"Alright, I'm coming!"
Hearing Manlong's voice from outside the door, Zane imdiately felt his spirits lift.
It was finally ti.
His reason for staying in Mock Town all these days wasn't because he was truly lost in a beautiful maid's gentle embrace, but because he had been waiting for the ship's modifications and the Knock Up Stream.
"Cap... Commander, why are you putting on your clothes?"
The sight of Zane getting up and dressing made the sleeping Baby 5 blearily open her beautiful eyes.
Subconsciously, she first tried to grab a certain familiar, upright object, but after grabbing only air, she noticed that Zane had already left the bed.
Her consciousness cleared slightly as the bleary-eyed Baby 5 asked in confusion.
Why was he up so early today?
Usually, there would be another round waiting for her when she woke up.
"I have matters to handle. Go back to sleep!" When official business called, feminine charms had to take a back seat.
Zane waved his hand and, after pulling on his trousers, strode out of the room.
Outside, Manlong was sensible enough to be waiting further away.
The two t up.
Followed by Manlong, Zane t Cricket in the villa's main hall.
After so conversation, once he confird the ship's modifications and the timing of the Knock Up Stream were correct, Zane expressed his satisfaction by offering Cricket a reward.
"Rest assured, once we reach the Sky Island, if the City of Gold truly exists, I'll take a photo for you." Zane patted Cricket on the shoulder.
Originally, he had planned to give him a generous labor fee.
But Cricket clearly didn't care about money.
So, during the days spent modifying the ship, Cricket had taken the opportunity to tell Zane about his origins.
In short, as a descendant of Noland the Liar, Cricket believed his ancestor was definitely not a liar.
That was why he had co to Jaya Island, tirelessly searching for the City of Gold.
After these years of searching, he had begun to suspect that the City of Gold had likely been blasted up to the Sky Island by the Knock Up Stream.
Because of this, he chose to forgo the labor fee, only hoping that if Zane really reached the Sky Island, he would help find out if the City of Gold truly existed.
Zane was naturally well aware of Cricket's situation.
So, he readily accepted the request.
After all, the City of Gold was one of the goals for this trip to the Sky Island.
There was a saying: money isn't everything, but you can't do anything without it.
While Zane didn't care about wealth, he wouldn't miss an opportunity to possess it.
"Boss, more and more people have been arriving in town lately, all sniffing around for information on Doflamingo."
Once Cricket left, Manlong spoke up to remind him.
Too many loose tongues.
Plus, they were already on guard.
When various factions sent people to Mock Town to investigate, there was no way Zane's side wouldn't notice.
"I never intended to hide it anyway. As long as they don't cause trouble, let them be," Zane said calmly, sitting back on the sofa.
Doflamingo was no small fry.
Although the battle had taken place in the Equality Space and hadn't caused much of a stir...
As ti passed, it was inevitable that the outside world would notice sothing.
Moreover, Zane himself didn't want to suppress the news.
In fact, as agents from various factions arrived to investigate, he had recently instructed his subordinates to spread certain information about their situation.
For instance, to avoid being labeled as pirates, he specifically established a Hunting Group, defining their side as a hunter organization.
This was why Baby 5 had suddenly changed her address for him, switching from "Captain" to "Commander."
As for why not be a pirate?
Naturally, it was for the sake of justice.
His old man might be a pirate, but that didn't an the pirate life had to be inherited.
Whether in his past life or this one, Zane had never considered becoming a pirate.
......
"What exactly is going on? Aside from the Birdcage that appeared at the start, which confirms Doflamingo was here, there aren't many battle traces. How could Doflamingo just vanish?"
"Vanish? Hahaha, so many days have passed and you still think Doflamingo just vanished?"
"Not vanished? You an..."
"Hmph, do you think my side is so third-rate outfit like yours? Since we're sowhat friendly, I'll tell you: Doflamingo is already dead."
"What?!"
"Don't believe it if you don't want to. Our captain got this news from the Marines. They say the Marines have already dispatched a fleet and are heading this way."
"The Marines? Oh, you actually have spies planted in the Marines? Impressive!"
"....."
The various factions that ca to Mock Town to investigate were a mixed bag; so were enemies, but many were cooperating.
Consequently, when one side caught wind of Doflamingo's death, the news spread through the ranks almost instantly.
So were shocked, so were furious, and so were delighted.
While the various factions were falling into chaos over the news of Doflamingo's death, the Riding the Wind and Waves, now fully modified, set sail once again from the coast of Jaya Island.
"Boss, the people monitoring us have all been dealt with. No one will notice our departure for a while."
On the deck, Zane stood with his arms crossed, gazing out at the boundless sea. Behind him was Manlong, the last to board.
"Good work. Go and rest for now. There's a tough battle ahead," Zane said, uncrossing his arms and turning to smile at Manlong.
Manlong nodded and went to sit cross-legged on one side of the deck.
Traveling to the Sky Island via the Knock Up Stream was extrely dangerous.
Manlong had been present when Zane and Cricket discussed this.
His role in this process was critical.
If the ship were to break away from the upward current, they would need to rely on his advantages as a Fishman to pull the ship back into the stream.
Leaving Jaya Island.
Relying on a captured Southbird to maintain their heading, about fifteen minutes later, the surface of the sea ahead began to show faint signs of change.
"It's a whirlpool! How did it form so quickly?"
"This has to be it. According to what Cricket said, this is the sign of the Knock Up Stream forming."
"No way... are we really going into that?"
"...."
The changes in the sea ahead were quickly noticed by the mbers of the Hunting Group. As the ship advanced, the shifting waters rapidly ford a massive oceanic whirlpool.
The sight made everyone's hearts skip a beat.
The commotion grew especially loud when the navigator, Eddie, who had been briefed beforehand, pointed out that the whirlpool was indeed their target: the Knock Up Stream.
"Hmph... look at yourselves. It's just a whirlpool. Get the damn ship over there!"
Seeing the unrest on the ship, Zane stood up, visibly dissatisfied. He stepped onto a crate, his aura surging as he channeled the energy of a true conqueror.
With their great Commander speaking up, the commotion was suppressed imdiately.
The mbers of the Hunting Group busied themselves controlling the vessel, steering it straight into the whirlpool ahead.
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