One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

"Hehehe... Since Straw Hat Luffy took the spot Crocodile vacated, let's go find 'the other one'!"

Van Augur slowly wiped the long spear "Thousand Six" in his hand, his voice steady: "You mean... the one who stayed in the first half of the Grand Line for a long time and kept a relatively low profile?"

“That’s right!” Blackbeard slammed his fist on the edge of the raft, splashing water. “Gecko Moria! That guy who spends all his time hiding in his Thriller Bark and living off collecting other people’s shadows!”

For Blackbeard, a former member of one of the Four Emperors' pirate crews, Gecko Moria's information was not exactly a secret.

Lafayette tapped the raft lightly with his cane, making a soft clattering sound, as if deep in thought: "Moria's stronghold is in the Devil's Triangle, shrouded in thick fog year-round, making it difficult to find."

"Moreover, he was once a man capable of fighting against Kaido, one of the Four Emperors. Rashly provoking such a powerful figure doesn't seem like a good idea..."

"Hahahaha..." Blackbeard spread his arms wide, his maniacal laughter radiating unparalleled confidence. "I don't care about anything else anymore!"

"What's more, we're incredibly strong right now!"

"You agree, don't you..."

"...Enel?"

Blackbeard raised his voice again and turned to look at the corner of the raft.

There, a blond figure, soaking wet, disheveled, and utterly disheveled, was hunched over the edge of the raft, retching violently.

It was none other than Enel, the former "god" of Skypiea and the user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

"Ugh...no...don't call me God..."

Enel struggled to raise one hand, his face ashen, clearly still reeling from the fear of drowning and the seawater's strong rejection of his ability.

Ever since he was forcibly "invited" onto the ship by Blackbeard's crew, he hasn't had a single comfortable day.

His prized Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability was not only constantly hampered on this vast ocean, but also brought him to the brink of despair several times due to the madmen's behavior within his team.

"Hehehe, it seems our 'god' hasn't adapted to life at sea yet!"

Burgess slapped Enel on the back without any politeness, almost knocking him back into the sea.

"Get out of my way, you lowly mortal!" Enel managed to condense a wisp of electricity in his palm, but the weak arc was instantly swallowed up by the humid air and sea breeze, appearing utterly powerless.

He could only grit his teeth and glare at Burgess.

"Zehahaha...Relax, Enel."

A calculating glint flashed in the black-bearded man's small eyes.

"This is Qinghai, a truly powerful and magnificent sea!"

What's the point of calling yourself a god while holed up in your tiny "divine kingdom"?

"Only by fulfilling your ambitions here can you truly understand what the real world is like, and what real wonder is!"

……

……

"Damn it! Did I miss it again?!"

The Grand Line, off the coast of Gaya Island.

Ace stood on the deck of the fire-powered ship, the sea breeze carrying the humid heat unique to the waters around Jaya Island, blowing his black hair across his forehead.

"Damn Teach..." he cursed under his breath, orange flames involuntarily escaping from between his fists, scorching the edges of the paper.

According to the information he just received, Blackbeard's crew recently accidentally entered an area of ​​rising ocean currents and were then swept into the air at an altitude of 10,000 meters by the seawater.

But not long ago, Blackbeard's trail was spotted on other islands.

For a moment, he couldn't help but recall V's hesitant reminder in the base corridor the night before he left Alabasta.

"The chosen one?" Ace scoffed, flames erupting from his palm, burning the intelligence report to ashes. "I don't believe... you bastard who killed your comrades could have such good luck!"

The stubborn little boat once again spewed out blazing flames, just like its master, single-mindedly rushing towards the depths of the sea.

……

……

"Finally back!!!"

Two days later, on the coastline of Alabasta.

As the island whale Labu broke through the waves, the familiar hot wind, carrying the scent of the desert, rushed towards us.

Luffy excitedly opened his arms and shouted.

Just then, the roar of spinning propellers suddenly came from the sky.

"Hey~! Luffy, V!"

On the unmanned transport plane, Usopp waved his arms vigorously and shouted loudly downwards.

Seeing this, V smiled slightly and said, "Let's go, Luffy."

"It's time to go home!"

……

……

Shortly after, in a conference room at Airuma's straw hat base.

The Straw Hat crew gathered together.

"So, does that mean we can now openly use the exclusive routes for the Navy and the World Government?"

