Chapter 47: Absolute Zero

The freezing sea breeze carried a heavy, unnatural tension as our carriage halted several miles out from Water 7.

Through the windows, Perona’s spectral Negative Hollows phased back into the cabin, chattering frantically in their ghostly tongue.

Perona’s face paled.

“Ten heavy-class battleships,” she reported, her usual bravado entirely gone.

“They’ve formed a massive crescent blockade around the outer bays.

And…

there’s a really tall man sleeping on a lawn chair on the deck of the flagship.

He radiates cold.”

“Admiral Aokiji,” Robin breathed, her hands instinctively tightening into fists.

“They’re waiting for the carriage.”

“Then we aren’t taking the carriage,” I said smoothly.

I grabbed the reins and directed the Glacial-Inferno Sovereign to make a hard detour away from the city.

“We’re going to St.

Poplar.”

We arrived at the neighboring island city of St.

Poplar shortly after.

We found a secluded, heavily wooded inlet to hide the carriage and the chained galleon, ordering the Sovereign to stand guard and freeze anyone who tried to approach.

“Time to blend in,” I announced.

Gammamon, understanding the assignment, gave a happy nod and transformed into a stream of digital light, safely storing himself inside the Digivice at my waist.

Brook wrapped his skeletal face in thick bandages and pulled a heavy hood over his afro.

Robin and Perona donned large sunhats and civilian coats.

Since the Marines were running a silent blockade, trying not to alert the civilian population or Galley-La, the commercial sea trains were still running perfectly on schedule.

We bought standard tickets for the Puffing Tom, boarding the train alongside dozens of oblivious tourists.

As we rumbled over the ocean tracks, passing right through the massive gaps in the Marine net, the World Government’s highest military power remained completely fixated on the horizon, waiting for a frozen carriage that was never going to arrive.

Once we stepped off the train in Water 7, I found a secure public Den Den Mushi and dialed Iceburg’s direct line.

“Iceburg.

I’m in the city,” I said quietly.

“Meet me at the secure dock.”

“Are you insane?

The city is surrounded!” Iceburg hissed through the receiver.

“I know.

That’s why you need to come down there alone.

Do not bring your foremen,” I warned him, my voice dropping to a serious, commanding tone.

“Rob Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and the bartender, Blueno.

They are undercover Cipher Pol assassins working for the World Government.

If they know I’m here, the trap springs.”

A suffocating, dead silence hung on the line as Iceburg processed the fact that his most trusted employees of five years were government spies.

“Alone,” Iceburg finally croaked, his voice trembling with betrayal.

“I’ll be there.”

We navigated the back alleys of Water 7, slipping past Marine patrols with ease, until we reached the massive, enclosed subterranean drydock where Iceburg built his classified projects.

Iceburg was already there, looking physically ill from the revelation I had just dropped on him.

But when he saw us walk in, his professional pride took over.

He grabbed a massive lever on the wall and pulled it down.

The giant canvas tarp fell away.

It was an absolute masterpiece.

The custom Adam Wood carrier was sleek, aerodynamic, and heavily armored.

The dark, indestructible wood gleamed under the dock lights.

It was outfitted with Franky’s custom pressurized artillery cannons mounted on the sides, a reinforced hull, massive living quarters, and a specialized, heavy-duty harnessing rig at the bow designed specifically for my jade beasts.

“I’ve never built anything quite like it,” Iceburg admitted, tossing me a heavy ring of master keys.

“She’s virtually indestructible.”

I caught the keys, a grin spreading across my face.

“She’s perfect,” I said, looking up at the ship.

“We’ll call her the Titan’s Glory.” I looked back at the Mayor.

“The remaining balance for the ship is in our carriage, hidden in a wooded inlet near St.

Poplar.

You can take it from there.”

Above ground, the illusion was shattering.

Within the Galley-La headquarters, the undercover Cipher Pol agents quickly realized that Iceburg was missing from his office.

At the same time, intelligence trickled in from the backstreets: the Franky House was completely empty.

The cyborg and his entire gang had vanished like ghosts.

Realizing their targets were slipping through their fingers, CP9 scrambled.

They split up to sweep the city.

Kaku, using his superhuman speed to bound across the rooftops, made a beeline for the only place Iceburg could be hiding something massive: the secure, underground drydocks.

Kaku silently dropped through a ventilation shaft, landing softly on the rafters high above the dock.

He peered over the edge.

His square nose twitched in sheer panic.

Standing right there, receiving the keys to a massive new warship, was Victor D.

Costa and Nico Robin.

Kaku’s mind raced.

How did they bypass the blockade?!

Where is the frozen carriage?!

Knowing the Beastmaster was completely out of his league, Kaku didn’t even think about drawing his swords.

He silently spun on his heel, preparing to launch himself out of the dock using Geppo to immediately notify Admiral Aokiji.

Down below, my Advanced Observation Haki flared.

I felt the spike of panic in the rafters.

