After leaving Ohara, Olvia and Robin's moods gradually improved.
They had long known the fate of Ohara; their previous sadness was merely a result of the surroundings triggering memories of past events.
However, Perona's antics and the concern from Stella and others brought them a sense of peace.
This made Black once again marvel at Perona's importance.
After leaving Ohara, Black once again embarked on his journey through the West Blue.
Originally, Black had intended to travel all over the Four Blues during his last voyage.
However, he had barely found Aramaki in the West Blue and coincidentally met Perona when Mary Geoise sent a message for him to return immediately.
This time, Black planned to visit all the places he hadn't explored before.
Just as he thought of Aramaki, Aramaki's transponder snail rang.
"Your Highness, I have found the child named Hawkins you spoke of in the Taya Kingdom of the North Blue. How should he be handled?"
Black said languidly:
"Since he has been found, bring him back for training."
"Remember to focus on physical conditioning and martial arts."
The transponder snail mimicked Aramaki's serious expression:
"Yes, Your Highness."
"And you too!"
Black reminded him:
"Don't think only they need to train in martial arts; your martial arts and Haki also need refinement."
"If I see you relying on a Devil Fruit again the next time we meet, I'll make you learn Garp's mountain-smashing technique."
Aramaki immediately said with trepidation:
"Your Highness, I understand! I have been diligently honing my Haki recently, never daring to slack off."
"Good, that's all for now."
Black responded, then hung up the transponder snail... The sanctuary sailed continuously through the West Blue.
Black once again instructed the Slaves to change the sails and flags.
This time, it was even more excessive than in the North Blue; almost every island they passed, Black would change into commoner's clothes and go ashore to explore.
This was not only curiosity but also the confidence that came with his strength.
No known strong individual from the original story could defeat him in a short amount of time.
To threaten his life, it would require at least the encirclement of two top-tier powerhouses or Imu's personal intervention.
Moreover, the islands in this world were truly fascinating, with many places that clearly defied the laws of physics.
For example, White Porcelain Island.
The surface of that island was covered with a layer of self-repairing bone-white ceramic; shattered vessels would automatically reassemble as good as new overnight.
In the center of the island was a thousand-meter-diameter, volcano-like glazed kiln pit, which would dye the sky an enamel color when it erupted.
The local people used a method called "Kiln Judgment" to try criminals.
This involved placing the suspect inside an unfinished ceramic vessel and then firing it in the kiln for three days.
If cracks appeared in the ceramic, the suspect would be deemed guilty.
Even Black, a Celestial Dragons, called this method "professional" and marveled at the diversity of species in this world.
It's hard to imagine how many wrongful convictions must have occurred over so many years.
Then there was "Shadow Song Island."
This was an Eternal Night Island, much like Eternal Sleep Island where the sleeping ancient town was located.
Shadow Song Island was composed of Black coral and was shrouded in darkness all year round.
The only light source on the island was a unique creature called the "Sound-Light Sea Snail."
This creature emitted light, and its brightness would change with the loudness of the surrounding sound.
Stella found it very interesting and casually bought a few to place in Black's collection room.
The peculiar custom of Shadow Song Island was its funerals.
Local residents would collectively sing the deceased's most hated song at funerals, believing this would trap the deceased's shadow and prevent it from causing mischief.
Black strongly suspected that Moriah's Shadow-Shadow Devil Fruit was found on this island.
The sanctuary sailed on, entering the "Chaos Sea," an area well-known in the West Blue.
The West Blue was already the most chaotic of the Four Blues.
And the Chaos Sea was the most chaotic even within the West Blue.
Here existed a famous country—the Moonlight Circus Kingdom.
It was known as the West Blue's most insane land of order.
The island where the Moonlight Circus Kingdom was located consisted of a main island and seven floating "Clown Balloon Islands," and the surrounding sea was enveloped in colorful auroras.
From a distance, it had a dreamlike and illusory feel.
The laws here were formulated by the Circus Association, and citizens used "ability to make people laugh" as the standard for moral judgment.
Celestial Dragons arriving on this island would probably be the beings with the lowest moral standards.
Well, no matter what standard Celestial Dragons were judged by, their moral standards wouldn't be high.
Black, sailing nearby, naturally wanted to see this interesting island.
He slowly drifted with the wind, finally arriving at the port of the Moonlight Circus Kingdom at dusk.
Taking off his spacesuit and fishbowls (helmets), and changing into a wide-brimmed top hat adorned with peacock feathers, Black led the young Slaves off the ship.
It's worth mentioning that Olvia underwent some changes after returning to Ohara and also came along.
Black was indifferent to her changes, as long as she didn't cause trouble for him.
"Welcome to the Moonlight Circus, esteemed guests!"
A greeter wearing a striped suit and an exaggerated smiling mask bowed deeply, his voice filled with dramatic intonation.
Black thought to himself:
"Good heavens, do they not even call themselves a kingdom?"
Stella handed over a gold coin, and the greeter respectfully led them into the port.
Walking on the street, colorful balloons floated everywhere in the sky.
Perona cheered excitedly:
"These balloons fly by themselves!"
She reached out to grab one, but as soon as her finger touched the balloon, it suddenly "popped," spraying her face with streamers.
Robin on the side chuckled:
"Ara la, it seems the King of Pranks, Lady Perona, has been defeated by a balloon."
Perona puffed out her cheeks, about to retort, but Stella had already gently offered a handkerchief:
"Wipe it off. This island seems to have many mechanisms, so be careful."
Perona took the handkerchief and said "Oh," but her eyes were still darting around.
Black led everyone on a tour of the island's unique sights. After the moon rose, they entered a restaurant, ready to experience the local specialty cuisine.
Due to the limited connections between islands in this world, almost every island had its own unique food, and Black never tired of these.
The waiter soon pushed over a three-tiered dessert tower.
The top layer was a rotating chocolate fountain, the middle layer was popping candy-filled macarons, and the bottom layer was color-changing jelly pudding.
"Wow!"
Perona, Koala, and Rami exclaimed in unison.
Compared to the restraint of the other two, Perona had fewer reservations and reached out directly, but Mandy slapped her hand.
Perona winced, pulled back her hand, and gave Mandy a displeased look, then looked pitifully at Black.
Black ruffled her head:
"Eat."
"Oh yeah!"
The younger girls immediately cheered, almost burying themselves in the pudding.
Olvia gently coughed, picked up a cup of Black tea, and carefully placed it by Black's hand:
"Your Highness, please have some tea."
Black turned in surprise, not understanding what Olvia was up to now.
However, seeing her hands clenched tightly from nervousness, he didn't ask further, picked up the teacup, and took a small sip.
Just then, the restaurant lights flickered.
Then, the mechanical device on the ceiling began to make strange clicking sounds.
"Huh?"
Koala looked up:
"Are the lights broken?"
Robin narrowed her eyes:
"No, this is more like..."
The next second, all the lights in the restaurant suddenly went out, leaving only the aurora filtering in from outside the window, casting eerie colors in the darkness.
In the distance, a sharp cackle faintly echoed.