Blueno!
Lancelot recognized him instantly.
There was no helping it—this guy's abilities and appearance were just too distinctive to miss.
Blueno was a member of CIPHER POL No. 9, with a Doriki of 820, ranking fourth in CP9.
As a Paramecia "Door-Door Fruit" Ability User, he could turn anything he touched into a door—whether it was a human body or even the air.
Admittedly, for an early-stage character in One Piece, he was quite impressive. His abilities were not only unique but also incredibly powerful.
If he had been introduced later in the story, he would have been at least as strong as a Sweet Commander.
But why was he here?
"Whoosh..."
Aside from Lancelot, Issho, who possessed the strongest Observation Haki, was the first to react.
Almost simultaneously with Lancelot, he sensed the anomaly in the air.
His brow furrowed slightly, and his hand immediately gripped the hilt of his sword cane.
Others like Yamato, Sasaki... Denjiro, Kikunojo... Vergo, and Shiryu only noticed when they saw Lancelot suddenly look up at the sky.
Following his gaze, they too spotted Blueno in the air, and their expressions shifted at the sight of his extraordinary ability.
Even seasoned veterans like Sasaki, Ulti, Page One, Vergo, and Shiryu couldn't help but widen their eyes in astonishment.
Noticing Issho's reaction, Lancelot reassured him, "Issho, there's no need to be tense. The newcomer is from the World Government."
As everyone scrutinized Blueno, he was also sizing up the group on the ground.
Then, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
This lineup was practically on par with the forces the Navy had assembled to deal with the Whitebeard Pirates!
With that, he leaped out from the door and landed in front of Lancelot and the others.
"Greetings, Lancelot-sama. I am Blueno of CP9. I have been secretly dispatched by the Five Elders to request your return to Navy Headquarters."
"Huh?"
This statement left not only Lancelot but everyone else utterly bewildered.
Shiryu couldn't resist muttering, "If Lancelot-sama goes to Navy Headquarters, how are we supposed to handle Kaido and Charlotte Linlin?"
Hearing this, Blueno shrugged helplessly. "I'm only following orders. I can't ask questions, nor do I dare to. Please understand, Lancelot-sama."
Lancelot raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Since you want me to go to Navy Headquarters, I assume you have some convincing words to share with me."
Blueno replied, "According to intelligence, the Whitebeard Pirates, the Beasts Pirates, and the Big Mom Pirates are all gathering their forces. However, the Whitebeard Pirates are moving much faster... They will undoubtedly be the first to launch an assault on Navy Headquarters. And just as we anticipated, the Whitebeard Pirates have parted ways with the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, as their objectives differ."
"The former aims to rescue Ace, while the latter intend to deal with you. The intelligence specifically noted that the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates would wait until Whitebeard officially clashed with the Navy Headquarters before mobilizing en masse to attack G-5."
"This way, the Navy would concentrate most of its forces against the Whitebeard Pirates. By the time they come for you, you'll naturally have little to no support. Perhaps even none at all. Even if they travel at full speed from their current locations, it would still take them two days and nights to reach G-5. That's more than enough time for me to escort you back from the Navy Headquarters."
"Good!"
Knowing this was sufficient, especially since it was an order from the Five Elders.
Before his wings were fully grown, he couldn't defy their commands.
Not just him.
Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku couldn't disobey their orders.
So, Blueno sharing this information was already a significant gesture of respect.
Otherwise, he might have said nothing at all.
And he would still have had to go.
Precisely because of this, the Five Elders' methods left him deeply dissatisfied.
A murderous intent stirred within him, "So that's how they want to play it?"
'Just wait.'
'The day I set foot in the Holy Land will be the day you meet your end.'
He then turned to reassure the others: "Don't worry, I will return in time."
His gaze then fell upon Issho, Vergo, and Hajrudin, "Moreover, even if I don't make it back in time, with Issho and Vergo holding off Kaido, and Hajrudin using his Paramecia-type Barrier-Barrier Fruit to block Charlotte Linlin, the others... Yamato, Denjiro, Kikunojo, Ashura Doji, Kawamatsu, Shiryu, Tokikake, and the rest can handle the situation without much difficulty. We may not necessarily defeat or repel them, but holding them off until my return shouldn't be a problem."
Upon hearing this, everyone realized it made sense.
Issho possessed the strength of an Admiral, and Vergo had the power of an Admiral candidate.
Together, they should be able to hold off Kaido.
As for Hajrudin, he had already become a Paramecia-type Barrier-Barrier Fruit Ability User.
The defensive capabilities of the Barrier-Barrier Fruit had been personally tested by Kaido in Wano Country, proving it could withstand attacks at the level of an Emperor...
With this reassurance, everyone's tension immediately eased.
Seeing this, Lancelot turned to Blueno.
"Let's go!"
Blueno nodded, and to everyone's astonishment, he reached out and pulled at the air in front of him as if opening a door to a room, directly creating an entrance in space.
Then, Blueno stepped inside.
Curious, Lancelot followed him in.
As soon as they entered, the spatial door behind them closed.
Just like that, the two vanished before everyone's eyes, leaving them utterly shocked once more.
But Lancelot was even more astonished, for upon entering the spatial door, he discovered it led to a separate dimension.
This reminded him of Charlotte Brûlée from the Big Mom Pirates, a Paramecia-type Mirror-Mirror Fruit Ability User.
It seemed these two Devil Fruits shared remarkable similarities in function.
Soon, Blueno led Lancelot to a large door within the alternate dimension.
He reached out, opened it, and stepped through, with Lancelot close behind.
"!!!"
Upon entering, Lancelot couldn't help but widen his eyes in sheer astonishment.
He was someone who had witnessed grand scenes before, but what lay before him was truly a first.
Really... He saw an exquisitely beautiful woman who had just stepped out of a bathtub!
She perfectly embodied the phrase "a beauty emerging from her bath."
Her skin was like a peeled hard-boiled egg, while the water still clinging to her body formed droplets that slid down her form.
The angle of her posture just barely concealed the critical areas, masterfully executing the art of being subtly revealing, exuding an ultimate temptation.
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