So, our King, Your Majesty Oran, just disappeared like that?
After further on-site inspection, Oran made some modifications to the design plans, arranged for new construction personnel, and then, taking Lyliana with him, left with Qingjiao, embarking on the journey to the West Blue.
Zach and Kate accompanied him, while Firefly Island was confidently left in the hands of others.
When Brand intended to report on the recent situation of the security forces, the news he received was that Oran had already left.
"No, to correct you, Big Brother Oran didn't disappear; he just went to take care of his own matters. He's very busy," Ginny explained while fiddling with the white den den mushi in her hand.
Recently, Oran had indeed managed to acquire a set of white den den mushi with anti-eavesdropping capabilities through his own channels, and now Ginny was in the process of upgrading their technology.
"He's the King here now! What kind of King goes out with only one or two people?!"
Brand didn't mind Ginny's way of addressing him; he knew these people were Oran's confidants, having been by his side for a long time.
But Brand still couldn't quite understand the situation. He knew Oran was special, but he hadn't expected him to be special to this extent.
Actually, he had interacted with too few people. In this vast sea, it's quite common for a boss to hand over all matters to their subordinates, only making decisions in critical situations.
"So now…"
"Just tell me if there's anything, and I'll report it. If you need to, you can also speak with our Princess. Let me think, Big Brother Oran said this…"
"If anyone discusses issues of royal authority, tell them the Princess is regent now, and let Fran communicate with them."
"Never mind, it's nothing major, just some recent developments. We can talk about it when Your Majesty Oran returns."
"Don't worry, Big Brother Oran left a detailed development plan before he left. We just need to follow it. If it's really necessary, Big Brother Oran will remotely control things here."
In fact, whether a King is in the country or not doesn't have much impact, as long as various decrees can be implemented normally, that's enough.
The plan Oran prepared is enough for them to work on for several years.
The Eight Treasure Navy's return route to the West Blue was also quite unique; they didn't go back the way they came. Instead, they continued forward, coated their ship, passed through Fish-Man Island into the New World, and from there, approached the Calm Belt.
The Eight Treasure Navy wanted to keep their ship, which meant it would be difficult for them to cross the Red Line, as ordinary ships generally cannot ascend the Red Line.
The Grand Line is very dangerous; it's not only difficult to enter but even harder to leave.
The main way to enter the Grand Line is through the Reverse Mountain's upstream river, or one can choose to take a gamble.
Getting out, however, is not so easy.
Reverse Mountain does not flow backward. To leave from here, one must either ascend the Red Line, travel to a suitable location, and then return to the sea, or cross the Calm Belt, passing over the heads of the Sea Kings.
The Calm Belt's mortality rate is not 100%. If one is lucky, they won't be attacked by Sea Kings, as Sea Kings don't constantly stare at the insects above their heads, but the probability of survival is still very low.
This is also one of the reasons the World Government allows pirates to enter the Grand Line; for most pirates, it's a natural prison that limits their destructive activities to a certain area.
Although the World Government needs the existence of pirates to demonstrate the legitimacy of its rule, it cannot allow them to run rampant.
It is also because of the Grand Line's environment that in the Four Blues, anyone who has entered the Grand Line and returned safely is considered a legend. Most people who regret entering don't get a chance to turn back.
Of course, there are occasional special circumstances, such as Krieg offending Hawkeye for unknown reasons. There are rumors that Krieg saw Hawkeye using a sword as a boat oar, which led to this unfortunate outcome.
But no matter what, Krieg was pursued by the other party, and out of fifty ships, only one managed to escape back in a sorry state.
In fact, that one ship's return also benefited a little from Hawkeye; most of the Sea Kings were scared away by Hawkeye, so they didn't have time to bother Krieg's ship.
"Dr. Sidilier, we are about to cross the Calm Belt. Please be prepared, as some unexpected situations may arise."
An Eight Treasure Navy member urged Oran to hold on tight. Their ship had Qingjiao, whose head was healed, and with his abilities, dealing with Sea Kings would be quite easy.
The moment the ship entered the Calm Belt, the sails were already taken down. In this absolutely windless environment, the sails had lost their original meaning and could only have a negative effect.
The crew carefully extended the oars from the holes and gently rowed the boat. Not being afraid of Sea Kings was one thing.
But if they carelessly damaged the ship, it would only add to their troubles. Fortunately, this operation went smoothly; they didn't encounter any Sea Kings and successfully entered the West Blue, quickly arriving at the Glacier Continent.
"This is where my treasure is stored, the Jade Ice Bed!"
