491-495

Chapter 491: Releasing the Hostages 

"You bastard!!!" 

Cracker couldn't stand it. He roared in anger, his chains clanking endlessly, like a furious tiger, incredibly dangerous. 

"Alright, a defeated opponent shouldn't try to act tough!" 

Yoru slapped Cracker on the head, contemptuously picked him up, and tossed him to Katakuri. "We'll mail the key to you after you've returned!" 

"Until then, Cracker, you'll just have to put up with it!" 

Hearing this, Cracker gritted his teeth, his veins bulging with fury. He had to endure this humiliation for another day or two? He couldn't take it! 

"Don't cause trouble, Cracker!" Katakuri walked over and quelled Cracker's anger. 

"Lightning Pirates, you'd better keep your promise!" Katakuri squinted at Yoru, saying coldly. 

"Of course, we're not untrustworthy people!" Yoru grinned, looking very pleased. 

And why wouldn't Yoru be happy? Although after his strength increased, the reinforcement points he gained from fighting Yonko and Admirals weren't as many as before. 

From that astonishing battle with Fujitora, he only got 450,000 reinforcement points, and even less from the recent battle with Big Mom, only 350,000. This doesn't mean Big Mom is weaker than Fujitora. It just means that Yoru's fight with her wasn't as intense as with Fujitora. 

Therefore... he didn't get as many reinforcement points! 

Moreover... there aren't many areas Yoru can reinforce now! His Devil Fruit ability is almost at its limit. His Haki... is also nearly at its peak. The only things he can reinforce now are his swordsmanship and his physique. 

"Hmph, let's go!" 

Big Mom's face was extremely grim as she led the Charlotte Family away. She had come to pick a fight, but instead, she lost face and some interests. Of course, her expression couldn't be good. Perhaps tomorrow, some fearless newspaper would report news like "Shocking! Big Mom Crushed by Lightning Assassin!" 

"I need to control Morgans to control public opinion!" 

"But that guy is always cunning and loves this kind of explosive news, so I need to strike a decisive blow!" 

She thought to herself. The strength of the Lightning Pirates truly exceeded her expectations. She hadn't expected them to be so strong. They had only been established for just over a year, and had been active for less than a few months, yet their strength could rival the now-defunct Beast Pirates. 

No! 

One could even say they were stronger than the Beast Pirates overall. The Beast Pirates didn't have as many powerful Devil Fruit user armies. Nor did they have as many powerhouses gathered. The Five Generals and Three Calamities were well-known powerhouses. Among the Ten Swordsmen, there were also many who could rival Supernovas! 

She truly envied Yoru for having such a strong foundation! 

"Let's clean up. Repair what needs to be repaired!" Yoru said after Big Mom left. The entire outer area of Night Island was already completely shattered. 

"It's like a dream. I never thought I'd see a Yonko actively retreat one day!" Dogs said, looking excited. 

"There will be more exciting things for you in the future, just take it slow!" Yoru smiled, gave some post-battle instructions, and after having Lulli, Nowus, and Dogs handle them, he became a hands-off manager. 

Chapter 492: Young Man, Drink Less Bitter Coffee 

In a certain room! 

"Wow, this is really surprising. I never thought you'd be able to make Big Mom just give up like that!" 

Nico Robin sat by the table, calmly enjoying her coffee, a book cradled in her hands. 

Clearly, she'd used her abilities to observe the entire battle. 

"Oh, you're reading 'Pirate King's Log,' huh? It's a pretty good book, isn't it? A simple-minded kid venturing out to sea for his dream... it really makes you want to join him!" 

Yoru sat down too, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He took a sip, then frowned. "This is so bitter. Figures, I still can't get used to this stuff!" 

He set the coffee down. "Girls shouldn't be so serious and dark, you know? Drink more sweet things." 

"This stuff is too bitter; it can really mess with your heart." 

Hearing that, Nico Robin chuckled. "After all these years, I've gotten quite used to this bitterness." 

She closed her book and elegantly stood up. "Let's go, Yoru-san. Please see me back." 

Yoru stretched lazily and teased, "In such a hurry? Does my Lightning Pirate Crew make you that uncomfortable?" 

