551-555

Chapter 551: Just to Smack Me  

Yoru’s words left Kin'emon completely stunned. 

It’s true… 

Just as Yoru pointed out, they hadn’t even fully mobilized Wano’s forces. Among the Nine Red Scabbards, Asura Doji still hadn’t joined the fight! And from Wano’s vast samurai ranks, they’d only rallied a third of them! 

With their forces so limited, they dared to dream of defeating a Yonko and taking back Wano Country. 

Like Yoru said, it was downright arrogant! 

But… 

“I don’t have time to wait anymore!” Kin'emon shot back, his voice trembling with urgency and a hint of bitterness. “If we don’t act now, we’ll never get another chance like this—to team up with a pirate crew as strong as the Straw Hats and take on the Lightning Pirates!” 

Kin'emon wasn’t clueless. Did he know they were biting off more than they could chew? Of course he did! 

But did he have a choice? 

No! 

If the Lightning Pirates reached the Final Island, the seas would spiral into even greater chaos. And Wano, tied to the secrets of that island, would become a target for every major power out there. 

When that happens… 

Taking back Wano would be next to impossible. 

The Straw Hat Pirates might not team up with them again. 

And they’d never get an opportunity this good. 

So, even knowing how slim their odds were, they had to take the gamble now. 

But reality was brutal. 

“Hmph, so you’re not okay with that, huh, Kin'emon?” Yoru smirked, chuckling in a way that felt like he was rubbing salt in the wound. 

Kin'emon stayed silent. 

The victors always hold the power to call the shots. Losers like him? They don’t get a say. 

“I won’t let you lay a finger on Lord Momonosuke!” Kin'emon declared. Right now, all he could do was protect their young lord. 

Yoru just shrugged. “Relax, I’ve got no interest in picking on a spineless kid.” 

Kin'emon let out a small sigh of relief. 

“But,” Yoru continued, “entrusting a kid that young with the heavy burden of reviving Wano… isn’t that a bit much? Aren’t you worried you’re gonna crush him under all that pressure?” 

Momonosuke’s eyes lit up, looking at Yoru like he’d finally found someone who got it. 

Yeah… this was way too much for a kid like him. It was overwhelming, and he was on the verge of breaking. 

“But,” Yoru went on, not giving Kin'emon a chance to respond, “that’s just how fate works sometimes. You get the glory, you bear the weight that comes with it. Born into the Kozuki clan, he’s gotta carry the duties of that name.” 

Momonosuke’s hopeful expression froze. This wasn’t how he thought this would go! 

Yoru wasn’t playing by the script. Wasn’t he supposed to feel sorry for him, seeing his pitiful state? Why the sudden shift, acting like this was just the way things had to be? 

The pitiful face Momonosuke had ready was suddenly useless. 

Yoru didn’t linger on them. With a quick whoosh, he zipped back to Marco’s side, like he’d only stepped away to give Momonosuke a quick smack. 

Momonosuke couldn’t help but feel a bit sulky. Getting beaten up on purpose? That’s just rotten luck! 

Of course… 

Denjiro and the others’ dire situation weighed heavily on him too. 

How could they possibly win? 

That was the big question. 

Chapter 552: Give Me Some Face  

“Looks like we need to wrap this fight up quick,” Caribou said, glancing at Doggs and the others. They could feel the pressure mounting as they watched the high-tier battles already winding down. 

Nous, Lurie, and the others had already finished their fights. For mid-tier fighters like Caribou and Doggs, dragging things out any longer was starting to look embarrassing. 

They couldn’t afford to mess around anymore. 

If they didn’t end this soon, they’d be a laughingstock. 

“Damn… damn it!”  

As Caribou, Doggs, and their crew picked up the pace to finish the fight, the Straw Hats and the Nine Red Scabbards immediately felt the heat. The pressure was suffocating. 

As for the low-tier fighters? They’d already collapsed completely. 

If it weren’t for the Straw Hats’ mid-tier crew and a few of the Red Scabbards still holding their ground, the whole group would’ve been wiped out by now. 

