One Piece: Awaken The Replication System

"The capital of hunters and music, Elegia, is reborn!"

"Maria Napoleon, the famous murloc opera queen, graces the Music Temple, accompanied by a mesmerizing mermaid performance!"

"Hunter Guild President Leno has returned—long live the king!"

"The Hunter Guild gains the support of the Dragon Official Kingdom!"

Leno's return to Elegia sent ripples through East Blue, with the news quickly saturating the region. The arrival of both Leno and the murlocs was bound to capture attention, boosting newspaper sales everywhere.

The day after his arrival in Elegia, Leno led Princess Otohime, Sharkstar, Jinbei, and the other murlocs to the island that would soon become their new home. This island was located near Elegia, west of the South Blue domain, approximately thirty nautical miles away. It bordered the Calm Belt, uninhabited and off the main trade routes.

The island's distinctive geography included dramatic height differences, with towering mountains and low-lying areas submerged by seawater. Despite being a single large island, it appeared like a cluster of one main island surrounded by a dozen or so smaller isles, each with its own shape. During low tide, these islands would emerge from the water, but at high tide, most of the land would be submerged.

Occasionally, gigantic Sea Kings were spotted nearby, making the area inhospitable to humans but ideal for murlocs.

"Starting today, this is your home!" Leno announced to the gathered murlocs and mermaids. "You're free to build your homes and create the lives you want here. But remember—do not leave the surrounding waters without permission, to avoid unnecessary conflicts with humans."

The murlocs had already been briefed on this rule when they joined, understanding that they could live, fish, and breed here. Leno planned to create jobs for them, and if work arose, someone from the Hunter Guild would pick them up. Integration into this new world had to be gradual.

Additionally, Leno had bigger plans for this island. It would serve as a forward base for Elegia's expansion into the Calm Belt. Traveling through the Calm Belt was dangerous, but it was far faster than the traditional route through Reverse Mountain and Mary Geoise. Leno hoped to establish a new sea route, bypassing traditional paths and connecting Elegia directly to the Grand Line.

From this island, he envisioned a path through the Calm Belt, emerging in Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line. From there, they would take control of a small island, which would allow them to establish two critical routes: one leading to Sabaody Archipelago, The Fish-Men Island, and the New World; the other leading back across the Calm Belt to the South Blue, opposite East Blue.

And once they reached the New World? They would extend their reach to West Blue and North Blue.

Success in this endeavor would mean that the Hunter Guild would have established a global network, with influence in Paradise, the New World, and beyond. The potential was immense.

There was another path Leno considered—gathering the power of the three ancient weapons, Uranus, Pluton, and Poseidon, to destroy Reverse Mountain and Mary Geoise, creating a unified world, the legendary ALL BLUE that Sanji dreamed of. But for now, opening up the route seemed more feasible. The latter plan would require the awakening of Poseidon (Shirahoshi) and obtaining Pluton and its blueprint. Luffy's Nika Fruit might play a role too, perhaps acting as a key to unlock Raftel's true treasure.

For now, these were only Leno's speculations.

Some might wonder why Leno didn't simply punch through the Red Line or Mary Geoise. While the surface appeared thin, the land was hundreds of miles thick beneath, composed of some of the hardest rock formations in the world. Even Leno's formidable strength couldn't penetrate it without the help of the three kings.

Besides, in ten years' time, Leno expected his strength to far surpass even that of the three kings.

The murlocs, overjoyed at the prospect of their new home, cheered wildly. Princess Otohime, Sharkstar, and the rest of the murlocs couldn't contain their excitement.

"Really? Lord Leno, is this truly our new home?" they exclaimed, gazing at the vast, unspoiled island.

"This is heaven!"

"Long live Lord Leno! We owe you everything!"

Some of the mermaids even made bold propositions. "Lord Leno, when I turn thirty, I would gladly bear children for you!"

Leno's expression froze. Was this really happening? Among the murlocs, there seemed to be some... eccentric individuals. Perhaps he should send them to Ivankov for a personality adjustment.

"Teacher Leno, you're amazing!" Princess Otohime said, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"Is this island named?" Princess Otohime asked excitedly.

"Not yet," Leno replied. A place like this, so close to the Calm Belt and unsuitable for human habitation, wasn't exactly on anyone's radar.

"Please give it a name!" she urged.

Leno thought for a moment before responding, "Let's call it Dawn Island, Chenxi Island."

"Dawn Island... bathed in the light of morning sun. Lord Leno, you are so wise!" Princess Otohime's eyes sparkled with admiration.

Princess Yiji and Shaxing led the efforts to build Dawn Island, gathering resources and coordinating the work. The Kuja Pirates brought along skilled fish-men craftsmen, who used local materials alongside building supplies provided by the [Hunter Guild], enough to construct homes for two hundred fish-men and mermaids.