"Man, this is a headache. No time to rest after just finishing a fight!" 

And so... 

He personally escorted Nico Robin on her return journey. 

Their destination: Dressrosa! 

--- 

One day later! 

They arrived at the bustling and lively Sun Kingdom, Dressrosa. 

"Well then, until next time, Nico Robin-san!" 

Yoru said his goodbyes very courteously, but Nico Robin replied, "If possible, I'd rather we didn't meet again." 

Yoru feigned exaggeration. "Huh?! Am I really that unwelcome?" 

"That's just heartbreaking!" 

He didn't even notice the hidden Marine members nearby, their faces filled with shock. 

They seemed surprised that Yoru had appeared there again. 

--- 

Marine Headquarters. 

"Those old foxes, they're too cunning!" 

"I never would've thought Big Mom would leave on her own. This Lightning Killer is a bigger threat than we imagined!" 

"The World Government isn't happy with the 2.7 billion bounty we put on the Lightning Killer's head." 

"They think he should be given a 4.7 billion bounty!" 

"Hmph! 4.7 billion? Can the World Government even afford that?!" 

Sakazuki and Marine Grand Inspector Sengoku were discussing the battle that had happened a day earlier on Night Island. 

Sengoku smiled at that, then his eyes narrowed. "Of course they can afford it, but they're still Emperors, you know. Unless there's a deep-seated grudge, they usually stop short, not giving us any chance at all!" 

Sakazuki: "Let them run wild for now. Someday, we'll drag all of them into those special cells on the sixth level!" 

"That day isn't far off!" 

Taking advantage of the fall of the Beast Pirates, the Marines established a new base in the New World: G0 Branch! 

It's filled with Marine elites, all heroes recruited from the New World. 

Their strength is formidable! 

"Well then, let's quietly raise our strength again." 

Yoru wasn't in a hurry to go to the Final Land. 

He knew clearly that to reach the Final Land, he'd have to face pressure from both the World Government and the Marines. 

With his current strength... 

It wasn't enough to face those enemies. 

His strength was far from sufficient; even his entire pirate crew wasn't enough. 

To achieve great things, one must be patient. 

Chapter 493: Another Power Up 

Yoru now had the key to the Final Land! 

When he'd actually go, well, that was completely up to him, wasn't it? 

No rush! 

He wasn't interested in the secrets hidden in the Final Land. 

Instead, he was much more curious about all the hidden corners of the pirate world. 

Like the various Sky Islands and the different races living on them! 

The moon that Enel talked about, and the mysterious civilization up there! 

What exactly were lineage factors? 

The existence of the Rainbow Mist, and why it could mess with time. 

Why the Calm Belt had no wind and was filled with massive Sea Kings. 

All these secrets... 

Yoru felt they were far more interesting than the Void Century that the World Government was trying to hide. 

He wasn't trying to overthrow the World Government... 

So, naturally... 

He wasn't interested in uncovering the history of the Void Century either. 

"But sometimes, you really can't help yourself." 

"Even though I've got the key to the Final Land and I'm not interested in uncovering the Void Century's history, nor do I want to be some Joy Boy, it seems the World Government won't believe me!" 

"An innocent man can be guilty because of what he possesses. When you have the power to solve a mystery, whether you want to or not, others will just assume you do!" 

Yoru chuckled at himself. "I guess this is what they call being truly helpless!" 

He sipped his black tea... 

He sat cross-legged under the sun, his mind deep within the system. 

800,000 enhancement points... 

There wasn't much room for Yoru to improve. 

Yoru put them into enhancing his swordsmanship. 

Of course... 

This wasn't enough to give Yoru a massive power boost. 

The further along he got! 

The slower the improvements, and the more enhancement points required! 

800,000 enhancement points might have been a huge sum in the early days, but now, it felt like just a drop in the bucket. 

Hardly worth mentioning! 

Half a day slowly passed! 

Yoru opened his eyes, the enhancement complete. 

There was no visible sign of any enhancement on him; his aura hadn't changed at all. 

