The elevator in the West Blue wasn't a Bubble Elevator, so it didn't ascend as quickly.
After a quiet wait, Bege finally stepped onto the Red Line.
A squad of armored soldiers approached, seemingly escorting but effectively marching the group forward.
The West Blue and North Blue weren't directly opposite each other, so they had to pass through Mary Geoise to reach the elevator leading to the North Blue.
The procession moved along the edge of the Red Line, keeping as far from the Holy Land as possible to avoid offending the Celestial Dragons' eyes.
A biting cold wind swept through, and Bege instinctively tightened his coat around himself.
The group advanced in silence. Even if someone dared to speak, they were quickly hushed by those nearby.
If they accidentally drew the attention of a Celestial Dragon, who knew what kind of chaos might follow?
It wasn't until they reached the North Blue's elevator that everyone finally let out a sigh of relief.
Descending via the elevator, they arrived at the North Red Port.
The clamor of vendors hawking their wares filled the air. Bege boarded a random passenger ship and left the port behind.
Only after entering his cabin did he transfer his consciousness back into his body.
Dier and the others were in the living room. Aside from Perona, everyone looked tense.
A criminal wanted by the World Government had just slipped right under their noses—no one could predict what unexpected trouble might arise.
Fortunately, the operation had gone smoothly.
"We're safe now."
Bege emerged from the floor, grabbed a bottle of red wine from the table, and took a deep swig.
This was his first time crossing the Red Line, and though nervous, he couldn't deny the thrill running through him.
One day, he and Dier would reduce that so-called Holy Land to rubble!
Just imagining the scene made him want to burst out laughing in excitement.
To steady himself, he took another gulp of wine before turning to Dier on the sofa.
"So, where am I dropping you off? Any specific destination?"
"No, just leave us at a decently populated island."
Dier had only one goal in the North Blue: to find Law's submarine.
He didn't know exactly where it was, but it had to be somewhere in these waters.
His plan was to cast a wide net and gather people to help him search.
"Oh, and leave us some money too."
"It's all in the storage room. Take as much as you need."
King Dier's treasures consisted mostly of fixed assets like gold and jewels.
Bege hadn't converted all of it into Belly—these assets held their value far better than currency.
A newspaper still cost forty Belly now, but in a few years, it'd rise to a hundred.
Still, for convenience, he had exchanged some of the treasure for Belly at a trading house.
The highest denomination was ten thousand Belly, featuring Skull Yogi's portrait.
Dier didn't take much—just a small bag stuffed with a few bundles, roughly three million Belly.
Aside from that, their prepared luggage included essentials like a Den Den Mushi, compass, and pocket watch.
Spare clothes weren't included—those could be bought later.
Even Perona's oversized Kumashi plush had been left behind since it was as tall as a person and far too conspicuous.
She had thrown a tantrum over it, and Dier had to promise her an even bigger one next time to calm her down.
Of course, if he had used Hypnosis, no promises would've been necessary.
But he disliked using Hypnosis on those close to him.
Especially after the Deal Island Incident—the old king's experience had taught him at least one thing.
It would be quite boring if everyone around him simply obeyed without question.
Upon reflection, none of the three women around him had undergone Hypnosis.
Robin was naturally an exception.
On the small boat, he had activated his Hypnosis ability, but Hina never made eye contact with him. First, she buried her head in her knees and asked questions in a muffled voice, then looked up at Robin, before bending down to hand over the Black Gun and express her desire to join. After Dier accepted the Black Gun, he released the Hypnosis.
In the cemetery, he had only exchanged a couple of words with Perona when Mr.1 suddenly charged out. After blocking the attack, Perona volunteered to help, so he didn't resort to Hypnosis again.
He was satisfied with the current atmosphere and didn't want to change anything with Hypnosis.
As for others, that was a different story.
Along the passenger ship's route lay a rather prosperous island, but they wouldn't arrive until the next day.
Late at night, Bege used his ability to stuff several people into his Body Space, including the ship's captain.
When the captain opened his eyes again, he found himself surrounded by darkness. In the shadows, a pair of glowing eyes stared intently at him.
"Do you... believe in me?"
...
The next morning, in the living room of Bege's Body Space.
Dier tossed a piece of paper to Robin.
"This is the nautical chart I got from the captain. Keep it for now."
"You should rest for a couple of days."
Seeing the exhaustion on Dier's face, Robin immediately understood what had happened.
Her heart ached for him.
During their forty days on Ghost Island, Dier had hypnotized five people every single day.
His days consisted of nothing but Hypnosis, eating, sleeping, and using the bathroom. He had endured this routine relentlessly for forty days.
"Your dream is to travel the world, right? Locking yourself in a room to perform Hypnosis in different places—can that really be called traveling?
There's no need for us to rush so much."
Robin placed a cup of warm milk in front of Dier, speaking in a tone one might use to coax a child.
"Here, drink this and go to sleep. I'll wake you when we arrive."
"Alright, alright. I was planning to sleep anyway."
Dier yawned, downed the milk in one gulp, and muttered,
"Wake me an hour early... I need to go to the kitchen for more food..."
His voice grew softer until it faded into the quiet rhythm of his breathing.
He lay on the sofa, fast asleep.
Robin activated her ability, first fetching a blanket, then after a moment's thought, swapping it for a quilt to cover him.
It was January, after all—the weather was still quite cold.
...
By evening, the passenger ship docked at the port of an island.
Bege formally parted ways with Dier and the others.
He would linger in the North Blue for a few more days before returning to the West Blue to continue his efforts toward unifying the mafia.
Dier and the other three found an inn and, as usual, booked a luxury suite.
Inside the suite was a dining table by the window, where the four of them sat, enjoying their meal and the sunset over the North Blue.
In the days that followed, the four of them finally began to resemble a proper travel group.
They boarded passenger ships, journeying from island to island.
At each destination, Dier would spend some time manipulating the local authorities.
Some were town mayors, others were Kings.
These figures would mobilize their subordinates to help search for any possible submarines while discreetly spreading rumors about Dier.
Not openly, but quietly.
He was quite content with his current life. Without the World Government hunting him down, even the air felt fresher.
Before finding the submarine, he had no intention of revealing his presence in the North Blue.
Of course, the journey inevitably involved encounters with some reckless Pirates.
Dier had no interest in these worthless scum who lacked both power and potential. Each time, he simply had Perona quietly release Phantoms to assist the sailors on the passenger ship in defeating them.
Half a year passed like this.
Then, Dier encountered an unexpected group.
"The Red Hair Pirates?!"