"Captain… are you really okay letting him see that?"
Inside the Sea King's body, Dom asked Oboro the question.
He was referring to Oboro's ability to control and command Sea Kings.
If word of that ever got out, the shockwaves would be unimaginable. The World Government would view them as an even greater threat, and they would be hunted down with relentless focus. Their chances of survival would drop to almost nothing.
"He won't tell anyone… because he won't live long enough to," Oboro replied calmly.
"And even if he did reveal the secret… it wouldn't matter much anyway."
There was simply too much that could be done with spiritual power. He possessed abilities drawn from two different worlds before this one… and that was something no one in the world of One Piece could understand or predict using ordinary logic.
As they spoke, the Sea King's massive frame shuddered violently. Both men stumbled and nearly fell as the creature swayed.
"What's happening?!" Dom cried out in alarm.
Oboro instantly closed his eyes, communicating directly with the Sea King through their shared consciousness.
A moment later, he looked up toward the thick, fleshy walls surrounding them.
"It's him."
"Him who?" Dom asked, confused.
"One of the Marine Admirals… Aokiji," Oboro said simply.
The Sea King had been swimming deep underwater, but suddenly the temperature had plummeted. Massive, glacier‑like spikes of ice had formed and shot downward through the water, causing countless deep‑sea creatures to crash into them. Even the Sea King carrying them had nearly been caught in the chaos.
"We have to move faster!" Oboro frowned, urging his living "ship" onward.
The Calm Belt was teeming with Sea Kings — their numbers terrifyingly vast. They were also predators that constantly hunted and attacked one another; it was the law of the ocean, just like big fish eating small ones.
Their current vessel was relatively small for a Sea King, making it a prime target for larger ones. Worse, the deep ocean had descended into chaos. Many Sea Kings had been wounded by Kuzan's freezing power, and their blood was spilling into the water.
The thick, metallic scent of blood was drawing massive numbers of predators from all directions.
Danger.
Oboro's heart tightened.
He had never fought an Admiral head‑on. Even at Sabaody, he had submerged quickly enough to avoid Kizaru's attack — surviving that had been partly luck. But he knew exactly how powerful Kuzan was from the original story.
Not only had Aokiji defeated Garp in battle, but later on, when he had entered Big Mom's territory, he had instantly defeated Charlotte Cracker, one of her Three Sweet Commanders.
While there had been some debate over his victory against Garp, the result had been undeniable.
"The entire ocean has been frozen solid," Oboro thought to himself. "Thank goodness this Sea King is capable of diving into the deepest trenches… otherwise, we'd be dead for sure."
Choosing this specific creature for its range and endurance had been a brilliant move.
From what was happening, Oboro could perfectly guess Kuzan's strategy.
Anyone else would have died here.
"Bonam Island… is gone now, isn't it?"
"Huh?" Dom swallowed hard.
"Probably more than just one Admiral sent to kill me," Oboro said, a smirk touching his lips. "The Marines are sparing no expense. I wouldn't be surprised if even Hero Garp himself has joined the hunt."
"This game of survival… it's going to get much more interesting."
As soon as he spoke, Dom nearly lost his footing again. The Sea King had surged forward, accelerating rapidly.
---
Time passed, and night fell.
The Marines were forced to admit the hard truth: They had not found the Accursed One.
The God‑Slayer had escaped!
Kizaru had already taken his fleet to guard Reverse Mountain. Given the speed of Marine warships, they should have reached the passage long before their targets.
Judging by the escape route, it seemed likely the fugitives intended to enter the Four Blues — so all they had to do was lock down the "gateway."
This contradicted the assumptions of most high‑ranking officers. Sengoku and Tsuru, among others, had believed Oboro's first choice would be the New World, seeking contact with the Four Emperors.
But it seemed that was not the case.
Meanwhile, in the Calm Belt, Aokiji had found absolutely nothing… not a trace.
No matter what method the targets had used to escape, the most probable explanation was that they had simply taken the normal shipping lanes.
Of course, there was also the possibility that they had tried to cross the Calm Belt and died… devoured by Sea Kings.
But few Marines truly believed that. They had seen him escape Sabaody once already.
While the Marines exhausted themselves searching, the entire world was once again in an uproar over Oboro!
Credit had to be given to Morgans and his news agency. Their information network was terrifyingly efficient.
No one knew exactly how they got their scoops, but once something was printed, it was accepted as absolute fact. The authority of the World Economy News Paper — and Morgans' own reputation — was beyond question.
> THE GOD‑SLAYER HEADS FOR THE FOUR BLUES!
> ONCE AGAIN, THE MARINES MADE THEMSELVES A JOKE!
> THE MOST MYSTERIOUS MAN ON THE SEAS!
> WHERE… WILL HE GO NEXT?
Every kingdom and island was plastered with bold headlines and front‑page stories, distributed not just by News Coo but also by local media outlets that relied on scraps and leaks from the main agency.
As soon as the news broke, vendors were shouting on every corner, and media organizations everywhere reworked and sensationalized the reports.
Before even the second day arrived, the topic was dominating every conversation.
At Marine Headquarters, in Sengoku's office… the Den Den Mushi had been ringing off the hook.
