376-380

Chapter 376: Monster Captain 

First step, awaken Haki! Training Observation Haki and Armament Haki kinda share common ground, you know? 

Blindfold Yoru's eyes, making him perceive all incoming attacks and dodge them without his sight. While dodging, he'd gradually awaken Observation Haki, and to avoid the pain of failing to dodge heavy blows, Armament Haki would naturally be drawn out as well. 

Once Haki is awakened, the next step is strengthening it. That part requires a lot of combat! 

Nuowusi originally thought Yoru would need at least a few days to learn Haki! 'Cause among everyone he'd ever heard of, the fastest person to pick up Haki still took two days. 

But Yoru's speed absolutely shocked him! In just half a day, he actually managed to awaken both Observation and Armament Haki. And seriously, Yoru's Armament Haki was incredibly strong. 

"Captain, you really didn't know Haki before? You picked this up way too fast, didn't you?!" Nuowusi stared at Yoru like he was some kind of monster, utterly amazed. Looking at Yoru, who was currently maintaining full-body Armament Haki, all he could think was, "Comparing yourself to others is just asking for trouble!" 

"Yeah, I really didn't know Haki!" Yoru replied. "But, I've experienced this kind of feeling before, so maybe that's why I learned it a bit quicker!" 

Yoru tried to strengthen his control over Armament Haki, condensing it, condensing it further, gathering it into one spot. Yoru, having read the original manga, knew very well that coating the whole body with Armament Haki was wasteful and didn't provide enough defense – that's like, a low-level technique. It's way better to gather it in one place for the strongest effect. 

Of course, there were reasons he could learn Haki so quickly. Firstly, it was thanks to the extremely high talent he brought with him from the Shinobi World. Secondly, it's because Observation Haki has a lot in common with 'Perception Jutsu'. Once Yoru started channeling it, it just flowed naturally, like water finding its course! As for Armament Haki, it felt more like the 'Lightning Release Armor' – condensing the power within his body to wrap around himself, creating super strong defense. Or gathering it up and then unleashing it, boosting attack power! 

"Captain, you're really a monster. Learning Haki in half a day... seriously, saying that out loud would probably make people's jaws drop!" Nuowusi was still incredibly shocked. Yoru's Haki mastery right now might even be stronger than his own! But Nuowusi had been training for years! Yet Yoru just learned it! The difference is just way too huge! 

"Gotta become a monster, right?" Yoru grinned. "Otherwise, how can you fight against the other monsters out on the sea!" After learning Haki, Yoru's strength improved significantly once again. "I figure they'll make their move after dark. We still have a few hours until then. Come on, help me strengthen my Haki some more!" 

If Yoru had known Nuowusi could use Haki earlier, he wouldn't have used up his Enhancement Points so quickly! That way, after learning Haki, he could have used the Enhancement Points to strengthen it and make himself even more powerful! But since they're used, it's fine. He can still improve through combat anyway. 

"Alright, I'm coming!" 

Behind Mock Town, there was a large area of ruins and open space, plenty of room for the two of them to spar. 

Swish! 

Nuowusi, his sword coated in Armament Haki, rushed towards Yoru. 

... 

Time passed, within the heat of battle, five hours went by. 

Night fell! 

Huff! Huff! Huff... 

Nuowusi knelt on the ground, completely out of breath, sweat pouring down his face. He looked at Yoru in front of him with utter astonishment and said, "Okay, Captain, I'm convinced. You are a monster!" 

"I was clearly the one attacking, and most of your techniques were restricted, you couldn't use them! But in the end, I'm the one who's exhausted! You were using Observation Haki and Armament Haki so frequently, and you're not tired at all?" He pointed. "I don't even see you sweating! Do you have zero stamina consumption?" 

Nuowusi had been training (sparring with) Yoru intensely for five hours, yet Yoru wasn't flushed, wasn't out of breath, looking like he hadn't expended any energy at all. It's seriously annoying! 

"Well, maybe I'm just better at controlling my power," Yoru chuckled. "Plus, I am a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user after all. Isn't it normal to have good stamina?" 

Yoru clenched his fist. "Five hours, and my Haki improved quite a bit again. Thanks for the hard work, Nuowusi!" 

At this moment, a voice echoed in his mind – the System's voice: "Congratulations, Host, for comprehending Observation Haki and Armament Haki. Strength Level +6!" 

[Status Panel] Host: Yoru Age: 19 Bird-Bird Fruit, Phoenix Form: Intermediate (55/100) Skills: Phoenix Fire Feathers, Phoenix Meteor Kill, Phoenix Feather Slash Observation Haki: Beginner (45/100) Armament Haki: Beginner (48/100) Sword Skill: Lv3 (Flash) Weapon: Powang Enhancement Points: 0 World: One Piece 

Physical Stats: Strength: 120 (Normal Human 5) Speed: 75 (Normal Human 5) Agility: 70 (Normal Human 5) Stamina: 120 (Normal Human 5) Defense: 115 (Normal Human 5) 

Strength Level: 62 (Marine Admiral 95) ... 

