novelhk Chapter 83 New Goals, Banquet and Reorganization
Chapter 83 New Goals, Banquet and Reorganization
Chapter 83 New Goals, Banquet and Reorganization
At this moment, Enel's Ark Maxims shone with a golden light that was almost blinding.
Nami, watching this scene from the side, was breathing more and more rapidly. Her fingers unconsciously clutched the hem of her clothes, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes shone with an almost devout fervor.
"That's—that's—" Nami murmured, her feet unconsciously moving in that direction.
Fu Ning felt a little embarrassed and put her hand on Nami's shoulder from behind: "Nami, calm down."
"But that's gold! Funing! So much gold!"
Nami turned her head, her eyes shining brightly.
"But it has to be transported back to Qinghai safely first," Fu Ning said helplessly. "Besides, it's King's spoils of war."
"
"I know—" Nami pouted, but her eyes were still fixed on the golden light, as if she wanted to draw it all in with her gaze.
Steel Hand walked over and saw this scene. He laughed and said, "Little girl, you're quite the money-grubber. Don't worry, you've chosen the right captain. You'll have plenty of money to count in the future."
Norton ignored the commotion. He walked over to the White Pearl and said to Funing, who was inspecting the hull, "The impact of returning to Qinghai from high altitude will be enormous. Can the ship withstand it?"
Fu Ning had thought about this problem long ago. She pointed to several rows of inconspicuous, shell-shaped devices that had been newly installed on both sides and the bottom of the ship.
"These past few days, I've had the craftsmen from the Sky Island help me install twenty-four sets of large wind-blown shells and impact shells."
Fu Ning explained, "The principle is similar to the 'Whip' and 'Cloud Shell' of Skypiea. During descent, the Wind Shell reverses its airflow to slow the fall, while the Impact Shell absorbs and cushions the instantaneous impact."
"I've calculated that, combined with the White Pearl's robust structure, the probability of a safe landing is over 90%."
She paused, then added, "Of course, that's assuming the landing point is on the sea, not on land."
Norton nodded. "That's enough."
He then looked at Steelhand: "Where's your ship?"
Steelhand shrugged: "My Iron Fist was designed for the New World; its structure is even more robust than yours. Just jump right in. But—"
She grinned: "I have to be on the same boat as you guys. Training can't stop, and we still have to keep beating them up on the way."
Zoro and Zeff, who were drinking water not far away, froze at the same time.
The loading work lasted for most of the day.
The cargo hold of Ark Proverb was packed full, and golden light spilled out from the gaps in the hatch.
Enel's face was grim; his "flagship" now resembled more of a gold-transporting vessel. It should be noted that the original purpose of building this ship was to reach the Infinite Land.
The White Pearl was also ready. The wind and shock hulls were adjusted to their optimal condition, and Funing led the shipwrights to repeatedly inspect every structural component.
Nami seized the last moment to carefully wrap and secure the huge sleeping cloud bed in the captain's cabin using cloud silk and light fabric, which are special products of Skypiea.
She couldn't bear to leave this treasure behind.
Although it's Norton's bed, she's been enjoying it immensely these past few days. She's decided to come over and use it more often in the future.
This is the most comfortable bed in the world!
Gan Fall brought a group of Sky Island residents to see him off.
The old man watched Enel board the ship with a complex expression, but in the end he simply bowed deeply to Norton: "Thank you for bringing peace to the Kingdom of God. May the Cloud Sea bless your voyage."
Norton took away a large amount of gold, but in the eyes of the Sky Island people, those things were not valuable at all. On the contrary, the soil was the Sky Island's rare treasure.
Norton patted him on the shoulder without saying anything.
All personnel boarded the ship.
The White Pearl, the Iron Fist, and the Ark Maxim, laden with gold, slowly sailed away from Angel Beach, heading towards the special "Cloudfall" area on the edge of the Sky Island.
The island's inhabitants stood on the beach waving, some with tears in their eyes, others cheering.
The "god" that had been pressing down on them finally left, and what took them away was another, more powerful "god" who had granted them freedom and respect.
Enel stood at the bow of the Ark of Proverbs, looking back at this pure white kingdom one last time.
Sea of clouds, island clouds, the ruins of the Golden Bell, and the faintly visible remains of a shrine in the distance.
He ruled here for many years, and he was lonely for many years as well.
Now, he is leaving for a wider and more dangerous world called "Qinghai".
Thinking of this, Enel clenched his fist, and a cluster of golden arcs of electricity leaped from his fingertips.
This time, he did not descend as a "god".
It means "subordinate".
Enel was somewhat unaccustomed to this change in identity.
At the edge of the sky island, cloud waterfalls hang like an inverted Milky Way.
The three ships adjusted their positions, their bows facing the boundless sea of clouds below and the distant azure sky.
"Ready!"
