Boarding the train once again, Allen brought along his major executives like Sanji, as well as twenty of the crew's most elite Demon-level squad captains—each boasting an average bounty of nearly 300 million Berries—and headed for Dressrosa.
Ever since defeating Big Mom and officially becoming one of the Four Emperors, the frequency of challenges Allen received from famous pirates all over the world had skyrocketed.
Some came directly to pledge their allegiance, while others were former defeated foes of Big Mom who, upon seeing the news, wanted to test if he truly had what it takes.
Although Allen couldn't understand their thought processes, out of respect, he beat them all to a pulp and took them under his wing.
At the same time, Allen had also absorbed many strong fighters from Totto Land, including a few members of the Charlotte Family.
Thanks to the thriving territories continuously injecting funds into the pirate crew, after a full year of development since the Totto Land incident, Allen had already become the Emperor with the most territory in the New World.
With countless elites under his command, they were an unquestionable army of demonic lions!
Although their expansion rate gradually slowed down later on, to the point where they had almost stopped growing entirely by now, they had still managed to form six fleets totaling over thirty giant battleships, with each ship's captain being a renowned powerhouse in the New World.
While it was still a bit short of the Whitebeard Pirates' scale at their peak, he had developed his forces to this extent in just two years—an absolutely astonishing speed.
"Allen, is it really okay to leave only Gin and Killer on the ship?"
Inside the luxuriously decorated train car, Nami sat on the sofa opposite Allen and couldn't help but express her concern. "That guy Kid isn't exactly the type to sit quietly. When he and Hawkins wake up and see we aren't there, won't they cause trouble?"
"Relax, Kid can barely even stand right now. Let alone Gin, there are over a hundred demons with bounties over a hundred million on the ship. They won't be able to stir up any waves," Allen said dismissively.
Hearing this, Nami thought it over and agreed that there shouldn't be any problems, but she still had a bad premonition in her heart.
The train continued to speed across the surface of the sea, the scenery outside the window a boundless expanse of azure.
Suddenly.
Boom!!!
A massive explosion erupted from the front, causing the entire train to shake violently!
"What happened?!"
"Hit the brakes!"
"There's an explosion ahead! The tracks have been destroyed!"
"Watch out for an enemy attack!"
In an instant, the interiors of several train cars devolved into chaos, with most of the passengers screaming and scrambling to escape.
Fortunately, the men Allen brought with him were the absolute elite of the crew. With just a single glance, they nodded in tacit understanding and quickly split up to take action.
"What the hell? We've been attacked on both train rides so far. Don't tell me another alliance is going to pop out this time," Allen scoffed impatiently.
Screech!!
The friction between the wheels and the tracks produced an ear-piercing screech, sending countless sparks flying. The steam-powered beast finally managed to grind to a halt just before reaching the broken section of the tracks.
"Where's the enemy?!"
"I don't know! I can't see anything up here!"
A two-sword style swordsman on the roof shouted back. He gazed out at the surrounding sea, but apart from the vast, empty azure expanse, there wasn't a single soul in sight.
Meanwhile, in the distance, a periscope slowly rose from the water. The lens turned left and right before finally locking onto the Sea Train.
Suspended beneath the surface was a completely yellow submarine flying a black skull flag.
Inside the dimly lit steering room, a white bear stood in front of the console, observing the situation on the surface through the periscope.
"Alright, with this, Doffy will be completely isolated."
Bepo pressed a button to retract the periscope and turned his head. "Shachi, use the Transponder Snail to contact the captain. The sniping plan was a success."
"It's a pity we didn't blow them all to pieces, though it probably wouldn't have killed an Emperor anyway, hahaha."
Shachi chuckled. While his fingers continuously tapped away, he used the Transponder Snail on the console to dial a number.
Puru~ Puru~
Dressrosa. Beneath the massive rocks that encircled the coastline, a pirate ship slowly approached.
On the bow deck of the Thousand Sunny, Law sat cross-legged, leaning against the railing. He picked up the receiver and answered the Transponder Snail in his hand.
"Hello, is this the captain?"
"It's me. Shachi, how are things on your end?"
"Hehe, everything went smoothly. Just as you predicted, the Demon Lion crew took the Sea Train heading for Dressrosa." Shachi's excited and smug voice came through the receiver. "We've already blown up the tracks. They're currently forced to stay put on the sea."
"Good job. Stay safe out there."
Hearing this, the corners of Law's mouth curled up into a faint smile. "Continue with the original plan. Have Bepo take you to Zou, and we'll rendezvous there."
"Understood, Captain," Shachi replied from the other end of the line.
Afterward, Law hung up and put away the Transponder Snail. He stood up and looked toward the grassy area of the central deck.
"The Demon Lion crew has been intercepted, Straw Hat-ya. From here on out, we have to move fast."
"Oh, really?" Luffy's eyes widened in surprise as he marveled, "Your crew is pretty amazing, Traffy, to be able to stop such strong guys."
"It was just a little trick." Law's lips curled slightly as he said, "The ultimate outcome of this battle still depends on whether we can take down Doflamingo and one of his backers, Kaido."
"Shishishi, challenging an Emperor, huh? I can't wait," Luffy grinned broadly, showing off his teeth.
Meanwhile.
At the town port on the other side of the island, a Marine warship flying the white seagull flag slowly docked.
"Mr. Issho! May I ask where you are going...?" A soldier standing by the ship's railing hurriedly called down.
Below, a tall, blind man dressed in a purple kimono was walking toward the town, tapping the ground with his bamboo cane.
Fujitora spoke in a steady, deep voice, "There is no need to follow me. I wish to see this country with my own eyes. You all just go about your own duties."
"This... Then what about your coat...?"
"There is no need. For certain matters, that attire would only bring inconvenience," Fujitora said without looking back, walking into the town alone.
On the other side, far away near the waters of the Rainbow Kingdom.
"The onboard maintenance crew took a look. The tracks won't be fixed anytime soon." Sanji took a drag from the cigarette pinched between his fingers and deduced, "No robbery, no assault, and we can't even find a single person. It's obvious that whoever did this just wants to stall us here."
Nami turned to look at Allen and asked, "What do we do now? Should we wait for someone to bring the ship over, or...?"
"If we wait for the ship, we won't reach Dressrosa until tomorrow at the earliest. Let's just fly over directly," Allen pondered, simultaneously shifting his gaze to Sanji, who was leaning against the train car door.
Sanji blinked, utterly bewildered.
"Hey, you don't seriously want me to turn into a dragon and fly you guys over, do you?" Sanji's mouth twitched.
Allen couldn't help but roll his eyes at him. "Nonsense. Did you expect me to carry you?"