Host: Yoru Age: 21 Bird-Bird Fruit, Phoenix Model: Awakened (95/100) Skills: Phoenix Flame Feathers, Phoenix Meteor Strike, Phoenix Wing Slash, Phoenix Solar Flare Passive Ability: Rebirth from Ashes (Can recover from any damage in flames) Observation Haki: Advanced (35/100) Armament Haki: Advanced (80/100) Swordsmanship: Lv4 (Flash: 55/100) Weapon: Demonic Insight Enhancement Points: 0 World: One Piece Physical Attributes: Strength: 280 (Normal Human 5) Speed: 206 (Normal Human 5) Agility: 203 (Normal Human 5) Stamina: 269 (Normal Human 5) Defense: 281 (Normal Human 5) Power Level: 95 (Marine Admiral 95) 

He stood up! 

He couldn't sense any traces of the enhancement because Yoru's control over his swordsmanship was incredibly refined. 

So... 

His aura was completely contained! 

If anyone truly underestimated Yoru, they'd be in for a rude awakening. 

"So, all that's left now is the Eternal Pose to the Final Land!" 

He needed the Poneglyphs! 

And he needed the Eternal Pose! 

One without the other wouldn't work. 

One tells you where the final island is. 

The other tells you how to get there. 

Just then... 

Luli walked over... 

Her expression wasn't looking too good. 

Seeing her like this, Yoru smiled. "What's wrong, Luli? Why the long face? Did someone upset you?" 

Chapter 494: No Rush 

December 16, 2022. Author: Fat Master 

Upon hearing this, Lulli forced a smile. "Captain, how can you still be joking at a time like this?" 

"Don't you know that Doflamingo has been defeated, and his artificial Devil Fruit factory was destroyed? Our artificial Devil Fruit business has been cut off!" 

"The future you planned might be forced to end!" 

Hearing this... Yoru's smile slowly faded. He then shook his head. "Still this way, huh? Sigh, it was interrupted after all!" 

He looked as if he already knew this would be the outcome. "No matter, as long as we capture the key person, the artificial Devil Fruit business can still continue!" 

"Caesar Clown is the main target; just capture him!" 

Yoru, of course, knew that Doflamingo would be defeated by Straw Hat Luffy. It's just... he hadn't expected it to happen so soon! 

"Captain, can't you be serious? Everyone knows by now that we're the ones behind Doflamingo!" 

"The Straw Hats openly slapped us in the face. Are we just going to let it slide?" Lulli fumed, sounding a bit helpless. Her captain was always so laid-back. Did he have to be laid-back about something like this, too? 

"Of course not!" Yoru poured a cup of tea and handed it to Lulli. "Don't be so anxious, calm down!" 

He sat down and continued, "Come to think of it, he already challenged me before this, didn't he?" 

"There's bound to be a fight between us and them, eventually!" 

He smiled quite mysteriously. "However, the big battle isn't now. Tell the brothers to relax and just focus on improving their strength!" 

"When the time is right, the Straw Hat crew will come knocking on our door themselves." 

Lulli was puzzled. "So, when will be the right time?" 

Yoru leaned back in his chair. "Wait until he's made it through Big Mom's territory first!" 

"He's too weak right now; there's no need for a big fight. It wouldn't be any fun to teach him a lesson either!" 

He sounded completely unconcerned. "Alright, you can go now. Call Nowus here; I have something to tell him!" 

Lulli reluctantly got up. She truly felt like the emperor wasn't worried, but the eunuch was. If they didn't teach the Straw Hats a lesson now, then when? And... were the Straw Hats really that bold? Daring to enter Big Mom's territory? Crazy! 

Nowus arrived shortly. 

"How's the intelligence department connection coming along?" Yoru asked, pushing a cup of tea towards him. 

"It's mostly done!" 

"As for the specific personnel assignments, here's the list, Captain. Please take a look. If there are no issues, I can proceed with the arrangements." Nowus pulled out a parchment scroll, and Suyong took it to read. 

"Oh, so you think highly of Caribou!" Yoru smiled when he saw the name of the vice-director. "But then again, he's indeed suited for this kind of work." 

He briefly scanned it... and saw that 'Cold Blade' Agades had been promoted to 'Transmission Zone Leader.' 

Everything else... would be carried out according to Nowus's arrangements. 

