Meanwhile, inside the lantern fish…
With his Observation Haki active, King, charging forward recklessly, rushed straight into the first stomach sac.
"To think dinosaurs live inside this Sea King... truly a peculiar ecosystem."
Flying through the air, King glanced down at several dinosaurs, each less than 10 meters long, locked in combat below.
A red light flashed in his eyes.
"Hmm? That presence is…"
King suddenly halted his high-speed flight, hovering mid-air, his gaze sweeping towards a cave not far away.
He dove down.
Roar!!
Several juvenile Tyrannosaurs were frantically tearing into pieces of meat, but one of them…
"…"
Looking at the man wearing a dinosaur costume fighting the small dinosaurs for meat, King's mouth opened and closed, his expression extremely complicated. He felt like he was seeing something very strange…
"Um…"
"Gah!!!"
Myskina Acier, wearing the dinosaur costune, puffed out his neck, vigorously beating his chest with his hands.
"H-Help me! It's stuck! It's stuck!!"
Watching the man's face gradually turn ashen purple, King hurried forward and slapped his back hard.
"Cough cough, whew, I'm alive~"
"Roar~!"
The small dinosaurs let out feeble roars towards King.
The flames on King's back flared violently as he glanced sideways at the small dinosaurs.
"Scram, or I'll eat you."
"!!!"
Seemingly sensing the human's killing intent, the small dinosaurs scrambled and ran out of the cave.
"How rare! You're the first human I've seen in two hundred years!"
Acier took off the constume, revealing his golden beard and spiky hair resembling a Saiyan's.
"It's been so long since I've spoken to a human, ah, that's right, my name is Myskina Acier. I'm an alchemist scientist."
"King. Pirate."
King's gaze remained fixed on the emblem on the collar of Acier's white coat, the same pattern mark found on Olga's clothes. The exclusive emblem of the legendary island, Alchemi.
"Two hundred years ago, the island I was on was swallowed by Lantern-sama, and I was eaten along with it. Fortunately, I wasn't digested by the stomach acid."
"But to survive, I had to disguise myself as a dinosaur hatchling…"
King didn't interrupt the man speaking, patiently listening for half an hour before suddenly speaking up.
"We already know your background. Your daughter, Olga, was rescued by us some time ago."
"From her, we learned everything about Alchemi, including the Pure Gold and your scientific technology."
'Pure Gold?'
Acier scratched his head, "If you want Pure Gold, I won't stop you, but that thing should be in the laboratory further inside."
"Lantern-sama has three stomach sacs in total. The place we're in now is just the first stomach sac."
"Need to go further? I understand, wait for me a moment."
King took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed.
Buru Buru Buru~~
Kacha.
"Bazel, it's me."
"Found it yet?"
"Not yet, but I found Acier. Tell Babanuki and the others not to come in. Wait for me to get out, then dismantle the Lantern Fish directly."
The Den Den Mushi took on a surprised expression, "Your luck is really something else, huh? No problem, I'll tell them. Remember to block that thing's light."
"Don't worry."
The Den Den Mushi hung up with a 'kacha'.
King looked at Acier, "Lead the way. After obtaining the Pure Gold, I'll take you out to see your daughter."
Acier, slow on the uptake, suddenly grabbed King, his face full of shock, "You just said my daughter!? Olga! Is she really still alive?!"
"She's alive. And living quite luxuriously."
King inserted his hands under Acier's armpits, holding him from behind, and quickly ascended.
"Now take me to the Pure Gold. That thing absolutely must not appear on the high seas."
"I understand! As long as I can see Olga, I'm willing to do anything!!"
Acier pointed in the direction of the deeper areas.
"It's this way! I've been to the second stomach sac before, but I had to retreat back here because there were too many dinosaurs there."
"The final third stomach sac is at the far end of the second one. The island of Alchemi is most likely there!"
…
Outside…
"Toki-nee, is this dress really okay?"
Olga kept spinning in circles in front of Toki, chattering non-stop.
"I'm going to see that stupid old man soon, I absolutely have to apologize properly to him."
"I actually misunderstood him for two hundred years!"