But even the Straw Hats still fighting were barely hanging on. 

There was no question about it… 

The Straw Hats and the Red Scabbards were done for. 

From start to finish, the boss of the Lightning Pirates, the Yonko Lightning Killer Yoru, hadn’t even made a move. 

Anyone with eyes could see it… 

The Straw Hats were finished! 

They knew it themselves, too, but they were in too deep to back out now. 

They were up against a Yonko crew! Once the fight started, there was no easy way to stop it. 

No chance! 

Once you’re on a Yonko’s ship, it’s not like you can just hop off whenever you feel like it. Their headquarters wasn’t a place you could stroll into—or out of—on a whim. 

Even if the Straw Hats wanted to call it quits, Yoru’s crew wasn’t about to let them off the hook. 

“Damn it, are we all gonna die here today?”  

“No way! I don’t wanna die here!”  

“I… I suddenly came down with a disease that makes it impossible to keep fighting!”  

Nami, Usopp, and Chopper wailed, clearly panicking. 

Seeing them like this, Yoru’s face twitched. 

Was all this drama really necessary? 

Come on, it’s not that serious! 

Did he look that terrifying? Not really! 

He was a reasonable guy, wasn’t he? 

Besides… 

When did he ever say he was going to kill the Straw Hats? 

He had zero interest in wiping out a crew that posed no challenge. 

And on top of that! For Fire Fist Ace’s sake, there was no way he’d take them out. 

“Lightning Killer, that’s enough, right? Time to call it quits. There’s no point dragging this out,” Fire Fist Ace spoke up, dropping a classic line straight out of Shanks’ playbook: “Give me some face. For my sake, end this fight.” 

“And if any of you are still itching for a fight, the New Whitebeard Pirates will take you on!” 

When Ace said that, Yoru couldn’t help but feel like he was seeing a carbon copy of Shanks. 

Talk about swagger! 

But… it did hit just right. 

The Lightning Pirates glanced at Yoru. He gave a slight nod, and they finally lowered their weapons. 

“Huh? It’s over?”  

Usopp, Nami, and Chopper—the cowardly trio—stared in shock for a moment before bursting into joy. They hugged each other, jumping up and down, practically celebrating the fact that they were still alive. 

Nico Robin, Franky, Brook, and the others let out a collective sigh of relief. 

If the fight had gone on any longer… 

They really would’ve been done for. 

No one knew why Yoru was giving Ace this kind of respect, but the fact that the fighting stopped? That was good enough for them. 

Chapter 553: Meeting at the Top 

“It’s finally over! Thank goodness!”  

“I suddenly feel full of energy again!” 

“We survived? That’s awesome—I really thought we were goners!” 

Nami, Usopp, and Chopper spoke up, their faces brimming with relief. 

Just moments ago, they genuinely believed they were done for.  

There was no way out! 

They were totally freaking out! 

Now that they’d made it through, they were over the moon. 

“Thanks!”  

Seeing Yoru give him this courtesy by calling off his men, Fire Fist Ace expressed his gratitude. 

Yoru, however, waved it off. “Don’t be so quick to thank me. This comes with conditions. You know what I want, don’t you?” 

There’s no such thing as a free lunch! 

Doing Fire Fist Ace this favor naturally came with strings attached. 

Hearing this… 

Ace nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my promise.” 

Then… 

He turned to Straw Hat Luffy, who stood nearby with a puzzled look, and said, “I know you’ve got a ton of questions right now.” 

“Go ahead, ask away. I’ll tell you everything I can!” 

But… 

Luffy shook his head, brushing the dust off his straw hat. “Ace, you’ve got your reasons for doing this. I’m not gonna pry.” 

His expression was resolute as he looked at Yoru. “Lightning Killer Yoru, I’ll challenge you again someday, and I will beat you!” 

Then… 

He turned to Fire Fist Ace. “Are you heading to that final place already?” 

Sure, he might be a bit of a goof, but that didn’t mean he was clueless about the ways of the sea. 

His eyes burned with unyielding determination. “Ace, I’ll catch up to you. I’ll reach that place, too, and beat this guy to become the Pirate King!” 

