[Cover Story Serial — "The White City Arc: 'No... suppress it...'"]
Inside a certain World Government official's office, a bald, middle-aged man sits listening grimly to a voice on the other end of the transponder snail. The pen in his hand spins between his fingers. After a long pause, a chill flashes in his narrow eyes — he rejects the proposal with an icy tone that brooks no argument.
...
The plaza during the Petal Festival was overflowing with people and fluttering banners.
"Big brother, hurry up! Hurry up!"
In a lively side street, a little girl with twin pigtails ran ahead, laughing brightly as she waved back:
"This way! There's a parade float here, come on!"
"Slow down, Lami, don't be in such a rush."
Their mother — the gentle young doctor — smiled and patted her daughter's head.
"But brother's so slow!"
The little girl, holding an ice cream in one hand, cupped the other to her mouth like a megaphone, shouting at Law: "If you don't hurry, you'll miss the floats!"
"They won't pass that quickly,"
Law leisurely trailed far behind, holding an ice cream as well, though he had barely licked it. His mind was still preoccupied with a few key points from his medical notes.
"Geez, seriously, Brother!"
Lami puffed her cheeks and ran off toward the open plaza. Her mother chuckled helplessly and hurried after her.
Then—
Plop.
The sound of ice cream hitting the ground.
Law, still half lost in thought, instinctively looked up — just in time to see Lami clutch her chest with a muffled gasp and collapse.
"Hey! What's wrong?!"
Law was startled and rushed forward, but their mother, who was closer to Lami, was faster. She had already crouched down and picked Lami up.
"What's going on, Lami, you..." Law started to ask, but his gaze was drawn to his sister's arm.
On her arm, a layer of white, hazy substance was continuously seeping out from her skin, looking like a layer of white tinea in the afternoon sun.
"That's…"
Law's pupils shrank in horror.
...
"It's the White Toxin."
Dr. Trafalgar said, clutching his hair in despair.
"How… how could this happen? She's only a child…"
On the bed before him lay little Lami — pale, drenched in cold sweat, her eyelids trembling as soft moans of pain escaped her lips.
His wife sat numbly on the couch, tears welling as she stared blankly at their daughter.
"The White Toxin..."
Law stood at the other side of the bed, his face ashen.
Both his parents were doctors, and he himself had been studying medicine since childhood — so he knew exactly what those white marks meant.
It was a mysterious new disease, its cause still unknown.
Cases had begun appearing at the start of the year, first as small, white, scaly patches on the skin…
but soon, the symptoms would worsen drastically — every inch of skin, even the patient's hair and eyebrows, would turn white…
Just like the very soil and trees of this country.
So far, most of the victims were elderly, and local experts speculated it came from overconsumption of sweeteners made with Amber Lead compounds, combined with weakened immune systems.
But the real cause hadn't been identified.
For now, people could only call it "White Toxin."
The reason the hospital where his parents worked had been so busy lately was precisely because more and more patients with this disease were being admitted. It had even started to reach the point where beds were becoming scarce.
And among the first batch of patients admitted, many had already succumbed, dying one after another…
Would Lami end up like that too?
"No… no, she won't…"
Looking at his sister's increasingly pained expression on the sickbed, Law clenched his right fist, his nails almost digging into his palm.
"It can definitely be treated. She will definitely get better."
"Even if the doctors in this country can't do anything about this disease, as long as we ask the World Government for help, there will definitely be a way…"
...
The endless blue sea.
The Thunder Hawk was sailing at full speed. Nao, who had just finished his harsh morning training, was under a sunshade on the deck, wiping off sweat with a towel while gulping down large mouthfuls of water.
After draining the bottle, Nao glanced at the ship shadow trailing behind them: "That guy still hasn't left?"
"Yeah,"
replied Onigumo, curling his lip.
"We've tried telling him twice to turn back, but he insists. Says that since you rarely visit the North Blue, he must at least show his respects — and that the very least he can do is escort you until you reach the Calm Belt."
"Let him do what he wants."
Nao waved a hand dismissively.
