"Bai Yu, what exactly did he mean?"
Did Smoker understand what the giant boy just said?
Seeing Bai Yu's slightly stunned expression, Smoker immediately asked him again, voice more urgent this time.
Hearing the question, Bai Yu fell into brief thought.
He finally decided—it was time to make this trip's true objective clear. This wasn't just a diversion anymore. It was the goal.
Even what Caesar had done—Bai Yu was prepared to tell Smoker everything.
After all, the appearance of the giant boy here could only mean one thing: they were close to Punk Hazard.
"Our destination this time… isn't Dressrosa," Bai Yu said seriously.
"It's a place called Punk Hazard."
"There, Doflamingo has a subordinate named Caesar Clown. He's been conducting research into artificial Devil Fruits on his behalf."
"And..." Bai Yu glanced at the giant boy, "...this giantification experiment is one of the projects carried out there."
"…"
Bai Yu then revealed his full plan to Smoker—every detail.
Including the real reason for targeting Caesar: to force Doflamingo out from the shadows.
"Artificial Devil Fruits... Giantification experiments..."
"All of it is being orchestrated by Doflamingo?"
After listening in silence, Smoker's expression grew increasingly grim.
"No wonder you wanted to work with me under the G-5 banner…"
Smoker suddenly understood. Bai Yu's cooperation had been strategic from the start.
They had used him—and the name of G-5—as a cover.
Smoker knew all too well that Doflamingo had eyes and ears everywhere.
Even Virgo—his own subordinate—had turned out to be Doflamingo's undercover agent.
If even a whisper of Bai Yu's target being Punk Hazard reached Doflamingo's ears, Smoker knew it wouldn't even take half a day—
Punk Hazard would be wiped clean.
And Doflamingo absolutely had the power and ruthlessness to make it happen.
"Damn that Doflamingo! I knew it—pirates can never be trusted!"
Thinking of all the atrocities committed by Doflamingo, Smoker's anger began boiling over.
"I always felt the Navy never should've partnered with pirates!"
In that moment, Smoker found himself agreeing with Bai Yu's logic.
He, too, had grown increasingly disillusioned with the Navy's upper brass—and even more so with the World Government.
"Bai Yu, just tell me what you need—if it's something I can do, I'll give it my all!"
Smoker's tone was firm now, resolute.
If, at the beginning, his cooperation with Bai Yu had been out of necessity—just to bring down the traitor Virgo—
Now, Smoker genuinely wanted to help him.
"Alright."
Bai Yu nodded.
He turned to look at the giant boy.
"Don't worry. Leave everything to us."
"We'll rescue everyone who's been experimented on."
With that, Bai Yu turned back to face his crew and the soldiers.
"Everyone, listen up! We're heading full-speed to Punk Hazard!"
"Yes, sir!"
At Bai Yu's command, the warship began to move once again.
Sea Kings and powered propulsion systems were pushed to full capacity.
Using the Eternal Pose for Punk Hazard, they charged ahead with maximum speed.
As Bai Yu had suspected—
The raft the giant boy had ridden didn't have strong sailing capability. It proved the boy hadn't traveled far.
Not long after—
"Report!"
"Island sighted ahead of the warship!"
"Coordinates match the Eternal Pose exactly!"
"Should we prepare to dock immediately?"
The navigation officer relayed the news to Bai Yu quickly.
"Dock the ship."
Bai Yu gave the order.
Boom—
The warship gradually decelerated and glided toward the shoreline.
Within moments, the ship reached the coast of the island.
The anchor was lowered, fixing the warship in place.
The ship docked, stable and ready.
"Except those assigned to guard the ship—everyone else, prepare to disembark!"
Seeing the coast clear, Bai Yu barked the next command.
"You still remember the way to the research facility?"
Bai Yu turned toward the giant boy.
Punk Hazard was once a World Government research base.
According to Bai Yu's memory, the only facility still standing should be the massive laboratory used by Caesar.
(Akainu and Aokiji had not yet dueled for the Admiral position—Punk Hazard had not become the frozen/blazing wasteland yet.)
To locate the lab quickly, letting the boy guide them was the best option.
"I remember!" the giant boy replied.
"It's in that direction. Keep going straight, and you'll see it!"
He pointed toward a mountainous area in the distance.
Bai Yu followed his finger with his eyes.
It pointed to a slope with slightly higher terrain.
In the distance, a hint of icy fog could already be seen.
Punk Hazard's geography changed drastically closer to the center—ice and snow became dominant.
Snow-capped mountains and glaciers could be spotted from afar.
"Move out."
After confirming the direction, Bai Yu took the lead and started forward.
Swoosh—
They quickened their pace, advancing as fast as the terrain allowed.
Before long, they reached the zone where the icy terrain began.
Cold wind blasted against their faces relentlessly.
From here, they could already make out the faint silhouette of Caesar's facility in the distance.
"Be careful. If memory serves, the area around the research institute is filled with toxic gas."
"Don't make contact unless you're protected."
Bai Yu reminded everyone as he led them forward again.
The harsh weather slowed their advance.
Especially since the giant boy was needed as a guide—they had to pace themselves according to him.
That naturally prevented them from moving at full combat speed.
Tap, tap—
Roughly ten minutes later, as they pressed forward across the snow-covered terrain—
The ground suddenly trembled.
Hearing it, Bai Yu instantly raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop.
He stared straight ahead.
Moments later, a heavily armed unit appeared in the snow mist, storming toward them.
There were around thirty of them.
Each soldier wore high-grade anti-toxin suits with oxygen tanks, and unique firearms strapped at their waists.
When the unit approached Bai Yu's team, they stopped abruptly.
The group swept their gazes across the assembled Navy soldiers—until their eyes landed on the trembling giant boy hiding behind them.
"There he is!"
"But... why are Navy personnel protecting him?"
The commander of the group muttered darkly.
As the opposing force sized them up, Bai Yu and his men were doing the same.
"Bai Yu… who are they?" Smoker whispered urgently, already gripping his weapon, the jitte, with his right hand.
"PH Unit," Bai Yu said calmly, drawing from his memory.
"These men are Caesar's private guards."
"Most of them are death row inmates who survived the Punk Hazard explosion."
Ting!
The moment Bai Yu said those words, the PH Unit's killing intent erupted.
The truth about them being death row convicts wasn't widely known.
If it got out, the consequences would be catastrophic.
And now—
Even if the intruders were Marines—
They had discovered the truth, made contact with the giant boy, and were already on Punk Hazard soil.
There was no going back.
They could not be allowed to leave alive.
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