He raised his head, clenching his fist. “Ace, let’s make that a promise!” 

Hearing this… 

Ace was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, extending his hand. “Deal!” 

“Luffy, it’s a promise then. I’ll be waiting for you at the top!” 

Fire Fist Ace’s gaze was fiery, his tone tinged with both reluctance and excitement. “Next time we meet, it’ll be at the top, and I won’t go easy on you.” 

Straw Hat Luffy pressed down his hat, flashing a confident grin. “You bet, Ace. Same here.” 

This scene… 

Yoru shook his head helplessly, finding it a bit dull but also very much a sign of the times. 

If he hadn’t shown up… 

This straw hat kid would’ve teamed up with Trafalgar Law, the Surgeon of Death, Captain Eustass Kid, Marco, the Red Scabbards, and Wano’s samurai army to take on Big Mom and Kaido’s alliance—and ultimately defeat those two Emperors! 

The new generation’s pirates would achieve the jaw-dropping feat of slaying Emperors, cementing their place as rulers of the seas. 

No doubt about it! 

Their declarations carried the weight of a new era. 

And they weren’t to be underestimated. 

Even if they’d lost to him today. 

Yoru then turned to Momonosuke and the others, delivering his final ultimatum: “Either swear loyalty to me and live quietly in Wano without stirring up trouble, or I’ll bury you all in the depths of this vast sea.” 

His voice was cold… 

Laced with chilling intent, leaving no doubt about his sincerity. 

At those words… 

Kin’emon and the others’ faces paled! 

But it seemed they had no other choice. 

Chapter 554: Curtain Falls, A New Journey Begins 

No matter how unwilling they were, surviving was already an act of mercy from Yoru. 

They didn’t dare hope for anything more. 

The situation was stronger than their will! 

They figured the Straw Hat crew wouldn’t dare oppose the Lightning Pirates anymore either. With their meager strength, they stood no chance against Yoru’s crew. 

So, if they wanted to live, there was only one path left. 

Submit to Yoru. 

Live quietly in Wano Country and cause no more trouble. 

It wasn’t even a choice that required much thought—because there was no choice at all. 

Survive or perish. 

Unless they were truly ready to throw their lives away and choose death. 

But clearly… Momonosuke, the son of a heroic father but a spineless coward, didn’t have the guts for that. Sure, he was young, so a lack of courage was understandable. Still, Yoru had zero fondness for the kid. 

Lustful, weak, and full of himself—those weren’t flaws youth could excuse. 

His father was such a fierce man. Sure, he had his own vices, but at least he took responsibility. 

As for Momonosuke? Forget it. 

Yoru didn’t want to waste words on him. That old internet meme, “Momonosuke must die,” summed up just how “beloved” this character was among fans. 

“Tell me your choice,” Yoru said, fully aware of what Momonosuke and his crew would pick but asking anyway, with a touch of mock courtesy. 

Hearing this, Kin’emon and the others gritted their teeth. It was blatant humiliation, but they were powerless to defend their lord. 

“I… I…” Momonosuke glanced at Kin’emon and the others, tears welling up as he stammered weakly, “I choose… to live… in Wano Country.” 

“I-I won’t… cause any trouble,” he added, his voice trembling. 

And why wouldn’t it? There weren’t many people in the world who could face Yoru without panicking. Momonosuke definitely wasn’t one of them. 

“Nous, I’m leaving Momonosuke and his group’s arrangements to you,” Yoru said. 

Nous, the Lightning Pirates’ second-in-command, was the perfect person for the job—strong, experienced, and respected enough to handle any surprises. 

Nous nodded. 

Yoru then turned to Duke Inuarashi, Nekomamushi, and the Mink Tribe army. “I won’t make things hard for you. Leave now. But if I find out you’re secretly plotting with Momonosuke to overthrow my Lightning Pirates…” 

His gaze cut through them like a blade, his oppressive presence suffocating. “Trust me, I’ll personally wipe out your entire Mink Tribe.” 

No one doubted Yoru had the power to back up that threat. 

