One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

“That’s right.” V’s lips curled into a triumphant smile. “When the naval fleet catches up, they’ll just think it’s ordinary fog at sea.”

"Once their ships have all entered this area, the crew will find it increasingly difficult to breathe—their movements will become slower, their strength will decrease, and they may even feel dizzy."

"And at that time..."

With a gentle wave of his hand, he instantly exchanged several portable oxygen tanks with lightweight breathing masks from the prosthetics shop.

"We have adapted to the low-oxygen environment in advance and are able to inhale oxygen at any time."

"The scales of the battle will naturally tip in our favor."

As V finished speaking, his companions displayed various expressions.

Luffy's eyes shone brightly, as if he were worshipping V's brilliant mind;

Zoro, on the other hand, had a look of understanding that said, "So that's how it can be done."

Nami was quickly calculating the feasibility of the tactics in her mind;

Usopp had already begun to fantasize about himself wearing a mask, appearing out of nowhere in the smoke, and beating up the Marines.

"So cunning! V!"

Usopp, wearing a mask, made a whimpering sound.

"But I like it!"

"Let's show these marines what Captain Usopp is all about!"

"Don't be too careless either." V's smile faded, and his voice became steady. "Don't forget that the other side also has a Vice Admiral from the Marine Headquarters."

"At present, only Luffy and I can deal with opponents of that level."

"You must be careful not to be ambushed by him."

"Especially, we cannot allow anyone... to harm our Going Merry!!!"

"yes--!!!"

The straw hat crew responded in unison.

Even the sheep-head prow of the Merry seemed to have a different kind of light flashing in its eyes.

……

……

Half a day passed in the blink of an eye.

As the sun sets, its golden afterglow paints the sea with a rosy hue, only to be cut off by a gray-white barrier in front of it.

The dense fog stretched out like an endless wall in front of the fleet.

"Lieutenant General, an unusually dense fog has appeared ahead, with extremely low visibility. Observation is unable to determine its extent," a soldier on the lookout tower reported loudly.

Sterles stood at the bow of the flagship, his brows furrowed.

He placed his hand on the hilt of his knife, his sharp gaze scrutinizing the eerie mist.

The fog spread out on the sea surface in complete stillness, not moving with the sea breeze, its edges so neat they looked unnatural, as if it had been cut by an invisible hand.

The faint, uneasy cries of seagulls could be heard in the air.

"Is the Straw Hat crew heading straight here?" Steeles asked in a deep voice.

"Yes, Lieutenant General!"

"Based on the last eyewitness account in Rogge and the route deduced, they must have passed through this area of ​​water."

“But…” the adjutant hesitated for a moment, “based on the weather in the surrounding seas, there shouldn’t be dense fog here.”

"Although this is the East China Sea, our fleet has too many ships. If we rashly enter the dense fog area..."

At this point, the adjutant fell silent.

He has explained the situation; the rest is a matter for the superior to consider.

Sterles paused for a moment, his mind racing as he weighed the options.

bypass?

The width of this foggy area is unknown. If the Straw Hat crew takes advantage of this opportunity to sail at full speed, they may be able to shake off their pursuers and enter the Grand Line ahead of everyone else.

Then his operation to mobilize a large amount of resources from the East China Sea Navy will likely end in failure.

He gazed at the setting sun gradually sinking below the horizon; time was passing.

Finally, his eyes sharpened, and he made a decision.

This is the East China Sea, not the Grand Line.

The forces of nature are not insurmountable mountains for a lieutenant general.

Therefore, his choice is:

"Order all ships to maintain battle formation and enter the dense fog area."

"Yes!"

Chapter 48 Die, Bucky the Clown! (Please continue reading~)

"I'm coming!"

"They really came in!"

The central area of ​​the sea, shrouded in dense fog.

Nami, who was piloting the drone on patrol, suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"What!?"

Her voice instantly captivated all the Straw Hat members.

Everyone immediately gathered on the deck.

V said, "Nami, send me the video."

“Okay.” Nami nodded in agreement and immediately granted the drone monitoring permissions.

Although there is no wireless network, V had already set up a local area network inside the Merry, with a signal range sufficient to cover an area of ​​several kilometers.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from V's right eye, projecting a clear image onto the murky white fog.

This footage was captured by Nami's drone.

"1, 2, 3... 52 warships!?"

"My God! Was this really necessary!?"

Upon seeing the scene, Usopp turned pale and trembled between his legs.

This was the first time he had ever heard of the navy conducting such a large-scale military operation in his memory.

"They really think highly of us~" Zoro sheathed his cleaned sword, and under the pressure, a strong fighting spirit burst forth.

In the projected image, through the hazy clouds, naval warships, like silent behemoths, lined up in battle formation and slowly sailed into this pale-shrouded sea.

The flagship's silhouette is the clearest, with figures moving about on the deck.

The leader, dressed in the righteous coat of a naval vice admiral, stood tall and straight, his hand on the hilt of his sword; it was none other than Sterles.

He stood at the bow of the ship, his gaze sweeping around like that of a hawk. Even through the screen, one could feel the composure and pressure of someone who had been through countless battles.

"Don't come any closer, Nami!"

Seeing that the image was zooming in, V quickly spoke up to remind him:

"The vice admirals of the Navy Headquarters all possess considerable Observation Haki. If they get any closer, this drone might be destroyed."

"That's enough."

V's voice came through the mask, calm and clear:

"Proceed according to plan."

"The oxygen level in the foggy area has dropped to 55%. In another ten minutes, ships that have entered the deeper areas will begin to experience breathing difficulties."

"Nami, continue to use drones to monitor the movements of each ship, and highlight the warships with stronger firepower in the fleet."

"Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and I will dive into the water first to counter-encircle the fleet."

"Once Nami completes the marking, we will launch a devastating attack on the key targets."

"Usopp, you and Buggy fly up into the sky to provide cover and supplementary reconnaissance, focusing on the actions of the Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters."

"Let Luffy and I deal with him!"

At this point, a cold smile suddenly appeared on V's lips.

"It's time to let these marines know... that the Straw Hat Pirates are not to be trifled with!"

"That mere lieutenant general from headquarters will surely be killed!"

"Begin the operation!"

"Oh—!" everyone responded in unison.

At V's command, the entire Straw Hat crew immediately began to move in an orderly manner.

Aside from Usopp's legs still trembling and him muttering, "I think I've got a disease that makes me die if I see the Marines..."

The entire Straw Hat Pirates crew was full of fighting spirit.

If we could really defeat this fleet of 52 warships here...

I'm afraid that by the next day, the Straw Hat Crew's fame will have spread far and wide!

……

……

The thick fog, like an endless gray net, shrouded the entire sea area in silence and haze.

The outlines of the naval fleet were faintly visible in the fog.

Stieles stood on the flagship's deck, his brow furrowed.