Chapter 435: Two Locations, Chrollo's Harvest!
The captains of both squads quickly explained the situation to their new comrades.
Ryuunosuke gave no strict orders afterward, letting them leave under their captain's guidance. King's arrival had already raised the crew's collective strength, while Brand and Hill—though not yet on par with the strongest aboard—were welcomed as valued additions.
Once the introductions ended, Ryuunosuke made his way to the control room. There, Gaino was already sorting through the ship's newly gathered data.
"How long until we reach Raftel?" Ryuunosuke asked.
Gaino's expression turned oddly helpless. "I… don't know."
That answer caught Ryuunosuke off guard. Nojiko had said Gaino had fully integrated the information from the Eternal Pointer and the rubbings of the Poneglyphs. By that logic, Raftel's location should have been pinpointed. With the position fixed, the ship should've been able to calculate a clear arrival time. Yet here was Gaino, saying otherwise.
"Is something wrong?" Ryuunosuke pressed.
"Captain… one of the datasets must be wrong. Or perhaps both. These two positions don't overlap at all." Gaino's voice grew strained, like the system itself was struggling. "The Poneglyphs don't describe a location in the ocean. They point to a set of spatial coordinates… an independent space."
"An independent space? You mean Raftel isn't in the sea at all?" Ryuunosuke frowned. Even if there was an error in the ancient text, what about the Eternal Pointer? That compass pointed directly to Raftel—Bullet had carried it from his own voyage.
"What about the Pointer?"
"Once analyzed, the Eternal Pointer itself becomes inert. But its positioning data is preserved. We can head toward that coordinate first," Gaino suggested.
Ryuunosuke fell silent. The Poneglyphs had been carved by the Kozuki stonemasons themselves—supposedly reliable records. Yet Bullet's Eternal Pointer couldn't be fake either. He'd already been there.
So why were there two destinations?
"I'll ask Bullet directly. For now, follow the Eternal Pointer's heading," Ryuunosuke decided.
He left the control room and found Bullet brooding on the deck. Spending time with the Dragon Hunters often left even someone like him questioning his own place.
"Mr. Bullet," Ryuunosuke greeted.
"Captain Ryuunosuke." Bullet straightened, respectful despite being older. He knew power when he saw it, and aboard this ship, politeness cost nothing.
"I need clarity. The Poneglyphs' coordinates don't match your Eternal Pointer. Are you certain your pointer leads to Raftel?"
"Yes," Bullet answered without hesitation. "I'm still aboard. I'd know if this ship wasn't sailing toward it."
His conviction left no room for doubt. If the pointer were false, Bullet's reputation—and responsibility—would be on the line.
"Good. Then rest while you can. Another battle may be waiting. And if you're left out, I imagine you'll be unhappy," Ryuunosuke said with a grin.
Bullet chuckled, scratching his head. The earlier clash had reignited the old fire in his blood—greater even than in Roger's era. He wanted more.
"Beri-beri…!"
The Den Den Mushi rang.
"Chrollo," Ryuunosuke answered.
"Captain, I've found something good," came the Phantom Troupe leader's voice, tinged with rare excitement.
"Something good? Aren't you in Mariejois? What could you possibly find there?" Ryuunosuke asked, puzzled. If Chrollo had called to announce the fall of the World Government, he wouldn't have been surprised—Roy and Uranus had already drawn away their strongest defenders, leaving the Celestial Dragons exposed.
"Captain, do you know why I didn't just use the Dragon Hunt Order to contact you? It's because I found… treasure."
Chrollo's tone carried a certain weight.
Ryuunosuke pulled out his Dragon Hunt Order. The artifact allowed not only communication but also item transfers. The sigil glowed—and in his hand materialized a pitch-black stone.
"The Infinite Black Stone?"
He quickly retrieved the one he had acquired in the Valley of the Gods. The aura was identical. The stone Chrollo had sent was genuine.
So the World Government had possessed more of them. The puppet of Roger he'd encountered before… was it their creation too? Perhaps Vegapunk's handiwork.
"Captain," Chrollo continued, "do you want us to bring all of these stones back? Also… Mariejois has sealed off an area leading deeper into the Red Line. Do you want us to investigate?"
Ryuunosuke's eyes narrowed. A warning bell rang in his mind. "Chrollo… you're not in immediate danger, are you?"
"No. Aside from weak Celestial Dragon guards and a few cyborgs, nothing worth noting," Chrollo replied casually. To him, mowing down such foes was child's play.
But Ryuunosuke's instincts screamed otherwise.
"Chrollo, take the entire Troupe and evacuate at once! Signal the others to pull out too." His command was sharp and urgent.
There was no hesitation in Chrollo's response. "Understood, Captain."
The line cut, and true to his word, Chrollo immediately gathered the Phantom Troupe. As they retreated, they swept up every last Black Stone in the area, securing the harvest before withdrawing from the heart of the Holy Land.
<><><><><>
[Check Out My Patreon For +40 Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]