Funing's voice was transmitted to all the ships via Den Den Mushi.
The wind turbines on both sides and the bottom of the White Pearl started simultaneously, emitting a deep hum.
The Iron Fist, on the other hand, gleamed with the metallic sheen of its reinforced hull.
The Ark Maxim was the most relaxed. Enel stood at the bow, raised his hands, surrounded by lightning, and the entire ship was enveloped in a light golden static electricity shield.
"Three, two,"
"Jump!"
The bow of the boat dipped downwards, plunging into the cloud waterfall!
The feeling of weightlessness instantly gripped everyone!
Cloud waterfalls are not water, but a special kind of cloud flow that is more viscous and thicker.
The moment the ship plunged in, all around were milky white, high-speed flowing clouds, completely obscuring the view. The only sounds were the howling wind and the screeching of the ship's structure rubbing against the cloud flow.
The White Pearl's wind-blown shell is firing in reverse at full power!
The airflow counteracted the downward force, significantly slowing the ship's descent. The impact shells continuously emitted "plop" sounds.
With a muffled "thud," it absorbed each violent jolt.
The Iron Fist, like a black iron hammer, plummeted straight down, its hull steadily cutting through the clouds.
The static electricity shield on the Ark Proverb rubbed against the cloud flow, sparking a continuous stream of golden electric sparks, making the entire ship resemble a falling thunder meteor.
Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds —
Suddenly, a bright light appeared at the end of the cloud waterfall!
Then there is the azure—the boundless, deep azure that belongs to Qinghai!
"Izumo has arrived!"
Nami shouted from the cockpit.
The next second, the three ships burst out of the bottom of the cloud waterfall, completely leaving the sky island's range, and accelerated their descent towards the sea thousands of meters below!
The wind howled in my ears! The sea rapidly expanded in my field of vision!
"Full blast from the wind! Prepare the impact shell!" Fu Ning's voice was calm.
Buzz—! ! !
The White Pearl unleashed its strongest airflow from all its jet vents! The ship's descent speed decreased dramatically!
When the ship was still 100 meters from the sea surface, the impact clams on the bottom of the ship were simultaneously activated!
boom!boom!boom!boom!
A continuous, muffled, bursting sound!
It was as if the ship was supported from below by a pair of invisible hands, and the kinetic energy of the fall was absorbed, dispersed, and released!
Boom! ...
Finally, the hull of the White Pearl slammed onto the sea!
Huge waves burst open to both sides, and the ship rocked violently, but the structure remained intact, without disintegration or cracks!
The items secured in the cabin rattled like billiard balls, but there was no large-scale movement.
It worked!
Almost simultaneously, the Iron Fist also crashed into the sea in a more violent manner, splashing up even higher waves, but the hull remained just as stable.
The Ark Maxim was the most stable. Enel used lightning to shoot downwards at the last moment, which offset most of the downward force. The hull almost slid into the sea, only stirring up ordinary ripples.
All three ships returned safely to Qinghai.
The swaying of the sea gradually subsided. Sunlight streamed down, and the sea breeze carried the familiar salty smell.
Nami rushed onto the deck, taking a deep breath: "I'm back!"
Zoro leaned against the railing, gazing at the boundless blue sea, and grinned, "It's still more comfortable here."
Zeff stretched his one leg and looked at the distant horizon: "Time to go back and cook."
Steelhand walked over to Norton and patted him on the shoulder: "You're a pretty good captain, even the landing is so exciting."
Norton smiled but didn't say anything. He looked eastward—in the direction of Magic Valley Town.
"Full speed ahead," he ordered. "Back to Mogu Town."
Magic Valley Town.
In just a few days, this pirate town has completely changed its appearance.
The Blood Anchor Tavern sign at the port was replaced with a wooden sign that read "Norton Pirates Third Pirate Office." The lettering was written by Kuro, neat and cold.
The streets had been cleaned, and although they were still messy, there was less trash and bloodstains everywhere.
Those strongholds that originally belonged to various pirate crews are now marked with a unified flag—a silver skull with a cross of scepters and king pieces in the background.
The dock has been expanded.
The previously chaotic berths have been reorganized, with dozens of pirate ships of varying sizes docked in designated areas, and shipwrights patrolling and inspecting them.
In a prominent spot in the harbor, several of the most badly damaged enemy ships were towed up as exhibits of "the fate of those who defy the law"—the effect was remarkable, and the newly surrendered pirates became as docile as quails.
Kro stood atop the highest observation tower in the harbor, adjusted his glasses, and held a list in his hand.
"The supplies have been inventoried. There is enough food for three months, and gunpowder and weapons have been replenished by 60%."
"The initial reorganization of personnel has been completed. As required by the captain, the original personnel were broken up and mixed into various ships. Each ship was assigned at least three veterans from the original White Pearl or Ivanki as the backbone."