---
To the Four Blues?
What kind of move is that?
The fact that the God‑Slayer was still alive was already enough to exhilarate pirates and anyone who despised the World Government… but what truly baffled them was why Oboro would go to the Four Blues.
Wasn't that practically suicide?
How did he intend to break through the naval blockade?
And which of the four oceans was he heading for?
These questions were on everyone's mind.
Everyone was waiting for an answer.
No one wanted to see Oboro fall so soon. They wanted to witness him achieve an unprecedented miracle.
Just a few days later, another piece of news exploded across the public consciousness.
And once again, it came straight from Morgans.
In his report, he revealed that all Four Emperors had taken an interest in the God‑Slayer. Each of these rulers of the sea had extended an invitation, hoping to recruit him.
Morgans also published detailed information about Oboro's background — including his past as a slave in Mary Geoise, and the name he now went by.
It meant that, hidden from plain sight, powerful forces were already moving in response to Oboro's "destination." Subordinates of the Emperors, as well as the Warlords of the Sea…
Morgans had exposed everything that happened on Bonam Island. He had even subtly hinted at Sir Crocodile's schemes within the Kingdom of Alabasta.
It seemed both Donquixote Doflamingo and Crocodile were eager to kill Oboro before anyone else could get to him. But right now, all eyes were fixed firmly on the God‑Slayer himself; no one cared much about other matters, so Crocodile's plans remained largely undisturbed.
It was only a brief distraction.
But undoubtedly, the World Government had seen through the implications.
---
Inside the castle on Whole Cake Island…
Charlotte Linlin — Big Mom — was consumed by rage. She raised her massive fist and slammed it violently against the ground.
The entire building shook, dust and debris raining down from the high ceiling.
The terrifying aura radiating from her made every servant and child present tremble in fear.
"That blasted Morgans… He published everything in advance!"
"How dare he ruin my plans!"
Her mood was wildly unstable, her behavior bordering on madness. She was a terrifying, monstrous being that struck fear into every heart.
But even in her fury, Big Mom knew finding Morgans wouldn't be easy. Besides, many of the intelligence channels used by Totto Land were connected to his news agency. Given his status and influence, even she couldn't simply eliminate him without consequences.
She had been forced to swallow her anger.
Because of this, no matter which Emperor's fleet Oboro eventually joined, he would no longer be able to hide his identity.
The World Government would throw everything they had against him. Morgans had effectively ruined the Emperors' chances of recruiting him quietly… and at the same time, he had cut off Oboro's retreat, making his survival even harder.
From one perspective, it looked like Morgans was kicking a man while he was down.
"Even Shanks is interested in him?!" Linlin's voice dropped to a dangerous growl.
Now, if any of them still intended to invite Oboro to join, everything would have to be done openly and publicly.
There was another critical factor: if one Emperor's crew became the main target of the World Government, the other three would almost certainly take advantage of the chaos to expand their territories and rewrite the balance of power in the New World.
It was a risk none of them could ignore.
"Mother… do we… still proceed?"
A calm, steady voice spoke up. Unlike the others, this person remained perfectly composed.
It was Smoothie, Minister of Juice and one of the Sweet Commanders.
"Find him," Linlin answered. "Find him at all costs."
"Yes, Mother." Smoothie bowed her head.
---
Half a month passed. Once it was confirmed that the God‑Slayer was alive and his whereabouts remained unknown, the World Government finally updated his bounty poster — and Dom's alongside it.
> The Accursed One — God‑Slayer Oboro: 500,000,000 Berries
> Dom the Cunning Fox: 50,000,000 Berries
Considering he had killed a Celestial Dragon, 500 million Berries wasn't actually that high. But clearly, the World Government didn't want his bounty to be too large.
A higher price would only be an admission of how dangerous he was, and proof that they couldn't deal with him quickly. Too high a number would also inspire other criminals and embolden pirates.
Neither the Government nor the Marines were willing to back down or admit weakness.
Even so, in the current seas — even in the New World — a bounty of 500 million Berries was massive and rare. Some of the Warlords themselves didn't even have bounties that high.
Interestingly, the Government's official notice made absolutely no mention of his actual crimes — specifically, the death of the Celestial Dragon. It was a ridiculous, clumsy attempt to cover things up, like hiding one's face behind a hand.
They simply labeled him: "Extremely Dangerous."
After all, it hadn't been long since the incident at Sabaody Archipelago.
Never before had anyone risen to such heights and earned a bounty of hundreds of millions in such a short time… It was truly unprecedented.
---
While the outside world was in turmoil and chaos…
One day, in the clear blue waters of the East Blue, massive waves suddenly surged upward.
A Sea King rose from the depths, opening its gigantic maw.
Oboro led Dom as they stepped calmly and casually out from inside the creature's mouth.
"So this is the place… The birthplace of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger."
Oboro spoke softly, looking out at the bright sunlight and the sparkling water.
Among the Four Blues, the East Blue was generally considered the weakest in terms of pirate strength… yet it was the most famous of them all.
It held a special meaning for every pirate in the world.
Mostly, of course, because of Loguetown.
The very place where the Pirate King had been executed.
____________________
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