Chapter 245: Re-entering the New World
"What? A Celestial Dragon?"
"That's... troublesome."
Law's expression shifted dramatically.
He wasn't like Luffy, that reckless simpleton—he fully understood the implications of Celestial Dragon status and the immense power they could wield.
Jinbe also frowned deeply, though he wasn't particularly skilled at complex scheming, so he remained silent.
He was crystal clear about his position: his oath to Rhodes would make him Rhodes' strongest weapon.
Wherever Rhodes' blade pointed, Jinbe would follow without question.
Rhodes' expression, however, remained perfectly calm. He stated matter-of-factly,
"This actually works in our favor."
"To make a proper statement, you need to strike down a target of sufficient weight—and the Heavenly Demon is undoubtedly more than qualified."
While the Donquixote Family's raw strength and military power were far inferior to any Yonko's crew, their influence extended into virtually every aspect of the underworld—second only to the Four Emperors' organizations, and in certain respects even surpassing them.
And this kind of far-reaching influence was exactly what Rhodes needed.
Defeating the Donquixote Family would allow them to dramatically announce the Dragon Slayer's arrival in the New World, thereby gaining a massive influx of faith power.
Furthermore, Dressrosa itself possessed substantial strategic value, boasting both a thriving economy and an exceptionally favorable geographical position.
Hearing this reasoning, Law remained outwardly composed, but quiet gratitude welled up within him.
In this world, those who dared directly confront the Celestial Dragons were extraordinarily rare.
Regardless of whether Rhodes did this primarily for Law's sake, such courage made him absolutely worthy of Law's unwavering loyalty and devotion.
After finalizing their New World strategy, Rhodes turned and walked toward where Shirahoshi and Robin were relaxing.
At that moment, Robin had conjured multiple arms to playfully tickle Shirahoshi, causing the giant mermaid princess to squirm helplessly.
"It... it tickles so much! Robin-neesan, please stop!"
Shirahoshi's massive tail swished frantically as her adorable eyes welled with tears of laughter.
Robin smiled gently and ceased her teasing ministrations.
Just then, Rhodes approached the pair.
"Rhodes-sama,"
Shirahoshi greeted him respectfully, her voice soft and gentle, like a sweet and approachable girl despite her enormous size.
Rhodes looked at the genuinely beautiful Shirahoshi, smiled warmly, then glanced at Robin, indicating they would soon be departing Fish-Man Island.
Seeing Rhodes' gentle demeanor, Shirahoshi gradually lowered her guard and asked in an extremely innocent tone,
"Rhodes-sama, Robin-neesan told me there are vast forests on the surface, and a real open sky, a genuine sun, and countless strange and wonderful things. Is that really true?"
"I really, really want to see them someday."
"It's absolutely true."
Rhodes smiled gently, observing Shirahoshi up close. He realized she was genuinely beautiful—on par with Hancock in terms of pure physical beauty.
Moreover, unlike Hancock's prideful and domineering nature, Shirahoshi was innocent, kindhearted, gentle, and endearing—though perhaps a bit too emotionally fragile.
Simultaneously, Rhodes' Kenbunshoku Haki sensed an unimaginably powerful presence emanating from deep within Shirahoshi—hidden within the very essence of her soul.
Unlike Pluton, the most evil battleship, Poseidon was a living being—the sovereign of all Sea Kings.
In Rhodes' understanding, it must be some quality of her soul that granted the mermaid princess Shirahoshi the innate ability to communicate with and command the Sea Kings.
"Next time, when there's an opportunity, I'll take you to the surface world to explore—to see the real sky and feel genuine sunlight."
"Mm-hmm!"
Shirahoshi nodded enthusiastically like an excited child, then adorably extended her enormous pinky finger, clearly wanting to make a promise with Rhodes.
Rhodes smiled warmly and extended his own comparatively tiny finger, gently hooking it with Shirahoshi's.
"Then it's a promise."
After chatting with Shirahoshi for several more minutes, Rhodes led Robin and the others back to where Neptune was conferring with his ministers, saying,
"For most administrative matters, you can consult with Enel. If something truly cannot be resolved, contact me directly."
"Is Rhodes-sama departing already?"
