Seven Days Later
A submarine accompanied by four warships silently drifted in a straight formation, with all power systems shut down, carried along by deep ocean currents.
"Marshal, we've got visual on Fish-Man Island. Should we dock?"
"No. Bypass it directly."
"Yes, Marshal!"
At this point, Luo Lan had no intention of making a pit stop at Fish-Man Island.
After all, five ships like theirs were too conspicuous. If they docked, word would spread like wildfire. And then—
Forget Doflamingo learning they'd entered the New World—
Even the World Government would catch wind of it.
Better to keep their distance and sail straight through.
It's not like Fish-Man Island was some glowing colossus. With all lights turned off, the five ships became virtually invisible in the ten-thousand-meter-deep sea. Unless one was extremely close, there was no way to see them.
As for the absurdly clear underwater visibility depicted in the original story? Total nonsense.
With the help of Observation Haki-enhanced radar, they even avoided every nearby Fish-Man patrol.
Thus, the five-ship fleet passed by without alerting a single soul—heading straight for the New World.
Roughly an hour later—
Five enormous silhouettes surged from beneath the ocean surface.
"So this is the New World? Doesn't look that special to me."
Luo Lan peered at the image transmitted through the periscope, looking unimpressed.
"Marshal, we are approximately 400 nautical miles from Punk Hazard. At cruising speed, we'll arrive in about 18 hours."
"Proceed. Have the Danaan surface and engage radar. Also, relay orders to Momousagi and Hina—have them take turns using Observation Haki radar to avoid any single lifeforms or ships."
"Yes, Marshal!"
Danaan's standard radar could scan several hundred kilometers, as long as there were no obstructions, and was excellent for detecting large, solid objects with reflective surfaces.
Observation Haki radar, while limited in range compared to the ship's system, could detect living beings.
Working together, the two systems provided full-spectrum awareness—of ships and people alike.
With this, the fleet would avoid all detection en route to Punk Hazard.
"Communications officer, contact Smoker and the others. Find out their location."
"Yes, Marshal!"
At the command, the comms officer on the bridge immediately responded and got to work.
A moment later—
"Marshal, the Ark Maxim is expected to arrive about two hours before us."
"Tell them to remain hidden until we arrive."
"Yes, Marshal!"
Luo Lan's fleet was the main force. Smoker and Ace, meanwhile, comprised the strike team.
After their last port call, the Science Division had spent an entire day modifying and outfitting the Ark Maxim. No doubt some new experimental tech had been installed—equipment too advanced for older warships but perfectly suited for the Ark Maxim.
---
Early Morning, the Next Day
Under the cover of darkness, the Jun Lin Fleet cut all lights and advanced to within five nautical miles of Punk Hazard.
Everyone stood ready at their posts, awaiting Luo Lan's command to initiate the assault.
Inside the Danaan's command bridge, Luo Lan activated his Observation Haki.
Amplified by the second-generation radar system, his Haki instantly covered the entirety of Punk Hazard and projected the results onto the central screen.
It was clear at a glance:
There were dozens of people on Punk Hazard—it was far from the uninhabited zone the Navy had believed it to be.
Among them were several formidable fighters.
Although the other four ships lacked second-gen radar (and even their first-gen systems had been removed to avoid detection), the Danaan remained fully equipped with the latest tech.
Now, every individual's combat power on Punk Hazard was displayed in clear numerical values.
Target 1: Unknown
Target 2: 8712
Target 3: 6229
...
...
Target 47: 1
Luo Lan blinked.
The high numbers weren't surprising—likely Blackbeard and Doflamingo. But who the hell had a power level of 1?
Even when Luo Lan's own body had been damaged, he was still stronger than that. A power level of 1? Seriously?
No matter. He'd find out soon enough.
"What's the status of the Ark Maxim?"
"Marshal, currently hovering at 3,000 meters. Captain Ace has finished charging the railgun. Ready to fire on your order."
"Transmit all coordinates to the fleet. Three minutes from now, when the Ark Maxim fires, launch the full-scale assault."
"Yes, Marshal!"
---
High above, 3,000 meters in the sky—
Hidden within a bank of clouds, the Ark Maxim received the order and immediately adjusted its posture.
The ship tilted approximately 30 degrees to the left. The railgun…
Was now aimed directly at the center of Punk Hazard.
"Commodore Smoker, coordinates received and locked in."
"Stand by. Fire on my signal."
"Yes, Commodore!"
The crew scattered, making final preparations. Smoker pulled out his pocket watch and tracked the seconds.
Then—he raised his hand.
And brought it down with force.
"Fire!"
"Yes, Commodore!"
A deafening crack of thunder split the air as the railgun discharged from the ship's left bow.
A custom solid-shell projectile launched at nearly Mach 10, streaking downward with terrifying speed.
In just a single second, it crossed the 3,000-meter gap—
Impact.
The center of Punk Hazard exploded as though struck by a meteorite.
The earth itself was torn apart in a shockwave of unimaginable force. A scene straight out of a disaster film.
And that wasn't the end.
Even as Ace stepped forward to recharge the railgun for another shot, the four steel warships on the ocean's surface began their assault as well.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM—
More than twenty main cannons opened fire at once.
In that moment, the devastation wrought upon Punk Hazard exceeded even the Navy's Buster Call.
That had been designed to flatten an island.
But Luo Lan's attack?
It looked more like he intended to sink the entire island.
A completely different level of annihilation.
---
Punk Hazard – Central Zone
Cough, cough...
Covered in mud and blood, Doflamingo struggled to his feet, hacking up a mouthful of blood onto the ground.
He was clearly badly wounded.
Just moments ago, his Observation Haki had screamed a warning.
Relying on his combat instincts, Doflamingo immediately enveloped himself in full-body Armament Haki and surrounded himself with strings from the String-String Fruit.
Not far away, Blackbeard had reacted just as swiftly—his power was no less than Doflamingo's.
But in the very next second—before either of them could even see the source of the attack—the entire area was obliterated.
The only thing Doflamingo could remember…
Was an overwhelming shockwave that sent him flying and crushed his internal organs.
One devastating strike.
Could it be…
One of the Four Emperors had made a move?