"Understood. I've got it."
Near the Red Line, Beltz concluded his communication with Liltotto. The sea breeze whipped his black coat, making it flap loudly, but he felt no chill. Instead, a gentle smile played across his lips.
From her, Beltz learned that she had successfully constructed the Schatten Bereich within the shadows of Marine Headquarters. He now knew the exact layout of the arrangement—where to enter and where to exit. All that remained was to execute the plan.
About two months later, Shiki's intelligence network finally located the Roger Pirates in the vast ocean. Consequently, Shiki's fleet mobilized almost in its entirety.
In this era, the two legendary pirates met once more! Unlike their previous encounters, Shiki arrived with dozens of massive galleons. His vast fleet, like a disturbed swarm of hornets, poured out of the Wano sea territory, blotting out the sky as they surged toward the target coordinates.
Thousands of fierce pirates sharpened their blades, their murderous intent piercing the clouds. In this age, a pirate group action of such scale, carrying a clear will for conquest, was almost unprecedented. Even the Rocks Pirates, who had conquered the world's most vicious outlaws, usually set sail with only one ship—at most two or three.
This was largely thanks to Beltz's inspiration; otherwise, few pirates in this era possessed the concept of colonizing nations. The profits gained from colonizing a major country far outweighed plundering other pirates at sea, and it was much more efficient. One could say the current Shiki was already equivalent to a future Four Emperors; not only was his personal strength immense, but he possessed vast territory and a massive subordinate force. Declaring war on him was tantamount to starting a world-class conflict.
The news swept across the world like a tsunami, and Marine Headquarters was the first to feel the impact. The Marines, who had enjoyed a period of relative peace, all sprang into action.
"The Golden Lion has put out the word! He intends to subjugate Roger near the waters of the Merah Kingdom, and he is already leading his massive fleet there!"
Upon hearing this, Garp almost immediately turned to leave.
"Hey, Garp! I haven't finished talking!" Fleet Admiral Kong shouted as he saw Garp walking away.
"It doesn't matter if you're finished or not; I've heard enough."
"You idiot!" Seeing Garp truly leaving, the veins on Kong's forehead throbbed with rage. "Sengoku has always been the one tracking Shiki. He and Tsuru have already mobilized. If you leave too, who will protect the safety of the Headquarters?!"
"Isn't that what you're for, Lord Fleet Admiral?" Garp's voice drifted back from the distant corridor, carrying a resolve that left Kong helpless.
Garp possessed an extraordinary obsession with Roger. Whenever news of the Roger Pirates surfaced, nothing could stop his footsteps.
This was exactly Beltz's plan. He knew that once Shiki and Roger made contact, the manga's established events would dictate that Sengoku, Tsuru, and Garp would all mobilize. He wasn't sure about Tsuru, but Sengoku and Garp were undoubtedly the highest combat powers of the Navy. As long as those two were gone, Beltz's operation would be much easier.
Kong scratched his head, realizing he simply couldn't command Garp. But he had no choice; unlike other pirates, Shiki's ideology was too dangerous. He was a pirate who truly inherited the wicked will of Rocks—he didn't just think about robbery, he wanted to conquer the world. And he was implementing his vision step by step.
It was said that Shiki had even moved the Rocks Pirates' old base, Pirate Island, away. Many pirates there had followed him, and he continued to recruit and expand his power in the New World. From this perspective, Shiki's behavior was more malignant than all other pirates combined. Now that Shiki was in contact with Roger, if those two cooperated, the world would truly be finished. To prevent this, no amount of mobilized power felt like enough.
The problem was that a few months ago, the World Government had transported a batch of important resources to be temporarily stored at Marine Headquarters under strict guard. Two months ago, the Five Elders had repeatedly emphasized that there must be "zero failures."
Now that Sengoku and Garp were gone, Kong was the only one left to guard the place. He, the dignified Fleet Admiral, actually had to personally watch over "cargo." However, this was Marine Headquarters after all; for many years, no pirate had ever dared to run wild here. Thinking this, he relaxed considerably.
While Marine Headquarters and the Golden Lion were in motion, Beltz had already arrived near the Navy base. Following Liltotto's directions, he found the entrance to the Schatten Bereich in the shadow of an inconspicuous, jagged reef on the north side of Marineford.
It felt like passing through a viscous film of water. The next moment, he was in a world of darkness and silence. This was the nature of the shadow—unless one were like Vegapunk and modified the space into a lab. As a Quincy, Beltz was accustomed to this environment. Moving naturally toward the south, he soon discovered a laboratory.
This was originally intended to be a Navy research division, but later a group of people and resources from the World Government were transferred here. Beltz didn't rush to take Alber; instead, he observed the lab from the shadows first. Unsurprisingly, he found experimental data and records regarding "Gigantification."
The World Government had been researching methods to turn humans into giants for hundreds of years. Later, they would hire Caesar Clown specifically to complete this centuries-long study. Beltz had some interest in these experiments. Additionally, there was a great deal of research concerning weaponry.
He memorized the locations of the data and then moved to the holding area for the test subjects. Alber's characteristics were very easy to recognize. Though he was only twelve years old, his Lunarian traits were unmistakable. Among all the subjects, his skin was darker, and a pair of black feathered wings rested on his back. He was currently restrained to a piece of machinery.
