Northwest of Wano Country.
Thick white smoke from evaporated seawater rose into the sky, visible even from hundreds of miles away.
"That's the Calm Belt!"
On the observation deck of the surveillance warship, a marine quickly noticed the anomaly, but the distance was too great to determine the specifics.
The commanding captain stepped onto the deck and raised his binoculars.
"A volcanic eruption?"
The massive plume of smoke in the distance resembled the aftermath of an undersea volcanic eruption, but an uneasy feeling settled in his chest.
The warship was positioned southwest of Wano, while the smoke originated from the northwest Calm Belt, forming a triangular formation.
This meant the eruption was dangerously close to Wano, and judging by the scale of the smoke, it was no ordinary event.
Their mission was surveillance—any abnormality near Wano had to be investigated thoroughly.
"Move in for a closer look!"
"Aye, sir!"
The warship advanced toward the smoke, but as soon as it entered a fifty-nautical-mile radius, Beasts' warships emerged from the thick fog ahead!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Cannon fire roared!
New World, Marine Base G-14.
Kujaku barged into the office of the base commander.
"Vice Admiral Dore! The surveillance ship monitoring the Beasts has just been sunk! This is the last photo they transmitted!"
"Let me see!"
Dore took the photo, her heart sinking.
The image showed several massive Beasts warships closing in, with an enormous white smoke column billowing behind them.
It was impossible to tell what was happening.
But one thing was certain—the smoke was linked to the Beasts. Otherwise, they wouldn't have deployed a fleet to blockade the area.
This had to be investigated.
"Contact headquarters!"
"Aye, ma'am!"
Meanwhile, in the Calm Belt.
Gurd stood in the seawater, magma continuously surging from beneath his feet. He had walked a fair distance into the Calm Belt before stopping.
To construct a fortress as massive as the Marine G-series, the foundation alone would require the size of a small-to-medium island.
The scale of the project was enormous.
But there was a shortcut.
Gurd focused, directing the magma downward until it connected with the seabed. His senses extended through the earth, probing toward the planet's core.
This location was close to Wano, where the seabed was relatively shallow—only a few hundred meters deep.
With his abilities, he could trigger localized tectonic shifts, forcing the landmass below to rise.
RUMBLE—!!!
Soon, the seabed trembled faintly.
The disturbance immediately startled the marine life in the area, sending schools of fish fleeing in panic.
Even the massive Sea Kings reacted.
SPLASH!
One by one, Sea Kings surfaced, their colossal heads breaking the water. The smallest among them rivaled the size of a large warship.
"Food problem solved!"
Gurd looked up at the absurdly massive Sea Kings, grinning so wide that drool dripped from his mouth.
With this many Sea Kings as a food source, he could save a fortune!
The Sea Kings noticed Gurd. Though his size was less than a tenth of theirs, they sensed danger radiating from him.
Then—
A seaquake erupted!
The water beneath Gurd suddenly bulged upward, displacing massive waves in all directions. As the surface rapidly rose, a stretch of land covered in silt and shellfish emerged from the sea.
In the distance, aboard the Groudon Ship.
The pirates watched in stunned silence.
"An island just rose from the ocean!"
They had thought creating land earlier was already a miracle, but the island that now appeared out of thin air before their eyes once again shattered their understanding.
What incredible power this was!
"Kekeke hahaha!"
Gurd spread his arms and laughed, glaring at the stunned Sea Kings nearby before firing a Laser Beam from his eyes, instantly piercing through the creature's body.
What are you gawking at!
The remaining Sea Kings, witnessing this, immediately dove beneath the waves in terror.
Gurd reverted to his human form and returned to the Groudon Ship.
This was enough for now.
A target too large would be easily discovered. Once this fortress was mostly constructed, they could proceed to pave the way and build the fortress on the other end.
"Has Hajrudin returned?"
"He'll be here soon!"
Gurd gave a slight nod.
Constructing a Large Fortress required an enormous workforce. With the Giant Tribe's help, the construction time would be drastically reduced.
Moreover, in case of an attack, the Giants could also serve as combatants.
A project of this scale would inevitably be discovered by the outside world sooner or later, leading to unavoidable conflicts. It would all come down to who had greater resolve.
And then there were the supplies—equally massive in consumption.
"Boss Gurd!"
An enormous Giant warship approached from the distance, with Hajrudin standing on the deck, waving at Gurd.
Behind him were a group of Giant warriors.
At least a hundred!
A Giant force of this scale hadn't been seen on the seas for many years—even the Marines had fewer than ten Giant Vice Admirals.
Gurd's smile widened.
Perfect timing!
As days passed, the Pirates of the New World, vying for the title of the Four Emperors, were all immersed in bloody battles. Yet the instigators, the Beasts, had halted their conquests.
But the Beasts' movements hadn't stopped.
Every day, countless transport ships, loaded with construction materials, headed for Wano Country. This unusual activity left many factions uneasy.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, another one of our reconnaissance ships has been sunk by the Beasts."
"Understood."
Sengoku rubbed his temples wearily.
Since Dore had relayed the message, the Marines had dispatched over a dozen small and medium-sized warships—only for all of them to be sunk by the Beasts.
They couldn't even get close to Wano Country.
Combined with the Beasts' recent activities and the disappearance of so many supplies, it was clear they were brewing a massive scheme.
The longer this dragged on, the more uneasy he grew.
The most pressing matter now was to uncover what the Beasts were up to so the Marines could respond in time.
Vice Admiral Tsuru frowned. "If our ships can't approach Wano Country from the New World, perhaps we should attempt reconnaissance from another route."
"Tsuru, what do you suggest?"
"The Calm Belt!"
"..."
Sengoku fell into thought.
The Calm Belt was the nesting ground of Sea Kings. Even Marine warships couldn't linger there for long, making reconnaissance through it extremely risky.
Vice Admiral Tsuru proposed, "The Kuja Pirates' ships can navigate the Calm Belt freely. We could follow them."
"That woman, though..."
Sengoku grew even more troubled.
The last time they summoned the Pirate Empress, it had caused no small amount of trouble. Getting her to cooperate again wouldn't be easy.
She was far too willful!
But at this point, there were no better options.
Grand Line, Calm Belt.
Amazon Lily.
The two sisters were furious.
"Elder Sister, the Marines are here again!"
"Their warship is anchored just three kilometers away!"
It had only been two or three months since the last summons, and now the Marines had returned—infuriating the two sisters.
Elder Sister hated summons more than anything!
"What a bunch of useless men, always coming to me for everything."
Hancock casually walked to the window.
"Did the Navy say anything?"
"The Navy said if you agree to this mandatory summons and assist in capturing the Earth Calamity, they won't bother you for the next three years."
"Three years?"
Hancock's eyes flickered slightly.
This deal is quite favorable.
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