As a Vice Admiral, mastering Armament and Observation is fundamental. For someone of her caliber, unleashing Haki is a simple matter, both in quality and quantity.
"What's going on..."
Doll stepped on the Peacekeeper, exhaled a big puff of smoke after tossing away her cigarette, and looked toward the technology-filled town ahead.
"Were the orders altered by someone?"
If they could be altered... Vegapunk?
But he's supposed to be one of us, right? Why did it turn out this way? What exactly are they doing like this?
Though the Navy is meant to strictly follow orders, they aren't machines; they have their own thoughts.
That scientist was supposed to lead civilian happiness; has he committed a major crime?
If it makes them happy, that's not wrong in itself.
Doll shook her head, tossing away the scattered thoughts, and shouted, "Everyone, ensure your safety. Don't clash with the Peacekeepers directly. These guys are quite powerful, so let's just wait for rescue."
The third-generation Peacekeepers, besides firing lasers and having tough bodies, possess Bubble Shields. Their defense is formidable and can directly apprehend people.
They are very strong.
"Vice Admiral!"
Just as she issued the command, a scream was heard.
Boom!
Another Peacekeeper approached from a distance, sending a laser blast at the Navy, scattering a group, and then reached out towards more Navy personnel.
Doll wanted to act but couldn't; the laser had already formed and was about to fire.
Boom!!
Suddenly, an air cannon flew from the sea, directly striking the Peacekeeper's torso, forcibly breaking his rib cage and sending him flying, crashing to the ground.
Aid?
Doll instinctively looked toward the sea, and in one glance, her pupils contracted tightly.
Crackle!
Dark clouds flickered with lightning, bringing a storm from the sea towards the island, fierce winds stirring her hair and cloak, rain soaking her face and making her countenance pale.
Under the storm-covered sea, numerous whirlpools formed, and at the center, amid the rain curtain, the silhouette of a giant ship was faintly visible, with a flash of blackness.
As the storm rapidly approached, the silhouette of the giant ship became clear—it was a Black Ship.
But a Black Ship means trouble!
Storm!
Black Ship!
Doll stared at the rain curtain, not daring to blink even as the rain hit her eyes.
Gradually, the details of the ship became visible.
The sails weren't the usual white; they were as black as the hull, adorned with star and fire patterns. Within this design, a flaming-eyed skull lurked among the stars and fire.
A small flag fluttered at the mast top, bearing the emblem of the Starry Sky Skull Flag.
That is...
"Death Star?!"
Doll shouted, "Why is it here!!"
The New World is openly conquered by Disaster Pirates, having taken down two of the Four Emperors, making them the largest force and the Navy's greatest current enemy.
Openly conquered and fully ruled are two different things.
The New World is indeed not as large as the Four Seas, but certainly not small. The Grand Line, with a population of several million and a vast area, Alabasta is just one island.
Even the Four Seas aren't fully discovered, hence the 'Outer Sea.'
The so-called Outer Sea refers to undiscovered sea regions.
Disaster Pirates, based on evaluation, should be busy solidifying their territory, and for quite some time they will be preoccupied with this matter; fully discovering the latitude of O'hara will take time.
And during this period, Sage's threat may be diminished.
They have studied this guy significantly, and intelligence from undercover agents at O'hara suggests he focuses more internally, gradually stabilizing.
Though the greatest enemy, he's a pirate who follows rules, and perhaps in two or three decades, he will settle in the New World like Whitebeard, causing no trouble unless provoked.
Egghead serves as the hub of the New World's first half, with no islands nearby and no Log Pose guiding the magnetic field. It's difficult to discover, and it's not currently on the Disaster Pirates' activity track.
Logically, it shouldn't be discovered, but...
That's not just a Disaster Flag; it's the Death Star!
This ship's mobilization signifies...
Crackle!
Dark clouds sparked lightning again, illuminating under the storm as people on the deck emerged visible.
A pink-haired girl excitedly retracted her mechanical hammer, speaking to someone behind her.
That's Blast Hammer.
Behind her, Dripping Raven, Magician, Strange Monk, Demon Man were all present!
Five of the Seven Stars of Disaster were here!
Two giant men stood nearby.
Shadow Mage and Whitebeard the Second.
And in the center, a blonde woman holding an umbrella seemed to sense something and glanced this way, making Doll's whole body feel cold.
Sword Princess!
What further made her scalp tingle was the man with wild white hair under Sword Princess's umbrella!
"Disaster!"
Doll immediately waved her hand, "Everyone move back! Complete evacuation! Report to headquarters! Disaster is coming!!"
...
"Hit the target!"
Renedia retracted her mechanical hammer, pushed the goggles to her forehead, and smiled, "Seems like a newly modified Peacekeeper; looks more advanced than ours."
They had these things, and she studied them extensively, admiring Vegapunk's construction, and some technology was used for her shipbuilding and weapon development.
She hadn't fully grasped the construction, nor was she overly concerned; despite researching technology, in her view, expending effort to create a ship boy is less valuable than building a good ship.
The value of creating ships far outweighs weapons; a ship boy's sole purpose is battle, but a good ship navigates and sails securely.
Her dreams have never been forgotten, and Sage supported her greatly.
"Technology naturally iterates; these machines... suffice for necessary tasks. Mass production isn't the time yet, and putting them solely for combat is wasteful."
Sage chuckled, "Once I catch Vegapunk, we'll have a good talk."
Peacekeepers are expensive, but their applicability isn't broad.
Kill people?
Plenty of people under him can, but labor is scarce.
Such things are best suited for throwaway versions in dangerous areas.
An intelligent robot that can act freely according to orders used solely for combat?
Truly wasteful.
Although he lacks the technology, if he had it, his productivity would soar!
As for serving humanity...
He has no such intention; the first issue is productivity lag, the second being driven by desire for his followers, using them for serving humanity goes against his path.
Besides, people at sea don't have such high quality.
The ultimate idea of those things also applies human consciousness.
Under immensely abundant productivity, humans would rest easy, take what they need without effort—such good things...
If you even think that, you're unworthy of entering that Utopia.
In that ideal world, human consciousness is crucial.
Sage, educated himself but unable to attain it—let alone people at sea.
If applied, it wouldn't be prosperity; it'd be disaster.
But incorporating this labor intelligence can significantly enhance productivity; those perilous places unsuitable for human labor would fit high-intelligence robots.
Sage took several steps forward, looking at the approaching land, and the retreating Navy amid the coastline, and grinned fiercely:
"The Navy actually gathered here... With so many warships, are they trying to initiate a Buster Call here? Such waste, why not let me have them!"