On the streets outside the auction house… Oboro and Dom were fleeing for their lives.
The composure Oboro had displayed just moments ago inside the venue was matched only by the intensity of his current focus.
He was tense, certainly — but not panicked.
His thoughts remained sharp and clear.
At this moment, the streets still looked perfectly normal; news of the Celestial Dragon's death hadn't yet spread far.
They had a very limited window of time to reach the docks.
"The Marines will definitely send an Admiral… but Akainu and Aokiji aren't necessarily at Marine Headquarters right now. They could be in the New World or away on missions. Even if they are at HQ, it would still take time for them to reach the Sabaody Archipelago. That leaves only one who can respond immediately: Kizaru. And Kizaru is already here on the island. With his speed… ordinary methods of escape are completely useless."
Oboro analyzed the situation rapidly in his mind.
Who could possibly outrun or evade Kizaru? It was impossible… Not even a Yonko could beat him in a straight race of speed.
Given their predicament, there were only a few factors they could rely on:
- First, Sabaody was vast. Before Kizaru could arrive, there existed a tiny, critical gap in time. Plus, the authorities still had to deal with the chaos and witnesses left at the auction house; for now, Oboro's exact whereabouts remained unknown.
- Second, Dom's existence was unknown to anyone else.
- Third, scattered across the interior of the archipelago were countless small bodies of water and inlets. These weren't official ports — some were as large as football fields, others like land‑locked lakes surrounded entirely by shoreline, seemingly cut off from the open sea.
However… these waters were all connected to the deep ocean below.
And such locations were concentrated mainly in Districts 50 through 59 — the area where most shipyards were built.
By submerging a vessel from these smaller inland waters, one could theoretically travel toward Fish‑man Island… but the underwater passage was unpredictable and dangerous.
If the inlet was too small, the descent would be flanked by rock formations and cliffs that could easily tear a ship's hull apart.
It was important to remember that beneath the islands lay incredibly thick layers of soil and rock.
Furthermore, underwater navigation was difficult due to magnetic disturbances.
That was why most pirates heading for the New World chose only a few specific, large‑scale inland waterways for submersion — established routes where previous generations had recorded safe passages and resources.
In those spots, at least, the opening through the earth layer was wide enough to allow a ship to descend smoothly.
Right now, though, Oboro and Dom were sprinting through the streets, ignoring the strange looks from passers‑by.
"Boss… what exactly are we…?"
Dom was sweating profusely — not from exhaustion, but from pure fear. He was becoming frantic, losing his composure.
Oboro didn't answer, only ran faster.
He was racing against time!
This adrenaline‑fueled feeling of dancing on the edge of death brought back memories of his early days in Hunter × Hunter.
Looking back, many of his actions back then seemed reckless, but they were actually calculated risks taken with absolute confidence in his abilities — never blind courage.
Later, during his time traversing the endless, tedious, and exhausting journey across the Dark Continent, his spirit had grown weary.
Then came the world of Demon Slayer, where his only goal was resource gathering… and he had felt no real pressure at all.
Slowly but surely, he had begun to forget the sharp sense of urgency he felt when he first arrived in an unknown world.
He remembered Hisoka telling him, shortly after they met, that it looked as if Oboro was afraid of something…
Back then, Oboro was afraid — afraid of the world he had been thrown into.
He had wanted desperately to survive, to grow stronger… to secure a foothold for himself as soon as possible.
But over time, he had forgotten much of that feeling… until arriving here, to the world of One Piece, where he felt reborn.
Although killing the Celestial Dragon had been done without elaborate preparation and carried immense risk, Oboro found himself craving this kind of tension and pressure — a need others simply couldn't understand.
He was taking this chance… to find his old self again.
"I went to check several ports already… I've made contact with a merchant ship from the East Blue that agreed to let me board and leave the island. Once it's out of the harbor, I'll use your ability to pull you aboard silently without anyone noticing…" Dom explained breathlessly.
Compared to Oboro, Dom was safe and unsuspected.
If Oboro himself showed his face, no captain would dare help him — they'd likely report him instantly. No one would be brave enough to let him on board.
Dom had assumed this was Oboro's plan all along: using his own "clean" status to secure an escape route, then using Oboro's power to bridge the gap within maximum range.
It was a perfect plan…
But right now, the direction Oboro was leading him in was nowhere near the agreed‑upon location.
"Admiral Kizaru."
Oboro uttered the name coldly.
"As long as he is here… it doesn't matter how far you sail or where you go. You will never escape."
"Marine warships are specially modified; their cruising speed far exceeds that of ordinary vessels. And don't underestimate the World Government or the Marines. Once they get serious, they can gather every piece of information happening on Sabaody in a very short time — and I mean everything. Every ship registered, every person on board, every connection they have to the outside world… they know it all. That includes pirates too."
"This is the consequence of killing a Celestial Dragon."
"The Donquixote Family's power is nothing but a joke compared to this… Never underestimate them!"
"This is completely different from when I escaped as a mere slave before."
Oboro spoke without emotion.
He had killed a Celestial Dragon, yes… but he had never been foolish enough to let his natural talents or powers make him underestimate his enemies — that was a surefire way to die.
"Then… what are we doing?" Dom was utterly confused.
The truth was: Oboro had sent Dom to investigate the ports simply to create a smokescreen. The Marines would definitely search and blockade every harbor.
There were only two ways to leave the Sabaody Archipelago: sailing out through a port… or submerging through inland waterways toward Fish‑man Island.
The Marines would never ignore the ports. Naturally, they would investigate every stranger boarding a merchant or cargo ship, checking every lead.
They wouldn't miss a single clue.
And Dom would inevitably be identified and tracked.
Oboro hadn't told Dom the real plan because he needed him to go and act as "bait" — showing his true face, making contact, and drawing attention.
"Come on."
After sprinting through several blocks, Oboro suddenly changed speed and turned sharply into a narrow alleyway.
Up ahead at the intersection, a large squad of Marines armed with rifles had just appeared.
The leading officer radiated strong power and overwhelming pressure.[1]
Dom's heart leaped into his throat, and he hurried to catch up.
The speed of the Marine response was terrifying… though in the current situation, it wasn't surprising at all. After all, a Celestial Dragon had been killed.
Not only were the ports sealed, but every inland waterway capable of submerging ships toward Fish‑man Island was now under surveillance.
But Sabaody had waterways everywhere. It was impossible for the Marines to post guards at every single inlet.
All they could do was block off the "established routes" — the wide, navigable channels used by ships.
However… there were plenty of other smaller waterways scattered in other districts.
The key advantage of the inlets near the shipyard area was that the geological layer beneath the island was much thinner there. It was the fastest place to pierce through the earth crust and enter the deep ocean.
And those were exactly the kind of small waterways Oboro was looking for — places where, instead of needing a ship, one could simply dive into the ocean using nothing but their own body.
But this was the Grand Line.
Beneath these waters roamed Sea Kings — beasts of unimaginable size and ferocity.
What Oboro intended to do had never been done before, and likely never would be again.
It completely defied common sense.
In this world… probably no one else could even conceive of such an escape.
But Oboro believed… he could do it.
If he wanted to truly survive this calamity, he had to take the path less traveled.
He had to break out of this dead end using logic no ordinary person could imagine.
Because otherwise… there was simply no way out.
____________________
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