This is the White Sea in the first half of the Grand Line. Pain and the others returned here with abundant spoils of war. Since everyone had been in high altitude for some time and felt stifled, Golden Lion lowered the Floating Island's altitude and it slowly flew over the sea.
Pain's next target is Water 7. To build the ancient weapon "Pluton," he will definitely stay for a period, and there will be the risk of various forces sending people to contend for it. He also felt that the plan for Water 7 would not go smoothly.
This is also the reason why Pain urgently needs to improve his strength.
On the way down from Sky Island, Pain instructed everyone to process the spoils of war and store important supplies in the material reserve area.
Pain also restored the Human Path through the Naraka Path's "Reincarnation Repair Technique." Pain now has three Paths, plus his own Heavenly Dao, making it Four Paths.
Each Path is now a Devil Fruit Ability User: the Preta Path has the Suna Suna no Mi, the Human Path has the Door-Door Fruit, and the Naraka Path has the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
These abilities will only grow stronger as Pain slowly explores and develops them.
Although Pain's Six Paths are not yet complete, his overall strength is already stronger than, not weaker than, in his previous life. Konan is even more so.
The Akatsuki Organization's membership is currently severely lacking. Pain will also prioritize strength requirements in future recruitment, disregarding character or other qualities.
In Pain's eyes, no matter what a person's character was before, obedience is all that matters.
On the path to overthrowing the world and reorganizing its order, there will be many sacrifices. These powerful but morally flawed individuals are the best sacrifices.
One day, Wapol and his crew arrived at the White Sea, just as they encountered the Floating Island flying low over the sea behind them.
The first to discover the colossal Floating Island was Loff, the navigator of the Tin-Plate Pirates. Loff was in the crow's nest of the pirate ship when he felt a dark shadow behind him, then turned to see the Floating Island.
When Loff discovered the Floating Island, his jaw nearly dropped to the deck, and his eyes bulged. After a brief moment of panic, Loff hurriedly climbed down the mast and ran to the Captain's cabin door, knocking.
Wapol was also in his room, feasting and drinking heartily, eating all sorts of messy things. Wapol refused nothing.
A series of anxious knocks interrupted Wapol's feast. Wapol, annoyed, ordered his wife, Cinderella, to open the door.
Cinderella reluctantly swayed her graceful figure to open the door, complaining internally, "Knocking so urgently, are they rushing in to be eaten? Honestly."
After entering, Loff, without bothering with greetings, frantically shouted at Wapol, "Captain, Captain, something... something terrible has happened! Behind us... behind us, a colossal object is slowly flying towards us, I don't know what it is!" Loff stammered his report.
Wapol, upon hearing his subordinate's report, not only didn't take it seriously but cursed loudly, "You bastard, you idiot, why are you panicking? Are you trying to become my food by interrupting my meal?" After cursing, he still wasn't satisfied and threw an object from the table at Loff's head.
Loff, with a bump on his head, could only suppress his anger and continue, "Captain, I'm telling the truth! You... if you don't believe me, you can go out and see, it's really huge!" Loff explained loudly.
Wapol didn't pay attention, but Cinderella thought it might be worth going out to see. Ignoring Wapol, who continued to gorge himself, Cinderella twisted her hips and walked out of the room.
Cinderella wiggled her rear end onto the deck, turned to look behind her, and her jaw also dropped to the deck in shock, screaming with bulging eyes.
Cinderella no longer cared about her composure. She hurriedly scrambled back to the Captain's cabin, shouting, "Wapol, come out and see! There's really... really something huge flying behind us!"
Wapol, who was about to curse again, had a flash of inspiration. "Something really, really big? Can I eat it?" Wapol fantasized, his eyes turning into hearts and drool flowing, which Cinderella found disgusting.
Wapol still followed Loff to the deck and looked back. Unlike Cinderella and the others, he showed no fear. Wapol laughed heartily, his face full of excitement.
Wapol's reason for laughing was simple: he wouldn't have to worry about food anymore; he had to eat it. Wapol ordered his subordinates to take their positions and prepare for battle, to open fire directly once the colossal object behind them got close.