I didn’t look up, but a sharp smirk crossed my face.

“We have a rat in the ceiling,” I said quietly to my crew.

“It’s time to initiate the plan.”

Iceburg blinked, stepping back.

“Plan?”

My mind flashed back to the conversation we had just an hour ago, sitting in the passenger car of the Puffing Tom.

Robin had looked out the train window, her eyes heavy.

“Victor, if an Admiral is truly out there, the smart thing to do would be to take the ship, break the blockade before they know we’re here, and run.”

“I agree with the lovely lady,” Brook had nodded solemnly.

“A direct confrontation with Marine Headquarters is suicide.”

I had leaned back in my seat, looking at them.

“You’re right.

That is the smart thing to do.

But I don’t always do the smart thing.

I do the right thing.”

Robin looked at me, surprised.

“The Marines set this trap to capture you, Robin, and to put a bullet in my head,” I stated.

“They are trying to squeeze us.

If we just run, they’ll keep chasing us.

They’ll keep setting traps.

I want to send a message to the World Government right here, right now, that we are not a crew they can just walk all over.”

I pulled out a piece of paper, sketching a rough diagram.

“So, here’s the play.

Gammamon, Perona, you’re up.”

“I’m gonna punch a boat!” Gammamon cheered from inside the Digivice.

“I want hazard pay for this!” Perona complained, but a wicked, mischievous grin was already spreading across her face.

The flashback faded.

I looked at Kaku’s retreating shadow.

“Iceburg, go hide in the bunker.

Do not come out until the dock is empty.”

Iceburg didn’t argue; he bolted for the reinforced safe room.

I looked at my crew.

Robin gave a firm, resolute nod, her fear completely replaced by unwavering trust.

Brook drew his cane-sword.

Perona floated into the air, crossing her arms, and unleashed a massive, swirling swarm of dozens of Negative Hollows that filled the drydock with a wailing, spectral chorus.

I unhooked the Jade Wings.

Summon: Sky-Rift Roc.

Summon: Night-Terror Ferret.

The massive jade bird erupted into the dock with a deafening shriek.

It immediately flew toward the Titan’s Glory, locking its talons into the specialized harness at the bow, waiting for my signal to rip the ship out of the dock and into the sky.

Simultaneously, the Ferret materialized at my feet.

It darted toward the massive shadow cast by the Titan’s Glory.

The Ferret’s eyes glowed crimson, and its unique ability activated.

The ship’s shadow violently expanded, rippling like a pool of dark water.

It swept across the floor, completely swallowing me, Robin, Brook, Perona, and the swarm of ghosts.

In a fraction of a second, we vanished from the drydock, plunging into the dark, teleporting network of the Ferret’s shadows to our new destination.

Marine Flagship – Outer Blockade

The morning fog rolled thickly over the deck of the colossal Marine battleship.

Admiral Aokiji stood near the railing, his hands casually shoved into his pockets, his sleeping mask resting on his forehead.

He stared at the empty, quiet sea, waiting for a frozen carriage that should have arrived hours ago.

Behind him, Spandam and several Cipher Pol agents were pacing nervously, waiting for Kaku’s report.

Suddenly, heavy, frantic footsteps echoed from the lower decks.

A communications ensign burst through the heavy wooden doors, his face pale, gasping for air.

“Admiral!” the ensign panted, clutching a ringing baby Den Den Mushi.

“We just got a priority transmission from the city!

Victor D.

Costa…

he’s already on the island!

He bypassed the blockade!”

Spandam let out a high-pitched shriek of absolute terror.

“HE’S ON THE ISLAND?!

HOW?!

YOU SAID YOU HAD THE SEA SECURED, KUZAN!”

Aokiji’s lazy eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise.

He turned his head, looking out at the foggy sea, trying to calculate how a massive frozen caravan had slipped past his Observation Haki.

He slowly turned his head back toward the ensign to ask for coordinates.

At that exact moment, a heavy hand clamped down onto his shoulder.

Aokiji completely froze.

His breath hitched.

Every combat instinct honed over decades of warfare screamed at him, practically paralyzing him in place.

Someone had bypassed his Haki.

Someone was standing directly inside his guard.

He slowly, carefully turned his head to the right.

Standing right next to him was Victor D.

Costa.

(Victor pov)

Because Aokiji was nearly ten feet tall, I had deployed the heavy chains from the hilts of my Jade Wings, locking them rigidly into the wooden deck below to form a hardened, makeshift stand just to put myself shoulder-to-shoulder with the Admiral.

My arm was casually hooked over Aokiji’s epaulette.

At the exact same time, Aokiji’s delayed Observation Haki finally kicked in.

Three more incredibly powerful signatures had just materialized across his flagship.

“Morning, Kuzan,” I grinned, my voice dripping with casual, terrifying sarcasm as I looked the highest military power of the Marines dead in the eye.

“Beautiful day for a blockade, isn’t it?”

Word Count: 1708

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