At an altitude of several thousand meters, Water 7 soared forward at incredible speed.
Ahead of them stood a massive red continent that stretched endlessly across the horizon.
The Red Line.
Iceburg and the others felt a wave of doubt the moment they saw it.
Iceburg frowned slightly and said, "How is an island as large as Water 7 supposed to cross into the New World?"
As the mayor of Water 7, he understood how passage between the two halves of the Grand Line worked.
There were only two known methods.
The first was to climb the Red Line using the massive machinery developed by Vegapunk, then pass through Mary Geoise to reach the New World.
The second was to coat a ship at Sabaody Archipelago, then travel ten thousand meters beneath the sea through Fish-Man Island.
Neither option was realistic.
Vegapunk's machine would never be able to carry something as massive as Water 7. Even if it could, they were pirates, there was no chance the World Government would allow them access through Mary Geoise.
The second option was even worse.
Coating an entire island was impossible. Even if they somehow managed it, the deep-sea passage where Fish-Man Island was located might not even accommodate something this large.
More importantly, their current altitude already made it clear.
They were nowhere near the sea route beneath the Grand Line.
That meant they weren't going through Fish-Man Island at all.
Iceburg exhaled slowly.
He wasn't worried.
After all, Rolan had already moved several islands into the New World and integrated them into Peach Garden.
Crossing the Red Line was clearly within his capabilities.
Still, he couldn't help but feel curious about how it would be done.
His young secretary suddenly spoke up, her tone full of confidence.
"How else would we get there? We're flying, so we'll just fly over it."
Nami walked forward, smiling faintly as she gently rubbed the girl's head.
"The Red Line is about ten thousand meters high, and Fish-Man Island lies ten thousand meters below sea level. Moving through the sea is impossible for something this large."
She looked ahead at the towering landmass.
"But if we rise above ten thousand meters, we can simply cross over the Red Line directly."
The little girl tilted her head, then stuck out her tongue at Iceburg.
"See? Even I understand that. What kind of mayor doesn't get something so simple?"
Iceburg scratched his head awkwardly, his face flushing slightly.
"Looks like I really am getting old. My thinking isn't as sharp as it used to be."
The girl quickly turned back to Nami, her curiosity bubbling over.
"Hey, Nami, what is the New World like? And Peach Garden? Is it really as beautiful as people say?"
She hesitated briefly before lowering her voice.
"And… is your captain really not some kind of monster? People say Rolan is a devil who kills without blinking."
Nami burst into laughter.
"Oh, of course. His Devil Fruit lets him eat little girls to grow stronger. That's how he became the strongest in the world, we fed him a hundred thousand of them."
As she spoke, her expression turned dark and exaggerated, almost like a villain from a nightmare.
The little girl froze.
Her face turned pale as she quickly hid behind Iceburg, her small body trembling.
No matter how mature she acted, she was still just a child.
Lina chuckled softly at the sight.
"Nami, stop scaring her. Look at her, she's terrified."
The girl cautiously peeked out, her eyes landing on Lina's warm smile.
Her fear eased slightly.
Then Lina added casually, "Although Rolan does eat little girls, this one is Mayor Iceburg's secretary. No matter what, we should at least try to stop him from eating her."
The girl's expression stiffened instantly.
Any comfort she had just regained vanished.
During their time together, Nami and Lina had always seemed like kind older sisters.
There was nothing about them that suggested they served someone terrifying.
But now, doubt crept into her mind.
Was it all an act?
Were they just lowering Water 7's guard?
Her feet shifted subtly as she considered escaping.
Nami noticed immediately, a faint smirk forming on her lips.
"Trying to run? We're nearly ten thousand meters in the air."
The girl froze mid-step.
Escape was impossible.
She had already seen their strength when Water 7 was attacked by World Government agents.
Either one of them could overpower the entire island alone.
Running was meaningless.
At this point, she could only hope that if Rolan really was a monster, he would at least make it quick.
Iceburg sighed and gently reached into his pocket, stroking his white mouse.
"That's enough. Don't bully her anymore."
Inwardly, he couldn't help but reflect.
The World Government controlled nearly all information in the world. Naturally, they painted Rolan as a ruthless devil.
Even after the events at Marineford, where Rolan exposed some of their hypocrisy, it wasn't enough to fully sway public opinion.
Most people still believed what they were told.
After all, Rolan was still a pirate.
And with the World Government continuously spreading their narrative, public support for Peach Garden had dropped drastically.
No wonder the child believed everything she heard.
Nami and Lina exchanged glances, then burst into laughter.
Nami extended her arm, transforming it into a soft white cloud, and gently patted the girl's head.
"Listen carefully. No matter what people say, nothing compares to seeing things yourself."
Her voice softened.
"When we reach Peach Garden, you'll be safe. And after you see it with your own eyes, you can decide what to believe."
She looked ahead as Water 7 surged forward.
"But one thing is certain, Peach Garden won't disappoint you."
With that, she increased the speed, and the massive island continued its flight toward the New World.
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