NOVGO.NET Chapter 445: Vir: Home In Danger!
Chapter 445: Chapter 445: Vir: Home In Danger!
What Imu had just said to Saturn through the ring was simple: bring Chiba back to the Holy Land. Nothing more.
That was why Saturn was now asking Vir to come with him.
“Where are you taking him?”
Before Vir could respond, Sengoku spoke up.
Chiba was a Marine under their jurisdiction. Even if Saturn wanted to take him, Sengoku, as Fleet Admiral, still deserved an explanation.
Simply put, Sengoku had the right to know—but not the right to interfere.
Saturn didn’t hide anything and stated the destination plainly.
“The Holy Land. ’That person’ wants to see him.”
At those words, Sengoku’s objections fizzled out. If Imu had spoken, Sengoku’s authority was reduced to mere awareness.
Vir studied Saturn’s stern expression, sinking into thought.
Imu wanted to see him?
What reason could he have?
It couldn’t be for medical treatment, could it? Someone of Imu’s caliber, the ruler of the world, wouldn’t need Vir’s help to heal.
If Imu had an injury he couldn’t fix himself, it was likely something tied to the soul—something Vir had no means to treat at the moment.
If it wasn’t about healing, then there was only one other possibility: boosting strength.
But that raised another issue. Imu was the world’s ruler. Injuring him in a way that Vir’s treatment could register as “healing” for the system’s standards was no easy feat.
And Vir’s current identity was Chiba—a doctor with limited means. Hurting Imu was impossible unless Imu deliberately injured himself, and even then, it would have to be severe.
For that to work, Imu would need absolute trust in Vir’s ability to heal him. But that seemed absurd.
Vir couldn’t wrap his head around it. What was Imu plotting?
Still, he had to go. Fortune favored the bold, and strength was worth the risk. At worst, he could escape. With his safety assured, Vir had no reason to refuse.
“Chiba, go with him.” Sengoku said, his face heavy with reluctance.
He couldn’t guarantee what this trip was about or ensure Vir’s safety, and saying those words pained him.
Vir nodded in response.
Saturn, finding Vir’s compliance sensible, patted his shoulder, signaling him to follow.
Vir ignored the gesture and instead waved Momousagi over. Holding Shirahoshi’s hand, he gently passed her to Momousagi.
“While I’m gone, keep an eye on her. Take her out to eat, drink, and have fun.”
“Oh, and she loves listening to Uta sing. If I’m not back in a week, take her to a concert.”
After giving Momousagi his instructions, Vir turned to Shirahoshi, who looked lost. The sudden change was too much for her. She wasn’t ready for Vir to leave, and panic flickered in her eyes.
“I’ll be back soon.” Vir reassured her.
“You promise you’ll come back?”
“I promise.”
Shirahoshi sniffled, waving at Vir with a heart-wrenching expression that melted Momousagi’s heart. It also made her silently curse Chiba for not being a better person.
But with him gone, she now had a chance to dig out a few secrets from this little princess.
The girl seemed so easy to draw information from.
As Vir left with Saturn, Shirahoshi wiped tears from her eyes, reluctant to let him go.
Vir wasn’t too worried about her. She was safe here, with Momousagi looking after her. There wouldn’t be any problems.
Soon, Vir and Saturn departed.
Marine Headquarters resumed its operations.
Sengoku, his face still flushed, returned to his office. He had high hopes for Chiba.
Perhaps he could be the first doctor to become an Admiral—a limitless future awaited him.
But all that depended on his safe return.
This trip… was it a blessing or a curse?
Sengoku’s brow furrowed, his desire to tackle the stack of paperwork before him completely gone. After sitting in silence for a moment, he sighed heavily.
“Forget it. I’ll take a day off. It’s been over a decade since I’ve had one. Man, I miss the old days…”
Grabbing the Den Den Mushi from his desk, Sengoku headed toward his long-neglected home. Paperwork could wait, but some calls couldn’t be ignored.
