Thousands of meters above the sea, far beyond Peach Garden, a golden pirate ship cut through the sky as it flew into the distance.
This was the ship.
On the deck, beneath the mast, a man dressed in purple sat on a circular platform, casually eating ramen.
On the opposite side, Sabo held a newspaper, his eyes scanning through the pages as he read.
Most of the headlines were focused on the Marine's World Conscription.
"The sea's getting more chaotic," he muttered.
"This Aramaki is a Logia-type Forest-Forest Fruit user. He can turn his body into trees, control surrounding vegetation, and even absorb energy from the land or living beings. He can perform photosynthesis too, meaning he doesn't even need to eat. That kind of ability is insane. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll take an Admiral position immediately."
He flipped to the next page, and his expression sharpened.
"This weird-looking guy who resembles a mole is actually a Dirt-Dirt Fruit user. His strength is even greater than Aramaki's. Looks like the Marines really struck gold this time. These two are clearly replacements for Kuzan and Sakazuki."
Not far from him, Robin lay quietly on a lounge chair.
Unlike usual, there was no book or newspaper in her hands.
Her thoughts were elsewhere, her emotions difficult to suppress.
Rolan had told her that Jaguar D. Sauro was still alive, currently in Elbaf, the land of giants.
Sauro had once saved her life. Back when Ohara was consumed by flames during the Buster Call, she saw him frozen solid by Kuzan's ice. At the time, she believed he had died.
But Rolan explained that Kuzan and Sauro had been close. What Kuzan used wasn't lethal cold, but a controlled freeze meant to place Sauro in suspended animation, allowing him to survive under the World Government's watch.
As Ohara burned, the heat would naturally thaw him.
Later, Kuzan himself confirmed it when he visited Peach Garden.
Robin was usually composed, but anything related to Ohara or Rolan stirred something deeper within her.
Their destination this time was Elbaf, where they intended to take a rubbing of the final Road Poneglyph.
Elbaf was under Shanks' influence, but it was also connected to Peach Garden. It was a nation closely tied to Joy Boy, the king of the Great Kingdom from over 800 years ago.
In the eyes of the giants, the world likely once belonged to Joy Boy.
And now, Rolan intended to take control of the world.
That alone could create conflict.
Still, with Sauro's standing in Elbaf, Robin's connection to him, and Shanks' presence, obtaining the rubbing should not be difficult.
If the giants chose to be stubborn, then force was always an option.
Rolan had no doubt. With the strength of Issho and Sabo, crushing Elbaf was entirely possible.
He simply preferred that the giants made the smarter choice.
…
Elsewhere, another ship advanced rapidly, carried by a massive island cloud.
On its deck were three lounge chairs formed from condensed clouds, each paired with a cloud parasol.
Nami lay on one of them, holding a sheet filled with names of islands and their coordinates.
Every island listed belonged to either the Whitebeard Pirates, the Red Hair Pirates, or Peach Garden.
Fish-Man Island, Sphinx Island, Hachinosu, and many others.
Dozens in total.
Hancock rested on the center chair, Samero coiled near her feet.
She once used Samero as a mount, but after experiencing the comfort of island clouds, she preferred them whenever possible.
In her hand was a large photograph, a picture of her and Rolan together.
Her fingers gently traced his image.
"Husband… once this is over, we won't be separated again, right?"
On the leftmost chair, Lina lay sprawled out, her lips glistening with oil as she gnawed on a roasted chicken leg.
As the crew's chef, her cooking was unmatched.
So was her appetite.
She ate enough to rival multiple people combined, yet most of it went straight to her chest.
Despite being the shortest, she was the most well-endowed.
"Nami, where are we going first?" Lina asked between bites.
Nami smiled slightly. "Fish-Man Island."
Lina tilted her head. "Isn't that the farthest one?"
"Exactly," Nami replied. "If we move the farthest islands first, we reduce the number of trips overall."
Lina poked her cheek, still confused.
Hancock spoke up, "Starting from the farthest point minimizes the total route and reduces the strain on Nami."
Lina blinked, then nodded. "Oh, so it's about moving everything efficiently."
She stuffed the last piece of meat into her mouth.
Nami and Hancock both nodded.
"Yes."
Lina suddenly sprang up.
"What do you want to eat? I'll cook something!"
Before either of them could answer, she snapped her fingers.
"Oh right, we picked a lot of wild fruits earlier. I'll make juice!"
She dashed into the cabin without waiting.
Nami and Hancock exchanged glances, both smiling faintly.
Lina was still the same.
Carefree, forgetful, and completely unbothered.
She spent her days eating and playing, without a single worry.
Their mission was clear.
Move every island under Peach Garden's control to a safe position.
The World Government possessed Uranus.
Once war began, they would not hesitate to use it.
Every activation of Uranus would devastate the sea, carving out bottomless voids and raising sea levels.
If the islands remained where they were, they would eventually sink beneath the ocean.
Only by lifting them into the sky with island clouds could they survive what was coming.
The war hadn't started yet.
But preparations were already in motion.