Meanwhile, the Golden Dragon ship had already drifted far from Dressrosa.
The little princess shrank in on herself, her head lowered, her hands nervously fidgeting with the corner of her dress, her voice barely a whisper.
"Viola is the second princess of Dressrosa, and a user of the Paramecia-type Glare Glare Fruit," Ian began to introduce her.
"This ability is quite interesting. She can read minds, see through things, turn tears into attacks, and even observe scenes from a thousand kilometers away. It's a real, true-to-life Far Sight."
After hearing this, Law immediately understood why this little princess was here.
Such a useful ability made even him feel intrigued, not to mention Ian, who seemed to have a collection fetish.
Ian then asked everyone on the ship to introduce themselves.
So, that was the end of the introductions.
However, it was clear that Viola lacked strong adaptability, as she was still in a state of nervousness, like a startled bird.
Seeing this, Ian decisively called for Black Maria to take action.
Although Maria was only a year older than Ian, she possessed an incredible level of motherhood.
In other words, Maria was the kind of woman who could be my mother!
Well, in the original story, she essentially became Yamato's stepmother.
Fortunately, Yamato was clever enough to sever her father-daughter relationship with the old man in time, avoiding having multiple mothers who were just a year older than her.
Of course, Maria, who had grown up alongside Ian, would likely not be interested in clinging to the old man now.
"There's no need to be afraid, Viola," Maria softly reassured Viola, who was the same age as her but not even a quarter of her height. Her massive hand gently patted Viola's back, and the size difference made it clear that Maria could easily snap Viola's spine in half if she wanted to.
Of course, Black Maria didn't do that.
She simply said in a gentle tone, "Ian is actually a very easygoing person. You may not feel it right now, but you're already one of us. In time, you'll understand that no matter what kind of danger we face, Ian will protect us."
The little princess didn't respond.
It was indeed a bit hard to expect her to believe that Ian, the pirate who had threatened her, was a good person after just a few words.
This job was better suited for Naruto.
So, Maria changed her approach and whispered, "Well, we can't go back now, can we? So, let's start learning to adapt. First, just survive on this ship."
The little princess's eyes finally twitched slightly.
Black Maria let out a sigh of relief.
It's finally settled.
On the other side, Ian had already caught another fish.
"I don't think a princess of a country would willingly become a pirate," Law said from beside him, leaning against the ship's railing while lifting two dumbbells.
"It's fine," Ian replied lightly, "Once Doflamingo starts moving, everything will get better."
Then he suddenly understood.
Yes, no matter how unwilling the princess might be right now.
Once Doflamingo makes his move on Dressrosa, the only person she'll be able to turn to for help is Ian!
Law immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
Was this part of your plan?
Then, he asked with a hint of expectation, "Are we heading straight to Fish-Man Island next?"
Ian replied, "We need to find an island to coat the ship first."
Fish-Man Island is located 10,000 meters beneath the sea, and even the Golden Dragon is a remarkable ship that cannot dive directly into the deep sea.
It needs to be coated first.
Since they need the coating, they'll need a skilled craftsman for the job, and such people are rare on the open sea.
Fortunately, though, a pirate crew of the Beast Pirates' caliber certainly has a few craftsmen specialized in coating ships, and Ian's ship already has several of them onboard.
Next, they just need to find an island near Fish-Man Island and let the craftsmen coat the ship.
Two weeks later, on a desolate island located at the entrance to the New World.
Ian stood by the shore, silently gazing into the distance.
The sea in the distance finally had an end, where a massive red wall stretched across the horizon, blocking the sky and reaching high into the clouds. It seemed like an ancient, unchanging wall separating the mortal world from the realm of the dead.
This was the name people generally gave to this great wall.
This wall was the boundary between the first and second halves of the Grand Line, the only and largest continent in the world.
"What's that up there?"
Yamato stood beside him, looking up at the part of the Red Line obscured by thick clouds.
Ian replied, "The central hub of the World Government, the gathering place of the Celestial Dragons, Mariejois."
He turned around. "Do you want to go see it?"
The sea breeze ruffled Yamato's white hair, and the girl smiled softly. "It sounds interesting."
Ian said. "We need to wait a little longer."
To find ultimate peace in this world, going to Mariejois was a must, and the Celestial Dragons had to be eliminated.
Behind them, Viola sat silently on a rock by the shore. Since boarding the ship, she hadn't shown any extreme behavior but had been unusually downcast.
At this moment, even though she tried to remain indifferent, she couldn't help but feel shaken by Ian's words.
He's actually planning to take action against Mariejois, against the Celestial Dragons!
Babanuki hurried over.
"The final checks are complete! We can head to Fish-Man Island now!"
On the coast in the opposite direction, the Golden Dragon ship was quietly docked.
The golden-hued ship's surface was now covered with a layer of membrane, tightly clinging to the hull, and it shimmered under the sunlight.
A smile curled on Ian's lips. "Then, let's set off."
They boarded the Golden Dragon ship.
Yamato joyfully ran around on the deck.
Her feet made a squelching sound as they stepped on the membrane, which was soft and bouncy, almost like chewy candy.
The Golden Dragon ship set sail, traveling toward the Red Line.
"Ian-sama, we're about to release the membrane!"
The ship's crew began pumping air into the membrane.
What was once tightly pressed against the ship's body began to expand, swallowing everything on the ship.
Within minutes, a giant air bubble had formed around the Golden Dragon ship.
"We're starting to sink!"
Babanuki shouted. "The bubble will significantly reduce the buoyancy of the sea water!"
"We're about to descend into the deep sea!"
Just as he said, the Golden Dragon ship began to sink, and in just a few seconds, it had completely submerged underwater.
Ian looked up, the sea now above him.
The feeling was truly strange.
He looked down, toward the dark, deep abyss.
Next stop: Fish-Man Island.
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