Neptune sensed Rhodes' clear intention to leave.
"Yes."
Rhodes nodded slightly—he had already spent considerable time on Fish-Man Island.
The New World was currently in an extremely chaotic and volatile period. The sooner he entered, the more dangers and challenges he would encounter—but also the greater the potential rewards if he could overcome them.
In the original timeline, Blackbeard had entered the New World almost immediately after Marineford. With his crew and overwhelming personal strength, he had swept away numerous opponents and successfully ascended to become one of the Four Emperors.
"I wonder if Blackbeard, having failed to steal Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi, will seek another powerful ability or stubbornly wait for the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to respawn?"
Rhodes pondered thoughtfully.
However, he felt the latter was far more likely.
Blackbeard, with his Yami Yami no Mi and his physical prowess and Haki capable of scarring Shanks, already possessed strength surpassing an average Admiral and approaching Yonko-level.
With powerful allies like Shiryu of the Rain augmenting his forces, defeating numerous strong pirates should be relatively straightforward.
With such overwhelming advantages, and having infiltrated the Whitebeard Pirates for decades while harboring deep-seated covetousness for the Gura Gura no Mi—once considered the world's strongest Paramecia—he likely wouldn't abandon his obsession so easily.
Meanwhile, Rhodes and his crew had already departed Ryugu Palace and arrived at the coating port.
The coating craftsmen had thoroughly repaired the submarine and reinforced the protective bubble coating, ensuring smooth sailing from this point forward.
The submarine gradually departed Fish-Man Island's protective barrier.
Under the navigator's expert control, it carefully passed through the opening at the base of the Red Line, finally emerging on the opposite side.
This voyage proceeded without incident.
This was primarily because Jinbe and a group of elite officers from the former Sun Pirates were aboard.
These fish-men were extraordinarily familiar with these waters, knowing them intimately.
They even knew which currents were deadly whirlpools and which served as convenient shortcuts.
Splash!
The submarine finally broke through the ocean surface, arriving in a relatively normal sea area where both water conditions and wind speeds seemed manageable.
Feeling the long-awaited warmth of genuine sunlight, Robin and the others all displayed faint, relieved smiles.
Speaking of which, although Law's pirate vessel could submerge, it primarily sailed on the surface.
After all, the probability of encountering massive Sea Kings underwater was dramatically higher.
"The New World... I've returned."
Law's expression held complex emotions. When he had last left the New World, he had been merely an unknown nobody.
Returning now, everything had changed completely.
At this moment, their navigator had already retrieved an advanced New World Log Pose, adjusted their heading, and set course for the island with the most stable magnetic reading.
They weren't like Luffy's recklessly impulsive Straw Hat crew, who specifically chose islands where the Log Pose fluctuated wildly.
"Doesn't seem particularly dangerous—not much different from Paradise, really."
Someone commented casually.
"Don't let your guard down. You're probably experiencing the New World for the first time," Jinbe warned in a serious tone.
Bepo looked somewhat confused:
"But it seems perfectly peaceful here. There's no apparent danger—"
Before he could finish his observation, a sudden whistling sound came from above, caused by something rapidly approaching at high velocity.
Everyone looked up and saw hailstones—or rather, massive chunks of ice—falling from the sky. The smallest were fist-sized, while the largest exceeded several meters in diameter—an absolutely terrifying sight!
"Oh my god...!"
Bepo and the other New World newcomers all wore expressions of profound disbelief.
Even the normally composed Robin and Law appeared genuinely shocked.
At this critical moment, Jinbe and his fish-man subordinates sprang into action, shattering the hailstones hurtling toward their vessel with precise strikes.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Eventually, even Rhodes was forced to intervene personally.
Because the ice chunks falling now could no longer reasonably be called "hailstones"—they were genuine icebergs!
A full ten meters in height—a direct impact from something that massive would absolutely obliterate an ordinary pirate ship and kill everyone aboard instantly.
After what felt like an eternity of constant defense, the ship finally broke through the hail-covered sea zone and reached a relatively calm area.
But this time, absolutely no one underestimated their situation. Everyone remained vigilantly alert, scanning their surroundings with extreme caution and visible tension.
(End of Chapter)
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