"It has already submerged."
"But it didn't get far!"
Jin's voice was low as he fused completely with his ship. Inside the boiler room, soul crystals burned like starfire, releasing powerful waves of energy that surged through the vessel.
That energy flowed into his Observation Haki.
In an instant, Jin's senses shot out across the sea like an invisible radar, diving into the deep and sweeping through the waters below.
He found them.
The Polar Tang, one and a half nautical miles away at the 9 o'clock direction, submerged twenty meters below.
The Carrier turned toward its prey.
…
Underwater.
"It's coming! It's right above us!" Penguin's voice trembled as he stared through the dim light filtering from above. A shadow blanketed their ship like a mountain falling from the sky.
"No way! Has it really found us?!"
"Impossible! We're underwater!"
Hakugan and Penguin bickered in disbelief.
But Law didn't speak. He simply stared upward, his expression grim. His instincts screamed the truth.
"We've been spotted."
"Emergency heading east. Now."
Hakugan hesitated. "Captain, our oxygen reserves haven't been replenished since the last dive. We're almost out."
"How long can we hold out?"
"…An hour at most."
"Then move. Let's see if we can shake it off."
…
Forty minutes later.
"It's hopeless… It's still there. That thing is stalking us like a shadow. It's hovering right above."
"Even diving to our limit doesn't help."
"How the hell is it doing this?"
"Agh… I can't breathe! I'm suffocating! Oxygen, give me oxygen!"
"I think I died a little…"
"Get a grip, Beppo!"
"S-sorry…"
"Damn it. I'm dizzy too. The faster we flee, the faster we burn through our oxygen."
Law saw the signs and made a quick decision.
"Surface. Prepare for battle."
"Yes, sir!"
…
On the deck of the Carrier, Jin's eyes sparkled as he saw the bubbles rise.
"Heh… I was wondering how long you could hold your breath."
Blub… Blubblub…
A string of bubbles disturbed the calm ocean surface.
And then…
Boom!
The Polar Tang broke through the surface, its hull splitting open. Without hesitation, one of its deck cannons fired.
Whistle… BOOM!
The shell exploded near the Carrier's side, launching a towering column of water.
It was a warning shot.
They wanted to make it clear—they weren't to be taken lightly.
But on the mysterious ship's deck, it was strangely silent. Too quiet. The ship was pristine, brand new… and yet eerily still.
Almost ghostly.
And then…
"Trafalgar D. Water Law!"
A calm, young voice called out from above.
"What?!"
Law and his crew jerked their heads up.
Standing on their mainmast, a black-haired young man looked down at them.
Handsome. Calm. Almost smiling.
Yet behind that smile, there was a pressure… deep and suffocating. Like the ocean trench itself pressing down on their hearts.
All sound faded. The waves paused. The wind held its breath. As if the entire sea had submitted to his aura.
Power.
Overwhelming power.
Law's expression darkened. He hadn't felt this breathless since the days of facing Doflamingo as a child.
He stared, refusing to flinch. "You're not someone ordinary."
Jin smiled gently. "I have a patient who needs your skills. I came here, hoping you'd come with me."
The doctors of Drum Island, after countless tests and diagnoses, had devised a potential treatment. But they didn't have enough confidence. The operation needed a surgeon. A special one.
And Jin knew exactly who could handle it.
"A patient?"
He's not here to fight?
Shachi, Penguin, Beppo, and Hakugan all visibly relaxed. Their foreheads were drenched in cold sweat.
Law exhaled slowly. "Where is the patient? Our ship is already stretched thin—"
"In the Grand Line," Jin said lightly.
"…What?"
"Huh?!"
"In the Grand Line?!"
"You came from the Grand Line?" his crew shouted.
Law was stunned. "You want us to travel with you into the Grand Line to treat someone?"
A flicker of doubt passed through him.
Had his reputation already reached the Grand Line?
Law had always acted discreetly since setting sail. The only reason the Marines were even chasing him now was because he'd taken out a corrupt rear admiral who'd been extorting villages with pirates.
Even so… that shouldn't be enough.
Unless…
Doflamingo.
"Can't the patient be brought to North Blue instead?" Law asked.
He wasn't ready to enter the Grand Line yet. Not until he was stronger. Not until he was ready to bring down that man.
He had a plan.
A goal.
He wouldn't let someone else shake that.
But Jin shook his head. "No. You're only one part of the operation. Other doctors must be involved. You need to be there."
Law's voice grew cold. "And if I refuse?"
Jin vanished.
A gust of wind brushed Law's cheek.
When he blinked, Jin was standing right back where he'd been.
Had he moved?
Was it an illusion?
Law turned—Beppo was unconscious. Shachi was down. So were Penguin and Hakugan.
Just one instant… and his crew had collapsed.
Law's pupils shrank.
His breath turned ragged.
His fury exploded. "What did you do to them?!"
"ROOM!"
A spherical dome snapped into place, enveloping Jin and Law.
"They're fine. Just unconscious," Jin said with a faint smile.
Law wasn't satisfied.
"Shambles! Scalpel!"
The cursed blade Kikoku flashed out, and Law lunged, slashing toward his opponent.
"Hey now," Jin said. "The world's a beautiful place. Don't be so violent. Deep breaths…"
His words were light, but his Haki surged.
His aura twisted the very space around him.
With one hand, he caught the edge of Kikoku.
With the other, he slammed down.
Crack!
"Let there be love!"
Boom!
Pain exploded across Law's face. His vision went dark. In that moment, a thousand memories flashed by like a flickering slideshow. He flew backward, crashing to the deck like a ragdoll.
Even his ROOM was shattered.
In the North Blue, Law may have seemed like a rising star. But before Jin, he was a child still fumbling in the dark.
Jin stretched lazily. "Not a bad little submarine. Little Ai, swallow it."
"Kya-haha-haha!"
The left side of the Carrier's bridge opened like a monstrous jaw. In a flash, it devoured the Polar Tang whole.
The hull unfolded, the masts rose, and the carrier adjusted course toward its next destination.
"Germa Kingdom is still untraceable," Jin muttered. "Old Croc suggested we try Lvneel Kingdom instead."
The four seas each had their specialties. North Blue was renowned for its medicine—especially in advanced medical devices.
Dr. Kureha had prepared a massive procurement list the moment she heard Jin was heading to the North.
On top of that, certain goods from the Four Seas sold for ten times, even a hundred times the price once inside the Grand Line.
A ship that sits still earns nothing.
"Robin. Maya. Handle things for me."
Robin eyed him and said dryly, "You know I'm still wanted. I can't walk around openly."
Jin smiled. "Easy. I'll just swallow you."
"…Excuse me?"
Robin looked baffled.
Jin snapped his fingers.
The Carrier swallowed her whole.
And spat her out.
Robin was now completely different. Her curves were gone. Her height shrunk.
She looked… average.
Very average.
Maya blinked. "That's incredible!"
Robin choked on her words. "…Ugly. That's just—ugly."
She cleared her throat. "As long as it doesn't draw attention."
Jin agreed. "Truly… a waste of a goddess."
…
Lvneel Kingdom. Southern Port.
A snail ship drifted lazily in the docks.
A black flag fluttered at its mast, marked with a bold, slanted "66".
Germa's shadow… loomed.
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