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"Name."
"Henderson Gaiz."
The soldier responsible for registration looked up, his expression one of disbelief, as if he'd seen a ghost.
"What's wrong? Am I not handsome enough for you?"
With that, Acier tugged at the collar of his ragged coat, his chubby face lighting up with a dreamy smile of self-confidence.
Handsome!
The others: (;_;) ...
The registration soldier: "..."
"If you keep this up, I'll kick you halfway across the base, believe me, I will do it!"
Rowen, observing the scene, couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth before speaking. "Enough. Once we've sorted things out here, we'll send him to Colkla Island. We can investigate further then."
"Understood, Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon)!"
The soldier hastily completed the paperwork, handing Acier a temporary pass.
"Although survivors aren't going to be thrown into prison, this is still a state of emergency. You'd best stay in your room and keep to yourself, or don't blame us if military law shows no mercy!"
The soldier reminded Acier sternly as he handed him the pass.
"Oh…"
Acier weakly accepted the pass, then raised his head reluctantly. "You really don't think I'm handsome?"
He struck another pose, showcasing his charmingly round face.
"..."
The soldier turned his despair-filled eyes toward Rowen, silently pleading: "Admiral, can I hit him?"
"As long as you're sure it won't lead to him exposing anything or tarnishing the image of the Marines or the government… well, feel free."
Rowen puffed on his cigar and shrugged.
Sensing the tension thickening in the air, Acier quickly changed his tune. "Ah! What lovely weather we're having today!"
"I'll head back to my room now, ha, ha, ha!"
As the newly registered "Henderson Gaiz" left under the watchful eyes of the soldiers, Alva approached Rowen to report. "Sir, the small boats are ready. We can set off at any time!"
"Let's go, then," Rowen replied, waving a hand. "Everyone else, stay alert. We still don't know what we might encounter here. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
…
While Rowen and his team began their treasure hunt inside the Lantern King's stomach, far away on an unnamed island in the Grand Line...
"So it actually exists? A giant anglerfish!"
Orrick's astonished expression was hidden beneath his mask as he stared at the photos taken by the submarine. His worldview had been thoroughly shaken.
"Let me see, let me see, Orrick!"
Sugar, standing on tiptoes, tried to catch a glimpse, but her height only allowed her to see the ocean's blue hue in the pictures.
"Here," Orrick said, sighing as he handed the photos to Sugar.
During their time together, Sugar had grown less afraid of Orrick, her behavior becoming increasingly childlike. Orrick couldn't help but wonder if this was a side effect of her Hobi Hobi no Mi (Toy Toy Fruit) nearing awakening.
If it weren't for the fruit's immense value, Orrick wouldn't have tolerated anyone acting spoiled around him— most would have earned a slap to the face.
Taking the photos, Sugar opened her small mouth in astonishment.
"Wow! It's so big!"
Compared to the gaping maw of the anglerfish, the Marines' largest battleship, the War Behemoth, looked like a mere speck.
It seemed likely that even if the fish swallowed it whole, it wouldn't even notice.
"Yeah. No wonder all the bait teams were wiped out and there was not even a single survivor. Turns out they were telling the truth."
"So, what do we do now?" Sugar asked, licking her lollipop and tilting her head. "We worked so hard to use that weird old man to distract the Marines. If we go back now, it's like walking into a trap, right?"
Back at Colkla Island, Sugar had been the only one who truly ventured there. The "Orrick" at the time had been part of a larger ploy.
The goal was to focus Marine and government attention on Colkla Island in the New World, buying Orrick time to execute his true plan.
But...
Who would have thought the giant anglerfish actually existed?!
This revelation confirmed that the legends of Alchemi and Pure Gold might also hold some truth.
It felt like trading gold for peanuts.
"No. In fact, this only makes me more certain that Pure Gold doesn't exist." Orrick's voice suddenly brimmed with confidence.
"Huh? Why's that?" Sugar asked, puzzled.
"Soryu (Azure Dragon) personally stepped in because of this. How could it be fake?"
Orrick responded with a confident smile.
