"Hello? Anyone there? It's me, your ally."
Bege's puzzled voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
For such a major operation as kidnapping a prince, even if there were no cheers, there should at least be some reaction.
"You said you kidnapped a prince?"
Dier snapped out of his stunned state, gripping the receiver tightly as he ground his teeth:
"So this is what you've been busy with these days?!"
"Exactly!"
The voice on the other end sounded smug:
"Though it can't compare to your feat of assassinating the King, if we handle this right, this crown prince will be the next monarch."
"Hurry up and come, otherwise his uncle will soon solidify his claim to the throne."
Dier wanted to refuse but couldn't find a valid reason.
After all, they were allies with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the World Government.
Bege's actions were clearly contributing to their shared objective.
He could only sigh in resignation, saying lifelessly:
"How's the scenery there?"
"Huh? Scenery? What scenery could there be in this gloomy place?"
The voice suddenly became urgent:
"Someone's chasing us. I'll give you the address first—Gunpowder and Boren will be waiting for you there."
To facilitate borrowing Bege's body for escape later, they'd been minimizing contact.
This time was no exception—Bege planned to leave the prince at a designated location under Gunpowder and Boren's watch.
Dier casually tossed the Den Den Mushi to Robin before collapsing onto the deck chair, covering his face with his hands.
His precious free time!
"Hina, make me some Black Guns."
"You want more?"
Hina held a Black Gun, frowning in confusion:
"Is it really that tasty?"
"Taste-wise, it's just average."
Dier took the Black Gun, crunching it between his teeth:
"Food supplies on board are limited, so this will have to do."
Most of their hunted prey had been left in Forest Village, with only limited provisions loaded onto the two ships.
The Apple Ship would return directly to Colon Island, while their current vessel had no fixed destination.
The original plan was to resupply on any random island, then disembark—either to switch ships for travel or stay for sightseeing.
"And now we have to get involved in some prince kidnapping scheme!"
"You don't have to go if you don't want to."
"No, we should. The leader of a nation is important too."
Dier lay back, hands behind his head, gazing at the azure sky.
He had a clear understanding of his development path.
To put it plainly, he was a late-game hero.
In the past two months, he'd only gained the useless ability to make his body glow.
Ultimately, it came down to having too few subordinates.
Thirty-some people on Colon Island, twenty-some on this ship, plus twenty-five warriors from Forest Village and the Female Captain from Hunter Island—
Less than a hundred in total, so slow ability acquisition was inevitable.
But once the various plans on Colon Island progressed smoothly, his ability acquisition rate would increase dramatically.
His personal growth would accelerate accordingly.
As he grew stronger, he could more quickly create more places like Colon Island, creating a snowball effect.
So the sooner he got through this foundational phase, the quicker he'd reach his development period.
After all, travel was travel—taking control of a country would just be a side benefit.
"Let's head to the North Blue after this incident is over."
"What for? Hina is confused."
"I remember hearing someone there knows how to build submarines. It's about time we got ourselves a pirate ship."
The three of them had bounties totaling nearly a hundred million, yet they still had to travel on cargo or passenger ships.
Dier rubbed his chin thoughtfully. What he wanted was exactly that submarine belonging to Trafalgar Law.
He couldn't recall exactly how it was obtained, but it probably came from the North Blue, right?
Of course, just having diving capabilities wouldn't be enough. In his vision, this ship needed to be a triple-terrain battleship—sea, land, and air.
The Heart Pirates' diving system, the Sunny's energy system, Enel's Ark's flight system, and Bege's future tank tread system.
Everything that could be crammed in would be crammed in.
"Alright, I've got the location," Robin hung up the phone and turned to the two lounging companions.
"Our next destination is a small island near Ghost Island. Should take about five days."
"G-G-Ghost?" Hina suddenly felt a chill, hugging her shoulders as her voice trembled. "Are there ghosts on that island?"
"Hina is scared."
"Oh yes, and not just ghosts," Robin reopened her book, feigning nonchalance.
"Rumor has it there are vampires too. Vampires particularly love the blood of young maidens."
"Dier, I request to withdraw from this mission!"
Hina quickly conjured several Black Guns as bribes.
"Take these to eat—please let me stay offshore for support!"
"Robin's just messing with you. Ghost Island is famous—haven't you heard?"
Dier accepted the Black Guns and explained,
"There aren't any actual ghosts or anything. The locals are just really into that culture.
They dress up as all kinds of monsters to scare visiting tourists.
Lots of people go there specifically looking for thrills."
Ghost Island was indeed renowned, with many horror stories originating from there.
Their upcoming route was clear: first stop at a nearby island to resupply, then the three of them would disembark and switch to a passenger ship heading to the small island where Gunpowder and the others were waiting.
If they stayed any longer, this ship would become tied to Dier's group, risking exposure by the World Government.
Narcissa and the others could face arrest, especially since there were no other outsiders left onboard.
Rather than staying, it was better to leave and switch ships for the next leg.
Narcissa's crew would continue their cargo operations, and someday, by chance, they'd join Colon Island.
Three days later, the ship arrived at the island.
Dier's group formally parted ways with Narcissa's cargo ship.
Robin activated her Devil Fruit Ability to alter their appearances.
Since Gunpowder's group was still waiting, the three didn't linger on the island.
They boarded a passenger ship immediately after finding one.
Dier made sure to check that the ship wasn't red before boarding.
The passenger ship's deck structure had five levels.
The first floor was a banquet hall for dining and entertainment.
The second floor had standard cabins—narrow hallways, rooms without private bathrooms.
The third floor was more luxurious, with private bathrooms.
"Honored guests, this is the deluxe suite you requested!"
A crew member bowed deeply, ushering the three into their room:
"The entire fourth floor has only two suites, while the fifth floor is the captain's quarters. There will also be lookouts and navigators stationed there to monitor the surroundings and ensure your safety.
Please rest assured, we use only the finest soundproofing materials here. Any noise from the upper decks will absolutely not disturb your rest. In case of an emergency, the alarm in your room will alert you."
Looking at the luxurious decor in the room, the sailor couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
For a low-ranking sailor like him, let alone a suite, even a private room was out of the question.
Every night, he had to squeeze into a cramped dormitory with three others.
"Thank you for the introduction. We'll rest now and call you if we need anything."
"Of course. Have a pleasant journey."
After the sailor left, Dier collapsed onto the plush sofa, closing his eyes contentedly.
"Passenger ships really do have the most comfortable setups."
"It'll take two days to reach Mist Island. Might as well make the most of this time to rest."