Chapter 194: Robbing Vegapunk
The way the *Grandine* arrived at Fish-Man Island wasn't through some teleportation power like the Paramecia-type Teleportation Fruit.
Instead, it descended from the New World, over 10,000 meters above, via a coating process to safely enter the underwater realm.
However, when the *Grandine* docked at the port, the pirates and fishermen who recognized the famous ship didn't witness the appearance of the individual they'd expected—someone who had kept a low profile after scaling the world's highest mountain and becoming the Fifth Emperor.
The mysterious Emperor of the Sea, known as the "World's Strongest Creature," didn't make an appearance.
Though this renowned figure—ranked as No. 2 in the pirate world—wasn't present, the arrival of someone else still caused a huge stir throughout Fish-Man Island.
Stepping off the *Grandine* was a striking figure, normally seen wearing a black and white maid outfit only in front of Kahn. Draped in a black banner with a dragon emblem and long, slender legs, she descended from the ship alongside several others.
This beautiful woman, recognized as the world's most beautiful, was the top figure of the "Cross Family."
She was the second-in-command of the Cross Family, a fact well-known by outsiders.
In recent years, her bounty had skyrocketed from 1.5 billion berries to an astounding 2.5 billion berries. She was also known as the highest-ranked among all the Emperor's companions.
She had consumed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, one of the strongest Logia fruits, and was hailed as the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock.
Following behind Hancock were her companions: Baccarat, who had eaten the Paramecia-type Lucky Fruit; Nojiko, who had eaten the Paramecia-type Door-Door Fruit; and Oro Jia, who had consumed the Paramecia-type Barrier Fruit.
In addition to these three, there was also the flawless No. 3, who had eaten the Paramecia-type Combined Fruit, along with a group of clones who shared identical appearances and physiques.
"Master's plan should be starting soon, so let's complete our task as quickly as possible."
Hancock, stepping off the *Grandine*, addressed Nojiko, saying, "Nojiko, use your ability to take us directly to Ryugu Palace. I don't want to wait for those fools to come escort us."
"Yes, my lady," Nojiko replied without hesitation. Immediately, she used her ability to open an Air Door, much to the wide-eyed amazement of the pirates and fish-men watching from a distance.
Without delay, Hancock, the flawless No. 3, and the clone squad all stepped through the portal into the alternate space.
Their mission was clear: they were there to capture Shirahoshi, the Mermaid Princess, one of the three Ancient Weapons.
Meanwhile, far in the depths of the sea, where darkness consumed everything, Vander Decken IX had no idea that misfortune was silently creeping upon him as the "lucky girl" set foot on Fish-Man Island.
As Hancock moved forward with her plan to take Shirahoshi, things were stirring in the New World as well. Kahn, who had stayed out of the public eye for years, was finally leaving the waters of Wano, preparing to reap the benefits of what he'd carefully nurtured for so long.
"Kahn, big brother, we've arrived at Warhead Island," said Viola, dressed in a cheongsam bearing the "Cross Family" emblem. She marked a spot on the map with a black pen and showed it to Kahn.
"Thank you, Viola," Kahn replied, gently patting her on the head. He then took a transformation pot handed to him by Monet and slammed it forcefully onto the ground, signalling the start of his long-awaited plan.
Alongside Kahn, there were Monet, the Sugar sisters, and Kuina, who had risen to become a top-ranking officer of the "Cross Family" over the past two years.
As four clouds of smoke spread and dissipated, Kahn and his group donned combat uniforms similar to Germa 66's stealth technology—specifically, the invisible black suits.
Their heads were fully covered by black helmets, concealing their faces and hair, making it impossible to identify any of them.
Once they had finished their transformations, Kahn and his team turned completely invisible, just like Carina and her team when they assassinated Shiki, the Golden Lion, two years prior.
"Violet, you stay here and keep an eye on Hancock and the others," Kahn ordered before turning to Perfect Five, who had also entered a state of invisibility. "Perfect Five, send us to Warhead Island."
Almost as soon as Kahn gave the command, Violet noticed the surrounding temperature drop slightly. This confirmed that Kahn and the rest of the team had left the uninhabited island.
Thanks to the incredible power of the Paramecia-type Teleportation Fruit, Kahn and his group crossed vast distances, passing several islands and shipping routes in a very short time. They arrived directly at Vegapunk's experimental base, located on the futuristic Warhead Island.
Warhead Island was filled with advanced technology, and its monitoring system was so sophisticated that it could detect even the smallest fly. However, the thermal detection system wasn't advanced enough to catch Kahn and his team while they were in their invisible state, so no alarms were triggered.
Still, Kahn didn't underestimate the dangers of the futuristic island. To avoid unnecessary delays, he activated his Observation Haki right after arriving, then pointed in a specific direction and issued another order to Perfect Five. "Take us to the top floor of that building."
With another silent teleportation, Kahn and his group appeared in the hallway of the tallest building on Warhead Island, which served as Vegapunk's real experimental base.
"Take us to the third room," Kahn commanded, pointing toward a corridor on the left.
As soon as the group materialized in the third room, an elderly man with an apple on his head, wearing a white lab coat, stood before them—none other than Dr. Vegapunk himself.
*Beep beep...*
The piercing sound of an alarm echoed through the laboratory, accompanied by flashing red lights, as soon as Kahn and his team entered the room. Unfortunately for Vegapunk, before he could use his incomplete space-jumping technique to escape, his body was instantly transformed into a lifeless doll.
In the next moment, a familiar spatial field—one that Vegapunk had specialized in—enveloped half of Warhead Island, but it was too late.
*Slice—*
*Puff chi chi...*
In a matter of seconds, Vegapunk's doll-like body was sliced into dozens of pieces, suspended in the air by Kahn's telekinetic powers. Even his mouth was severed into pieces, rendering him incapable of speech.
"Transfer—"
After dismembering Vegapunk, Monet, using the powers of the Op-Op Fruit, transported Vegapunk's six clones—who were scattered across different locations on Warhead Island—directly in front of the laboratory.
*Puchi puchi...*
Since the original Vegapunk had been transformed into a doll so abruptly, his six clones failed to react. As soon as they were teleported before Monet, they were swiftly dismembered into dozens of pieces by her scalpel.
With Vegapunk and his six clones rendered incapable of fighting, moving, or even speaking, Kahn still didn't deactivate his invisibility. Instead, he used his helmet's thermal detection system to locate Kuina.
Finding her, Kahn gently patted Kuina's shoulder. Kuina, already aware of Kahn's plan for this mission, remained silent and nodded in understanding. She then crouched down and used the powers of her Paramecia-type Lion Fruit to take control of Warhead Island.
Yes, Kahn's mission wasn't just to capture Vegapunk's knowledge. He intended to take control of the entire Warhead Island itself.
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