Nami's eyes lit up as she stared thoughtfully at the flight path map.

The Grand Line is unpredictable, but it is not without safe places.

However, most of these relatively calm sea areas have been developed into naval bases or other facilities by the navy.

Ordinary pirates would never go near there.

However, as members of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, they are naturally not subject to these restrictions.

In other words, they can now go wherever they want in the first half of the Grand Line.

Robin then reported, "The base's drone and automated robot production lines have been installed."

"Currently, in accordance with the cooperation agreement with the Kingdom of Alabasta, we have prioritized the completion of the necessary production and deployment within the Kingdom."

"After meeting Alabasta's needs for infrastructure, medical assistance, and security, the remaining production capacity can be turned to foreign trade."

She gently flipped through the data panel in her hand and continued, "According to preliminary assessments, many non-World Government member states in the first half of the Grand Line, as well as some remote islands, have a great need for automated machinery and efficient production equipment."

“We can use the legitimate status of the Seven Warlords of the Sea to export products to these regions under the guise of ‘technical assistance’ or ‘commercial cooperation’.”

Nami's eyes lit up, and she added, "Wouldn't we be rich this way?"

V nodded in satisfaction, then grinned and said, "Money isn't important; what we need are the unique resources of the Grand Line."

Whether it's the later development of aerospace weapons or the use of the Gluttony Fruit to enhance and upgrade prosthetic bodies, a large amount of rare materials, cutting-edge metals, and special resources are needed.

Now that they have the status of Shichibukai, it has greatly reduced the difficulty for the Straw Hat crew to collect resources.

"Everything is moving in a better direction."

"These are all important assets for the Straw Hat crew to grow before the next storm arrives."

V's smile faded, a fleeting blue light flashing in his eyes, as if he were glimpsing a magnificent future.

Did they possess combat capabilities comparable to a naval admiral before even arriving at the Sabaody Archipelago?

This once distant, even absurd, idea is now gradually becoming a reality with each of their firm and decisive steps, transforming from a hazy vision into a tangible reality.

Chapter 109 Target: Gaya Island

a few days later.

In the port of the Kingdom of Alabasta, the sea breeze swept across the docks, stirring up fine sand and flags.

Sunlight shines on the busy transport robots and the neatly arranged supply boxes.

Those were the first batch of special materials delivered by the Navy under the guise of "post-war reconstruction," and they were being checked by Baroque's foreign affairs personnel.

Wearing a simple blue dress, her long hair fluttering in the wind, Vivi stood beside her father, Kobra, her eyes filled with both reluctance and determination.

King Cobra, wearing a cloak symbolizing royal power, looked solemn, but revealed a gentle smile when he spoke to the Straw Hat crew.

“Luffy, V, and everyone…” Vivi stepped forward, her voice clear and strong, “Alabasta will never forget what you have done.”

"Without you, this country might have already fallen into the darkness woven by Crocodile."

"You gave this country a second life."

Today, large-scale seawater conversion plants are already in operation along the coastlines of the Kingdom of Alabasta.

Before long, this land covered in yellow sand will no longer have to worry about water resources.

Cobra nodded slightly and picked up where Vivi left off: "Alabasta will always be the Straw Hat crew's strongest ally. No matter where you are in the future, the power of this country will always be at your disposal."

Luffy adjusted his straw hat and grinned, "Vivi, goodbye, Uncle King!"

"We'll come back for a banquet after we've completed our voyage around the Grand Line!"

V stood beside Luffy and nodded to Cobra and Vivi: "The first batch of supplies has been delivered, and subsequent medical and construction support will be coordinated in real time through the brain-computer network."

"in addition……"

He raised his arm slightly, and a miniature reconnaissance drone took off silently and hovered in front of Weiwei.

"This little guy is for you. I made it with special materials and it has considerable offensive capabilities."

"With your Paper-Paper Fruit ability, you'll be able to deal with ordinary petty thieves."

"In case of an emergency, you can also contact us directly via brain-computer interface."

Although there is a group of Baroque agents who have been modified by V, ordinary guys don't even have a chance to get close to the Straw Hat base.

But that place is now the Straw Hat crew's base.

In the future, both global communications and aviation weapons will depend on this base, and no mistakes can be tolerated.

Vivi took the drone, her fingertips lightly touching its smooth surface, her eyes slightly warm:

"Thank you... Please take care."