"Remember, Sugar, that Soryu (Azure Dragon) guy is incredibly ambitious. Coincidences involving him are never just coincidences."
"..."
Feeling that her brain wasn't keeping up, Sugar pouted and huffed. "Why don't you just say it plainly? Fine, I admit I'm stupid, okay?!"
Orrick: "..."
'This little brat is getting way out of line!'
'I'm a Celestial Dragon, for crying out loud! Show some respect!'
'(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻'
But then, remembering that Sugar's former master was also a Celestial Dragon, Orrick sighed helplessly. "Fine... let me put it this way. Do you really think that something CP0 couldn't figure out in months would be uncovered by Soryu (Azure Dragon) in just one week? Does that sound credible to you?"
Despite her recent odd behavior, Sugar wasn't actually dumb. Upon hearing this, she quickly connected the dots and exclaimed in disbelief. "You mean, the legend was made up by him? He tricked everyone?!"
How dare he?!
"Do you have proof?"
"Not yet. But I'm sure it won't be long before he presents Pure Gold to the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) to claim credit."
At this, Orrick stretched lazily and leaned back in his chair. "This sea is becoming more and more interesting."
Sugar pouted and muttered to herself. "Really? It feels more and more like a headache to me."
A curious situation was unfolding at that moment.
Orrick didn't know that Pure Gold actually existed.
Rowen didn't know that Orrick didn't know Pure Gold existed.
Both of these scheming minds were setting traps for others, yet ironically, they ended up falling for each other's deceptions.
If you had to give a reason for this situation, perhaps it's simply the so-called "blind spot of the clever."
The old saying, "The clever outsmart themselves," fits perfectly here.
As the small boat slid into the second enormous stomach compartment, Rowen smacked his lips as he looked at the crimson island ahead.
"As expected, it's stomach after stomach, and there's a second island in here too."
Unlike the tropical rainforest of the first stomach, this was a barren island dominated by sand and rock. Shipwrecks lay scattered like fallen debris amidst the rocky wilderness.
From a distance, it looked like a massive junkyard.
"Alva…"
Rowen called out.
Alva nodded and gave the order. "Teams three and beyond, stay behind to search the area. Everyone else, keep moving!"
Acier— now going by the alias Henderson Gaiz— had to keep his true identity secret, including details like his supposed 200-year lifespan and real identity. However, he could share some basic information.
For instance, the fact that the Lantern King had three stomachs, each containing an island, and some general descriptions of what could be found there.
This information helped validate his story as a stranded survivor of a wilderness ordeal.
Rowen, who also knew this information but couldn't explain its source, found it much simpler to let "Henderson Gaiz" provide the details instead.
According to Henderson, the first island was an ancient ecological preserve inhabited by prehistoric creatures like dinosaurs.
The second island was barren, with alkaline soil that prevented any vegetation from growing.
"If you're looking for Alchemi, it should be on the third island. There's a grand ruin there, but it's filled with traps, and I couldn't get inside," Henderson explained.
In reality, the so-called "ruin" was his old research facility. Back in the day, pirates searching for Pure Gold were stopped by the traps within.
"Yes, sir!"
The team quickly split into two groups: one followed Rowen deeper into the stomach, while the other stayed behind to search the second island and collect any valuable finds.
Continuing forward, the third island soon came into view.
"It's huge!" Alva exclaimed, staring ahead in shock.
Compared to the islands in the first and second stomachs, the third island was at least twice as large.
The first two islands seemed like floating scraps surrounded by stomach acid, while this island nearly filled the entire stomach cavity, leaving only a small gap.
It was unclear whether it simply separated the cavity or extended further beyond.
Rowen lowered his binoculars and handed them to Alva. "There it is, halfway up the mountain."
Alva snapped out of his daze and took the binoculars. Sure enough, nestled amidst the dense primeval forest, stood an ancient, weathered structure, its walls faded with age.
Like a "stone of longing" awaiting the return of its beloved, the building faced the direction from which they'd arrived, majestic and imposing.
(End Of the Chapter)