"We'll reach the Calm Belt by tomorrow night anyway."
"Understood."
Onigumo nodded.
Nao took one last glance at that ship and then headed back into the cabin to continue his training.
The day before yesterday, he had escorted the last king back to his country. Now, free from his tasks and feeling unburdened, he was on his way back to Headquarters.
So, the ship following them wasn't one carrying a royal envoy group, but a Marine warship from the North Blue's 1st Branch, led by the deputy base commander, a Rear Admiral named Engel.
This warship had been dutifully trailing behind them ever since Nao set sail from Branch 128.
This Rear Admiral Engel, already in his thirties, claimed to be Nao's devoted fan.
At first, he had enthusiastically invited Nao to stop by the 1st Branch — offering full supplies and an official "inspection visit," saying it would be an immense honor for all 3,000 Marines stationed there.
Unfortunately for him, Nao's supplies were already sufficient, and he was eager to return to Headquarters without detours.
Besides, Engel's enthusiasm bordered on flattery — even a bit sycophantic — and his motives were not exactly pure.
If it weren't for the fact that the 1st Branch had been the first to arrive in support during the recent war, and that Engel himself had personally led the charge with commendable bravery, Nao wouldn't have given him the time of day — he would've simply ordered Onigumo to chase him off.
As it stood, since Engel at least knew how to keep within his bounds — and since they'd be leaving the North Blue by tomorrow night — Nao decided to just let him be.
…
Back in the training room
Nao didn't immediately continue his morning training. Instead, he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and meditated, quietly recalling and reviewing the gains and losses from his previous battle with Big Mom.
According to reports from headquarters, Big Mom had returned to Totto Land a few days ago, dragging her heavily injured body. However, it seemed she didn't have much time to rest and recuperate.
Because the entire Totto Land sea area was now in chaos.
Countless ambitious pirate crews, seeing this rare opportunity, were trying to invade and overthrow the Charlotte family's rule, clashing fiercely with the pirate forces led by Katakuri.
Could they succeed?
Nao scoffed at the idea.
There were always rookies who had just entered the New World, thinking they were the chosen ones. But soon, they would realize in horror, faced with harsh reality, just how terrifying the gap was between them and a "Sea Emperor" level existence.
It was a chasm so vast that even the real "main character crew" couldn't cross it and could only flee in panic.
And these pirates, not bearing the name Monkey, naturally didn't have that kind of destiny to escape. Most would likely pay a price.
For instance... their lives.
Nao wasn't particularly interested in the details.
Pirates turning on each other was always a good thing.
He soon drew his focus back to reality, outlining his next set of training priorities.
After careful thought, his focus came down to three key areas:
1. Physical Attributes — especially Strength
His raw speed, even without relying on his magnetic field teleportation, already slightly surpassed Big Mom's.
In terms of stamina, he was roughly equal to Big Mom or even Kaido.
But when it came to pure strength, he was still lacking.
He'd have to increase the intensity of his physical training, emphasizing raw power development.
2. Observation Haki (Kenbunshoku)
Big Mom's Observation Haki wasn't particularly exceptional — in fact, it was inferior to her son Katakuri's —
but even so, under the system's classification, hers still qualified as "Master Level", far above Nao's own.
That gap had cost him dearly in their seven-day, seven-night battle.
Even with his superior speed, he'd taken many unnecessary hits, and most of his injuries were because of that weakness.
He'd need to rebalance his training schedule — spending more time meditating, sitting in silence, sharpening his perception and spiritual awareness.
3. Conqueror's Haki Infusion (Haoshoku Enchantment)
This, however, was the most critical.
Before crossing into this world, Nao used to think Conqueror's Haki was just for show — useful for knocking out weaklings, nothing more.
But after years of life-or-death battles, he now understood its true importance.
Infusing Conqueror's Haki — wrapping it around one's attacks — was without question the highest form of Haki mastery.
Once mastered, it could be layered onto every offensive technique, causing an explosive leap in destructive power —
a visible, tangible evolution of strength.
