Chapter 155: The Way Out (Part Two)

"Simply put, it's an escape route." Qiubai used two words to explain the purpose of finding such an uninhabited island.
His upcoming plan was likely to cause a massive uproar, so he needed to prepare an escape route in advance, and naturally, remote places where human footprints were rare were the best hiding spots.
The first half of the Grand Line lay directly above their heads, and as the ship gradually ascended, the lighting conditions grew brighter and brighter, making it feel as if the sky was within touching distance.
Thus, Qiubai finally began to reveal his purpose for returning to the Sabaody Archipelago:
"Now, getting back to the topic of abduction, what we are going to do next is abduct a certain individual on the Sabaody Archipelago, then seize another coated ship to dive beneath the waves, use underwater routes to conceal our tracks, reach Enies Lobby from underwater within three days if possible, and finally head towards Whirlpool Island to lie low."
Qiubai gave a concise explanation, though in reality, according to his expectations, what they were about to do next was less of an "abduction" and more of a straightforward kidnapping.
Therefore, the crucial question was whom he intended to target.
"As for the target, there is no specific person in mind, but there are basic requirements." He then continued with his explanation.
"First, the age should preferably be between 12 and 16 years old."
"Second, the gender should preferably be female."
"Third,..."
At this point, he paused, and by now, everyone present was nursing a distinctly bad premonition.
Because the first two points were far too ordinary; people meeting those criteria could be found in droves anywhere one looked, so why bother coming all the way to the Sabaody Archipelago?
What was so special about the Sabaody Archipelago?
"Third, the target needs to be a Celestial Dragon."
Yes, the Sabaody Archipelago was the natural habitat of wild Celestial Dragons.
"............"
Celestial Dragons? At first, everyone failed to process what Qiubai had was saying, and once it finally registered, they all wished Qiubai were just joking.

However, there was not the slightest trace of a joke in Qiubai's expression.
The ship instantly plunged into a rather bizarre and dead silence.
A massive lantern fish swam past the vessel, rolled its enormous eyes to glance over at them, and then turned tail and fled without doing anything else... Well, even a fish could read the mood.
"Celestial Dragons... You mean those Celestial Dragons?" After perhaps just a minute, though it felt like a century, Law was the first to speak.
"My concept of the Celestial Dragons is no different from the one you have," Qiubai said with absolute certainty. He was definitely going to target a Celestial Dragon, and there was no doubt about that.
"If we make a move against the Celestial Dragons, Marine Headquarters will not remain silent. They will inevitably dispatch forces of Admiral level or higher against us..."
"So?" Qiubai was well aware of this and didn't need Law to lecture him.
"..." Law no longer knew what to say. If they had to face "Buddha" Sengoku, this entire shipful of people would probably be pounded into mince meat with a single punch.
"Don't worry, I haven't lost my mind to the point of actually causing permanent harm to a Celestial Dragon. I just want to spend a pleasant three-day journey with them... Once we reach Enies Lobby, I will naturally let the Celestial Dragon off the ship," Qiubai explained further, attempting to make his actions sound as "normal" as possible.
Yet this had zero effect. Spend a pleasant voyage with a Celestial Dragon? Only a fool would believe such a claim!
"What's the objective? Doflamingo?" Ain asked. Such an action against a Celestial Dragon was indeed likely to destroy the Donquixote Pirates, because Doflamingo could hardly issue a public notice in the newspapers clarifying that someone had betrayed him, meaning the Marines would still perceive Qiubai as a member of Donquixote's crew, given that he already had a bounty on his head.
But this did not mean that Qiubai and the others didn't have to bear the risks.
"It has nothing to do with Doflamingo, even though he will indeed bear a large portion of the pressure for our actions," Qiubai said. His motives were not deeply tied to Donquixote; the association was merely a byproduct of the consequences he would create.
"No matter what, the World Government controls the world, and the Celestial Dragons control the World Government. Although many Celestial Dragons are indeed as stupid as pigs, this ruling power is unalterable. Many rare resources that ordinary people struggle their entire lives to acquire can be obtained simply by a single word from a Celestial Dragon."
"Compared to their rarity, Celestial Dragons can almost be said to be everywhere. Conversely, as long as you control a certain Celestial Dragon, you can acquire many things that are otherwise unobtainable with great ease."
"But the problem lies in the part about controlling a Celestial Dragon..." Law said again, "And what on earth is your ultimate purpose?"
"As for controlling a Celestial Dragon, I already have a plan, and it shouldn't cause catastrophic consequences," Qiubai said. "As for my purpose, or rather, what I want..."
"It's very simple. I just want to take back what belongs to me."

As he spoke, Qiubai extended his right hand, and a random sword materialized in his palm. He tilted the blade back and forth, and a shimmering light flowed from the hilt to the tip.
"Do you know what this is called?"
The others exchanged glances. They all knew that Qiubai's "ability" was somewhat unusual; the power to create swords could be considered a form of Devil Fruit ability—provided Qiubai hadn't completely ignored the rule that ability users were inevitably hopeless swimmers.
Fortunately, he didn't require anyone to answer the question. "This is called 'Unlimited Blade Works,' but it was originally supposed to be called 'Gate of Babylon.' Considering that I may need to fight enemies like Whitebeard or Kaido of the Beasts in the future, I must take the Gate of Babylon back."
"So that's why you need a Celestial Dragon?" Law retorted. Did the so-called Gate of Babylon require a king? From a position of status, Celestial Dragons could indeed be classified as a type of king, and they certainly possessed a vast amount of treasure.
However, his understanding had completely veered off course, yet Qiubai did not bother to explain any further. "A Celestial Dragon is an inevitably necessary intermediary step."
And since it was a necessary step, the operational arrangements for the Sabaody Archipelago had to be carried out... The captain was the brain of a pirate crew, and his will had to be implemented, no matter how insane that will might be.
Law looked up toward the sky, momentarily wishing that this ship would never manage to surface to the top.
Ain wore an indifferent expression. It truly was terrifying how powerful the word "accustomed" could be; she felt no particular emotion regarding Qiubai's outrageous actions.
Bepo... was somewhat pitiful. As a Mink, he still hadn't completely figured out the organizational structure of human society, or rather, he tried to understand it but couldn't quite grasp it.
As for Monet, she should have belonged to the rational faction like Law, but she had remained silent the entire time. Ever since Qiubai began outlining his plan, she had kept quiet while her body trembled slightly.
Fear or worry?
No, it should be... excitement, perhaps? Her face carried an unnatural flush.
She had been thoroughly infected by Qiubai—or rather, in her mind, the man she had chosen ought to possess precisely this kind of "audacity."
So what if they kidnapped a Celestial Dragon?
As for the unrelated bystander Cavendish, he decided he would get off the ship and run away the moment they made landfall. After all, he had nothing to do with this business, right?