After learning Haki, Yoru's first feeling was: Powerful! All other feelings? Still powerful! With Haki, his swordsmanship could finally be integrated into his overall strength. He didn't have to rely solely on his Devil Fruit ability for combat anymore. Now, when facing Logia-type Devil Fruit users, he could actually hurt them! 

Back to the center of Mock Town! The two of them ate and drank well again, recovering their stamina. 

"Next up, just waiting for the enemies to come knocking!" Yoru thought to himself as he walked down the street. Mock Town at night was as bustling and chaotic as ever. 

... 

Crisis always comes suddenly and directly. 

Nine PM! 

The Blackbeard Pirates made their move. Within Yoru's Observation Haki, a fierce sense of danger erupted. It was a high-speed bullet flying straight for his head. The one who attacked was the sniper 'Supersonic' Van Augur! 

"Careful!" Yoru warned Nuowusi, unleashed his Observation Haki to the fullest, drew Powang from his waist, and thrust it towards the direction the bullet came from. "Pierce him, Powang!" 

Beneath the night sky, accompanied by the cool moonlight, Powang's cold glint became even more chilling and eerie, like a beam of death. It pierced through Van Augur's body a kilometer away at unbelievable speed. Van Augur couldn't have possibly imagined Yoru's attack range could be that long. He also didn't expect Yoru would attack him first, or that he could pinpoint his location so accurately. 

Gah... 

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and tried to pull away from the blade, wanting to retreat. A sniper being directly targeted and attacked is definitely not a good situation. 

But— 

Van Augur had severely underestimated Yoru! 

Thump, thump, thump! 

After Powang the long blade violently retracted, it shot out again with terrifying speed and sharpness, turning his heart into a sieve and taking his life! 

Chapter 377: Thunderous Suppression 2022-12-16 

"Did... did I just... die like this...?" Van Augur thought to himself, falling weakly into the pool of blood, just... sighing. 

Over at Yoru's side! 

"Nuowusi, hold off 'Champion' Burgess for me first! I'll handle the rest!" Yoru called out. "Don't worry, that sniper in the distance? I already took care of him!" 

Yoru retracted his Observation Haki, imbued Powang with Armament Haki, and just charged straight towards Blackbeard. 

"Got it, Captain!" 

As for Nuowusi, wielding twin daggers coated in Armament Haki, he intercepted Burgess who was charging towards Yoru. 

"Flash!" 

With the help of Observation Haki, Yoru's 'Flash' was practically divine. Blackbeard and the others felt a chilling dread, their entire bodies aching to the bone, as something like a beam of light just... zipped past them. 

Slash! 

Aside from 'Demon Sheriff' Laffitte leaping into the sky in an instant, a crimson wound appeared instantly on Blackbeard's and Doc Q's necks. 

"Gah!!!" 

Blackbeard screamed and fell to the ground, writhing violently. That fatal blow actually couldn't finish him off! Just as expected from a Dark-Dark Fruit user, one of the most tenacious beings in One Piece, seriously. 

But Yoru absolutely couldn't give Blackbeard a chance to use his Devil Fruit power. The Dark-Dark Fruit nullifies all Devil Fruit powers, and if he used his ability, things would get really troublesome! But Doc Q wasn't as lucky as Blackbeard. He crumpled straight to the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood, and... well, kicked the bucket! 

"Damn it!!!" 

Blackbeard clearly realized Yoru's strength too. He quickly scrambled back up, and plumes of black smoke started billowing from his body. Under the bright moonlight, this black smoke was just so eerie and terrifying. 

"'Lightning Killer', die!" 

Just then, Laffitte swooped down again. A flintlock appeared in his hand, and he fired repeatedly at Yoru. 

Clang clang clang! 

But all the attacks were defended against by Yoru using Armament Haki. Yoru's attack didn't stop though. Holding Powang in his right hand, he aimed at Blackbeard and unleashed, "Infinite Stab!" 

Thud thud thud thud! 

Blackbeard's body instantly became a sieve. His eyes were filled with pain and terror, and the black smoke on him just... faded away! Blackbeard felt things were going badly. Even with the endurance granted by his Dark-Dark Fruit ability, he felt his life was in danger. 

"No good, I gotta retreat! This guy is way too strange!" Blackbeard decided to retreat. Yoru's strength had changed too drastically! He wasn't using his Devil Fruit ability at all, yet he had strength even greater than when using a Devil Fruit. Blackbeard was no match. 

"Blackbeard, you think... I'd let you leave?!" 

Yoru's Observation Haki detected Blackbeard's change in emotion. He smirked coldly, "No one can survive the Infinite Stab!" As he spoke, a terrifying temperature emanated from his body, and Powang instantly heated up, glowing red. 

"Phoenix Fire Feathers!" 

A pair of massive fiery wings erupted from Yoru's back. He shook out a barrage of fierce fire feathers, shooting towards Laffitte in the air. 

