Fang Huo's eyes were wide with shock; he remembered this piece of nonsensical, made-up plotline.
Between the Alabasta and Jaya Island arcs there had been a messy, bug-ridden filler story.
Legend claimed that inside the rainbow mist lay a Lost World where countless missing pirate and merchant ships gathered, hoarding endless treasure.
"A rainbow mist that touches both time and space—Devil Fruit power, or an actual alternate dimension?"
Fang Huo's gaze turned grave as he wondered what this rainbow mist really was.
The rainbow mist seemed to be the [entrance] to that Lost World, appearing only once every fifty years or so.
The time ratio between the Lost World and the outside was roughly one to fifty.
Fifty years outside was barely a year inside.
"An other-space where time almost stands still!!"
Fang Huo's heart shook—if he could control this rainbow mist, wouldn't he hold the [key] to a Lost World?
Yet this Lost World had its share of bugs!
Enter at one point in time and you could be sent back to another.
In effect, people from two different time periods could meet inside the Lost World.
And then the bugs kicked in!
Ivan, Combat Charge Captain of the Wetton Pirates, had entered the rainbow mist's lost time fifty years ago together with the Pumpkin Pirates.
Yet that very captain Ivan later reappeared in the outside world fifty years on, reuniting with an aged Wetton.
The kids who escaped the Lost World returned to their original timeline—and even joined the Marines, waiting there for the Straw Hat Pirates.
Back then, Fang Huo had nothing but ridicule for this paradox-ridden filler arc.
—Fang Huo set the time-paradox speculation aside for now.
Since this unreasonable, unscientific world allowed rainbow mist to exist, he simply ignored the paradoxes.
All he wanted was to seize the rainbow mist!
An other-space that governed both time and space!
If he controlled a zone where time nearly froze, it would dwarf the castle space granted by the Castle-Castle Fruit!
With Rainbow Space in hand, he could empty Sky Island of all its gold without breaking a sweat!
Best of all, it wouldn't take up any room in his Soul-Fire mega-space.
"Gulp-Gulp Fruit, don't fail me—devour and fuse with that rainbow mist!"
Fang Huo licked his lips greedily; if he merged rainbow mist into his body, he could summon it at will or forge a Rainbow Gate on himself,
turning himself into a living spacetime-distorting portal.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became—this might actually work!
Success or failure, he had to try!
If it worked, he'd have an other-space he could open anytime.
If it failed—no loss; it wasn't his to begin with.
"Now I just need to make the rainbow mist appear!"
Heart pounding, Fang Huo set out to gather every scrap of information on the rainbow mist.
Once again he shelved the idea of returning to the Rocks Pirates.
Before a cosmic treasure, women and crewmates could queue behind this Immortal Venerable!
While gathering intel he picked up a transponder snail and Permanent Log Poses for Alabasta and Jaya Island.
Ruruka Island lay between those two islands; with money, the poses were easy to buy.
After inquiries he confirmed a rookie crew called the Wetton Pirates did operate nearby.
As for the kids' Pumpkin Pirates—probably not even formed yet.
"No good waiting for the Canon timeline—I've got to make the rainbow mist appear early."
Copying the half-baked Doctor Hanzo from the original, Fang Huo began studying the Rainbow Tower, an ancient energy device.
The tower seemed to stabilize the Mist's appearance window, lengthening the time one could enter or exit the Lost World.
Otherwise the rainbow mist would flash in and out far too quickly,
much like Jaya Island's Giant Knock-Up Stream—here and gone in an instant.
Hence the rainbow mist had always remained mere legend.
Now the question was whether the tower could force the Mist to appear ahead of schedule,
or if Fang Huo might luck into a spontaneous appearance.
Disguised as a scholar and armed with cash, Fang Huo boarded the Rainbow Tower for research and observation.
He used a new transponder snail to check in with the Rocks Pirates.
When Rocks and Charlotte Linlin heard Fang Huo still wasn't coming back to the Gibec's Sword they blew up.
"Fang Huo! Do you have any idea how worried we are about your life?"
Rocks wanted to beat the brat senseless; the kid was a walking headache.
Even Charlotte Linlin and Newgate were furious, feeling Fang Huo didn't value his own life.
"I'm still recovering from my injuries—need a bit more time."
"You don't want me flying back while hurt and getting spotted, right?"
Fang Huo fobbed them off with an excuse; he had to camp the rainbow mist or he'd regret it forever.
He hired apprentices to watch the sea 24/7 in shifts, scanning for any sign of the rainbow mist.
It might show up at night and simply go unseen.
While studying the tower he hunted for ways to boost its power.
The crew was livid; they vowed to beat the bastard black-and-blue the moment he returned.
Even Charlotte Linlin and Stussy signed off on the punishment!
—The Rocks Pirates' retaliatory raids forced the World Government and Marine Headquarters to deploy top-tier forces en masse.
But the Rocks Pirates hit back hard, fearless.
Using their Flying Battleship's mobility they struck Marine branches and lone Marine ships again and again.
In these battles Fūgetsu Kisaburō shot to fame; his bounty skyrocketed, and even Maron's reward soared.
Yet the newly joined Patrick Redfield and Baroque Butler never took part.
CP Headquarters sensed trouble—had the two Undercover Agents been exposed?
Why weren't they showing up among the Rocks officers?
Marfey Palace and Somaz Saint boiled with rage when the news reached them.
Their painstaking plan had collapsed before it even began.
Because of the Rocks Pirates' large-scale reprisals, Figarland Garling had to abandon his solo hunt for Fang Huo.
And for failing to request Gorosei or Gods Knights support, Saint Saturn scolded him harshly.
Saint Garling secretly swore that, given the chance, he would ruin Saint Saturn and claim a Gorosei seat for himself.
As the Rocks Pirates rampaged through the Paradise zone, the affiliated kingdoms of the Grand Line plunged into turmoil.
Golden Lion Shiki and Silver Axe stirred up the North Blue, echoing the Rocks Pirates' actions across the sea.
The world's balance and order slid into chaos… while Fang Huo kept researching and stalking the rainbow mist as if possessed. The Rocks Pirates had no idea how irresistible an other-space was to a transmigrator!
—