Pirate: I was just slacking off, do you really think I'm bad?

Raleigh's expression remained unchanged; Caesar Clown's attack appeared pitifully weak in his eyes.

Kaiser Clown was not originally a combat-oriented talent. The reason he could render the naval soldiers powerless was entirely because his abilities were difficult to control in the North Blue.

A Logia-type Gas-Gas Fruit user would be virtually invincible against a group of Marines who hadn't yet mastered Armament Haki.

Unfortunately, the man he was facing was named Christine Rory!

A black fist enveloped in Armament Haki struck Caesar squarely in the abdomen with lightning speed!

"Listen to the domineering"

Caesar was struck hard in the abdomen, the force of which knocked him unconscious instantly, before he could even scream.

He was sent flying dozens of meters by Raleigh, lying on the ground with his eyes rolled back.

Having witnessed all of this firsthand, Quinn now frantically activated the power unit.

He wasn't thinking about how to go back and explain to Vegapunk right now; with Raleigh's monstrous strength, it was obvious that even he would have a hard time going back.

However, Quinn was a determined man. He was confident that if he could escape from the Sea Kings, he could escape from the Marines as well.

It's worth noting that the ship Quinn was piloting was designed by Vegapunk with a great deal of effort.

With Quinn already activated, it might be possible to escape to the Calm Belt.

Anyway, once we reach the calm zone, the navy's warships won't dare to venture too far, and then we can proceed with more ease.

The idea was good, but as Quinn was diligently piloting the ship, he suddenly felt a shadow looming over his head.

Judging from the shape of the shadow on the ground, it looks like a person.

Wait! Where did this person come from?!

Quinn whirled around and fired several shots from a small, delicate pistol in his hand.

"Naval Type 6 - Paper Drawing"

Raleigh's figure moved like he was dancing an elegant waltz, with each bullet just barely grazing the edge of his body.

While dodging bullets, he didn't forget to reach out and grab something out of thin air.

Quinn quickly fired all seven bullets, and seeing that Raleigh was completely unharmed, Quinn's face turned ashen.

He gave up resisting, lowered his hand from the helm, and chose to squat down in front of Raleigh.

Looking at Quinn, who wasn't yet as obese as he would later become, Raleigh admired his attitude.

The secret to longevity lies in knowing when to yield and when to stand firm in the face of life and death.

But Quinn isn't important right now; what matters is the boat at Raleigh's feet and what he has in his hands.

The round bullet in his hand was making Raleigh feel a little weak, but because it was so small, it didn't have much of an effect.

"Seastone bullets, has Vegapunk already researched this far?"

Raleigh's words seemed to intimidate Quinn, who was squatting in front of him, and Quinn's somewhat fat face was distorted with fright. "You, how do you know the leader?"

Quinn was very surprised.

It's important to understand that although MADS has secretly recruited many scientists around the world, no one knows of its existence unless they meet certain requirements.

Just like before Quinn and Caesar got involved, who would have known that such a small, unknown organization would gather so many top scientists? "Heh, I not only know Vegapunk, but I also know that Vinsmoke Judge is in there. If I'm not mistaken, they're researching lineage factors."

Raleigh's eyes revealed an unwavering determination that extinguished Quinn's initial attempt to bluff his way out.

"I surrender."

Quinn bluntly stated this, already realizing that the Navy in front of him had conducted far too much research on their MADS organization.

He even knew secrets that Quinn didn't, which completely made Quinn lose the will to fight against Raleigh.

"Pfft, no wonder you disappeared for so long without anyone knowing. Turns out you've already developed the technology to cross the calm zone."

Before Vegapunk was captured by the Navy, the Calm Belt was a forbidden zone for all ships on the high seas. For a long time in the pirate world, only Amazon Lily's Kuja Pirates were able to sail in the Calm Belt by pulling their ships with tamed snakes.

In addition, some Devil Fruit users may be able to control ships to cross the Calm Belt, such as Raleigh's Hurricane Fruit and Shiki's Float-Float Fruit.

It can be said that the current doldrums are the safest places in the world.

Vegapunk's choice to establish MADS' base in the Calm Belt undoubtedly demonstrates that he himself was aware that what he was researching was taboo and prohibited by the World Government.

Lead the way; that's the only reason you've survived.