"I really have to apologize properly!"
Toki took a hair tie and comb from her pocket and helped Olga re-style her hair into a ponytail.
"That looks very nice now. Acier will surely be very happy to see you. Do you need me to help you prepare a gift?"
Olga was about to say no, but tilted her head, thought about it, and nodded vigorously, "Yes!"
"I want to give Dad some new clothes, but we probably can't find any here, right?"
"New clothes or something like that is unnecessary."
Bazel walked over holding a leather pouch.
"I found you a bottle of unopened good sake on the Babanuki's ship. Men can't live without alcohol."
"He'll definitely like this."
Olga hugged the wine bottle, which was half her size, looking suspicious, "Really? You're not tricking me, are you?"
"Don't want it? Give it back. I'll go drink with Kaido."
"Meh meh meh~~"
Olga dodged back, making a face:
"I'm not giving it back to you, you stingy Bazel~"
Bazel was not angry either, just gently pinched Toki's soft, tender cheek.
"If you're so bored, go help Babanuki and the others dismantle the lantern fish."
Toki swatted away Bazel's mischievous hand, pouting:
"Tonight's dinner is grilled lantern fish's meat and sashimi. If you're any slower, who knows how late it'll be before we get to eat."
"That fish is a super nourishing supplement for the skin!"
"Yes, yes, I know."
Having spent several months with Toki, slightly intimate actions like cheek pinching were nothing now.
Perhaps due to her upbringing and family education, Toki was hesitant to take things further.
Their relationship remained stuck in that stage of 'more than friends, but not quite lovers'.
Basel wasn't in a hurry, either.
Their current environment really wasn't suitable for such things, as they were surrounded by crewmates.
He couldn't just do as Kaido suggested and find some deserted bushes for a quick solution.
He planned to wait until they reached Wano Country, secured a private residence, and then consider deepening their relationship.
As for now...
Speeding up the process of dismantling the lantern fish was more important.
Buru Buru Buru~~
Kacha.
Bazel took out the Den Den Mushi and answered, "Who is this?"
"Still me, Bazel. Go find Kaido-san, his Den Den Mushi can't be reached."
"Acier and I found Alchemi's laboratory. Have him break open the lantern fish's belly from the outside, then use his Flame Clouds to extract that piece of land. The research data inside might be useful to us."
"Understood. Wait a moment."
Hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Bazel said goodbye to Toki and quickly walked towards the lantern fish.
"This is a super amazing snack for drinks, be careful with it!"
Kaido, with his sleeves rolled up, was personally dismantling the huge lantern on the lantern fish's head.
"You there! Hey, you bastard, don't just stab your sword into it!"
"Big Bro Kaido."
Kaido kicked away the pirate crewmate who was about to pierce the large lantern with his sword, then turned to look at Bazel.
"It's about the Alchemi laboratory..." Bazel relayed King's request from the earlier call.
"Got it. I'll leave this to you. Remember, don't let those idiots just stab their swords into this big lantern!"
"The immense life force contained inside will be lost if it leaks, and this fish will become worthless!"
Bazel smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it personally."
...
Half an hour later, near the lower abdomen of the lantern fish, two figures flew out from a torn opening in the flesh, followed by a floating, dilapidated small piece of land.
"Olga-chan~~Where are you!"
Even while still flying through the air, the strained shout carried far into the distance.
Below, Olga's previously anxious expression instantly stiffened.
The unease on her face vanished, replaced by a placid calm.
"It's good to see he's so energetic." Olga sighed, walking over to Acier, who was shouting at the lantern fish's carcass not far away.
She lifted her foot and kicked Acier in the shin.
"Hey, stupid old man, stop yelling. I'm right here."
"Olga-chan!!!"
"Ugh, don't come near me! You stink! I just took a bath!"
"Don't be like that! Daddy hasn't seen you in two hundred years, boo hoo hoo~~"
"…"
"Bazel." King pulled Bazel away from the crowd and quietly handed him a black cloth bundle.
"Acier says this is all the remaining Pure Gold. The rest was probably digested by the lantern fish and converted into nutrients stored in that large lantern."
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