Chapter 47: Please keep reading! The two ferocious cats of the South China Sea!

[Rumble—]

A dazzling bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the dark sea beneath the heavy clouds, but it was ultimately a mere momentary flash. The black and blue waves continuously attempted to shake the towering Red Line, only to end up being shattered against it.

[Splash!!]

A Navy warship, bristling with cannon ports, came hurtling down from the unseen heights like a wild beast, following the Reverse Mountain currents and plunging violently into this sea, which was vastly larger than the Grand Line.

Following this, an identical "wild beast" would dive down every ten minutes, until a fleet composed of five warships—far more massive than ordinary vessels—appeared clearly on the sea surface below Reverse Mountain.

"To run into such stormy weather the moment we arrive."

Wearing a green suit paired with a Justice coat, Dragon pushed open the cabin door and stepped onto the deck. Looking at the gloomy sky, the howling winds, and the torrential rain, he felt somewhat speechless.

However, due to the power of the Hurricane-Hurricane Fruit, an invisible current of air surrounded him, naturally shielding him from the wind and rain.

After many days of sailing, they had once again arrived in the South Blue. At this time, Vegapunk had not yet developed technology for warships to navigate the Calm Belt, so even the Navy had to dutifully queue up to pass through Reverse Mountain.

[Splash—]

Dragon glanced at the surrounding warships, and a pale green current suddenly radiated from his body and expanded. Instantly, the five warships received the "blessing" of the wind; not only did an invisible membrane block the gale and heavy rain, but their speed also began to increase at a rate visible to the naked eye.

He understood well the principle that speed is of paramount importance in warfare. The area of the South Blue was immense. Furthermore, while the climate of the Four Blues was not as extreme or sudden as the Grand Line, it did not mean it was perfectly stable. It was simply more stable and orderly compared to the volatility of the Grand Line.

In other words, in the Grand Line, storms could arrive and depart instantly, and while their duration was short, no one knew if the next phenomenon would be hail or a tornado.

In the Four Blues, weather patterns lasted for a relatively normal duration; lasting for several days and nights was not an issue.

Consequently, the time required for a fleet to reach its destination would be greatly increased!

At this moment, the Navy personnel of various ranks who had been staying inside the cabins gradually discovered this miraculous phenomenon. Aside from those on duty, many stepped out onto the deck, breathing the fresh air with great joy.

"Rear Admiral Dragon, your ability is truly convenient. As expected of a Logia type!" a Rear Admiral walking over with a red-sheathed longsword said with a smile.

In this operation, Rear Admiral Arvin was temporarily serving as the adjutant. At Navy Headquarters, only Vice Admirals were assigned permanent adjutants, so this was an exception.

Logically, as a Rear Admiral, Dragon should not have been the commander of five Headquarters-class warships, but since he was, he required an adjutant to assist in commanding the fleet.

However, Rear Admiral Arvin had no complaints. Firstly, as Garp's son, Dragon would inevitably be treated with special regard—after all, few Marines did not respect that Hero of the Marines. Secondly, Dragon's strength was convincing.

Even before becoming a Devil Fruit user, Dragon's physical combat and Haki levels exceeded the average for a Rear Admiral. Now, with the addition of a top-tier Logia, the Hurricane-Hurricane Fruit, he had undoubtedly become even stronger.

Many Marines were already comparing him to the three Admiral candidates: Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan.

Only Dragon knew his own situation; he had only eaten the Hurricane-Hurricane Fruit for about a year, so his level of mastery was difficult to compare to those three who had been immersed in their powers for over a decade.

Therefore, his primary combat strength still focused on martial arts and Haki!

"Have you clarified the situation regarding the Navy branches around the Tutmos Kingdom?" Dragon asked seriously, moving straight to business without interest in small talk.

"It's been clarified. The 289th, 242nd, and 194th branches of the South Blue are located about fifty nautical miles from the Tutmos Kingdom, positioned to its northeast, southeast, and due west, respectively. Reverse Mountain, where we are, is located to the northwest."

Dragon nodded, but he thought to himself: *These four Navy branches are so close to the stronghold of that Slave King, so why has he stayed so well-hidden for all these years?*

"What is the manpower and configuration of these branches?"

"The 289th and 242nd branches are similar, with about three thousand troops and five small warships each. The 194th branch, which is closest to the Tutmos Kingdom, is relatively stronger; according to intelligence, it has nearly five thousand Marines and eight small warships."

Rear Admiral Arvin summarized the intelligence and then asked, "Should we notify them to cooperate with this operation now?"

The Tutmos Kingdom possessed an army of nearly thirty thousand, along with ten thousand slave hunters scattered across the world, with no telling how many might return. Relying solely on the strength of these five Headquarters-class warships would make a total encirclement too difficult.

A single Headquarters-class warship had a standard complement of eight hundred men, so five ships totaled four thousand. Although they were all from Headquarters and thus far superior in military quality and individual strength to the South Blue branches, they were still outnumbered.

One must realize that the Tutmos Kingdom was a medium-sized island, significantly larger than Drum Island.

Therefore, this campaign to suppress the "Slave King" Taklama and his entire force would definitely require a joint operation with the Navy branches in the South Blue.

Dragon shook his head.

"No, wait until we are only one day's sail away to notify them. These branches are only fifty nautical miles from the Tutmos Kingdom; they can reach the position in two hours at most. There is no need to rush."

Hearing this, Rear Admiral Arvin pondered for a moment and quickly grasped Dragon's reasoning. This was clearly to prevent anyone from tipping off the "Slave King."

It made sense. Taklama had operated in this part of the South Blue for decades; it would be absurd to suggest his influence hadn't permeated the surrounding Navy branches. After all, few people could resist various forms of temptation.

"Understood, Rear Admiral Dragon!"

Arvin suddenly realized that his temporary commanding officer was not the type of person whose head was filled only with muscle and who handled everything with his fists.

*Ahem*, although it wasn't quite right to say, Vice Admiral Garp had given everyone that impression, so Arvin had assumed Dragon would be similar.

"By the way, who is currently the highest-bounty pirate in the South Blue?" Dragon asked again. Arvin thought for a moment.

"It should be the Black Cat Pirates and the White Cat Pirates. The captain of the Black Cat Pirates is 'Three-Legged Cat' with a bounty of 48 million Berries, and the captain of the White Cat Pirates is 'Little Cat Fisher' with a bounty of 43 million Berries. These are the two most famous pirate crews in the South Blue in recent years."

"Three-Legged Cat, Little Cat Fisher... what ridiculous names?" Dragon turned his head with a look of confusion, as they sounded nothing like the epithets of ferocious pirates.

Arvin shrugged, indicating he didn't know either.

"Haha, the names are indeed laughable, but according to intelligence, both are Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit users. Specifically, they take the forms of the Pallas's cat and the Lion cat, both famous for their ferocity among feline species. Since their real names are unknown, they are referred to by their nicknames."

"It is said they are biological brothers and are very close. Because neither wants to slight the other, they each established their own pirate crew in their own name. However, the two crews have always operated jointly. Over the years, whether in strength or influence, they are enough to dominate this part of the South Blue, and they are even unwilling to risk entering the Grand Line."

"I see. Zoan users, and two of them at that. That explains it." Dragon realized the situation and stopped dwelling on the nicknames.

"In that case, notify those three branches—no, notify all the surrounding branches. Tell them we are coming to capture these two 'cats.' Have them keep an eye out for their positions and stand by for orders to provide support!"