"Where should we wait for Lily's Pops?" Merry asked, tilting her head.
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone immediately turned their gaze toward Lily.
"Well..." Lily said somewhat awkwardly, "I only know the Marines will pass through the Mobius Sea area, but I'm not sure exactly where..."
After all, the Mobius Sea area was simply too vast.
"It looks like we can only search slowly then," Zoro said, frowning.
Nami thought for a moment, then turned to look at Meiser. "In times like this, we can only rely on you."
"Aside from me, no one else can find someone in a place like this," Meiser said with a nod.
In the entire Straw Hat Pirates, only he possessed the ability to gather information and search across the vast ocean, so it had to be him.
"Then we'll leave it to you!" Luffy grinned.
"Got it!"
Listening to their conversation, Lily revealed a curious expression. Was this person some kind of unique Devil Fruit Ability User?
Just as she was about to ask, she noticed that the previously cloudless sky darkened instantly, and a thick fog began to roll in from the surroundings.
This sudden change left her stunned.
"Hey, hey, hey, is it starting again?"
Watching the environment change so drastically in the blink of an eye, Usopp said in terror, "Please, no more ocean fissures!"
"I don't want to experience falling hail again either!" Chopper shouted.
"Given the density of this fog, I actually think it might be a mirage," Zoro said.
"No, it should just be regular fog," Nami said, observing the surroundings.
"Just fog... well, that's a relief."
Hearing Nami's words, Usopp and Chopper visibly relaxed. As long as it wasn't some strange and terrifying weather, it was fine.
"That being said, with fog this thick, it's going to be hard to find our target," Brook noted.
Standing at the bow, Meiser stared fixedly at the sea ahead. "No, it won't."
"What do you mean?"
"Because I've already seen the warships."
Meiser raised a finger and pointed ahead. "If I'm not mistaken, the raft being towed between the warships is carrying Lily's Pops."
The crew was shocked. Had they found their target so quickly?
Without time for further thought, everyone scrambled from the deck and rushed to the bow.
"It really is a warship..."
"It's Pops! It's really him!" Lily exclaimed excitedly. "It's really Pops!"
Thank goodness... this was wonderful! She had finally found her father!
"Could it be a mirage?" Zoro asked cautiously. If it was just a mirage, there was no point in charging in.
"It's not a mirage," Meiser said. "Those are real warships."
Whether it was a mirage or not, his Mangekyō Sharingan could easily distinguish the truth.
"In that case, those four warships ahead are the Marines escorting Lily's father," Perona said.
"They deployed four warships for just one pirate," Franky remarked. "It seems Lily's Pops is quite the big shot."
"A big shot, huh..."
Hearing Franky's words, Meiser frowned. Was a 300 million bounty really worth an escort of four warships? He felt like something was off.
Nico Robin had similar thoughts. After a moment, she said, "Using four warships to escort a pirate with a bounty of over 300 million Berries is indeed a bit strange. Normally, it wouldn't be like this."
At least, not according to what she knew.
"More than that, I'm curious about their choice of route," Perona said. "Normally, the Marines should have an absolutely safe route, right?"
"There's no reason to come here."
One must realize that this was an extremely dangerous sea area! A single mistake could lead to everyone dying here.
Hearing Perona's words, the others also looked puzzled. Yes, why? What was their reason for choosing this place? They couldn't be doing it just for the thrill. That was a bit far-fetched; the Marines weren't pirates!
"Could it be for fishing?" Meiser pondered aloud. "Like how that Hody fellow used the lives of King Neptune and the others to lure Shirahoshi."
Perhaps Lily also carried some secret that the World Government cared about. With that thought, Meiser narrowed his eyes.
"That's a very subtle comparison..." Usopp complained. While the logic was sound, thinking of Princess Shirahoshi as a mermaid made it feel...
Meiser ignored Usopp and turned to Lily. "Lily, do you happen to have some special secret?"
The Straw Hat Pirates immediately understood why Meiser was asking. He suspected the World Government was targeting Lily!!
"A special secret?" Lily blinked, confused. "What secret?"
"Does having eaten the Mini-Mini Fruit count?"
Meiser: "..."
Hearing Lily's answer, Meiser had a complicated expression. He shook his head and said, "It doesn't count."
Revealing her own status as an Ability User wasn't exactly a secret.
"Then I don't know," Lily said, shaking her head.
"Then it probably isn't that," Sanji spoke up. "It's likely just a coincidence."
"A coincidence, huh..."
