The next day, the sanctuary docked at its dedicated pier outside Red Port.
Black walked at the forefront, followed by Stella and two expressionless CP agents, dozens of Slaves, maids, and guards trailing behind.
Yesterday, after defeating a young Charlotte Linlin and gaining the "Iron Balloon" talent, Black's sense of security surged. He finally dared to venture into the sea to seek opportunities.
This time, he had no intention of returning to Mary Geoise quickly; his plan was to travel across the Four Blues, searching for powerhouses and Devil Fruits yet to appear.
"Saint Black, I am Navy Vice Admiral Gumir, assigned to escort your voyage. This is my adjutant, Bastille. We will accompany your sanctuary aboard a Marine warship for the duration of this trip."
At Red Port, a Vice Admiral who bore a striking resemblance to Golden Lion approached and bowed slightly.
Ordinary citizens kneeled before Celestial Dragons; Marines only needed to show respect.
Due to the voyage's length, a warship was sent to escort the sanctuary.
Black nodded faintly.
"Then I'll trouble you."
Gumir froze; he had never seen such politeness from a Celestial Dragon.
Once aboard, Bastille whispered:
"He doesn't seem as unreasonable as the rumors suggest..."
Gumir glared.
"Enough chatter! Follow quickly!"
Black wasn't particularly polite; he simply believed true arrogance manifested in one's heart.
Marines were, after all, subordinates. Without conflicting interests, he saw no reason to offend anyone.
"Gumir and Bastille, huh?"
Black chuckled softly, recalling them.
Gumir had been the base commander of G2 and had interacted with Ace.
Bastille's reddish-brown hair and bull mask made him look formidable. In reality, he was defeated instantly by Sabo in Dressrosa and remained asleep until Black's transmigration.
It didn't matter. Black never expected these Marines to offer much aid.
The warship alone would deter pirates, preventing fools who ignored the World Government flag from disturbing him.
Two months later, South Blue.
"Saint Black, we are approaching Taya Kingdom."
Black lifted his head from the lounge chair, removed sunglasses, and peered ahead.
"Finally here?"
Two months had passed since leaving Mary Geoise.
During this time, Black had frequently used Card Space to enhance combat abilities.
As his strength improved, his snowballing speed increased rapidly. Both physique and Haki had grown compared to two months prior, particularly Observation Haki.
After defeating a New World passerby last month, he glimpsed fleeting future scenes, signaling he was nearing advanced Observation Haki—Future Sight.
Black's Haki improvement differed from others. For many, intensity and technique were mismatched.
For example, Yamato could use Conqueror Haki infusion, but her attacks didn't reach other Haoshoku users' levels. Douglas Bullet's Armament Haki, fully released, resembled a tsunami, yet its hardness and internal destructive power lagged.
Black's Haki, enhanced by ability cards, changed quantitatively into qualitative improvements. When intensity reached a threshold, advanced applications were naturally understood.
Recalling this, Black stepped onto a Slave's back and seated himself.
Tens of thousands gathered at Taya Kingdom's port, yet silence reigned as if someone had muted the crowd.
The ground trembled—the sound of tens of thousands of knees striking the earth.
Guards had marked a crimson line, the "death by gaze" forbidden zone.
Children crawled on knees, polishing stone slabs with seashells and straw, a World Government custom maintained for 800 years: a god's path must be spotless.
Black descended on the Slave. Witnessing this, his mood was complex.
From conscience, it was exaggerated. Yet deep inside, pride stirred.
He wished the entire world mirrored Taya Kingdom.
Kneel! At! His! Feet!
Boom!
A dark red energy wave burst from Black, about to sweep Taya Kingdom—but vanished suddenly.
Black exhaled:
"Almost discovered. Must remain low-key... low-key..."
Vice Admiral Gumir, just off the warship, murmured in surprise:
"Was that an illusion?"
In the crowd, a shirtless young man, similar in age to Black, raised his head, meeting Black's gaze, eyes wide with shock.
"Audacious!"
A guard shouted, rushing forward, sword thrust aimed at the youth. Facing a Celestial Dragon directly was capital offense!
Black gestured to the CP; one raised a hand.
"Finger Pistol!"
*Ding!* The guard's longsword shattered.
Ignoring the king and nobles kneeling, Black shook his rope. The Slave understood, crawling toward the young man.
Arriving before him, Black perched atop the tall Slave.
High eyebrows, downturned eyelids, thick lips, dark green curly hair, shirtless.
"You have offended me."
The young man froze.
"I apologize, esteemed Celestial Dragon."
Voice trembling, words clear.
Black's tone softened:
"After two months at sea, solid ground feels good. I'm in a good mood, so I pardon your offense. From now on, you are my retainer, Hilbert Black."
The youth froze, then overjoyed, prostrating himself:
"Most exalted Saint Black, I am honored to serve as your retainer."
Black nodded, pulled the rope, and the Slave carried them toward the palace.
A voice drifted on the wind:
"Don't just kneel foolishly, hurry and follow."
The youth rose, quickly closing the distance behind Black.
Crowd members glanced, eyes darting.
A guard discretely checked Black. Seeing no reaction, he seized self-proclaimed clever individuals, plunging his sword into their chests without hesitation.
Black found it amusing. Truly a bunch of 'Sleeping Dragons and Phoenix Chicks'...