Night fell, and the Traveler remained as quiet as ever.
The members of the Heart Pirates who had been keeping watch outside Old Wolf's house eventually succumbed to their drowsiness and fell asleep one by one.
At dawn—
A large pirate ship cut through the waves and silently approached Swallow Island before anchoring in a secluded bay.
Moments later, more than a dozen fierce-looking pirates jumped down from the deck.
"Captain Bagg, does that old man Wolf really live here?"
One of the younger pirates glanced around before asking the tall man who had just landed beside him.
"And does he really have a ship that can travel underwater?"
"Of course."
The burly Bagg nodded, his eyes burning with excitement.
"All of you be careful. That old geezer has all kinds of inventions."
"If one of his gadgets hits you, don't say I didn't warn you."
Bagg.
Captain of the Bagg Pirates.
A Paramecia-type Drunk-Drunk Fruit user.
The Dissolution Man.
A terrifying ability user who could not only dissolve his own body, but also dissolve intangible things—even manipulate the hearts of others.
Anyone controlled by his power would die if the effect wasn't removed within twenty-four hours.
And there was only one way to remove it:
Kill him.
"Captain Bagg..."
One pirate standing nearby looked uneasy.
"I heard that Wolf is your biological father. Isn't it a bit..."
He hesitated.
"Wouldn't it be bad if we accidentally hurt Father Wolf while stealing his stuff?"
The pirate crew was genuinely nervous.
After all, their target tonight was their captain's father.
If something went wrong, who knew whether Bagg would explode in rage afterward?
"No need to worry."
A vicious glint flashed through Bagg's eyes.
"We severed our father-son relationship a long time ago."
"Remember this well."
"Our target is that submarine."
"No matter what it takes, I want that submarine tonight."
"Yes, Captain!"
The pirates stopped wasting time and followed Bagg toward Wolf's workshop.
Before long, they arrived outside the building.
"Old man, get your ass out here!"
Without even noticing Law and the others sleeping outside the door, Bagg immediately shouted toward the closed entrance.
"I'll count to three!"
"If you don't come out, I'll blow your workshop to pieces!"
Meanwhile—
Aboard the Traveler.
Arashi suddenly rolled over and woke up.
Then he stared blankly at Perona, who had somehow climbed on top of him again.
"Oh, you're awake!"
Perona blinked innocently.
Then she puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
"This is no fun."
"Every time I get close to you, you wake up!"
"Perona..."
Arashi covered his face with one hand and sighed helplessly.
"What exactly will it take for you to stop this madness?"
"If you keep doing this, it's genuinely dangerous."
This wasn't the first time Perona had snuck into his room.
Ever since she'd discovered that strange "worm" on his body and he refused to explain it, she had become obsessed.
Every few days she would sneak into his room in an attempt to investigate.
Thankfully, Arashi had managed to stop her every single time.
Otherwise...
He was genuinely worried something serious might happen.
"But I really want to know why there's a worm on your body!"
Perona shook her head stubbornly.
"Just let me see it once, okay?"
She was truly curious.
The more Arashi refused to explain, the more curious she became.
She simply couldn't understand why Arashi had one and she didn't.
Looking at the pitiful expression on her face, Arashi felt another headache coming on.
He really didn't know what to do with this girl anymore.
If this kept up, he was honestly worried he might lose control of the situation someday.
Maybe it was time.
Maybe he should finally teach Perona some basic biology.
Or at least give her a proper introductory lesson.
Taking a deep breath, Arashi asked:
"You really want to know?"
"Yes! Yes!"
Seeing that Arashi hadn't immediately thrown her out this time, Perona became excited and scooted closer.
Her large eyes stared at him expectantly.
"Well..."
Arashi hesitated.
"To explain that, we need to start with human anatomy."
"At your age, it's about time you learned these things."
BOOM!!!
Before he could continue, a massive explosion suddenly erupted from the island.
Immediately afterward, a burst of wild, bloodthirsty laughter drifted across the sea.
Both Arashi and Perona heard it instantly.
"Hm?"
Arashi's eyes narrowed.
Then, seizing the opportunity to escape the topic, he decisively stood up.
"Let's go take a look."
Perona was equally curious about the commotion and immediately followed him out.
The moment they stepped outside, they found Robin already dressed and standing on deck.
"Mr. Arashi."
Robin turned around, her expression serious.
"Someone is attacking the old man's workshop."
At that very moment—
Outside the workshop.
Law and his three crewmates lay sprawled on the ground, their faces twisted in pain.
The severely injured Old Wolf, meanwhile, was being held by the throat in Bagg's hand.
"Shihahaha!"
Bagg laughed wildly while looking at the damaged workshop.
"Didn't see this coming, did you, old man?"
"Tell me where the submarine is."
"As long as you hand it over, I'll let those brats live."
"But if you don't..."
Before he could finish, two pirates beside him tossed a pair of bombs toward the workshop.
BOOM! BOOM!
The structure, already battered by repeated explosions, finally reached its limit and began swaying dangerously.
"Shihahaha!"
"If you don't hand over the submarine, I'll blow up your workshop, kill these little brats, and throw you into the sea to feed the fish!"
Old Wolf immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Then, trembling, he forced himself to speak.
"Bagg..."
"Let those children go."
"If you release them, I'll tell you where the submarine is."
"Don't make me laugh, old man."
Bagg sneered and drove a punch into Wolf's stomach.
Then he continued in a mocking tone:
"Looks like you care about those little brats quite a bit."
"In that case, I'll kill one of them first."
"That way you'll know your son isn't joking around."
"Father?"
Law's pupils contracted.
This pirate... was Old Wolf's son?
After a brief moment of shock, Law gritted his teeth and forced himself upright using his nodachi for support.
Every inch of his body screamed in pain.
"I know where the submarine is."
He spoke word by word.
"But you have to let Old Wolf go first."
"Oh?"
Bagg turned toward him in surprise.
"You're still standing?"
"Not bad."
"Even after having your heart affected by my Devil Fruit ability."
"Alright then."
"Tell me where the submarine is."
"But if you're lying to me..."
"You all die."
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
Just as Bagg finished speaking, an unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"Being threatened by trash like this?"
"Law."
"Looks like you're still not very familiar with your Devil Fruit abilities."
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