Duke Inuarashi and Nekomamushi didn’t question it either. 

“Let’s go, everyone. Back to the island!” Yoru waved his arm. “Next stop: the Final Land!” 

His crew responded with a thunderous roar, their shouts shaking the heavens and sending chills down spines. 

Yoru’s terrifying charisma was almost too much to comprehend. 

As he stepped onto the island, he suddenly glanced out to sea, a faint, cryptic smile playing on his lips. 

Then… 

He drew his sword and thrust it forward. 

Boom! 

The blade shot through the air like lightning, streaking toward a distant point before stopping abruptly. 

There, a fleet of warships waited. 

A woman in a Navy captain’s uniform stared in horror at the sword halted before her, her face drained of all color. 

Chapter 555: More Dangerous Than Whitebeard  

She didn’t dare move a muscle—or maybe she was just too terrified to. 

“I told you not to go poking around with that guy. Now you get it, huh?”  

A vice admiral strolled over, cigar in mouth, silver hair glinting, a scar across his face, and a jitte slung over his back. 

Vice Admiral Smoker!  

“That was close,” he muttered. 

Admiral Kizaru sauntered up, hands in his pockets, looking as laid-back as ever. He glanced at the female captain and said, “That guy’s senses are sharp as a blade.”  

“Your Scope-Scope Fruit lets you see far, but against a monster like him, you’d better not mess around. It’s dangerous, Captain Lilith.”  

Just as he said that, the long blade in the distance retracted.  

Kizaru eyed the sword slash that had just cut through the sea, his usual nonchalance replaced with a rare seriousness. “This guy didn’t just crush the Straw Hat Pirates—he’s gone and allied with the new Whitebeard Pirates. We were hoping the Straw Hats would wear him down a bit.”  

“But nope. He’s too sharp. Doesn’t give us a single opening.”  

“He doesn’t play by our rules,” Kizaru added, shaking his head.  

Smoker chimed in, “Exactly. That’s why someone as dangerous as him needs to be taken out. The seas don’t need a pirate this exceptional.”  

Behind them, Captain Lilith, still shaken, asked timidly, “Is the Lightning Killer really that terrifying? Even you, Mr. Borsalino, can’t handle him?”  

Normally, Kizaru wouldn’t bother answering a captain. But Lilith was Sengoku’s latest protégé, a rising star in the Navy’s future.  

Giving Sengoku some face, Kizaru replied, “If I wanted to take him down, I’d have to be ready to make some serious sacrifices.”  

“That guy’s more dangerous than Whitebeard.”  

He said it with dead seriousness.  

Yoru was still young, his strength already rivaling Whitebeard’s prime. Unlike Whitebeard, he wasn’t slowed down by old wounds or age.  

When he fought, it was like a relentless storm—no chance to catch your breath.  

“What, even two admirals couldn’t stop him?” Lilith asked, stunned by Yoru’s power.  

“At the Summit War, a battered Whitebeard was already a nightmare,” Kizaru said, smacking his lips in that odd tone of his. “Now imagine a young, peak-condition Yoru, with one of the trickiest Mythical Zoan abilities. You think he’d be easy to pin down?”  

“Unless we lure him alone to Marine Headquarters, get all three admirals to gang up on him, and have a dozen vice admirals circling to wear him out, we might have a shot. But that guy? He never shows up alone. His weaknesses are next to none.”  

Before Lilith could ask more, Kizaru cut her off. “Report the outcome of this battle to the Fleet Admiral. The real final war is coming, and it’s gonna be a wild one.”  

The results of this fight were worse than they’d hoped.  

No one was worn down like they’d planned.  

Worse, the Lightning Pirates might even absorb Wano’s massive samurai forces and grow stronger.  

For the first time, Kizaru felt a real headache coming on.  

…  

“What’s up, Captain?”  

Ruri glanced at Yoru as he swung his sword toward the horizon, curiosity in her voice.  

Yoru grinned. “Spotted an interesting ability. Someone was spying on us from miles away. Heh, just gave ‘em a little scare!”