Punk Hazard.
Before the cataclysmic duel between Aokiji and Akainu changed its climate forever, this island was a lush, temperate zone housing the World Government's most advanced—and illegal—research facilities.
The architectural scale was far grander than anything York had seen in the anime or manga in his previous life. The number of Marines stationed here was also far greater than anticipated.
However, because this was a top-secret "Black Site," its existence was hidden even from most of the Navy. Consequently, the World Government hadn't dispatched Admirals to guard it permanently.
"How did the Rocks Pirates find this place?!"
"I don't know!"
"Quickly! Send a distress call to the nearest G-5 Branch!"
"We tried! There's no response! G-5 has gone dark!"
"Damn it! Contact Marineford! Send a message to Headquarters!"
"Prioritize the scientists! Get them to the evacuation ships! Destroy the data—don't let them take anything!"
The sudden assault caught Punk Hazard completely off guard. The island instantly fell into panic.
Amidst the chaos, the monsters of the Rocks Pirates tore through the facility, frantically searching for the objective—and for loot.
"Mamamama! I found it!!"
Charlotte Linlin's ecstatic shriek attracted Kaido, who was smashing through a nearby wall. He rushed over, expecting the objective, but was astonished to find Linlin standing in a massive vault filled with gold bars and jewelry.
"What? I thought you found the Frozen Giants."
"Mamamama! Who cares about frozen corpses? Let the men look for them! We prioritize the treasure!"
Kaido thought about it for a second. "Makes sense."
Without hesitation, the future Emperor of Beasts joined the future Queen of Totto Land in stuffing sacks with gold.
"Haha! I found it!"
On the other side of the complex, Stussy—the real Miss Buckingham Stussy—let out a delight cry similar to Linlin's.
She stood in a high-tech laboratory. A group of scientists in white coats froze, cold sweat dripping down their faces as the blonde beauty appeared before them like a phantom.
"The Science Thief... Buckingham!"
"Quick! Destroy the terminals! We absolutely cannot let her get the data!"
BANG!
Stussy moved with the speed of Soru. She appeared next to the lead scientist, her leg blurring into a whip-kick that sent him flying into a console. In the same motion, she raised a flintlock and fired.
Bang! Bang!
Blood splattered across the sterile white equipment.
After efficiently executing every scientist in the room, Stussy began to raid the filing cabinets, organizing the research data that hadn't been destroyed yet.
"Do you need a hand?"
A soft, gentle voice sounded from directly behind her.
Stussy's survival instincts screamed. She didn't turn around; instead, she used Kami-e (Paper Art) to twist her body and leaped several meters away in an instant.
Atlas D. York stood where she had just been. His hand was suspended in mid-air, having missed her shoulder by an inch.
"York?"
Stussy's sapphire eyes narrowed, fixed on his raised hand.
"What were you trying to do just now?"
"Do what? Haven't you already guessed?"
York smiled innocently. He turned his palm toward her and flexed his fingers.
Buzz.
Several glowing Holy Light tentacles shot out from his palm, seeking to wrap around her.
Stussy, having seen the "effects" of his ability on the rest of the crew, had no intention of being touched. She spun on her heel, abandoning the uncollected data without a second thought, and sprinted out of the lab.
"Quite decisive."
York smiled calmly, retracting the tentacles. He turned to the filing cabinets she had left behind and began flipping through the documents.
"Well, no rush. You'll be my prey sooner or later."
He licked his lips, his mind wandering to dangerous territory.
'I wonder what expression Whitebeard will make once Stussy becomes my woman...'
"Found it!"
A deep, booming voice echoed through the facility corridors.
Ten minutes later.
The core members of the Rocks Pirates gathered around Whitebeard.
Before them stood a massive, reinforced blast door, now torn off its hinges. Beyond lay a cavernous freezing chamber.
The interior was pitch black. A bone-chilling fog poured out, instantly frosting the floor.
Through the gloom, they could vaguely make out shapes. The entire vertical space, from floor to ceiling, was lined with massive cryogenic pods. Inside them were the frozen corpses of warriors—most standing at the height of normal Giants.
"Hey! York!" Rocks barked. "Use your ability! Go in there and light it up!"
"I refuse! My ability isn't a flashlight!"
"I'll teach you advanced Armament Haki techniques when we get back."
"Deal!!"
York walked into the freezer. He raised his arms, and his body erupted with blinding Holy Light, illuminating every corner of the vast chamber.
"Ugh..."
"Hnn..."
The crew members standing at the entrance groaned collectively.
Except for Linlin (who was eating cake somewhere else) and Wang Zhi (who hid behind the doorframe), everyone else flushed red. Their knees buckled, and they hunched over to hide their reactions to the "Happy Light."
Rocks led the "unaffected squad"—Whitebeard, Kaido, and Stussy—into the cold storage. They looked up in awe at the rows of frozen warriors.
"Found it! It really is here!!"
Rocks trembled. First came shock, then an endless, manic joy.
"York! You've really helped me a great deal this time! Wahahahaha!"
"The legendary Great Hammer Battle Group! I've finally found it! Wahahahaha!"
York, acting as the human lightbulb, mercilessly poured cold water on the Captain's excitement.
"It's not confirmed yet."
"They are just corpses for now. Whether they are the actual 'Great Hammer Battle Group' or just failed experiments is still questionable."
Rocks waved his hand dismissively.
"No need to doubt! My intuition tells me these are them!"
Seeing Rocks' conviction, York stayed silent.
'Actually, I believe it too,' York thought. 'In my previous life, Oda rarely gave false leads for things like this. If Rocks was looking for Frozen Giants, and Punk Hazard has Frozen Giants, then this is the jackpot.'
"Now the problem is... how do we move them?" Rocks mused.
The Rocks Pirates' flagship was enormous—a fortress on the sea. But the sheer number of frozen Giants here was overwhelming. There were over a hundred, including several "Ancient Giants" that stood nearly seventy meters tall.
Rocks turned to the floating man.
"Hey! Shiki! Use your ability. Carry this entire cold storage back to the ship through the air!"
"I refuse!" Shiki spat, crossing his arms. "That's too heavy. It's too tiring."
"You get a double share of the treasure when we get back!"
"Deal!!"
Shiki grinned. He floated down and placed both hands on the floor of the facility.
"Lion's Lift!"
The power of the Float-Float Fruit (Fuwa Fuwa no Mi) surged through the foundation of the research institute.
RUMBLE... RUMBLE...
The earth groaned. The steel beams screamed.
Within the vast complex of Punk Hazard, an entire sector of the facility—a massive, fortress-like building containing the cold storage—tore itself free from the ground.
Dust billowed like a sandstorm. Slowly, majestically, the building rose into the sky.
Countless scientists fleeing to the evacuation ships stopped and gasped, staring up at the impossible sight.
"Oh no! That's Sector Zero! The Cold Storage Lab!"
"Are they stealing the building?!"
"Hey!! Look out at the sea!!"
"What?!"
"Reinforcements! The Navy is here!!"
"We're saved! The Rocks Pirates are finished now!!"
On the horizon, a massive fleet of Marine battleships appeared, surrounding the island in a crescent formation. The cannons were already aimed.
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