Wapol was a typical imbecile, completely disregarding the difference between his ship and the colossal object, actually fantasizing about shooting down the colossal object behind them with the ship's cannons.
Pain and the others' Floating Island was slowly flying behind Wapol, but its speed was not much slower than Wapol's ship. Pain did not pay attention to the ships on the sea.
The pirates on these pirate ships were originally not worth Pain and the others' attention, so they naturally wouldn't go looking for trouble with Wapol.
But this world is never short of fools and people who seek death. Pain and the others didn't look for trouble with Wapol, but Wapol became greedy and wanted to devour the colossal object behind them.
As Pain and the others' Floating Island entered the attack range of Wapol's pirate ship, Wapol didn't hesitate at all and immediately ordered to open fire.
Bang, bang, bang! All the firepower from the ship roared towards the Floating Island. Such a large target didn't even require aiming.
Round after round of cannon attacks only resulted in a few falling rock layers from beneath the Floating Island, which couldn't even scratch it.
Pain and the others knew when the pirate ship below opened fire, but everyone felt it was incredibly bizarre.
Someone actually dared to fire at such a colossal object, and even provoked it proactively. This left Pain and the others in a state of surprise for a moment.
Pain wasn't sure why someone would proactively provoke them, but if someone dared to provoke the Akatsuki Organization, Pain couldn't possibly let it go. Pain also didn't think there would be any strong individuals on the pirate ship below.
Pain turned to Renault and ordered, "Renault, go down and take a look."
Renault, accepting the order, appeared directly in front of Wapol, looking at him with cold eyes.
Wapol looked at the person who suddenly appeared in front of him, but showed no fear. Instead, he arrogantly shouted, "Kid, is that thing floating in the sky yours? Hand it over to me, and I'll spare your life, oh hahaha!"
Renault looked at the shouting man in front of him and finally understood why someone would dare to fire at them directly. "Isn't this just an idiot?" Renault thought helplessly.
Renault, who had initially not wanted to bother with such an idiot, was drawn back by Wapol's death-seeking words. He looked at Wapol, radiating Killing Intent, "You are truly very bold, daring to provoke anyone."
Renault mocked the ugly man in front of him with a cold tone, ready to strike and kill him if their conversation went south.
Wapol completely ignored Renault's cold words, but Cinderella was somewhat afraid of the coldness emanating from Renault. She tugged at Wapol's hand and whispered, "Wapol, this person doesn't seem simple. Perhaps we should... forget it."
Cinderella was still very afraid of Wapol, but the person in front of her, from his attire to his Aura, was so intimidating that Cinderella couldn't help but bravely advise Wapol.
Loff, looking at the coldness emanating from Renault, also felt fear in his heart. At the same time, he seemed to feel that this clothing was very familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
Wapol didn't listen to his wife's words. He loudly introduced himself to Renault, "I am the World Noble Wapol, the King of Drum Kingdom, and the Captain of the Tin-Plate Pirates."
"If you know what's good for you, quickly leave that flying island above and get lost, otherwise I'll eat you!" Wapol said arrogantly.
Loff carefully recalled where he had seen Renault's familiar clothing, and finally realized with horror that he seemed to have seen it on a World Government bounty poster.
"This... isn't this the same clothing as the person wanted by the World Government? Could it be... this is someone from the Akatsuki Organization?" The more Loff thought about it, the more afraid he became. He hurriedly stepped forward and whispered in Wapol's ear, "Captain, we can't afford to provoke this person. They are from the Akatsuki Organization, wanted by the World Government!"
Wapol, upon hearing Loff's words, didn't care. Wapol, who buried himself in work all day, ignoring everything around him, wouldn't pay attention to bounty posters. He waved Loff away and stood there, waiting for Renault's answer.
Renault, hearing Wapol's words, was also momentarily stunned, thinking, "Wapol? Wapol, the gluttony-gluttony fruit Ability User?"
Renault recalled the description of the gluttony-gluttony fruit in the "Devil Fruit Encyclopedia" and decided that this ability would be very useful for Pain. He didn't waste any more words with Wapol. He directly flashed back to the Floating Island and informed Pain of the news.
To be continued...