Throne Of Supreme

Chapter 208: Restarting the Plan and the Bounty

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The boat slowly docked at the shore.

Aoki spoke up, "Ms. Shakky, please go with Hancock and the others!"

Shakky hesitated for a moment. She wanted to go back and see her homeland again, but she knew her return wouldn't be simple.

Having left Amazon Lily all those years ago, she was branded a traitor—her status was as blunt as it was undeniable.

Whoosh!

A sharp sound tore through the air.

Aoki raised his hand and effortlessly caught an arrow mid-flight. His gaze shifted upward.

A group of women stood atop the rocks, staring down at them. Their expressions ranged from stern and vigilant to curious.

"Who are you? What are you doing in Amazon Lily?" demanded a woman with short black hair, gripping a longbow.

Aoki turned to Shakky, silently waiting for her decision.

Hancock and her sisters had been away from Amazon Lily for years. A sudden return could stir trouble—especially since none of them wanted to reveal the details of their experiences during their absence.

Though Shakky had left the island long ago, she was once the emperor of Amazon Lily. Her past position still carried weight, and her presence would likely smooth the way for Hancock and her sisters.

"Wait... is that Her Majesty Shakky?"

A voice rang out from above, filled with excitement.

Shakky looked up, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face. "Annabelle? Is that you?"

The short-haired woman's expression lit up with joy. "Yes, it's me! Your Majesty, you've returned?!"

"You've grown up, Annabelle," Shakky replied with a sigh before glancing at Aoki.

Understanding her unspoken request, Aoki nodded. "We'll wait here until you return."

Amazon Lily strictly forbade men from entering.

However, not all of the women hated men. For most, the ban was simply a deeply rooted tradition. With Hancock not yet crowned as emperor, curiosity about men still outweighed disgust in many cases.

Even so, Aoki had no intention of causing unnecessary trouble by stepping foot on the island.

Shakky reassured him, "Don't worry. I'll make arrangements for them."

The short-haired woman, Annabelle, eagerly led Shakky, Hancock, and her sisters away. Two others remained behind, keeping a watchful eye on Aoki and Rayleigh.

Aoki leaned against the boat, pulling a bottle of wine from his spatial storage. He tossed it to Rayleigh, then gazed toward the horizon, his eyes fixed on the depths of the Calm Belt.

"Your Excellency, may I ask which sea lies on the other side of this stretch?"

Rayleigh caught the bottle, inspecting it with a curious eye. "The South Blue," he replied.

Aoki's curiosity deepened. "And the West Blue?"

Rayleigh chuckled, uncorking the bottle and taking a deep whiff. "The West Blue lies beyond the New World."

"Beyond the New World, huh?"

Aoki sighed, dismissing the idea of flying across the doldrums.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

Shakky returned to the ship with Hancock, while Sandasonia and Marigold remained on the island.

"Won't you stay a little longer?" Aoki asked.

Hancock shook her head firmly. "No! I still have much to learn. I can't afford to waste time here."

Aoki said nothing more.

Rayleigh drained the last of the wine in his bottle in one gulp, then picked up the oars. "Alright then, let's prepare for the return trip!"

"There's no need for that," Aoki replied, shaking his head. He raised his hand. "Grab hold of my arm, relax your body, and don't resist."

Rayleigh and Shakky exchanged a thoughtful glance before complying. After ensuring everyone was secure, Aoki activated his ability, and in an instant, the four of them vanished from the deck.

---

Sabaody Archipelago, Area 13.

In a quiet, inconspicuous corner, a silver prismatic pattern was engraved into the ground.

Ripples distorted the air, and four figures materialized out of nowhere.

Aoki frowned slightly. "What's going on?"

The energy consumption for this teleportation far exceeded his expectations—dozens of times more than usual.

Rayleigh glanced around, his eyes betraying a flicker of surprise. The ability to traverse long distances was indeed remarkable. It now made sense how Aoki had appeared on the boat earlier, beyond the range of his Observation Haki.

Shakky smiled and exhaled a puff of smoke. "With an ability like this, it's no wonder the World Government can't catch you, Aoki."

Aoki snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at Rayleigh, a contemplative look on his face.

Is it because Rayleigh is too strong?

He already knew that abilities could be influenced by the strength of their targets.

Rayleigh's power was undoubtedly at the four-star level, while "Space Travel" was only a two-and-a-half-star skill of the "King of the White Walkers."