Meanwhile, Chiba’s name echoed through Marine Headquarters. His ability to enhance strength through treatment left everyone in awe.
Hearing the praise, Akainu’s expression softened.
That kid wasn’t half bad.
As a beneficiary of Chiba’s strength-boosting treatments, Akainu was even more impressed. When Chiba returned, he’d make sure to nurture his potential.
’He’s the future successor of my hardline faction!’
Zephyr watched as Ain, her body still warped, stared in the direction Chiba had gone. When he disappeared from sight, she turned away, disappointed.
Zephyr’s heart ached for her, but he was powerless to help. If he could, he’d bear her pain himself.
Just then, two figures stopped Ain, pulling her dejected self toward the town behind the base.
Watching the trio drift away, a spark of hope flickered in Zephyr’s eyes.
Maybe Ain wasn’t entirely without hope.
That hope lay with that girl—someone Chiba clearly cared about. Anyone could see it. If she could talk to Chiba, maybe it could work.
*Sigh…*
It all depended on Ain’s own fate. As her teacher, Zephyr couldn’t help with this.
Suddenly, Zephyr’s expression shifted.
Binz had followed them.
Zephyr chased after him, grabbing his arm with a stern look.
“Where are you going?”
“I… I was just…”
Binz stammered, unable to explain himself.
But Zephyr saw through his intentions. This time, he didn’t spare his student’s feelings and scolded him outright.
“Don’t get any funny ideas about that girl. If you do, even I won’t be able to save you! Got it?”
Binz hadn’t expected Zephyr to be so harsh. He nodded meekly and slunk back to his quarters.
Zephyr still wasn’t entirely at ease, but for now, this was all he could do.
—
Mary Geoise, the Holy Land
Behind the royal palace stood a greenhouse-like structure, its thin film replaced with bright glass.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, bathing the lush greenery in the garden with vibrant life.
In the center of the garden, Imu sat in a small pavilion, eyes closed, at peace.
Suddenly!
Her eyes snapped open.
Those pale red, commanding eyes flashed with a hint of anticipation, then turned cold as ice.
“How… interesting…”
She murmured softly, her face as cold as ice, devoid of any expression.
She had witnessed the entire process of Chiba’s healing through that ring.
And the person he healed—she could genuinely sense their strength increasing. That kid wasn’t bluffing when he said he could boost power.
As for why she was in such a hurry to summon Chiba, there was a reason.
Just moments ago, she had checked on Chiba and found nothing amiss. But as she rose from her throne to leave, a sudden tremor of unease flickered in her heart.
Her expression shifted instantly.
Having lived for centuries, this was only the third time she’d felt this way.
The previous two times, events had unfolded that nearly threatened her dominion over the world. Naturally, she took this one seriously.
Using a divination tool, she performed a reading.
The result made Imu’s brows furrow tightly.
Her divination was vague and costly, the tool itself on the verge of breaking, usable only a few more times.
But its results were always 100% accurate.
This time, the outcome revealed… a man in white, in the near future, would trample her underfoot.
Imu’s pupils shook. Her strength was the absolute pinnacle of the world. To crush her underfoot—how powerful would someone need to be to achieve that?
A man… in white?
Images flashed through Imu’s mind, finally settling on a single pirate.
Vir.
The supernova who rose at a speed defying all comprehension.
In an instant, Imu was certain the one destined to trample her in the divination was him.
She immediately ordered every CP agent worldwide to track Vir’s whereabouts.
But that wasn’t enough. She also commanded the Five Elders to personally lead teams to Amazon Lily to capture him.
Hancock and Vir, according to their intelligence, were deeply connected.
Not only did she want Hancock captured, but she also planned to seize every member of the Straw Hat crew to force Vir to show himself.
The plan was already in full swing.
Brook had already been captured, and Franky had been spotted by CP agents at his training grounds, now on the run.