"You heard, right? Doflamingo fell, the SAD research facility was destroyed, and our artificial Devil Fruit business has been interrupted!" 

Hearing this, Nowus's lips curled into a slight smile. "It's certainly surprising." 

"However, looking at how calm you are, Captain, it seems this matter isn't serious." 

"Have you found a replacement?" 

Yoru chuckled. "Sigh, when your subordinate is too smart, it makes you feel like you haven't accomplished much!" 

"Go and contact 'Gold Emperor' Tesoro. At the same time, send people to retrieve Caesar Clown. Rebuilding the artificial Devil Fruit business is just a matter of time!" 

Chapter 495: The Straw Hats' Panic 

Upon hearing Yoru's instructions, Noous went off to carry them out. 

But the vast ocean itself was anything but calm. 

With Doflamingo's downfall, countless underground organizations instantly lost their middleman, and their businesses were forced to a halt. 

This made them utterly despise the Straw Hats. 

Of course... 

Most importantly, they desperately needed a new agent to resume their operations. 

And naturally, they all had their eyes on that agent position. 

Just look at how much wealth Doflamingo, as Joker, accumulated in the underworld over the years, and you'll understand how tempting that position is. 

Doflamingo used to pay 30 billion Beli in Heavenly Gold to the Celestial Dragons every year. 

And his various industries generated over 50 billion Beli in annual income! 

Such massive profits... 

How could they not make people's hearts pound? 

Meanwhile, the Marines... 

As soon as they learned of Doflamingo's defeat, they immediately became vigilant. 

They, of course, knew about the artificial Devil Fruit dealings between Yoru and Doflamingo. 

Behind Doflamingo stood an Emperor. 

And... 

Among the Four Emperors, he was the most unpredictable one. 

Cutting off his financial lifeline—no one could guarantee he wouldn't send people to rob Doflamingo. 

Therefore... 

The Marines directly dispatched Admiral Fujitora, Marine Grand Inspector Sengoku, and Chief of Staff Tsuru to jointly oversee this escort mission. 

"Bartholomew, you and Luli go to Dressrosa. If you can rescue Doflamingo, do it. If not, then just make sure you both get out safely!" 

After all, as a trade partner... 

There was still some sentiment, and they had to at least try to save Doflamingo. 

"Understood!" 

"Wahahaha, Captain, I won't let you down!" 

But when Noous learned about this, he could only say: "This looks more like just for show!" 

If Yoru really wanted to save Doflamingo, he would have gone himself. 

Why send just Luli and Bartholomew? 

The Straw Hats! 

"We're finished! We've angered the Emperor, the Lightning Killer! He's definitely not going to let us off the hook! We're gonna be killed!" 

"Ah, I suddenly got a sickness that prevents me from sailing any further!" 

Usopp exclaimed, looking utterly distraught. 

"Ah, are we going to be killed? How scary!!!" 

Chopper was being completely over-the-top! 

"The Lightning Pirates won't attack us, will they?!" 

"How did we suddenly provoke a monster like that?!" 

Nami sounded a bit desperate. 

"Luffy, are you ready?!" 

Zoro and Sanji looked at Straw Hat Luffy, speaking with extreme seriousness. 

Since things had already happened, regretting wasn't their style, and begging for mercy was something they couldn't do. 

So! 

The only way was to face it head-on! 

"Oh, I don't care if he's an Emperor or whatever! As long as he dares to hurt my nakama, I'll definitely send them flying!" 

Straw Hat Luffy said with a serious expression. 

"Hehe, how reliable, everyone!" 

Nico Robin covered her mouth with a smile, showing no sign of worry. 

"An Emperor, huh? It really makes my hair stand on end... though I don't have any hair, yohohoho!" 

Brook was still making his unique skeleton jokes. 

And Franky was quietly working on repairing the Thousand Sunny! 

"Straw Hat-ya, do you seriously have no clear idea what an Emperor is?!" 

"You can't be an Emperor's opponent right now, understand?!" 

Trafalgar Law couldn't help but complain after hearing them. 

He was also a bit frustrated; Doflamingo only revealed his cooperation with the Lightning Killer after being defeated. 

If he had known that, he wouldn't have destroyed the SAD factory.