Looking at the golden reflection shimmering beneath the glacier, Qingjiao seemed very excited.
He didn't know how these ice formations came to be, nor did he know why the ice layer would always regenerate shortly after he broke through it.
Qingjiao only knew that beneath it lay the treasures they had accumulated over hundreds of years.
"Eight Impact Fist: Qingjiao's Opening!"
Calming his mind, Qingjiao slammed his head into the ice surface below.
Crack... crack...
Huge cracks spread into the distance, and golden light illuminated the nearby ice layer. Countless treasures were once again exposed to the outside air.
"Come, Dr. Sidilier, my consultation fee is right here. Just take whatever you want, as much as you can carry."
"No, I only need my rightful share. If I were to let loose, I could empty this place completely."
With the Book-Book Fruit, that versatile storage item, Oran could indeed empty all of Qingjiao's treasures, but there was no need for that. It was just a bit of money, and Oran had ways to get more.
In recent news, Captain John had also died. Morgans, as always, didn't know the details of John's death, but he did uncover some secrets, such as John dying from his subordinates' betrayal and the huge treasure he had hidden being missing.
Instead of thinking about these, it would be better to look for John or Sky Island.
The Eight Treasure Navy's strength is not bad, and the Flower Country is also a powerful nation. There's no need to inexplicably create enemies out of momentary greed.
"Hahaha, Dr. Sidilier, just take it without worry. No matter how much you take, I won't feel a thing."
Qingjiao still didn't realize the seriousness of the situation, even picking up bags from the ship and helping Oran and his group pack. Roughly estimated, the value of these treasures had long exceeded the consultation fee.
When Oran and his group left the Sea of Treasure, everyone was given a full bag of treasures by Qingjiao.
"Dr. Sidilier, I'm returning to the Flower Country next. Do you have anywhere you need to go? I can take you there."
"No need, let's part ways here."
"Alright, this is my den den mushi number and the Eight Treasure Navy's token. If you encounter any trouble in the West Blue, just give me a call. My Eight Treasure Navy still has some standing here."
Qingjiao said nothing more. News from the Flower Country indicated that the pillars of the Two Treasure Navy seemed to have made some small moves while Qingjiao was having issues. Qingjiao now needed to return to deal with these problems.
"Mm~ this environment is still comfortable."
After Qingjiao left, all those bags of treasure were stuffed into Oran's book, freeing up everyone's hands. Kate also stretched.
Due to their racial characteristics, the Mink Tribe are afraid of heat but not cold; they have a fur coat for warmth. For ordinary people, a cold environment is actually just right for the Mink Tribe.
"Oran, what's the next step? Is there anything you're interested in in the West Blue?"
"Yes, Dad, where are we going next? There don't seem to be any countries nearby."
Lyliana spread a map on the ice and observed the markings on it.
After leaving the Grand Line, the magnetic field returned to normal, and ordinary compasses became useful again. There was no need to continue navigating according to the Log Pose's instructions; with a sea chart, traveling in a straight line was also possible.
However, their current location in the West Blue was a remote area, even very close to the pole.
"Not at the moment. Your map is too modern. For the next part of the journey, we need to follow this ancient map."
Oran pulled out a handwritten map. Compared to the travel map Lyliana had, the terrain differences were small, but the country names were vastly different.
And on Oran's map, the words "Ice Country" were specially marked.
"Ice Country? Is it some ancient country?"
"Something like that. Although it no longer exists, some things are still buried under this snow."
Oran summoned his flying mount—a huge storybook—and then, taking Kate and Lyliana, flew south.
Snow gradually covered the glacier, and in the distant ocean, icebergs drifted with the currents. After flying for a while, Oran stopped at a location matching the map and then began to look around the environment.
"It should be around here. Let the wind blow."
Oran summoned more books, making them fly like a flock of birds in the air, and by the turning of their pages, generated a whirlwind that blew away the snow on the ground.
As the snowflakes obstructing their view gradually dispersed, the Ice Country, hidden beneath the snow, revealed itself.
"It's so big! Even the Giant Race aren't this tall."
A huge red figure appeared in the ice. Lyliana held up her hand, examining the figure, only to find that she wasn't even as big as its tusk.
"Oran, this is…"
"Oz the Land Mover, the great villain from 470 years ago."
------------------------------
🌟 Hi everyone! 🌟
If you love my work and want to support me on this creative journey, you can support me here: [patreon.com/DaoistRoeoNQ] 💖
By joining, you will get access to exclusive content, behind-the-scenes updates, and some special perks that I have prepared just for you. Every support really means a lot and helps me strive every day! 🙏✨