Raleigh brought over a sofa from somewhere, lay down comfortably on it, and glanced sideways at the obese Quinn.

"Yes, sir."

Since accepting his fate, Quinn no longer showed any intention of resisting Raleigh.

However, his inner world was not as calm as it appeared.

Raleigh knew this in his heart, but he was confident that his abilities would not be defeated by Quinn.

Raleigh took out the Den Den Mushi from his pocket; he had some things to tell Gion, who was left on the island.

"Moses, Moses, Gion."

"Raleigh, where have you been? I just got here and all I see is a scene of utter chaos."

Gion appeared very anxious.

Raleigh touched his nose and said in a relaxed tone;

I've captured one of their ringleaders and am on my way to find their mastermind. Don't worry about me.

"Also, I defeated a kid before I left. He shouldn't be dead. I held back my strength at the time."

That brat is a Logia-type Gas-Gas Fruit user. Before he wakes up, give him a Seastone gauntlet, otherwise his ability will be a real problem for you too.

Even if Caesar were to wake up, he would pose no threat to Gion.

However, for women, being cared for by a man they like is a unique experience.

"Okay~ I'll wait for you to come back."

Gion's heart melted as if it had been sweetened, and her eyes softened.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. I met a very interesting naval soldier. I left him on the other side of the road. When he wakes up, ask him if he'd like to be my direct subordinate."

Raleigh was very interested in the naval soldier he had rescued. Although he didn't know the soldier's name yet, judging from the combat skills he displayed in battle, he was a promising talent worth nurturing.

The struggle for supremacy isn't something one person can achieve. No matter how powerful Raleigh is, he can only become another Yonko-level figure with a few admiral-level fighters under his command, let alone dozens of vice admiral-level fighters. To think he can overthrow the World Government? That's a pipe dream.

nothing!

After a morning of sailing, around noon, Quinn finally reached the edge of the doldrums.

Judging from his solemn expression, there was no doubt that this was an adventure.

"What's going on? Why are you not moving?"

Raleigh, who was asleep, sensed the ship slowing down and couldn't help but shout.

Quinn silently released his grip on the helm and said;

Lord Raleigh, we have reached the edge of the Calm Belt. Do you still intend to go in?

"Nonsense, why would I have come here if I hadn't gone into the windless area?"

Raleigh cursed in annoyance.

If he hadn't known that the MADS organization was here, he would never have thought of running alone to such a godforsaken place as the Calm Belt.

If the boat capsizes, he's not the type of person who can swim back.

Quinn repeated himself with a serious expression:

Lord Raleigh, the Calm Belt is the lair of the Sea Kings. We may encounter all sorts of Sea Kings. If they don't attack us first, I hope you won't launch an attack on them.

Quinn was terrified. He feared that the man before him, whose strength was like that of a monster, was unaware of the horrors of the Calm Belt and the terrors of the Sea Kings.

Perhaps the largest sea kings in the world are only a few hundred meters in size, but in the Calm Belt, a sea king that is a few hundred meters long can only be considered to be in its larval stage.

During one of his dives, Quinn inadvertently witnessed the activity of a Sea King that was over three thousand meters long. Quinn's heart nearly stopped during that dive, and his mind was so shocked by the enormous size of the Sea King that it was completely blank.

Even after returning to the ground and undergoing a long period of adjustment, Quinn was still quite shocked.

Furthermore, during that dive, they discovered some traces of Sea King activity. After returning to base, based on Vegapunk's speculation and calculations, the Sea King that left the traces there was very likely over 5,000 meters long.

The fact that a single Sea King was almost as large as the island occupied by the MADS organization piqued Vegapunk's interest.

While Vegapunk's research into lineage factors in life forms didn't involve direct contact with Sea Kings, he wasn't entirely without thoughts of moving closer to them. "Hmm, I know my limits."

After listening to Quinn's words, Raleigh lazily lay back down on the sofa. He wasn't the kind of person who would do something reckless; he had plenty of plans for the future.

Looking at the faintly pulsating indicator on his wrist, Raleigh asked Quinn curiously!

"The magnetic field in a windless zone is extremely weak, making it almost impossible for the recording parameters to store magnetic force. How did you achieve such precise positioning?"

