Yuuki set down the thick Dictionary of Runic Array Words in his hand and let out a soft chuckle.
Even though certain events had not occurred, the Straw Hat crew's journey had not been affected in the slightest.
Was it simply the power of overwhelming inertia?
Or had the Alabasta incident never truly been an essential turning point for them to begin with?
Skypiea?
A glint flickered through Yuuki's eyes.
The only thing up there that interested him was Enel—
or more precisely, the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit in his possession.
That was one of the rare Devil Fruits that possessed truly monstrous power.
Tap, tap.
Yuuki lifted the exquisite high-grade teapot Marianne had delivered not long ago and poured himself a cup of steaming black tea.
A faint, elegant aroma drifted from the cup.
The "Golden Emperor" Gild Tesoro certainly knew how to indulge himself.
Gran Tesoro was filled with good things.
Yuuki took a sip, then looked up toward what had once been the vast, empty golden hall.
Now, the top floor of the towering Golden Hotel had been completely remodeled by him, transformed into his daily living quarters and laboratory.
All of the experimental equipment that had once been stored aboard the Magic Eye Pirates' ship had been transferred here as well.
Glug…
Glug…
At the northern corner of the golden hall stood a semi-transparent glass tank nearly seven meters tall, filled with a thick emerald-green liquid.
Bubbles occasionally rose to the surface.
Because of the dense, murky fluid, it was impossible to make out what was inside.
Yuuki set down his teacup.
His shoulders swayed slightly—
and in the next instant, he was standing before the massive tank as if he had teleported.
"It's progressing faster than expected."
"At least all that effort wasn't wasted."
"When the time comes… you'll have to thank me, Kuma."
Yuuki gazed at the tank and murmured softly.
Inside it was the clone body created from Kuma's blood, collected during the battle at Little Garden.
At the moment, it was still in its juvenile stage.
With Sally's technology and magic from the Black Clover world, creating a clone itself wasn't difficult.
The real issue was that a clone body still differed from the original.
After all, the original had been tempered through years of training.
A clone, simply put, was nothing more than a body forcibly accelerated into growth.
Because of that, while the technique had some value to Yuuki, it was far from priceless.
Not just anyone was worth cloning.
Given the time required, the resurrection magics he had already mastered were often far more efficient.
But Kuma was different.
More importantly—
he was connected to someone Yuuki cared greatly about.
Kuma's adopted daughter:
Jewelry Bonney.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Three hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, followed by a measured knock on the door.
Yuuki withdrew his gaze from the massive nutrient tank and moved back to his seat.
Click.
At the rise of his thoughts, the heavy metal door slowly opened with a deep mechanical sound.
Cabaji, Mohji, and Marianne quickly entered.
All three wore tense, serious expressions.
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
Their respectful voices rang out in unison.
"With faces like those, I assume something serious has happened."
Yuuki smiled faintly, his tone calm.
Cabaji immediately stepped forward.
"Captain, Mr. Tanaka has observed a large number of pirate crews approaching us."
His expression was grave.
"And their numbers are staggering. He suspects… it may even be a fleet belonging to one of the Four Emperors."
Mohji and Marianne both nodded solemnly.
After everything they had been through, they were no longer ignorant little-time pirates.
Compared to Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line—
the New World was a place of true danger.
Especially now that they had seized Gran Tesoro.
They were standing directly in the eye of the storm.
The Four Emperors were the true overlords of the New World.
There were only two ways to survive here:
Either submit to an Emperor—
or challenge one and replace them.
Once they came to understand the rules of the New World, the initial joy of taking Gran Tesoro had long since vanished.
They had only just arrived in the New World.
To face an Emperor's forces so soon—
even with absolute faith in Captain Yuuki's strength—
still left them feeling utterly unprepared.
"So that's what has you all so nervous? Heh."
Yuuki shook his head with a light laugh.
"You're underestimating the four kings who reign over this sea."
"The wealth of Gran Tesoro may tempt them…"
"But it is nowhere near enough to make them move personally."
"Now that we've entered the New World, there's no need to rush."
"For them, it's only a matter of time before we cross paths anyway."
"So long as they don't come in person, the rest is nothing worth worrying about."
"Leave it to Conrad."
Yuuki waved a hand casually.
Hearing his calm and effortless words, the tension in the trio's hearts eased considerably.
"How are things aboard the ship?"
Yuuki lifted his teacup and looked at the deep amber liquid within.
Mohji grinned.
"Heh, don't worry, Captain."
"We've already dealt with most of the troublemakers."
"Other than a few nobles grumbling and complaining, everyone else has been pretty obedient."
Cabaji stepped forward after Mohji finished.
"The damaged buildings across the ship have also begun repairs."
"I've been keeping a close eye on Mr. Tanaka. With his assistance, many things have become much easier."
Then he hesitated.
"Captain…"
"There's a singer named Carina who wishes to meet you."
He quickly added, worried Yuuki might misunderstand:
"She's extremely famous on this ship—the most renowned singer in the entire entertainment city."
"It seems many of the female dealers and other singers in the performance troupe take her as their leader."
Carina?
Yuuki paused slightly.
The name sounded familiar.
After a brief moment of recollection, he remembered.
She seemed to have some connection to Nami from the Straw Hats.
Aside from being a gifted singer, she was also supposedly an exceptionally skilled phantom thief.
"Whatever she was doing before, let her continue doing it."
Yuuki spoke casually, showing no interest in such a minor character.
Whether she truly was a phantom thief or had some faction backing her—
it was nothing worth his attention.
The only thing remotely worth noting was her connection to Nami.
At most, she could be left as an idle chess piece.
"Understood, Captain."
Cabaji nodded respectfully.
Yuuki then shifted his gaze to Marianne.
"With the data provided by Mr. Tanaka, along with our verification and review work, the inspection is complete."
Marianne took a document from her coat and handed it over.
"Excluding the outsiders, Gran Tesoro currently has a total of 213,725 residents."
"Almost all of them are engaged in work related to the entertainment district or ship operations."
"In addition, the ship's current supplies are sufficient to support the population for approximately three months."
"However, replenishment must be carried out within two months, as a large portion of the food cannot be stored long-term."
As Yuuki accepted the report and began reviewing it, Marianne continued summarizing the key points.
Seeing that Gran Tesoro's population had actually reached over 210,000, even Yuuki was slightly surprised.
No wonder the World Government had recognized it as an independent kingdom.
"You've all worked hard these past few days."
Yuuki nodded, fairly satisfied with their performance.
Then his gaze lifted.
"How is your Haki training progressing?"
The moment they heard his praise, the faces of Cabaji and the others lit up with excitement.
But the next question—
instantly froze their expressions.
(End of Chapter)
Next Bonus Chapter at 5600 powerstones.