Chapter 110: A Detour to the Forbidden Isle
Crossing the Red Line and setting sail on new ships was a straightforward process for the Marines. While pirates might spend days or even weeks on this leg of the journey, the Navy could complete it in a day or two.
The New World G-7 branch assigned to Ian was located in a geographically precarious position, situated on an island caught between the territories of two Emperors: Kaido and Big Mom. It was a dedicated military base with no civilian towns or residents. Maintaining supplies was a constant struggle, and it was often the first target whenever conflict erupted with either Yonko crew. Base commanders were cycled through rapidly, and soldiers came in waves. In recent years, if a commander managed to last six months, it was considered a record-breaking achievement.
The death of "Drought" Jack had sent Kaido into a frenzy. Although the G-7 branch personnel had evacuated early, Kaido had still "taken care of" the empty base. In this context, Ian's promotion didn't seem like much of a reward.
The entire fleet was scheduled to arrive at the G-7 branch around dawn the next day. Supply ships from surrounding branches were supposed to meet them there to assist with the base's reconstruction.
On the sea, Ian's new flagship was a sight to behold. Painted in a stark, intimidating black, its color scheme was completely different from standard Marine warships. At 65 meters long, carrying 1,500 Marines, and boasting an astonishing number of cannons, its specifications were such that even the average Headquarters Vice Admiral wouldn't be qualified to command it. Though newly promoted, Ian's treatment was already close to that of the core elite Vice Admirals.
On the deck, Skylark, wearing her headset, reported to Ian. "Lieutenant General Ian, we just received a call from the G-6 and G-10 branches. The supplies for rebuilding our base... may be delayed. After we arrive at G-7, we may need to find solutions to many problems on our own."
"Are all the New World branches this strapped?" Ian grumbled. "No wonder this is a paradise for the Emperors. If we can't even get supplies, how are we supposed to fight them? 'Find solutions ourselves'... how dare they say that... Nami! What islands are nearby? Any pirate territories? If there are no supplies, we'll go grab some ourselves!"
Speed, who was standing obediently nearby, couldn't help but whisper to Peacock, "Brigadier General Peacock... has Lieutenant General Ian always operated this way? If there are no supplies, he just goes to rob some... It seems rather... similar to us pirates?" For a moment, Speed truly couldn't tell who the real pirates were.
Since being brought back by Ian a few days prior, Speed had integrated into the group surprisingly quickly. Everyone treated her no differently, and even Skylark, who had previously defeated her, shared sniper tips. The exclusion she had feared never materialized; it seemed everyone unconditionally trusted Ian's judgment in bringing her aboard.
"Hey there, little pony," Peacock purred, stroking Speed's equine back with a predatory smile. "Haven't you gotten to know Lieutenant General Ian properly yet? Seeing how close you two were, I thought... hmm? How about you come to the rear deck with me? You look so cute; it would be so much fun to... train you." From day one, Peacock had shown an inexplicable obsession with "training" the new centaur.
Speed, well aware of what had happened to the pegasus, Stronger, on board, wanted no part of being "baptized" by Peacock's whip-based training. "Brigadier General Peacock, please, have mercy! Lieutenant General Ian said it himself, right? I... I am his personal mount! I promise I won't talk out of turn anymore, eek!" She covered her mouth, having learned quickly that every officer in this crew had their quirks, and the consequences of slipping up could be severe.
Nami arrived with her hand-drawn charts and the official military maps. "Lieutenant General Ian, there are no pirate-occupied islands in the immediate vicinity. However, there is one strange location. The Log Pose doesn't point to an island at eleven o'clock, but previous military charts clearly mark one there. It seems someone deliberately erased it. The island's name is... Punk Hazard."
After Nami finished, Peacock and T-Bone quickly approached.
"Punk Hazard? I've heard of that place," Peacock interjected. "It used to be a Navy research base. A scientific accident happened there two years ago—a massive release of poisonous gas that caused heavy casualties. The research facility was shut down and abandoned. It's a dead island now."
T-Bone nodded in agreement; his intel matched Peacock's.
"Punk Hazard... I remember it now," Ian said, a greedy smile spreading across his face. "The entrance to the New World indeed holds such interesting places!"
Peacock and T-Bone were correct in their surface-level knowledge. Punk Hazard was listed as a forbidden island due to the vast quantities of poisonous gas from the research disaster. What they didn't know was that a year ago, the mad scientist Caesar Clown had returned to the island and cleared most of the lethal gas. He now used it as a secret base, with inextricable ties to Doflamingo, Kaido, and Big Mom. Caesar continued his horrific experiments on the surviving prisoners, researching artificial Devil Fruits, human gigantification, scientific weapons, and deadly poison gases. Funded by various powerful figures and supplied with human test subjects, Caesar lived a prosperous life in hiding.
Supplies? Ian thought. Punk Hazard should have plenty to loot. Furthermore, conflict with the Emperor crews was inevitable. Even if Ian didn't seek them out, his motto of "No Thieves Under Heaven" was bound to attract their ire. Destroying Punk Hazard would deal a heavy blow to the interests of multiple forces simultaneously.
One strike, three hits! What a fantastic deal.
"Nami, notify the fleet to adjust course," Ian commanded. "Before heading to G-7, we're making a stop at Punk Hazard. Such a 'magical' research island must be stocked with supplies, right? Hahaha!"
Peacock: "Huh? We're going to Punk Hazard?"
T-Bone: "Lieutenant General Ian, were you listening just now?"
Nami: "But the gas! It's all poison gas!"
Speed: "Eek!! We're going to the deadly poison gas island?!"
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