One reason the Calm Belt was notoriously difficult to cross was the sheer number of Sea Kings; another was that most ships in this world relied solely on wind power.
Neither challenge posed a problem for the sanctuary.
The Sea Kings could be countered by the Sea Stone hull, and propulsion was provided by the Slaves.
Thus, they entered the New World without incident.
The weather here was unlike anything in the Four Seas; without a top-notch navigator, progress was nearly impossible.
Luckily, the World Government's centuries of rule ensured a supply of talented navigators.
One CP aboard the sanctuary understood navigation perfectly and could guide the ship to the target island.
Black reluctantly returned to his cabin, while the maids instinctively moved his lounge chair and other belongings inside.
"Is this navigator reliable, or not? Why have we hit another storm?"
Perona giggled nearby, earning a vigorous rub from Black.
Stella cleared the teacups, smiling softly:
"Your Highness, there's no need to rush. Even if we arrive early, we cannot enter."
Black sighed.
It was no wonder Golden Lion prized Nami so highly; her ability to sense distant weather changes was invaluable in the New World.
Black quietly resolved that in a few years, he would definitely abduct her.
He let his body sway with the ship and once again focused on the System Space.
As his strength grew, Black became increasingly skilled at handling the younger card figures.
Yet Garp, Roger, and Garin were top-tier experts at Admiral or Emperor level.
Contending with them was one thing; defeating them was another.
A ten-day, ten-night struggle like Akainu versus Aokiji in the original story would be required to truly test them.
Even then, victory was only possible, not guaranteed.
Black had no intention of gambling on a fifty-fifty chance when 22 years remained before the final war.
Patience and growth were far wiser.
Besides, his Armament Haki still hadn't fully tempered his body; once it did, even without Conqueror's Haki Infusion, he could face Admirals and Emperors with confidence.
After drifting in the New World for nearly half a month, the sanctuary approached a peculiar sea region.
"Saint Black, ahead lies the Eternal Night Sea," the navigator CP warned, kneeling with his head bowed.
Black surveyed the sea.
Minerals from an underwater volcano erupted through cracks, reacting with the atmosphere to cast a dark red sky above.
"How much longer must we wait? Don't we have an Eternal Pose?" Black asked.
The CP brightened. Celestial Dragons were usually unreasonable, but this one required no long explanation.
"Saint Black, we need only wait until two nights from now for the Blood Moon, which occurs every 33 days.
Following the Moonlight Path then, we can pass safely through the red mist.
Our destination, Eternal Sleep Island, lies within a special magnetic field that renders all navigation useless.
Only the Blood Moon's cycle reveals the island's entrance."
Black nodded, waving them off, his gaze fixed on the blood-colored mist.
Perona, preparing a prank, was casually tossed aside she lacked any sense of occasion.
Two days passed swiftly, and the Blood Moon rose.
The full moon hung high, red mist swirling, casting an eerie glow.
"Set sail! Follow the Moonlight Path quickly!"
The navigator CP commanded the Slaves.
Moonlight shimmered faintly along a path in the mist.
"This world truly has wonders," Black muttered, standing at the bow.
After half an hour, the outline of an island emerged.
The rock walls gleamed red, rich in iron. Tides had leached rust into the surrounding sea.
Most houses resembled neatly arranged coffins, with bronze bat wind chimes dangling from the roofs.
A few Gothic castles crowned cliffs, bats circling under the Blood Moon's glow.
Perona, usually fearless, clutched Stella's leg trembling.
Koala gripped Mandy's cloak, covering her eyes.
In doing so, she accidentally tugged Mandy's cloak down.
Mandy squatted, gently embracing her, showing calm reassurance.
The sanctuary slowly docked.
Glowing purple seashells littered the ground, and pale-skinned fishermen used long poles with lanterns to guide them:
"It's been ages since outsiders came to Eternal Sleep Island. Are you here for the 'Blood Sacrifice Festival'?"
Black said nothing, dressed in the same simple attire from Tarot Kingdom.
After disembarking, he noticed doors and windows carved with bat motifs. Residents dried fishing nets like any ordinary village.
But it was deep night. Perona tugged Koala toward the bat lanterns:
"Are those lanterns… watching us?"
Koala shivered:
"D-Don't… don't talk nonsense… it's just the wind…"
A flock of bats suddenly swooped low.
"Ah!"
The girls shrieked, clinging together.
Black stared, speechless.
He knew Perona wasn't brave, but Koala described by Sabo as "nothing fazes her" was frightened too.
Stella stepped forward, lifting the girls gently, smiling at a lantern vendor:
"These patterns are very special.
On the Blood Moon night, the Bat God awakens."
The woman chuckled, revealing slightly elongated canines, handing them a lantern:
"Outsiders should carry this; things in the mist fear light."
Robin, meanwhile, noticed a nearby obelisk.
She ran over:
"Is this… Ancient Script?"
Her voice betrayed surprise.
With Olvia alive and having spent time in Mary Geoise, Robin was no longer obsessed with Ancient Script.
Yet she read the tablet aloud:
"When the Blood Moon hangs in the sky, thirteen bats will guide the way to the Fruit of Immortality."
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