Quinn didn't hide anything and said directly:

Recording indicators are difficult to store the island's magnetic field, but permanent indicators can. However, when we first started making permanent indicators, we used the direction indicated by the Vivre Cards to determine it.

Quinn's words cleared up Raleigh's doubts, since the most important thing when sailing on the high seas is direction.

If Quinn's direction isn't that accurate, then it's better to turn back.

After entering the Calm Belt, Raleigh suddenly felt as if he had entered a completely unfamiliar place.

Here, the realm where one was originally omnipotent and omniscient vanished.

Normally, the natural wind would transmit all the information to Raleigh, but now, not a single trace of wind can be found in this area.

"So this is the Calm Belt."

Raleigh involuntarily became serious.

To others, the doldrums are simply a zone where ships cannot sail freely.

However, for Raleigh, the Calm Belt can be considered a place that suppresses his strength.

Here, his perception decreased by more than tenfold.

Originally, his perception range, which had grown to encompass an entire small island, had shrunk to a mere two kilometers.

What made Raleigh feel even more insignificant was that beneath the calm sea, sea kings that could be described as giant monsters were swimming freely.

Although these monsters have not yet surfaced or shown any intention to attack Raleigh's ship, Raleigh is trying to lower his aura as much as possible.

The Sea Kings, hundreds of meters tall, were nothing to Raleigh at his current level, but he had no idea what kind of monsters lurked beneath them.

Raleigh didn't know, nor did he want to know, what a sea king exceeding five thousand meters in length was.

"If the Ancient Weapon Poseidon is this terrifying, how terrifying must the Uranus that the World Government possesses be?"

In fact, ever since Raleigh graduated from military school, he has had a smooth and successful career.

His position in the navy was constantly promoted, not only because of his own abilities, but also because of Borsalino's contributions.

After arriving in Beihai, the several operations he orchestrated yielded fruitful results, making him quite pleased with himself.

In fact, the moment he saw Caesar, Jing once again thought he was lucky.

It was possible to encounter members of the MADS organization when Vegapunk was just starting out, and then follow the clues to contact Vegapunk.

In retrospect, the biggest benefit Caesar brought to Raleigh was that he gave him a trip through the Calm Belt.

This dampened Raleigh's previously inflated ego, dispelling his disregard for the World Government. It seemed he should be more cautious from now on; a monster that had lived for eight hundred years likely had more than one trump card.

Having existed for eight hundred years, Raleigh believed that there must have been people who wanted to overthrow the World Government.

However, after so many years, the World Government is still the World Government, but those who resisted them have become forgotten.

If it weren't for the fact that the original historical texts were destroyed, very few people would know about Joy Boy.

The true fighting power of the Knights of God, the Five Elders, the Heavenly King, and Im.

However, Raleigh has not lost faith in overthrowing the World Government; his clenched fist symbolizes his unwavering belief.

"Vegapunk, I must have him."

Raleigh, who had initially only wanted to establish a cooperative relationship with Vegapunk, is now determined to bring Vegapunk into the organization.

While watching Raleigh without paying attention, Quinn quietly pressed an invisible button on the ship's cabin. This was on a deserted island in the Calm Belt, the base of the MADS organization.

The once orderly research room was now filled with flashing red lights.

Vinsmoke Judge rushed from his own lab to Vegapunk's lab, but just as he was about to push open the door, Vegapunk opened it.

"Come in, Judge."

Vegapunk didn't seem surprised at all that this had happened.

"What happened, Vegapunk?"

Judge asked hurriedly, his bloodline factor was about to break through again, but he was interrupted by the alarm.

"It was our ship that sounded the alarm. I investigated and found that Quinn and Caesar had secretly sailed out."

"I checked the previous records, and they frequently sneaked out to loot experimental subjects. Based on this, it's speculated..."

This time, the alarm must have gone off on their way back.

Kaji's beard twitched, and he asked, puzzled.

"So, were they attacked?"

Vegapunk nodded, then said:

It seems we'll soon have a guest arriving who will dominate the rest and raise the alert level to the highest.

"Yes, Chief."

Scientists in hazmat suits walked one by one into the control room of the base and activated buttons of different colors.

Above this underground castle lies a vast forest.

As the scientists at the base pressed the button, pairs of scarlet eyes emerged from every mysterious corner of the forest.