Sasha was the girl who chased the legend of the Golden City.
Years ago, Sasha had said she would gather a suitable reward and then hire Law to help her find the Golden City. So, Law had left her his contact number.
Over the years, however, Sasha had never contacted Law. It was unclear whether she was still working hard to gather the reward.
Law had not forgotten about the Golden Lake or the tentacles that had effortlessly torn apart the corpse of the Hand-Hand Bear.
This return served two purposes: to train Tonpa and to investigate the lake. However, Kuro had returned empty-handed, so it was fortunate that Tonpa's Nen Ability could be put to use.
Yet, the result Tonpa provided was beyond Law's expectations.
"Are you sure you didn't miss any corner?" Law pressed.
Tonpa replied, "There's no giant creature like you described. The largest is just a fish about the size of a calf."
Law frowned and then asked, "Are there any waterways or caves at the bottom of the lake leading elsewhere?"
"No." Tonpa answered honestly.
Law didn't press further and sent Tonpa off to find food. He stood alone by the lake, deep in thought.
'Could someone have already been here?'
Law gazed at the calm surface of the lake, silently pondering.
It wasn't that he absolutely had to find the Golden City or the Golden Lake. Back then, the sight of the tentacles tearing apart the Hand-Hand Bear had been shocking, but now, he was no longer the same person. Such things no longer fazed him.
Compared to the upcoming journey to the Dark Continent, only a small curiosity remained.
"Never mind, I'd better get back to reading."
Rather than probing the lake, Law felt it was more reliable to continue reading and preparing for the trip to the Dark Continent.
He left the lakeside and returned to the treehouse before Tonpa brought back the ingredients. There, he continued reading books on navigation and the ocean.
Days passed, and Tonpa grew day by day. Although his combat prowess was still lacking, he was making progress.
During this time, Law devoured many books. In his spare moments, he also conducted a thorough sweep of the B-grade ingredients in the Amaromi Forest.
As the saying goes, even a mosquito's meat is still meat. Although the numerical increase from B-grade ingredients was miniscule, every little bit helped. However, breaking through the 80% threshold wasn't easy, and with the trip to the Dark Continent imminent, Law had no plans to reach 80%.
Soon, three months passed.
Tonpa was like a black-and-white photo that had been colored in, becoming brighter and clearer.
He was a veteran of the Hunter Exam, someone who took pleasure in eliminating newcomers. Yet, deep down, he also wished to pass the exam himself.
Now, his confidence was through the roof. He firmly believed that if he took the Hunter Exam this year, he would undoubtedly pass.
At that moment, he made a major decision.
"I will obtain a Hunter License!"
Tonpa murmured to himself under the beautiful sunset.
No longer was it about eliminating newcomers… it was about earning a Hunter License.
Life seemed to burst with radiant light, and a brand-new, bright future unfolded before him like a broad, smooth road.
The orange-red twilight on his face made him appear solemn.
"Tonpa, no slacking."
Kuro flicked his tail, striking Tonpa on the head.
"Okay, Kuro-sama!"
Tonpa's body trembled. The earlier grandeur melted away like spring snow, and he responded meekly. He lifted the box in his hand and stepped onto the ladder leading to the sea vessel.
The Lawlie, a medium-sized sea vessel capable of carrying two hundred people, was the result delivered by Ellie's shipbuilding company to Law.
The name was chosen by Ellie, and she had taken the liberty of engraving it on the ship's hull before informing Law.
Law didn't particularly care about the ship's name.
All preparations were complete, and the departure date was just three days away.
Without obtaining official sailing permission, the first challenge in crossing the world's Territorial Waters was the maritime defense line established by the V5. However, Law already had a plan and wasn't concerned.
The Lawlie was large enough, and with only Law, Tonpa, and Biscuit as crew, they could stock sufficient fuel and food to ensure a direct journey to the Dark Continent without needing to resupply at the Imaginary Continent.
With Kuro around, food is basically the least thing to worry about. Instead, they need to be more careful about medicines, equipment, and fuel.
On the eve of their departure, everyone held a grand feast at Ellie's mansion.
Ellie knew Law was setting sail, but she didn't know his destination was the Dark Continent, nor was she aware of how dangerous it truly was.
If she had known, she might not have built the ship for him.
Nevertheless, she had indeed been a great help to Law.
At the feast, Stargie was also present. After months of nurturing with Eri's Nen, she had undergone significant changes, at least developing the prototype of autonomy and intelligence.
Since Law's return to Spice City, Stargie would often watch him quietly, her gaze unwavering.
Law noticed this phenomenon and felt the possibility of [Resurrection] had increased slightly. Unfortunately, he was setting sail for the Dark Continent the next day.
Otherwise, he would have gladly stayed by Ellie's side to carefully observe Stargie's gradual changes.
The feast ended, and the night grew deep.
Law lay in bed, took out his phone, and scrolled through his contact list from top to bottom. In the end, he did nothing and put the phone down.
'Should I tell them?'
He pondered, then drifted into sleep.
Early the next morning, a thin mist enveloped the port.
All supplies had been loaded onto the ship, and it was time to set sail.
Ellie and Kenda came to see them off, watching as Law boarded the Lawlie.
"Law, have a smooth journey!"
As the Lawlie slowly sailed away from the port, Ellie waved vigorously at Law, who stood by the deck railing.
The Lawlie gradually faded into the distance, carrying Law's figure until it disappeared into the white, vast fog.
The thin mist brushed against his face, slightly moist.
Kuro was at the helm in the captain's cabin, while Biscuit was in her room reading her favorite magazine. The ship's affairs were left to Law and the others, so she had nothing to do.
On the deck, Tonpa asked, "Now can you finally tell me where we're going?"
"Fair enough." Law looked at him, paused, and said, "That place… it's a long story."
Since it concerned their destination, Tonpa immediately perked up.
"Because it's too long, I don't feel like explaining."
Law replied lightly, then picked up his phone and began tapping away.
Tonpa staggered, nearly falling to the deck. He truly had no way to deal with Law.
Law picked up his phone, composed a message, and sent it to all his friends.
Almost simultaneously, friends around the world received Law's message.
[Heading to a place. Might be out of contact for a while. Don't worry.]
After sending the message, Law directly turned off his phone and tossed it into the space within Kuro.
In the end, he had left a short message without specifying that their destination was the Dark Continent.
Machi, Sanbica, Ging, Netero, Linne…
They all received Law's message, but only a handful could guess where he was going… like Ging, like Linne.