In other words, the excessive energy consumption was likely due to Rayleigh being "overweight" in terms of strength.

If the target were someone at the five-star or six-star level, it was possible that "Space Travel" would become completely ineffective.

Aoki's expression darkened as he realized the implications.

Not being able to teleport others was a minor issue. The real problem was that as he grew stronger, there might come a time when he couldn't use "Space Teleportation" on himself.

Even more concerning, if "Space Travel" could be affected, then what about his ability for interdimensional travel?

"I didn't expect that growing stronger would come with its own set of side effects," Aoki muttered, glancing at the system taskbar.

If his suspicions were correct, this issue might not be insurmountable.

"Aoki, what's wrong? You don't look so good," Shakky asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Aoki shook his head. "It's nothing."

Turning to Shakky and Rayleigh, he continued, "This is where we part ways, Ms. Shakky, Your Excellency Rayleigh. Hancock is in your capable hands now."

Shakky raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You're leaving so soon?"

"Time waits for no one," Aoki replied, shifting his gaze to Hancock.

Hancock's beautiful face betrayed a flicker of reluctance, but her voice was resolute. "I will master Haki as soon as possible!"

The Hancock of this time and space may grow into someone very different from the Pirate Empress I once knew... Aoki thought to himself.

He sighed inwardly, then smiled. "I'll come back to see you if I get the chance."

Shakky lit another cigarette, taking a slow puff. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Hancock receives the training she needs."

With a confident nod, she added, "Hancock will be an excellent student. She won't let you down. Well then, until next time!"

"See you later," Aoki replied with a faint smile and than nodded to the three of them and turned to leave.

As he walked, his appearance began to shift rapidly. By the time he stepped onto the bustling streets, he had transformed into an ordinary-looking, honest young man, blending seamlessly with the crowd.

The Sabaody Archipelago had regained its former vitality, showing no signs of the devastation it faced just seven days ago.

Strolling through the lively streets, Aoki decided not to head to the West Blue immediately.

The Sabaody Archipelago, home to many elite pirates in the first half of the Grand Line, was a hotspot for powerful figures outside the New World. For Aoki, this was an opportunity too good to pass up.

With the pirates who had fled during the navy's assault likely returned, it was the perfect time to proceed with his plans—plans that had been delayed by the navy's sudden attack and Hancock's unexpected situation.

Now, it was time to get back on track.

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Area 60, Naval Base.

Aoki glanced at the open gates of the naval base and walked straight inside.

"Stop! Who are you? This is a naval base. Outsiders are not allowed!"

Two marines immediately blocked his path.

"I'm a pirate hunter," Aoki said calmly. "I'm here to find out about pirates recently spotted on the Sabaody Archipelago."

After all, where better to gather pirate information than at a naval base?

"Pirate hunter?"

One marine maintained a wary stance, but the other, a man with thick eyebrows, softened his expression.

"Wait here," the thick-browed marine said, disappearing into the base.

A few moments later, he returned with a stack of wanted posters.

"These are the pirates who've recently been active in the Sabaody Archipelago," he explained, pulling out two specific bounties. "Among them, these two are the strongest. One has a bounty of 80 million berries, and the other has a bounty of 90 million."

"Are there no pirates with bounties over 100 million?" Aoki asked.

Pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million were classified as supernovas, figures who held significant influence and posed a great threat.

The thick-browed marine shook his head. "Pirates with bounties over 100 million aren't that common. Even these ones with 80 or 90 million are incredibly dangerous. If you plan to hunt them, you'd better be extremely careful!"

He then briefly introduced the two pirates on the posters.

Aoki accepted the bounty posters and nodded. "Thank you."

The thick-browed marine grinned sheepishly. "What's there to thank me for? If you can take out these pirates, that's a win for everyone!"

"Do you have a personal grudge against pirates?" Aoki asked curiously.

The marine's expression darkened slightly. "I suppose you could say that. When I was ten, my family was attacked by pirates. They killed everyone—my whole family—while I was asleep. I only survived by sheer luck."

Clenching his fists, he continued, "But I'm too weak to face powerful pirates directly, so I joined the navy. At least this way, I can do my part."

Aoki raised the bounty posters. "I'll do my best to take down as many pirates as I can."

The thick-browed marine scratched the back of his head, smiling awkwardly. "Then I'm counting on you!"

Without another word, Aoki turned and walked away.

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