Scrap Island's terrain was extremely unique. Three sides were surrounded by the sea, with only one side connected to Water 7.
That was also the only direction from which pirate hunters could launch a land-based assault.
There were two main routes of attack. The first was the underground waterway connecting Water 7 to Scrap Island, essentially a sewer outlet. Tom's Workers was located right at that exit.
It was obvious the pirate hunters had gone all in this time.
After all, building a ship, no matter how small, was never cheap.
At the very moment the explosion rocked Scrap Island, countless ships of all sizes burst out of the outlet one after another. They surged down the river at full speed toward the Twin Goddesses, each vessel packed with pirate hunters waving all kinds of weapons, greed written plainly across their faces.
The second route was even more direct: descending from the massive walls that encircled Water 7.
It was incredibly dangerous. Even the lowest section of Water 7's walls was nearly a hundred meters tall. But that wasn't enough to stop these frenzied pirate hunters. Countless figures slid down ropes from the walls, then charged forward like maniacs.
At this moment, the entire rear side of Scrap Island was flooded with movement. Led by ships large and small, dense clusters of black dots swarmed toward the Twin Goddesses. There were easily over a hundred ships, carrying several thousand people.
On the deck of the Twin Goddesses, Enel narrowed his eyes as he looked at the ant-like swarm below.
"Do you really not need me?"
In the face of the terrifying power of the Goro Goro no Mi, numbers meant nothing. Not to mention the Conqueror's Haki Yemu possessed. Still, there was no need…
"No need. Leave these people to the four Kuro brothers. I want them to test the strength of their new bodies and this new metal. As for you…"
As Yemu spoke, he turned to Enel, Tiger, and Erik behind him. A satisfied, almost feral smile spread across his face.
"Come to think of it, ever since our pirate crew was formed, most of the time it's been a one-man show. Even our vice-captain Enel hasn't really had a fight he could enjoy. But now the chance has finally come. Since someone else has already set the stage for us, there's no reason to refuse it."
"So today, I only have one request of you. Fight with everything you've got. Show your power to me, your captain, and to this world."
As his words fell, Enel, Tiger, and Erik's auras surged upward, their eyes blazing with battle intent.
...
"What's going on!?"
Not far away, the bosses of the seven major shipbuilding companies, hidden from view, stared toward Scrap Island through their binoculars. A sense of unease crept over them.
The explosion had clearly been massive. The waves were raging. Everything had unfolded exactly as planned. And yet…
Aside from rocking on the surface, Scrap Island showed no signs of sinking at all.
Just then, a subordinate came rushing in, panic written all over his face.
"B-Boss! The submarines… the submarines have all lost contact!"
"What?!"
Everyone froze in shock.
"What happened!?"
"I… I don't know… The Den Den Mushi isn't responding. We didn't receive any distress signals…"
"…"
In that instant, a deep, unsettling sense of dread rose in the hearts of the bosses.
"What do we do? Do we cancel the operation…?"
Someone finally spoke up.
But the suggestion was quickly rejected.
"We can't cancel it… this is the best opportunity… and besides…"
As he spoke, the man suddenly laughed.
"Even if the operation fails, what do we really lose? Just a few insignificant lives. But if it succeeds, the more people who die, the fewer there are to split the profits with us… hehehe…"
That instantly made everyone's eyes light up again.
...
"What is that thing!? A robot? The Sky Pirates actually have crew members like that?!"
Although neither the World Government nor the Marines could currently mobilize Admiral-level combat power or above to deal with the Sky Pirates, that didn't mean they would stop monitoring them.
Inside a tall tower, still observing the situation through binoculars, was a Marine Commander. He was Sengoku's adopted son, Donquixote Doflamingo's younger brother, and a Devil Fruit user of the Nagi Nagi no Mi: Donquixote Rosinante.
Originally, Sengoku had planned to send him into Doflamingo's pirate crew as an undercover agent.
But at that time, Fleet Admiral Kong personally approached Sengoku and ordered him to assign someone to keep a close watch on the Sky Pirates.
The reason was simple. According to intelligence reports, the Sky Pirates had made contact with the fish-man Tom.
Fish-man Tom had long been listed in World Government and Marine records as an extremely dangerous criminal requiring special surveillance.
The reason was just as simple. He was the shipwright who had built the Pirate King Roger's ship.
Now, two individuals of extreme notoriety had met, and their actions were highly secretive. No matter what their objective was, it could not be ignored. They had to be monitored closely.
After receiving the order, Sengoku returned to Marine Headquarters and summoned Rosinante, sending him to Water 7.
Rosinante did not disappoint him. He carried out the mission exceptionally well.
Inside the soundproof barrier created by Rosinante's Devil Fruit ability, a Den Den Mushi spoke anxiously.
"What are you talking about? A robot?!"
"Yes, Sengoku-san. Please wait a moment. I'll transmit the footage right away."
Rosinante immediately sent the images he was seeing through a visual Den Den Mushi to Marine Headquarters.
At that moment, inside the Marine Headquarters conference room, Fleet Admiral Kong, Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and several other Vice Admirals were all watching the battle unfold.
However…
"Can't the image be any clearer?" Vice Admiral Tsuru asked.
Because of the distance, the projected image was extremely blurry, with figures reduced to little more than tiny black dots.
"I'm sorry…" Rosinante's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"I can't get any closer. I suspect there's someone in the Sky Pirates with extraordinarily powerful Observation Haki. It should be that lightning Devil Fruit user…"
"What do you mean?" Sengoku demanded.
"For the past two weeks, I've been observing Scrap Island. I noticed that those pirate hunters used every possible method to try and infiltrate the island. But no matter what concealment or trick they used, the moment they entered Scrap Island's range, lightning would strike them with pinpoint accuracy from the sky, day or night."
"And yet, I've never actually seen that lightning Devil Fruit user. So I suspect his Observation Haki can cover the entire Scrap Island. Without even looking, he knows the exact location of every enemy."
"I also have another, even more unbelievable suspicion. He might not only be able to sense their positions, but also eavesdrop on their conversations…"
"What?!" Sengoku asked urgently. "Are you sure?"
"I can't be certain," Rosinante replied. "But judging from what's happening on Scrap Island now, it's obvious that everything Umit planned was already within the Sky Pirates' expectations. They were fully prepared long in advance."
As Rosinante finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Marine Headquarters conference room grew heavy and solemn.
At that moment, Vice Admiral Tsuru seemed to realize something.
"Perhaps… Rosinante is right."