Meanwhile, Jinbei and Mianjinjian cleared the surrounding waters of sea beasts and Sea Kings, ensuring the island's safety. Leno tasked Luwell with overseeing these operations while he focused on expanding and refining the [Hunter Guild]'s organizational structure, addressing new challenges that had emerged.

Leno wasn't handling these tasks from Elegia; instead, like Morgans, he operated from his ship. The deterrent presence of [Uranus] kept him safe and protected, and his absence from Elegia prevented the Five Elders from acting rashly. In fact, they had to tread carefully, sending an invitation to the [Hunter Guild], hoping it would join the World Government.

Becoming a member of the World Government didn't necessarily mean being a formal nation. Even organizations like Germa 66 were part of it, valued for their usefulness. However, Leno neither agreed nor refused their offer, skillfully buying time.

A week passed. Onboard, Leno held a conference call with Kuzan, Kuro, and Luwell to discuss the possibility of opening a new shipping route.

"It's not hard to establish a route, but maintenance is the real challenge," Kuzan said. "The Sea Kings in the Calm Belt pose a serious problem."

"In the Navy, there's a technology that emits special sound waves to drive off Sea Kings when ships pass through," Kuzan explained. "But we also need steam-powered ship technology, which is costly."

Leno nodded, understanding Kuzan's points. The oversized Sea Kings and the need for proper ship technology were the key obstacles to navigating the Calm Belt. Fortunately, Leno knew just the person to solve these issues: Tom, the legendary fish-man shipwright.

Tom's shipbuilding skills were unparalleled, and his creation of the "Sea Train Project" even earned him a pardon from the World Government. The special steel rails, submerged underwater, allowed travel between islands, dispersing Sea Kings and other creatures with the sound of the train. This was similar to the Navy's method for safe passage through the Calm Belt.

"Any updates on Buggy?" Leno asked.

Just then, Buggy's phone rang. He was in the capital of seven waters on Hulk Island, fleeing alongside Ace Bagu and Franky, pursued by angry townspeople.

"Damn it, stop!" the townspeople yelled. "They killed Mr. Tom!"

Buggy hurried back to the ship, calling out to a masked man in black. "Hey! Use your ability, now!"

The man, revealing only his eyes, grinned. "Hehehe, don't worry, Buggy. Perona's in your hands, after all."

Suddenly, a cloaked figure, Perona, floated in the air and sent out her negative ghosts, which passed through their pursuers, leaving them all paralyzed with despair. Even Franky and Ace Bagu were affected, reduced to helpless sobbing.

"Why am I so useless?" Franky cried, slumping to the ground.

Buggy laughed. "Great! That ghost really works wonders."

They quickly sailed away from Hulk Island, eventually meeting up with another team.

"Did you manage to steal it?" Buggy asked, referring to Tom the Murloc's body.

"Brother Buggy! Yes, we got it!" came the reply. "Most of the soldiers were chasing you, so we had no trouble snatching the body."

Buggy smiled. "Good job. I'll report this to the president so you can join up sooner."

"But why steal Tom's body if he's already dead?" one of the crew asked.

Buggy smirked. "That's not your concern."

Meanwhile, at Mary Geoise, the Five Elders were in a heated discussion.

"There are still two open spots among the Seven Warlords of the Sea," one elder said. "Should we invite someone?"

"It was meant for Leno, but now that's clearly off the table. Let's give the position to him."

"Sea Soldier Hunter, Hawkeye Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman. He'll do just fine."

As they deliberated, a phone bug interrupted the meeting. The bearded elder answered.

"What? Tom the Murloc was assassinated?"

The other elders turned their heads, listening closely.

At that time, Tom had built the battleship [Pluton] in the capital of seven waters, leaving behind a blueprint that the Five Elders desperately sought. They arrested Tom under the pretext of his ties to the Pirate King, Roger, but their true objective was the blueprint for [Pluton].

Tom's "Sea Train" project only heightened their suspicions, as it seemed like technology far beyond the current era—technology rooted in the lost kingdom of the past. To delay his inevitable execution, the Five Elders tasked him with building the sea train while secretly searching for the blueprint.

But now, news of Tom's assassination left them shocked.

"Are you sure he's dead?" one elder asked.

"Yes, he was shot multiple times and died on the spot. The pirates were shouting something about him building a ship for One Piece—it seems to have been a vendetta."

"And where's his body?"

"It was burned. The pirates set a fire before leaving."

"So, Tom the Murloc is dead, and his body is reduced to ashes?" the elder confirmed.

"Yes."

The Five Elders exchanged uneasy glances.

Tom still had two disciples. If this was all part of a greater scheme, there was a chance the blueprint had been passed on to them. Despite their relief at Tom's death, they couldn't shake the nagging doubt that something bigger was at play.

"We mustn't let our guard down. Keep a close watch on his disciples. Tom may have transferred the blueprint before his death."

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+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg