The black submersible warship, like a deep-sea leviathan, advanced at full speed toward the "White Heaven" Sky Island in the New World, following the intelligence on the Roger Pirates' peculiar route under the precise control of the Maid Corps.
Brian stood in the warship's command cabin, flanked by Berlos, Agni, and Leona—the three strongest Mythical Zoan Beast Girls.
A three-dimensional navigation chart hovered in the command cabin, projected onto a massive screen, clearly marking the last detected location of the Roger Pirates and their estimated ascent path.
"Roger's target being Sky Island is suspicious in itself," Brian said, his fingers lightly tapping the command console, his gaze profound. "He is not one to act without purpose. There must be something he wants there."
Berlos analyzed in a low voice, "Sky Island's uniqueness lies in its natural repelling properties and its ancient civilization isolated from the surface world. If Roger is after the Poneglyph, then the ancient ruins on Sky Island are indeed worth exploring."
Agni, on the other hand, seemed eager: "Whatever he's going there for, since the Master has decided to intercept, we should just sink him decisively! I'm looking forward to facing off against that future Pirate King."
Leona remained calm, her only goal being to ensure the safety of her master, Brian.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Brian's lips. "No need to rush. This battle will be of a high caliber. Roger's crew doesn't just have him as the sole strong one; every member on that ship is worth our full effort."
To ensure secrecy and the suddenness of the surprise attack, Brian ordered the warship to begin its submerged approach before entering the "White Sea" area beneath Sky Island.
Relying on precise calculations of the updraft, the warship skillfully rode the "updraft" without using any external propulsion.
This was also a unique spectacle of the New World. While Sky Islands were rare in the New World, they were not too few, unlike in the original story where Luffy and his crew had to wait for the Updraft to arrive when heading to Sky Island in the first half of the Grand Line.
Thanks to the special environment of the New World, the unique currents that surged toward Sky Islands did not require waiting, such as the one they were currently passing through.
Three days later, the warship broke through the clouds and came to a steady stop within a quiet cloud layer on the outskirts of Sky Island.
This Sky Island was named "White Wall," after the massive cumulus clouds surrounding it like enormous white ramparts. The island grew many unique cloud-based plants, and the air was filled with the freshness unique to clouds and a faint scent of lightning. At the center of the island, an ancient, Mayan-style ruin loomed faintly amidst the mist.
Brian wasted no time. His powerful Observation Haki surged forth, scanning the Sky Island ahead.
Soon, Observation Haki brought back precise information: the ship of the Roger Pirates, the "Oro Jackson," was anchored at a hidden cloud port within the island's core ruins.
"They've already arrived." Brian stood up, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
"Everyone, prepare to land. Berlos, Agni, Leona—you three, bring all the Ancient Species Beast Girls and follow me. The remaining monster girls will stay on the warship with the Maid Corps."
"At the same time, all those remaining on guard must stay alert. If any unusual situation arises, immediately fire a signal flare to notify us."
"Yes, Master!"
This deployment by Brian demonstrated the importance he placed on the Roger Pirates.
He brought along the top combat forces currently in his army, including three Mythical Zoans and six Ancient Species Beast Girls.
Such a lineup was fully comparable to that of a super pirate crew in the New World, only weaker than the severely overpowered Rocks Pirates.
A full ten figures descended silently at the edge of the Sky Island ruins. Most of the ruins here were covered by cloud-layer vegetation, appearing tranquil and mysterious.
Brian did not choose to conceal his movements. Instead, he directly used his powerful Observation Haki to lock onto the captain of the Roger Pirates.
"Go, make enough noise to attract their attention," Brian said to Berlos.
"Got it, Master!"
Berlos grinned excitedly, her entire body instantly igniting with orange-black Netherflame.
She did not use large-scale area attacks but instead concentrated the flames on her arms, charging deep into the ruins like two black pillars of fire. With each step, she left behind a trail of scorched marks.
Boom!
A deafening flame shockwave exploded at the center of the ruins, instantly shattering the surrounding ancient stone walls. Berlos's Netherflame carried a special corrosive property, rapidly spreading and turning the core area of the ruins into a scorched sea of fire.
The tremendous noise shattered the silence of the Sky Island, causing the Cumulus Clouds around the "White Jade" to churn violently, like a boiling ocean.
Thick black smoke, accompanied by shattered stones, shot into the sky, piercing the clouds.
"Roar~~"
"Ah~~"
Almost at the same moment the explosion sounded, several figures rushed out from deeper within the ruins like enraged beasts.
They had just been focused on exploring and transcribing the Poneglyphs. The sudden explosion and the sinister aura of the Netherflame instantly made them aware of the enemy's attack.
Leading the charge was a swift black shadow—the "Underworld King," Silvers Rayleigh. The long sword in his hand was still sheathed, but his entire body radiated sharp, overwhelming sword intent and powerful Armament Haki. His gaze swept over the incoming enemies like a hawk's.
"Hey! Who's setting off fireworks up there?! You just blew away my good mood!"
A voice full of wildness and anger followed immediately—it was Copper from the Gold, Silver, and Copper trio, one of the vice-captains, the legendary Gaban, who could subdue giants and father children.
His clothes were stained with limestone and dust, clearly from exploring deep within the ruins just moments before.
Behind Gaban, Captain Roger strode out with large steps. When he saw the scorched sea of fire and Brian's group standing at its edge, the smile on his face completely vanished, replaced by sharp vigilance and a faint hint of killing intent.
The crew members behind him, including the ship's doctor Crocus, the tall giant crew member, and an archer skilled with bows and arrows, all wore expressions of hostility on their faces.
Berlos's provocation was like throwing a stone into a pond—it stirred up the entire Roger Pirates ship, rousing everyone to a state of high alert and agitation.
Roger's gaze lingered for a moment on Berlos's eerie figure, wreathed in Netherflame, before settling on Brian's calm, unhurried demeanor.
The sight of Brian's face triggered an almost instinctive reaction in Roger, instantly reminding him of the scene months earlier when he had been driven out of the New World by Rocks like a stray dog. In that moment, his anger flared.
"Beast Brian, a high-ranking officer of the Rocks Pirates. I've been wanting to meet you for a long time!!!"
Though his words seemed casual, they carried an overwhelming, sky-piercing killing intent.
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