Thousands of meters above the sea outside Peach Garden, a golden pirate ship cut through the sky as it flew into the distance.
This ship was the ship.
On the deck, beneath the mast, Rolan sat on a circular platform, dressed in purple, casually eating ramen. His expression remained indifferent, as if nothing in the world could truly interest him.
Not far from him, Sabo held a newspaper, scanning through its contents.
Most of the headlines were about the Marines' World Conscription.
"The seas are getting more chaotic," Sabo muttered as he read.
"This Aramaki is a Logia type, the Forest-Forest Fruit. He can turn into trees, control surrounding vegetation, even absorb energy from the land or living beings. He can perform photosynthesis, meaning he doesn't even need food."
Sabo let out a quiet breath.
"He's definitely dangerous. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll become a Marine Admiral."
He flipped to the next page, his eyes sharpening with interest.
"And this one… a strange looking guy, but he's a Dirt-Dirt Fruit user. His strength might even surpass Aramaki's."
Sabo lowered the paper slightly.
"The Marines really struck gold this time. These two are most likely replacements for Kuzan and Sakazuki."
Nearby, Robin lay on a lounge chair, her long black hair spilling over the side.
Her thoughts were elsewhere.
Rolan had told her that Jaguar D. Saul was still alive, currently in Elbaf, the land of giants.
Back during the Ohara Incident, when the island was reduced to flames under a Buster Call, Saul had been frozen by Kuzan. At the time, Robin believed he had died.
But Rolan had revealed the truth.
Kuzan had only placed Saul into a frozen, suspended state to deceive the World Government. As the ice melted over time, Saul would naturally recover.
That truth had later been confirmed by Kuzan himself.
Robin closed her eyes slightly.
She was usually composed, but anything related to Ohara or Rolan unsettled her emotions in ways she couldn't fully control.
Their current destination was Elbaf.
Their goal was to obtain a rubbing of the final Road Poneglyph.
Although Elbaf was under the protection of Shanks, it was also closely tied to Peach Garden. The land of giants had deep connections to Joy Boy, the figure from over 800 years ago who once stood at the center of the world.
To the giants, the world may have once belonged to him.
And now, Rolan intended to take control of that same world.
It was no different from taking something the giants might consider theirs.
Still, with Sauls standing in Elbaf, Robin's connection to him, and Shanks' presence, obtaining the rubbing should not be difficult.
If the giants refused to cooperate, then force remained an option.
With the strength of Sabo and Issho, dealing with Elbaf was entirely possible.
Rolan had no intention of wasting time on stubborn resistance.
Far above another stretch of sea, another ship moved swiftly forward, supported by a massive island cloud.
On its deck, three lounge chairs made of clouds were arranged neatly beneath parasols.
Nami lay on one of them, holding a sheet filled with island names and precise coordinates.
Fish-Man Island, Sphinx Island, Hachinosu, and many more.
These territories belonged to the forces of Whitebeard, the Red Hair Pirates, and Peach Garden.
There were dozens in total.
Beside her, Hancock reclined elegantly, Samero coiled near her feet. In her hand, she held a photograph, her fingers gently tracing the image of Rolan.
"Husband, after all this is over… can we finally stay together without being separated?" she murmured softly.
On the other side, Lina lay sprawled out, her lips glistening with oil as she devoured a massive roasted chicken leg.
As the crew's cook, her appetite was unmatched.
Despite her small frame, she ate more than several others combined, yet most of it seemed to go straight to her chest.
"Nami, where are we heading first?" Lina asked, tilting her head.
Nami glanced at the map.
"Fish-Man Island."
Lina blinked, confused.
"But that's the farthest one."
Nami smiled faintly.
"If we start from the farthest point and move inward, we won't need to travel back and forth as much."
Lina poked her cheek, still trying to process it.
Hancock spoke calmly, "It minimizes the route and reduces the energy Nami has to use."
Lina's eyes lit up.
"Oh, so it's about moving everything in one smooth path."
Nami and Hancock nodded.
"That's right."
Lina suddenly sprang to her feet.
"What do you both want to eat? I'll cook something."
Before either could respond, she snapped her fingers.
"Oh, right, we picked a lot of wild fruits earlier. I'll make juice."
Without waiting, she dashed into the cabin.
Nami and Hancock exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads with faint smiles.
Lina was still as carefree as ever.
Her thoughts rarely stayed in one place for long.
Eat, cook, play, repeat.
She lived without worry.
This mission was simple in concept but massive in scale.
They were relocating every island under Peach Garden's control.
The Uranus remained in the hands of the World Government.
Once war began, it would undoubtedly be used.
Each activation of Uranus could carve a bottomless abyss into the sea itself, raising sea levels in the process.
If the islands remained where they were, they would inevitably be swallowed by the ocean.
The only solution was to lift them into the sky using island clouds.