Sanji and Zoro—one on Okama Island, the other with Mihawk—hadn’t been found yet.
But it was only a matter of time.
Given how seriously Imu was taking this, no one would escape.
Whitebeard’s territory was also being targeted, led by the red-haired elder from the Holy Land. Garp and Kizaru had received the World Government’s highest orders.
Their mission: capture Tony Tony Chopper!
For a reindeer with a mere 50,000 beli bounty to warrant such heavy hitters… it was almost absurd.
The entire Holy Land was like a colossal machine, springing into motion the moment Imu gave the order.
She used her divination orb to track Vir again, but the result was a cloud of black mist.
That alone confirmed it for her—it was Vir.
If necessary, she’d join the hunt for the Straw Hats herself!
But before that, she decided to make use of the Marine’s new doctor, who could enhance strength, to give herself a boost.
A full 10% increase in power—if it worked, she refused to believe that man could stir up any trouble.
Then, all she’d need to do was use his crewmates to lure him out and finish him off in an instant!
And while she was at it, she could take care of that brat who ate the Nika Fruit, too!
Imu had already made up her mind.
*Puru puru puru…*
*Click.*
“Imu-sama, we’ve found the one called Zoro. He’s with Hawkeye Mihawk. Should we act directly?”
“What do you think?”
“But he’s a Shichibukai…”
“Right now, even a Yonko who gets in the way will die! Understood?”
“Yes! Understood!”
The bald swordsman hung up the call and exchanged a resolute glance with Mars at his side.
The two then stepped firmly into Mihawk’s territory.
Inside the castle, sipping coffee brewed by Perona and lounging on a sofa, Hawkeye Mihawk slowly sat up straight.
His eagle-like eyes turned toward the direction of the approaching danger.
For efficiency, the World Government had thrown caution to the wind.
They were recklessly using long-dormant, resource-intensive tools.
The teleportation array was one of them.
Imu’s goal was clear: capture everyone by tomorrow.
Three days later, execute them all.
If that guy didn’t show, they’d all die. If he did… they’d still all die!
As the ruler of the world, Imu wasn’t playing some childish game.
If she saw a threat—one capable of overturning everything—why would she play nice? That would be beneath her as the world’s sovereign.
“The most important one… that woman…”
Imu’s mind flashed to Robin, a shadow crossing her eyes.
If she wasn’t on Amazon Lily, she was likely with that man, Shiki.
Finding him would be a challenge, but it gave her an idea.
The skies couldn’t be ignored either.
The main target was Vir, but if they couldn’t find him, capturing his crew would do.
If he showed up to stop them, wouldn’t that mean they’d found him?
And capturing them had another benefit.
They might have his vivre card! With that, he’d be as good as dead!
The World Government’s massive operation sent shockwaves across the globe.
Sengoku, who had just returned home, found himself back in the Fleet Admiral’s office.
Before him was the World Government’s decree.
Revoke the Shichibukai titles of Hawkeye Hawkeye and Boa Hancock.
Unease flickered in his eyes as he gazed toward the Holy Land. Sengoku was beginning to piece things together.
Was the World Government preparing to move against that guy?
But was it worth such an immense cost?
Sengoku’s brows remained furrowed.
He could see Vir’s threat, but it surely didn’t warrant shaking the entire World Government to its core, did it?
The world was now in turmoil, practically overnight.
What had the World Government discovered?
Sengoku immediately sensed something was off. They must have received some critical intel on Vir.
Otherwise, there was no reason for the Holy Land to mobilize so aggressively, solely to capture his crew.
They were even willing to strip two powerful Shichibukai of their titles.
They were ready to take on the Yonko.
It was madness—utter madness.
Sengoku could already foresee the collapse of the balance at sea. A true cataclysm was coming.
As for Vir, this time, there was no escaping the trap the World Government had set.
The moment he appeared, it would be certain death…
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