After Golden Lion Shiki finished helping move the frozen giants, he continued to transport the three immensely valuable, massive laboratories.
After he had laboriously floated the three laboratories into the air,
under Fang Huo's instructions, Stussy, the public scientist of the Rocks Pirates, directly offered to buy them at the Rocks Pirates' internal price.
It just so happened that Fang Huo planned to recruit the scientist Vegapunk, and Stussy herself could also make use of this high-level experimental equipment from the World Government.
For hundreds of years, the World Government had been conducting gigantification experiments, artificial Devil Fruit experiments, Devil Fruit weapon experiments... and various weapon developments... even including the Mother Source Seed and Mother Flame used to power Uranus.
It was just that before Vegapunk joined, these research projects had never made any significant progress.
However, the laboratories built by the wealthy and powerful World Government were undoubtedly the most advanced in the world today.
Even Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, the Science Defense Martial God, would occasionally visit this research island to use this advanced scientific equipment to study certain special Devil Fruits.
Although the internal price Stussy offered was a bit low, Golden Lion Shiki accepted it as it saved him the time and tediousness of selling them in the underworld.
He agreed to the deal, especially since the other Cadres were also clamoring for a small cut.
In the end, Golden Lion Shiki took the lion's share for his labor, and Stussy, backed by Fang Huo's immense wealth, paid the large sum, allowing the entire Rocks Pirates to receive a decent dividend.
Fang Huo once again forcibly stuffed these massive laboratories back into the Lost World.
---
"Has no one really come after all this time!"
Silver Axe Fierce had been observing the sea, even longing for the appearance of the World Government and Marine fleets.
Operations without combat were completely meaningless to him.
While Fang Huo was using the Divine Blade to try and contact Imu, a small fleet consisting of five Marine warships quickly approached the research island.
"Ahahaha!! They're here!"
"But there are so few of them!"
"Don't you dare snatch them from me!"
Silver Axe Fierce laughed excitedly; today he would kill some Marine officers to get a taste of blood.
He wondered if there were any Marine Vice Admirals in this fleet.
If there were only Marine Rear Admirals, it wouldn't be much fun.
"The flag and emblem of Marine Base G-5. I wonder if the Base Commander has come."
Maron looked toward the sea with binoculars and quickly identified the warships.
"I need some terrified Marine souls!"
The pregnant Charlotte Linlin stepped forward, her body seemingly unaffected, and her belly not yet very prominent.
Just harvesting the Soul Lifespans of those scientists and guards hadn't satisfied her appetite.
"How could I let you have all the fun!"
Kiel Bastard floated in mid-air, with four white ghosts drifting around him; he was also very bored right now.
Invading this research island to save the Great Hammer Corps had involved no combat so far.
Only Cadres like Whitebeard Newgate and Red King Redfield had no intention of taking action, treating this operation like a casual outing.
"I want to fight the Marines too! I want to avenge the Great Hammer Corps!"
Loki stepped forward excitedly, carrying his massive war hammer, his eyes filled with a thirst for battle.
Dorry and Brogy even wanted to directly use their combined technique, Hakoku, to annihilate this Marine fleet.
---
Meanwhile, Fang Huo, carrying a Divine Blade Blood Servant, flew continuously toward the Red Line, testing the 'signal' of the Shallow Sea Contract.
"Hey, Fang Huo, what are you doing!!"
Rocks saw that Fang Huo had flown beyond the range of the island and quickly shouted out.
"Making a 'phone call'!"
Fang Huo replied casually and continued testing his experiment.
When the G5 fleet approached the island's port, before they had even landed, they felt an unsettling aura.
The warning from Base Commander Vice Admiral Westeros's Observation Haki made his heart skip a beat.
"Don't disembark!!"
Vice Admiral Westeros shouted hurriedly, as one notorious Great Pirate after another appeared on the port!
Silver Axe Fierce, flame titan Barbel, Four-Armed Gun King Kiel Bastard, Mafia leader Maron... "Oh no!! It's the Rocks Pirates!!"
"Quickly notify G1 Fortress!"
Vice Admiral Westeros screamed in terror. He never imagined that the vanished Rocks Pirates would appear on a research island in the early part of the New World.
Just two days ago, Copper Skin General and Iron Hand Admiral had put all Marine bases in the New World on a war footing.
As it turned out, he was unlucky enough to run headlong into the Rocks Pirates, who had been missing.
The Marines on the five warships were completely scared out of their wits.
Right now, the combined power of the entire Marineford might not necessarily be able to defeat the Rocks Pirates.
Let alone just their five warships from Marine Base G-5.
"Ganzi, want to try our combined technique?"
Mafia leader Maron's head transformed into a massive cannon barrel as he sent a team invitation to Smuggler Ganzi.
Ganzi's Bomb-Bomb Fruit ability and Maron's Cannon-Cannon Fruit ability had excellent complementarity.
"If we called over the Vice Captain and added the More-More Fruit ability, the effect would probably be even better!"
"The three of us combined would be the Ancient Weapon Pluton!"
Ganzi didn't refuse; he exhaled a puff of Explosive Gas, applying an explosive power-enhancing enchantment to Maron's cannon.
"Hey, hey, hey! You guys can only blast the warship on the far end!"
"That Marine Vice Admiral! He's mine!"
Silver Axe Fierce spoke coldly, his feet transforming into Ice Blades as he rushed out quickly, sliding as if he had turned the ground into ice.
"Whoever snatches him first gets him!"
Surrounded by Negative Ghostss, Kiel Bastard also rushed out.
"I can destroy them with a single punch!"
flame titan Barbel didn't take these five warships seriously at all; he felt he could annihilate the entire fleet by himself.
Now, being assigned just one warship as a target was barely enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.
Nevertheless, he still transformed into flames and charged forward.
He might as well, since he had nothing else to do.
Seeing several notoriously powerful Cadres of the Rocks Pirates take action, the Marines of Marine Base G-5 had fallen into complete despair.
"Do not fear death!"
"For Justice!!"
Vice Admiral Westeros knew he was doomed today; he clenched his teeth, his eyes red as he roared in fury.
Some Marines also roared to boost their own morale.
But as an ethereal Soul Incantation rang out, more than half of the Marines instantly broke!
"[Dead or Live!!]"
Charlotte Linlin's voice rang out; it wasn't a question, but a direct judgment upon the enemies' souls.
Those who felt fear would have their souls extracted.
Souls would be stripped away using lifespan as a unit, and the ability user could take as many years as they wished.
Generally, when dealing with ordinary enemies, Charlotte Linlin would strip away 30 or 50 years of Soul Lifespan.
If an enemy displeased her, she would directly drain their entire Soul Lifespan, causing instant death.
One by one, the souls of the terrified Marines drifted out, their Soul Lifespans being continuously harvested.
This fleet from Marine Base G-5 almost instantly suffered a total collapse.
Next, they still had to face the encirclement and suppression of the other Rocks Cadres...