While Nami contacted Lindgas, Ryuen was already reaching out to Morgans.
Somewhere in the New World.
Ever since today's newspaper was sent out, Morgans had been feeling uneasy.
This time, he had worked with Ryuen to offend one of the most powerful Celestial Dragon families in Mary Geoise.
"Should I just escape to Skypiea..." Morgans was torn.
"Purururu~~~"
Hearing his Den Den Mushi ring, Morgans impatiently glanced at it. But the moment he saw it was Ryuen calling, he jumped three meters into the air in shock.
"Why is this troublemaker calling again..." Morgans groaned but still picked up. "Uh, Captain Ryuen..."
"Morgans, save the front page of tomorrow's newspaper for me. I need it for something important!" Before Morgans could finish his sentence, Ryuen cut him off.
"Oh come on, what now? I'm already scared out of my wits, I can't keep playing these dangerous games with you!" Morgans whined.
"Broccoli Island..."
"Wait, wait, wait! Of course, I'll save it for you! Whatever you need, just tell me!" The moment Ryuen mentioned Broccoli Island, Morgans' heart nearly stopped from fear.
"Good. I'll send you the details later." With that, Ryuen hung up.
Somewhere on Broccoli Island, New World.
Morgans stared at the disconnected call, feeling frustrated but also strangely excited.
Publishing the truth had always been his journalistic creed, but over the years, the more he learned, the less he dared to write.
Now, thanks to Ryuen, he felt like he had regained his passion for real news.
"But..."
"Why do I feel like I've become his personal employee, working just for him..." Morgans muttered to himself.
~~~~~~
Clarkd Island.
After Ryuen hung up, Nami returned with information from Lindgas, including the names and whereabouts of several Celestial Dragons.
In the distance, Jonathan and a few Marines were helping the villagers pack up their belongings.
They were about to leave the place they had called home since childhood. Their hearts were filled with hope for the future, but even more so, an overwhelming sense of reluctance.
"Captain Ryuen, we wouldn't have made it back alive from the Boar Pirates if it weren't for you. Thank you!"
"Nami, Robin, Daisy, everyone… really, thank you!"
"This time, we got to take revenge with our own hands. It's all thanks to you!"
...
As they were about to leave, the sixty or so people from Driftwood Village gathered in front of the Dream Crew to express their gratitude.
The woman who had been rescued from serious injuries even dropped to her knees, holding her three-year-old daughter tightly in her arms.
She had clung to life with sheer willpower until Daisy treated her. And when she returned to the village and saw that her daughter—whom she had hidden in the cellar—was still alive, she felt that everything she had endured had been worth it.
"No need to thank us. Just live your lives well from now on. Believe in yourselves—things will only get better." Robin spoke gently, looking at the simple villagers.
Jonathan, standing nearby, watched the scene with mixed emotions.
~~~~~~
After sending the villagers off, the Dream Crew turned to Ryuen. They knew it was time to stir up trouble again.
"This time, we don't all need to go. Who wants to stay behind?" Ryuen asked softly.
"I'll stay. There's a shipyard here, and I want to use some of the materials to build new equipment. It's not fully stocked, but it'll do." Hogg immediately volunteered.
"I'll stay too. I'm the cook, so I wouldn't be of much use anyway..."
"Then I won't go either..."
In the end, Ryuen only took Nami, Nojiko, Daisy, and Sugar to Drum Island.
That's right—Drum Island!
Because of the Dream Exploration Team's involvement, many of the doctors Wapol had driven away had been invited back. Now, Drum Island was slowly regaining its former reputation as a medical powerhouse.
And today, a Celestial Dragon was visiting Drum Island.
This particular Celestial Dragon was also a doctor. From a young age, he had been obsessed with studying medicine and the human body—not for noble reasons, but to satisfy his twisted urges for mutilation and organ collection.
"Sigh~~~"
"Looks like I'm playing mount again..." Ryuen muttered gloomily. But before long, he had fully transformed into his beast form.
Sugar and Reina were instantly thrown off.
So Ryuen was really a bird...
"Speaking of which, I kind of miss Kuro. I wonder how he's doing now..." Nami said as she hopped onto Ryuen's back.
Nojiko, Daisy, and Sugar followed right after her.
"What do you mean? He's been lazy all this time. Even Bellemere said he was getting fat.
Now that Bellemere keeps traveling between Cocoyasi Village and the Oikot Kingdom, he's finally getting some exercise as a mount."
As Ryuen finished speaking, he spread his wings and shot into the sky.
Nami, Nojiko, and Daisy remained calm, but Sugar's heart was pounding.
So thrilling!
She had finally stepped on this annoying captain's back!
The rest watched as Ryuen and his group flew off before going back to their own tasks.
After all, Krakder Island was a huge place, and they were eager to explore it.
As for Ryuen's team, there wasn't much to worry about.
After all, they had never seen anyone who could actually get the upper hand against Ryuen.
~~~~~~
"Hold on tight! I'm speeding up!"
After Nami gave the direction, Ryuen called out to the group on his back.
But really, the warning was only for Sugar—the other three were already used to it.
Seeing Nami, Nojiko, and Daisy gripping Ryuen's feathers tightly, Sugar copied them.
Once he felt them all secure, Ryuen picked up speed, soaring toward Drum Island at an incredible pace!
~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Tsuru was making secret arrangements.
Most of the Marine intelligence network was under her control, so Sengoku's plans required her full cooperation.
One by one, intelligence reports were being assigned to Marine operatives.
They planned to use the vast Marine base network to start spreading information manually.
Disguised Marines began appearing in taverns around the world, subtly spreading rumors about the ties between the Marines and the Celestial Dragons—while claiming to be admirers of the Dream Exploration Team.
This method was simple, but in this world, it worked well. It made people easily associate it with the Dream Exploration Team's scheme.
Paradise.
After several hours of high-speed flight—by the time Nami and the others' hair was practically frozen stiff from the wind—Ryuen finally arrived at Drum Island.
"Ahhh!!!"
Ryuen suddenly changed back to human form. Sugar didn't react in time and fell straight from the sky.
Luckily, right below her, a space portal opened.
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