Wano!

Facing the abyssal maw that seemed like a black hole, Nicholas stood at the bow of the ship without a trace of fear.

In the end, the pirate ship and a large amount of seawater that appeared in this area were all swallowed by a gigantic lantern fish.

Then, this enormous lantern fish contentedly swam towards the deep sea.

Like drifting along, entering the mouth of the lantern fish, they followed the huge water currents from the throat of the gigantic lantern fish into its esophagus, and finally slid into its stomach.

Because the lantern fish's lantern light was very strong, strong enough to penetrate the body and illuminate the interior, so what the people saw after falling down was not darkness.

"Ah! What is this, it hurts, it's so hot!"

"Help, someone help... me... ahh!"

"The ship is melting, we need to find a way out quickly!"

The lantern fish had three enormous stomachs, each filled with many small islands, all of which had been swallowed by this gigantic lantern fish over hundreds of years, and flowing between the islands was the highly corrosive stomach acid.

This stomach acid could corrode even metals given enough time, let alone human bodies. Pirates unlucky enough to fall into the stomach acid would be dissolved into nothingness in a matter of seconds!

Without flight capabilities or sturdy enough ships, there was simply no chance of escaping from here. They could only silently wait for death on the islands within the gigantic lantern fish's stomach.

Furthermore, because this gigantic lantern fish contained Celestial gold, even if one wanted to die, it wasn't so easy. All that awaited them was endless suffering.

"Hey hey, am I seeing things?"

"Oh my god, is that...!"

Many lucky pirates who hadn't fallen into the stomach acid regained their senses and looked at the distant islands with disbelief.

Before their eyes, the beaches of those islands were all covered in golden sand, with various precious gems scattered on top.

So, after realizing this, the pirates who had narrowly escaped disaster rowed desperately towards the nearby islands.

Fortunes awaited them today; these treasures were comparable to the legendary treasures of some infamous pirates!

...

"According to the speculation, the island of Alchemy, where the Celestial gold is located, should be in the deepest third stomach. And where we are now is the edge of the first stomach, which means we still need to go further down."

June said lightly while sitting on a chair on the deck of the Sea Sovereign.

After a while, Nicholas and his companions finally arrived at Alchemy Island in the third stomach.

After easily destroying the mechanisms along the way, Nicholas and his companions entered the laboratory, where the first thing that caught their eye was fist-sized Celestial gold shining in cylindrical vessels.

"So, this is Celestial gold? It doesn't look any different from regular gold."

Brook marveled as he examined this metal that was said to grant immortality.

"Gold that shines by itself!" Simon exclaimed in amazement. Although he didn't fully believe the legends about Celestial gold, seeing it before his eyes left him no choice but to believe.

"Heh, if it weren't for the need for Celestial gold to accomplish our plan, I wouldn't even bother acquiring this pseudo-immortality."

Nicholas looked at the Celestial gold in the cylindrical vessel in his hand, which could drive countless powerful figures crazy, and said disdainfully.

For him, Celestial gold might grant someone a long life, but it would also imprison the holder's power. And in this vast ocean, what good was a long life without strength? Sometimes, immortality was also a form of torment.

After taking all the treasure Nicholas tore the fish's stomach, and they left towards a special place

...

The Land of Wano is a rare and special island in the New World.

It is surrounded by sea currents and waterfalls, making it a naturally fortified stronghold.

It can be said that this special geographical environment has kept Wano almost constantly closed off.

After all, even ordinary pirate crews would be deterred by the sea currents and waterfalls. Even with a large fleet, it would be difficult to climb up from the sea currents and attack Wano, let alone launching an attack on Wano itself.

However, this kind of highly desirable defensive advantage, in front of the Sea Sovereign on the sea, is like a paper tiger.

With the ability to fly, the Sea Sovereign doesn't even need to climb the sea currents and waterfalls to effortlessly arrive above Wano.

"This should be the Flower Capital of Wano. It's really prosperous."

Simon couldn't help but speak as they flew over the city.

Nicholas stood against the wind at high altitude, looking down at the city streets and the bustling scenery of the Flower Capital without saying a word.

The scenery of the Flower Capital was indeed incredibly prosperous, but the rest of Wano was not as good. At least the lives of the people in other areas were not as good.

The Castle, built on the mountaintop and surrounded by giant pine trees, was too conspicuous. The construction of such magnificent buildings undoubtedly required a huge amount of money, as well as a large amount of labor to complete.

It's unknown if it's a unified plan by the royal families of this world, but they always build their castles at the highest point of their territories to showcase their unique status.

Even Fish-Man Island, located tens of thousands of meters below the sea, hangs Ryugu Palace high above.

Soon, Nicholas and his companions anchored the ship in a secluded area of Wano's inland sea, leaving Brook and Vista to watch the ship while the others went to the Flower Capital.

The reason for leaving the two behind is that their features are too conspicuous. Although it's difficult for Wano to get news from the outside world due to its closed nature, it's still better to avoid trouble if possible.

Walking on the streets of the Flower Capital, it must be said that the happiness index of those living in the Flower Capital is quite high. At least Nicholas, who has traveled all the way, has found that everywhere in the Flower Capital is bustling with prosperity.

Soon, as Nicholas walked on the street, he suddenly stopped and turned around to look back.

It was a good thing he turned around. When he did, he saw the face of the person reaching out to him, and Nicholas was stunned for a moment. Then, he quickly reacted, regained his normal expression, but the shock in his heart could not be dispelled for a while.

The person standing behind him, who had followed him for a long time, was a stranger in his twenties. He had short black hair, wore Wano clothing, stepped on Wano-style wooden clogs, and held a light brown wooden staff.

What particularly caught the eye were his tightly closed eyes, and on the left side of his forehead, there were two intersecting scars, each crossing his left and right eyes.

His face was filled with sorrow, and if it were an ordinary person, they would probably only see him as a young man who had unfortunately lost his sight and was melancholic.

But how could Nicholas not recognize that the person before him was none other than Fujitora, who would become one of the three admirals of the Navy after the Summit War in the original timeline!

Of course, the name Fujitora is similar in meaning to Kizaru Aokiji Akainu. It is a special code name for the Navy admiral. The real name of the blind youth before him should be Issho.

"I wonder what the gentleman has been following me for all this time?"

Nicholas looked at the future great figure, Issho, and asked calmly. Although Issho's strength would be incredibly formidable in the future, Nicholas, at this moment, wasn't afraid in the least, even against the future Admiral Fujitora.

"Please don't misunderstand. I only noticed the deep animosity you harbor towards this country, so I wanted to ask what exactly you intend to do?"

Issho made a slight bow.

The gesture he made seemed to be too low-key. Nicholas looked at Issho, who had lost his sight, and said calmly, "I don't intend to do anything to this country. I simply loathe it."

"Hate?"

Upon hearing Nicholas's words, Issho was momentarily stunned, then repeated Nicholas's words in a murmuring voice.