Staring at the approaching warships in the distance, Meiser frowned. How many coincidences could there really be in this world?
Just then, as if discovering something, Meiser's brow furrowed. "I didn't expect to run into an old acquaintance."
"An acquaintance?"
"Yeah." Meiser nodded. "On the warship ahead is that Vice Admiral Momonga we met before."
"The one with the mohawk."
"Vice Admiral Momonga..."
Hearing Meiser, everyone understood who he was talking about. He was one of the Navy Vice Admirals they had encountered at Enies Lobby! This person definitely recognized Meiser!
"You all know him?" Perona asked, surprised.
"More or less."
"Actually, I don't know him..." Brook said softly.
"It's normal that you don't," Usopp said. "Because we met him at Enies Lobby."
After Usopp's explanation, Brook and Perona understood. No wonder they weren't familiar with him.
Brook then asked curiously, "Is this person very strong?"
"He is indeed a formidable Navy Vice Admiral," Luffy said. "Back then, I was almost cut down by him."
Recalling past events, a trace of nostalgia appeared in Luffy's eyes. If Meiser and the others hadn't protected him, he would have been dead.
Zoro's eyes lit up. "If I recall correctly, that guy is a swordsman!"
"Yes," Meiser nodded. "Not just a swordsman, but a very powerful one."
"That's great~" Zoro's lips curled into a smile. Clearly, Zoro was already entertaining the idea of testing his skills against this Sword Master.
"Let's go," Luffy said. "Let's hurry and save him so we can eat that Heavenly Cuisine sooner!!"
Saying this, Luffy grabbed the side of the ship, intending to launch himself out.
Seeing this, Nami instantly appeared beside Luffy and struck him.
Thump!
After knocking Luffy down with one punch, Nami barked like a shark, "Are you planning to go there by yourself, Luffy?!"
"Charging in blindly might put Lily's Pops in even more danger, you idiot!"
Luffy looked dissatisfied. What was wrong with just going over and saving him?
Usopp saw this and said helplessly, "Luffy, Nami is right. Acting recklessly could easily get Lily's Pops hurt."
"And then... you won't get to eat that delicious Heavenly Cuisine."
Upon hearing that, Luffy immediately behaved. After all, one of his main reasons for saving the man was the food.
"Then what do you guys think we should do?"
"Naturally, we need to devise a battle plan." Nami held up a finger. "How about you leave this task to me?"
"Is that okay, Lily?"
"Then I'll leave it to you, Nami!"
"Leave it to me with confidence~"
Nami gave Lily a confident smile, clearly sure of the upcoming plan. She then grabbed a pen and paper and began drawing quickly on the deck.
Luffy, watching this, scratched his head in agitation. "Nami, hurry up!"
"I know, I know, don't rush me," Nami said without looking up.
Soon, thanks to Nami's efforts, a simple diagram was completed.
Nami picked up the drawing and looked at her companions. "I just took a look through Usopp's telescope. Lily's Pops is bound by chains."
"These chains don't just secure him to the frame; they are also connected to the surrounding warships."
"So... if we want to rescue Lily's Pops, we first have to destroy those chains."
As she spoke, Nami pointed to the chains in the drawing to help everyone understand her line of thinking.
Scanning the drawing in Nami's hand, Zoro said, "Leave that to me." Just chains; he'd simply cut them.
"Don't worry, you'll have your part."
Nami smiled and then turned serious. "Alright, I'll explain the battle plan now."
"First is the feint. We'll have the Devil Fruit Ability Users—Usopp, Robin, Perona, and Brook—fly into the air using Merry's ability to harass the Marines on the warships and cause a distraction."
"Then, under the cover of the fog, Merry will use her ability to transport Zoro and Sanji to Lily's father's location."
"Once Zoro and Sanji are in position, they will strike together to shatter the chains on Lily's Pops and those connecting him to the warships."
"Afterward, Merry will use the power of the wind to lift Lily's Pops up and bring everyone back to the pirate ship quickly."
"This way, we can use the wind to leave this sea area rapidly!"
"As for those whose names weren't called, stay and guard the ship in case of emergencies."
After finishing, Nami gave a confident smile. "Everyone, are you satisfied with this battle plan?"
"Satisfied, very satisfied!" Usopp said, giving a thumbs up. He loved plans that didn't involve close-quarters combat with the Marines. It was very safe~ Hahaha.
"This battle plan is indeed quite good," Nico Robin nodded. "The feint group all have long-range attack or harassment capabilities."