To surpass most fighters and reach the pinnacle of the world, one didn't need Conqueror's infusion…
But for anyone born with it, mastering this skill was absolutely essential to advance further.
Put simply—
Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido all wielded infused Conqueror's Haki.
Even legendary pirates of the past — Rocks, Golden Lion Shiki, and others — surely possessed it at their peak.
Someone like Garp might not have had Conqueror's Haki,
but facing opponents who did, he must've suffered from its overwhelming pressure more than once.
If he had awakened it, Nao was certain —
the old man would've trained relentlessly until he, too, mastered Conqueror's Haki Infusion.
Who would ever complain about having too few trump cards up their sleeve?
"It's a pity even that old man Sengoku doesn't know how to use it. I don't have anyone to ask for guidance — I can only grope my way forward alone. Two years have passed, and I've barely scratched the surface…"
Nao lowered his gaze, staring intently at the faint flicker of Conqueror's Haki dancing across his palm.
He sighed and muttered,
"I can't exactly barge onto the Moby Dick and start pestering Whitebeard with questions, can I?"
There was no rushing this sort of thing.
Just like swordsmanship, Conqueror's Haki required moments of enlightenment to make progress — but it wasn't something that could be instantly mastered the moment one awakened it.
It demanded long, patient training and comprehension, step by step, until the path slowly revealed itself.
"Consistency is everything."
Determination glimmered in Nao's eyes. He quickly cast aside all distractions and sank back into his training.
He firmly believed that, at most, in another two or three years, he would be able to fully master the infusion of Conqueror's Haki.
By then, his weaknesses — his physical attribute and Observation Haki — would also have been compensated for.
When that time came…
Not to mention Big Mom or Kaido — even Whitebeard, who was still clinging to the last stretch of his prime,
Nao would be able to face him head-on, one-on-one!
...
White City — Flevance
Law stood dazedly before the sickbed, his pupils slightly unfocused, his lips moving soundlessly.
On the bed, little Lami lay unconscious.
Compared to a week earlier when she first fell ill, nearly every inch of her skin was now covered in that white, scaly rash — the few patches of normal skin that remained were barely visible.
Her once flaxen hair — tied neatly into twin tails that bounced under the warm afternoon sun — now hung loose and dull, its color faded into an aged, ghostly white.
Creak.
The door opened.
Dr. Trafalgar and his wife stepped in, their faces etched with exhaustion.
"Done with work, Mom?"
Law didn't turn his head, speaking in a low, drained voice.
"Mm."
His mother slumped weakly onto the sofa.
Beneath her sat a wrinkled newspaper featuring the latest reports about Vice Admiral Nao —
something she would normally have folded carefully and kept away.
Now, she didn't even notice she was sitting on it.
"Just a short break," she rasped. "Five minutes at most. The hospital took in over two hundred new patients this afternoon alone.
The corridors… and even the stairwells… are full of people lying there."
"And corpses."
Dr. Trafalgar suddenly spoke up.
"Don't say that!" his wife snapped, glaring furiously.
"Didn't we agree — not in front of Law and Lami—"
"Can we really hide it?"
"Law's ten years old. He's not some clueless little kid anymore."
He removed his glasses, rubbing his temples, and gave a weary, bitter smile.
"Law… you've seen it yourself, haven't you? How bad things have gotten in town."
"…"
Law stayed silent for a long time before finally murmuring a faint "yeah."
Bad?
That word didn't even begin to describe it.
It was hell on earth.
The disease had erupted across White City almost as if by some cruel, unspoken agreement.
Families, whole streets — everyone was falling ill.
Law's classmates, his neighbors, no one had been spared.
Hospitals across the country were overflowing, and every day — with each turn of night and day — countless people died quietly in their homes, never even making it to a doctor.
Just a few weeks ago, no one could've imagined it.
The so-called "White Toxin", once dismissed as a minor local ailment,
had suddenly surged forth like a monstrous beast breaking through a dam,
devouring all of Flevance beneath a flood of white death.
...
Send some Power Stones!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin