or who exactly was watching. The Marines were the most likely suspects.
"This metal casing... So the Den Den Mushi still functions when encased? Or is it just that this area still has communication access?"
Rosen removed the metal shell and took out his own Den Den Mushi.
He tried making a call, but it wouldn't connect. The Den Den Mushi winced in distress and retreated into its shell.
Seeing this, Rosen placed the metallic cover back on it and tried again. This time, the call connected.
Now, he understood. The captain had withheld some information—or perhaps he himself hadn't known the full details.
By now, everyone had made it onto the island and was gathered on the beach in groups. These pirates hadn't come alone; they had allies and clear objectives.
After all, they weren't here to die—they were here to strike it rich.
Groups of three to five pirates began choosing their paths inland when suddenly, a scream rang out.
Someone pointed at the ocean, eyes wide with horror.
"The ship is under attack!"
Just as the merchant ship was about to leave the shore, massive tentacles surged up from the depths and seized it.
The guards fired their weapons, but to no avail.
A gigantic sea monster had caught them. Rosen's own ship had been attacked before, but that creature had been much smaller.
These tentacles alone were over thirty meters long. With a single constriction, the entire ship began to creak and splinter. The mast was the first to snap.
From a distance, the massive merchant ship looked as fragile as paper.
(End of Chapter)
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