As for why Meiser wasn't in the plan? Since he was an acquaintance the Vice Admiral had seen before, his presence might be sensed or remembered, so it was logical to keep him in reserve.
"Does Brook have long-range attacks too?" Chopper asked, surprised. Wasn't he a swordsman?
"Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho~"
"While I can't launch ultra-long-distance slashes, I can release my soul to scare them~"
As he spoke, Brook released his soul, leaving Chopper staring in a daze.
"Is that why you included Brook?" Franky asked, rubbing his chin.
"Yes," Nami nodded. If Brook's ability couldn't be used at a distance, she wouldn't have had him join the feint.
"Wait, what about me?" Luffy pointed to himself. "Why didn't you count me in?"
"We don't need a prolonged battle, so you don't need to go," Nami explained. If Luffy went, a quick operation might turn into a long fight, which was why she didn't want him involved.
"No way!" Luffy jumped up. "I'm definitely going!" How could such an important mission happen without him? Absolutely not!
Looking at the baring-teethed Luffy, Nami sighed helplessly. "I knew it would be like this..."
Shaking her head, Nami said, "Fine, then you follow Zoro and the others to rescue Lily's Pops."
She paused, looking at Luffy seriously. "But remember, you are not allowed to go wild there, got it?"
"Got it, got it~" Luffy grinned. "I won't go wild." He had been looking forward to that Heavenly Cuisine for a long time; how could he mess it up?
"Merry, can you handle it?" Usopp looked down at the excited Merry. "Lily's Pops is a Giant."
Hearing Usopp, Merry tilted her head and looked at him. "I can lift an entire pirate ship; how could I not lift Lily's Pops?"
Usopp: "..."
Usopp was silenced. Right, Merry could lift a whole ship, so lifting one member of the Giant Race was no problem. It seemed his concern had made him forget.
He scratched his head sheepishly. "I almost forgot about that..."
"Hehe, leave it to me!" Merry said, hands on her hips. "I will execute this battle plan perfectly!" She loved fighting alongside her partners; it made her feel strong! The thought made her smile even wider.
"Then I'll leave it to you," Usopp said, patting Merry's hair.
"Got it!"
"The fog is even thicker than before," Chopper said, looking up at the sky. "Will it be okay?"
"Of course it will," Nami said, her lips curling up. "The thicker the fog, the better for us!" After all, it meant the enemy couldn't see them!
Nami waved her hand. "Prepare to move. Remember to take your Den Den Mushi."
"Understood!"
Meanwhile, on the other side.
"I have never heard of a pirate who would voluntarily board a World Government transport ship," Vice Admiral Momonga said, standing before Panz Fry and frowning. "Why did you do it, Panz Fry?"
"I only wanted to take back what belonged to the people," Panz Fry replied.
"Your things?" Momonga was confused. Was there something of his on the transport? He didn't know anything about that.
As if sensing Momonga's confusion, Panz Fry said calmly, "Ever since you Marines killed Whitebeard, the order in the New World has become chaotic."
"And the island where your World Government ship was docked is one of the victims."
"Because of you, the people on that island were living from one meal to the next, worrying every day if they would starve to death!"
"And yet... the World Government officials on that ship still stole the last of the island's food!"
Panz Fry paused, then roared, "Do you know why they did it?"
"Just because the World Nobles want to hold banquets every night, they have to steal that food!"
"What a bunch of bastards... I'm a chef; I can't stand seeing people go hungry. So I acted. What's wrong with that?!"
Even now, Panz Fry didn't believe he had done anything wrong.
Looking at the roaring Panz Fry, Momonga frowned. "So that's why you raided the ship for food."
"But have you considered one thing?"
"The tragedy of those islands was caused by you pirates. Don't try to shift the blame!"
He admitted that what the World Government had done was indeed terrible, but the root cause was the pirates. If there weren't so many pirates in the New World, those islands wouldn't be in such a state. Therefore, pirates were the ones who deserved to die most!
Hearing Momonga's words, Panz Fry was silent for a moment before turning his head away. "Anyway, we are like two parallel lines. We will never meet, nor can we understand each other. So there's nothing left to say."
"Indeed," Momonga nodded with a complex expression. He then ignored the restrained Panz Fry and turned to his subordinates.
"Everyone, stay sharp!"
"Recently, there have been frequent attacks on pirates everywhere. It's possible our ship, which is holding a pirate, could also be targeted."
Momonga continued, "The moment you spot any abnormal movement on the sea, fire without hesitation! Don't dawdle!"
"Yes, sir!"
