Chapter 85 - CHAPTER 85 - Frans Island

The ocean was like home to it—vast, free, and boundless. The sea cow dived to the seabed and, sure enough, spotted a sunken ship stranded on a raised mound of earth beneath the sea. The top of the ship's mast was pressing against the bottom of the Dawn. With a swift charge, the sea cow rammed the mast, breaking it instantly. This ensured that when the Dawn continued sailing, its hull would remain unharmed. However, the sea cow suddenly sensed a strong undercurrent. Looking down, it realized that the "mound" was actually a massive writhing mass of entangled sea monsters. Countless tentacles twisted together in an eerie and unsettling sight. Even the little sea cow felt a shiver run down its spine. It quickly surfaced, leaped onto the ship, and frantically waved at Rosen. "Set sail immediately—there's danger below!" Rosen understood right away. The sea cow was highly intelligent, and its gestures were clear enough. Migs immediately gave the order, and the Dawn set course for its destination. Not long after they left, the sunken ship was lifted out of the water by countless tentacles. Swarms of sea monsters clambered aboard, scanning their surroundings as if searching for something. Some of them began swimming toward the Dawn, but Rosen, observing from a high vantage point, could see that their swimming speed was rather ordinary—comparable to that of a regular human. At such a pace, there was no way they could catch up to the Dawn. "Strange... I've never heard of creatures like these before," Robin said, puzzled. She had conducted intelligence research on Lantis, and nothing like this had ever been recorded in this sea. "The ocean is full of mysteries. There's nothing unusual about encountering strange marine creatures," Rosen remarked. Though rare, sea monster attacks weren't unheard of. He treated this incident as just another unexpected encounter. "No, this isn't normal," Robin countered. "Lantis is a nation. Even though it isn't a member state, its records of local marine life and island cultures are extensive. If these creatures had always existed in these waters, they would have been documented." "If it were an obscure island, I could understand why such things remained unknown. But Lantis is a fully developed country with the resources to study and document its surroundings. Unless these creatures simply didn't exist before..." "That does make sense," Rosen admitted. These sea monsters were highly distinctive. If they had been around, they would have been noticed long ago. "But there's no point in dwelling on it now. Let's focus on reaching the island. This isn't something we need to investigate further," Rosen said. Strange occurrences were common in the ocean, after all. "Understood." ... "BOSS, if we do find the person you're looking for, do you think they'll help us?" Robin asked. This had been weighing on her mind. Given Rosen's uncertainty when gathering intelligence, it seemed likely that he didn't personally know this person. "They will," Rosen said confidently. "The deal I'm offering is too good to refuse. If necessary, we can even work together to eliminate Doflamingo." Success wasn't guaranteed, but if he extended an offer of assistance, that person—driven by their hatred for Doflamingo—would almost certainly agree. Of course, it wasn't the most efficient approach. Negotiating the right terms would be ideal since Doflamingo was no easy opponent. He was a troublesome enemy. Robin, seeing Rosen's confidence, didn't press the issue further. An hour later— "We've arrived at Frans Island." "This is the island? It's barely smaller than Liquor City," Rosen remarked, surprised. The island was much larger than he had expected, yet it was merely a guardian island of Lantis. As soon as they stepped ashore, they ran into some minor trouble. A group of local thugs blocked their path, demanding a "protection fee." Rosen turned to the only two companions accompanying him on this trip—Robin and the sea cow. Mr. 5 and Valentine had been left on the Dawn to stand guard, as Rosen's main goal was to gather information. Once they had the intelligence they needed, they would head to Lantis Island and test their luck. If they were fortunate enough to learn Trafalgar Law's exact location, they might not even need to set foot on the island, which was currently under lockdown. Avoiding it altogether would be ideal. But never in his wildest dreams did Rosen expect that, as a member of the Shichibukai, he would be stopped and shaken down by a bunch of low-level thugs. Wasn't there supposed to be a Marine base here? Or had the Shichibukai lost its prestige? Did his name no longer carry any weight? Robin shrugged, just as clueless as he was. --- Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, in a conference room belonging to the World Government— Several World Government officials, along with Admiral Akainu and Fleet Admiral Sengoku, were discussing a pressing and catastrophic situation. "The situation in Lantis has worsened. If the spread continues, it could lead to a massive disaster. I suggest deploying a Buster Call to wipe the entire island off the map. Any survivors can be evacuated beforehand," suggested a stern-faced Vice Admiral from one of Lantis' eight satellite islands. "A Buster Call?! Are you insane? Lantis Island holds immense value. Besides, Saint Desmeere would never allow it. Are you planning to defy the will of the Celestial Dragons?" a high-ranking World Government official snapped in response. "Has it truly escalated to such a degree?" Sengoku frowned. A Buster Call was a nation-level attack, capable of erasing an entire island. Lantis had a population in the millions—it was no trivial matter. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Lantis has been overrun by Ocean Spawn. If we don't eliminate the source of this catastrophe now, nearby islands will also be threatened. This is no exaggeration," the mustached Vice Admiral insisted, his voice carrying a hint of fear. "Ocean Spawn... You mean creatures that can survive in the ocean?" Sengoku was taken aback. If that were the case, the situation was truly dire. "If we execute a Buster Call, I advise against evacuating the civilians. If even one infected person escapes, the entire operation will be for nothing," Akainu said in his usual cold and ruthless tone. No evacuation meant the deaths of hundreds of thousands—perhaps even millions. "No! We absolutely cannot deploy a Buster Call," countered another World Government official, Warren. "We already have over 20,000 Marines stationed on the Eight Guardian Islands. If we maintain a strict blockade, there won't be any trouble." "I also believe using a Buster Call is a poor choice," a moderate Marine officer added. "Lantis Island is rich in minerals and metals, and its civilian population is highly valuable. Perhaps we should send Marines onto the island to investigate the source of the outbreak and see if a cure can be developed?" Sengoku found himself agreeing with this approach. If they could eliminate the cause of the outbreak, it would be the best outcome. "You don't understand," Vice Admiral O'Neill, a native of Lantis, suddenly erupted in anger. "If we send in Marines now, all that awaits them is an endless slaughter! Do you think, after what the Marines did to Lantis, the islanders will cooperate?!" His emotional outburst took everyone by surprise. Even Sengoku and Akainu frowned. A Marine Vice Admiral should not be losing his composure like this—it was uncharacteristic of O'Neill. Sengoku's expression darkened. "What exactly happened on Lantis Island?" 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