"The wounded are recovering well."
Doctor Twenty and Chopper are both highly skilled doctors, far surpassing other doctors in medical expertise. Although their numbers are small, they can easily treat the injured.
Not to mention, at Norton's behest, Doctor Twenty has already begun selecting people with medical talent from the Norton Pirates to train as ship doctors.
Like a shadow, Sanosuke appeared silently behind Kuro: "King is back."
Kro turned and looked out at the distant sea.
Three black dots are rapidly enlarging.
At the very front is the familiar White Pearl. To the left is a black sailboat with a sturdy design and a prow resembling an iron fist.
On the right side — is a golden ship suspended in mid-air.
"That is—" Kro squinted.
"It must be a specialty that King brought back from the Sky Island..."
"..." Sanosuke thought for a moment and guessed.
Two minutes later, the three ships entered the port.
When the hatch of the Ark of Truth opened and the gold bricks were carried out one by one, the entire dock of Magic Valley Town fell into a deathly silence.
Then came the sounds of gasping for air, swallowing, and some suppressed, heavy breathing.
The golden brilliance almost overwhelmed the dock.
Nami stood at the bow of the White Pearl, looking at the gold, her hands cupping her heart, her eyes curving into crescents.
Enel, his face dark, directed the hastily assembled pirates to carefully move the cargo.
The gold now nominally belongs to Norton, but he is "keeping" it—in a sense, he is still the custodian of the gold.
Norton stepped off the ship, and Sanosuke immediately went to greet him.
"Captain, welcome back." Sanosuke's report was concise and to the point. "The town is completely under control, personnel reorganization is complete, and supplies are plentiful. What are the next instructions?"
Norton looked at the mountain of gold, then at the densely packed ships in the harbor, and finally at the distant sea.
"No rush, let's rest for three days first."
Kro nodded: "Understood."
Norton then walked over to the pile of gold, picked up a gold bar, weighed it in his hand, and tossed it to the longing Nami.
"Keep the books. Half of this gold will be used as fleet funds, managed jointly by you and Kro. The other half—"
"As a reward, it will be distributed to everyone according to their merits and contributions."
A brief silence.
Then, cheers erupted!
"Long live Admiral Norton!"
"Long live King!!"
The roar almost overturned the dock.
Steel Hands crossed his arms, looked at the boisterous crowd, then at Norton, who was surrounded in the center and looked completely calm, and clicked his tongue.
"They certainly know how to win people's hearts."
But a smile crept onto Steel Hand's lips.
Almost every pirate sets sail for gold; it's a desire ingrained in their genes.
Norton ignored the cheers, walked to the harbor, looked at the fifty ships anchored there, and at the faces on board that were either fervent or awe-inspiring.
"banquet!"
Although the sound wasn't loud, it drowned out all the noise.
"Let's have a banquet tonight!"
"Celebrate our return! Celebrate—our gold!"
"Ooooooooooooo!!!"
Cheers once again echoed through the skies of Magic Valley Town.
The Golden Celebration in Magic Valley lasted for three days and three nights, and the entire island was immersed in a fog of extravagant revelry after the looting.
When the barrels were empty and the noise subsided, Norton brought Roy along.
"Go, contact Morgans. Ask him about the Devil's Triangle, especially where Gecko Moria's ship is hiding in the fog of the Grand Line."
Roy's eyes gleamed: "King, are you going to attack him?"
Although Norton has mentioned his plan to subdue the Seven Warlords of the Sea, few people believe that Norton can actually subdue all of them.
Norton is indeed strong, but the Seven Warlords of the Sea are not weak either, with Hawkeye Mihawk being known as the world's greatest swordsman.
If they could truly subdue them all... the consequences would be unimaginable. Norton would become an object that the World Government must eliminate.
The level of threat will surpass that of the Four Emperors!
"Of course, you think I'm just saying that?" Norton chuckled, turning to Crowe: "Before Morgans replies, the fleet will rest and await orders. Inventory supplies and gather all the intelligence on Moria."
"Yes." Chloe pushed up her glasses.
Three days later, a newsbird with exceptionally strong wings flew through the morning mist and landed on the side of the White Pearl.
The mailbox contained Morgans' hasty yet informative reply.
The Devil's Triangle, located in a foggy area along a specific route in the first half of the Grand Line, has fluctuating geographical coordinates, but its core area exhibits regular eddies. Gecko Moria has been entrenched there for ten years, his flagship, the Thriller Bark, hidden within, causing the mysterious disappearance of over a hundred ships each year.
"Warning: The dense fog itself is a natural barrier; entering it will cause the save pointer to malfunction. Moria's ability is strange; those whose shadows are stolen will turn to ashes in sunlight, so be extra careful. Also, enjoy the hunt. Morgans"