Momonga nodded and then used Moonwalk to return to his own warship. Once on deck, he frowned. "Who would do such a thing?" Even now, he couldn't understand why someone would attack them.
Shaking his head, Momonga turned to head into the cabin, telling his subordinates, "Notify me immediately if anything happens."
"Yes, sir!"
As Momonga left, the Marines began cautiously observing their surroundings, afraid that some strange thing might suddenly appear.
Unbeknownst to them, several figures were currently approaching from the sky above.
"This fog is really no joke," Sanji frowned. He felt like the air even smelled different.
"As long as it makes our mission easier," Zoro said flatly.
"By the way, Lily," Usopp looked at Lily curiously. "Were you and your Pops both born in Elbaf?"
"?"
"You've heard of Elbaf too?" Lily asked, surprised. She hadn't expected them to know about it.
"Of course we have," Usopp said with a smirk. "The mighty Dorry and Brogy are very close with us!"
"You actually know those two legendary elders?" Lily looked at Usopp in shock.
"Of course," Luffy grinned. "We even ate roasted meat together~"
"That's amazing. Those are legendary figures that even I haven't met," Lily said. Those two were the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates! True legends!
Then, as if remembering something, Lily laughed. "Speaking of which... those two and my Pops were apparently childhood playmates."
"Really?"
"Of course!" Lily nodded.
"Then we have another reason to save him," Zoro said with a faint smile.
Hearing Zoro, everyone began to laugh. That was right—the man was a friend of Brogy and Dorry, so they had yet another reason to rescue him!
"Alright everyone, we're almost there!"
Merry, looking down at the warships, said, "Prepare to strike."
With that, Merry used the power of the wind to send Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji to the other side, intending to drop them down after the distraction team started.
"Leave it to us~" Perona's lips curled up. She activated her Devil Fruit Ability.
In the next instant, a large number of Negative Spirits flew down from the sky, reaching the warships at incredible speed.
"Negative~"
"Negative~"
"Negative~"
"?!"
Seeing the suddenly appearing Negative Spirits, the Marines on the warships were completely dumbfounded.
"What... what the hell is this?"
"It's a ghost, definitely a ghost!"
"Bastards, how can there be ghosts in this world!" a Marine lieutenant commander cursed: "Everyone, pull yourselves toge—"
Before he could finish his words, he saw Brook's soul appear right in front of him.
"Yohohohoho~"
"Hello there, living folks~"
"A ghost!!"
The terrified Marine lieutenant commander let out a shrill scream, then scrambled away on all fours.
Seeing this, Brook laughed even more heartily.
"Yohohohoho~"
"Everyone, don't run away~"
"Stay away from me!!"
"It seems the effect is quite good~" Nico Robin, holding binoculars and watching from above, said with a chuckle: "I'll join in too."
With that, Nico Robin decisively activated her Devil Fruit ability, causing pairs of arms to sprout from the Marines' necks.
The next moment...
"Clutch!"
"Crack~"
"Crack~"
"Crack~"
The Marines attacked by Nico Robin fell to the ground one after another.
"What the hell is this now?!" a Marine nearby cried out in terror: "Why are they being taken down by arms that appeared out of nowhere?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed his companion beside him looking at him with horrified eyes.
"Wh... what's wrong?"
"Arms are growing from your neck too!"
"Huh?!"
"Crack~"
"Ah!"
"There are monsters... there are monsters!"
"It's ghosts, it's ghosts!"
"These must be ghosts wandering the seas!"
"Run for your lives!"
"And man-eating flowers appearing out of nowhere... help!"
"Don't eat me, I'm smelly, I... wuwuwu..."
"What on earth is going on?!"
Watching the man-eating flower swallow his companion whole, the Marine nearby was so scared he wet himself.
"It seems my attack isn't bad either~" Usopp said with a smirk.
Beside him, Perona laughed heartily as she looked down: "They're so amusing~"
"Hara hara hara~"
"Watch my Negative Hollows~"
"Bzz~"
"Bzz~"
"Bzz~"
"I'm sorry... if there's a next life, I want to be a paramecium."
"I want to be a monkey."
"I'm not worthy of being a Marine, I only deserve to be a salted fish..."
"Hey, what's wrong with all of you?"
"It's over... we must have trespassed into some devil's domain!!"
The Marines, sensing all sorts of demons and monsters around them, felt utterly hopeless.
They... seemed about to die.
"Hehehe~"
Merry, watching the reactions of the people below, chuckled: "They're so amusing~"
"Merry, don't forget to send Zoro and the others over."
"Okay!"