Beltz considered the situation and decided he couldn't just take King (Alber) alone. Many of these subjects belonged to special races or were brought in through the World Government's secret slave trade; if left here, they would eventually be worked to death. If he took them, their resentment and fury toward the World Government would make them indispensable mid-level strength for his own organization.
In great pirate battles, it was always King vs. King, Officer vs. Officer, and Soldier vs. Soldier. While the top-level battle decided the outcome, the lower-level battle influenced the overall momentum. This was why the World Government craved Elbaf; giant soldiers could reach Vice Admiral levels with simple training and had long lifespans, providing stable combat power for a long time.
With this in mind, Beltz emerged from the shadow. He quietly took the research contents stored in the archives. Giving this data to Vegapunk would likely assist his experiments. Although the World Government scientists weren't as capable as Vegapunk, they could still provide inspiration and foundational help.
After securing the data, he appeared directly in front of Alber.
Alber's eyes were hollow and numb as he lay strapped to a steel plate. Guards and researchers in white coats surrounded him. When Beltz stepped out of the shadow, these people showed no reaction at all; only Alber felt the shock!
The Subconscious—Psychological Invisibility!
Beltz used his Schrift to ensure these people couldn't perceive him, allowing only Alber to see him. He had taken the documents the same way; Psychological Invisibility was simply too effective for infiltration.
"Come with me. How about it? I'll take you to a land of freedom." Beltz ignored the people who "couldn't see" him and spoke directly to Alber.
Alber watched as Beltz walked over while everyone else remained oblivious. His pupils dilated, and looking as if he'd seen a ghost, he croaked, "Who... who are you?" He realized with a start that even when he spoke, the others didn't move a muscle.
"According to the world outside, I suppose I'm a pirate," Beltz said. "But personally, I consider myself... someone who can change this world."
"Change the world..." Alber's pupils shrank. "Can you really do it?"
"I should say, only I can do it," Beltz said softly. "Will you come with me?"
"I... I'll go with you!"
For Alber, there was no other choice. If he didn't leave with Beltz, he would remain a lab rat for the rest of his life. Though he didn't know who Beltz was, seeing him arrive silently while others remained unaware was enough proof that this was a man worth following. Having been trapped here for years, Alber was on the verge of despair; the man who appeared and offered freedom was the only light in his gray world.
Beltz extended his hand and casually fired two Heilig Pfeil, shattering Alber's shackles and letting him slide off the table. Alber hit the ground and stood up. Feeling his body free for the first time in years, he whispered in shock, "Why... why can't they see us?"
"No, someone will notice us soon, so we have to move quickly," Beltz said gravely. "There are others in the lab besides you; we must take them as well."
Although the lab was mostly filled with researchers, Beltz sensed a powerful presence nearby. Unsurprisingly, that would be the current Fleet Admiral, Kong. For now, it was fine, but over time, his Psychological Invisibility wouldn't be able to hide his presence indefinitely from a powerhouse like Kong. He had to hurry.
He led Alber to the second lab, rescued the second subject, then the third, the fourth...
Just as he released the fifth subject, he suddenly felt Kong's aura become extremely terrifying!
Kong had arrived at Alber's lab. At a glance, he saw the shattered shackles and the missing boy. His whole body jerked, and a cold sweat broke out. This boy was the most important subject the Five Elders had personally ordered him to watch! And now, he was gone?! This was a career-ending disaster!
"What are you doing?!" Kong roared. "Where is Alber?"
His shout startled the guards and researchers. They turned and finally noticed the empty experimental bed. "How... how did he just disappear?!" They were equally shocked; to them, Alber had vanished in an instant!
"Bastards!" Kong was furious. His Observation Haki had finally caught Beltz's location. This surprised him; he had scanned the area several times before and detected nothing. Only now did this person's presence appear in his search.
What is going on?
But he couldn't worry about that now. He was relieved the intruder hadn't left yet, otherwise, he'd have no way to explain this to his superiors. He dashed forward; he could not let this audacious brat escape! To dare break into Marine Headquarters—what utter contempt! If word got out, where would he put his face?!
BOOM!
He punched through a steel door, only to see Beltz alone. But that was impossible; he had sensed six presences just moments ago!
Beltz had just stuffed the last subject, Alber, into the shadow. He hadn't had time to enter himself before he saw Kong.
Pity.
He felt it was a shame; if he'd had just a few more seconds, he could have entered the shadow and left. But Kong clearly wasn't going to let him go easily.
"You brat! Who are you?! To dare break into Marine Headquarters!" Kong roared as he threw a punch at Beltz.
Seeing he couldn't leave through the shadow directly, Beltz's eyes turned fierce. He threw a punch of his own!
Clash! BOOM!
Both unleashed powerful Armament Haki. Black lightning crackled as the collision caused a massive explosion. With a thunderous bang, the room was blasted open, creating a large hole!
Beltz seized the opportunity and leapt through the hole!
What?! Kong was both angry and shocked that this brat could trade a blow with him. He jumped out after him! He could not let this man leave!
"Don't think you're getting away!"
As a Marine, he was naturally a master of Rokushiki. He stepped through the air using Geppo, chasing Beltz who was moving through the sky with equal speed.