"This is bad!" 

Seeing this, Laffitte quickly retreated. He felt a terrifying sense of danger from those fire feathers. And that's exactly what Yoru wanted. As long as Laffitte didn't interfere, Blackbeard was a goner! 

"Gah!!!" 

Blackbeard's chest was completely mangled. He didn't know how many times he'd been stabbed. His condition was extremely weak. 

"Flash!" 

Seeing his state, Yoru quickly unleashed his ultimate move, tearing another long gash across Blackbeard's neck with his blade. Blood splattered everywhere. 

"NO!!!" 

Blackbeard felt the life force rapidly draining from his body and let out a roar of unprecedented unwillingness and rage!! He had been lying low for so long, finally obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit with great difficulty, and just when he could finally achieve his grand ambitions, he was heading towards the end of his life at Yoru's hands! Blackbeard didn't want this! He didn't! He was clearly just a few steps away from conquering the world! 

"Dark Vortex!" 

Under the threat of death, Blackbeard unleashed unprecedented potential. The ground beneath his feet instantly became an ocean of darkness, engulfing and swallowing him. 

"I won't let you escape!" 

Seeing this scene, Yoru once again brandished Powang, thrusting a sword strike through the air. But... he actually missed! Yoru felt a sense of emptiness and oppression coming from Powang. He didn't feel like he had hit Blackbeard. After swallowing Blackbeard, the darkness quickly vanished. 

Blackbeard actually managed to escape just like that! Yoru's wariness towards him instantly grew stronger! This guy... no wonder he became one of the main bosses in the original story. It makes sense now! 

"But it's fine, I still have the rest of you!" 

Yoru withdrew his sword and looked towards the terrified Laffitte in the air, revealing an incredibly cold smile. 

"Run!" 

Facing Yoru's smile, Laffitte couldn't help but shiver. He had a bad feeling and quickly spread his wings to escape! 

But— 

"You think... I'd let you get away?" 

Yoru leapt up, the Fiery Phoenix descending upon the world, turning the night sky red. He chased after Laffitte with the speed of a meteor. 

"Phoenix Fire Feathers!!!" 

Fire feathers filled the sky, brilliant and dazzling like a meteor shower, but also terrifyingly dangerous. 

Thwack! Boom! 

Laffitte was indeed quite agile, but facing Yoru's relentless attacks, he still got hit. Constantly taking damage, his condition kept deteriorating! And most importantly— 

"Damn it, his Devil Fruit is actually suppressing me!!" 

After Yoru transformed into a Phoenix, Laffitte felt completely suppressed. An instinctive fear arose, weakening his abilities by thirty percent and significantly impacting his combat power! 

"Laffitte, your end has come!!" 

Severely wounded and suppressed by the Devil Fruit, Laffitte only managed to flee in the air for a few minutes before Yoru grabbed him with his talons. Like a little chick, Laffitte had absolutely no strength to resist. 

"Then, you can die!" Yoru said coldly, pronouncing Laffitte's death sentence! 

He cried out in terror, "Surrender! I surrender! I'm a navigator! Don't you need a navigator? I can serve you!" 

Hearing this, Yoru's eyes just glinted. He tightened his talons, piercing through Laffitte's chest. "Too bad, I don't need a dangerous navigator like you!" 

Yoru, carrying Laffitte's corpse, quickly descended. He casually grabbed a fruit from a nearby room and threw it onto Laffitte's body. A ready-made Devil Fruit! Can't let that go to waste! 

Right before his eyes, the banana he had grabbed slowly changed form, and then its color changed too. Finally, it transformed into a silver-white Devil Fruit with intricate patterns. 

"Bird-Bird Fruit, secured!" This was the very Devil Fruit Yoru had eaten. He was more familiar with its appearance than anything! 

Chapter 378: Subduing Burgess 

And not too far away! 

Burgess and Nouthis were still locked in combat! 

But even though Burgess had the upper hand, he didn't want to fight anymore at this point. Because Yoru had completely finished his own fight, and honestly, Yoru's cold, ruthless way of killing scared him. 

He decided he needed to get out of there! 

If he didn't leave now, he wouldn't make it out alive! 

But— 

"Since you came all this way, do you really think leaving will be that easy?" 

Swoosh! Yoru appeared right behind Burgess. 

Flash Step was a skill Yoru seemed to just know how to do naturally. 

"Damn it!" Seeing his escape route cut off by Yoru, Burgess's eyes narrowed severely, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. 

He knew it. His chances of survival today were looking pretty grim! 

He was absolutely no match for Yoru! He knew that for sure! 

"Surrender to me, and I'll give you a way out!" 

Burgess wasn't sly like Laffitte. Yoru figured he could try to bring him onto the crew. After all, his ship was still missing a helmsman right now, and he thought this big guy, Burgess, would be a perfect fit! 

Hearing Yoru say that, Burgess was first surprised, a little taken aback. Then, a look of joy crossed his face, and he quickly knelt before Yoru, pledging his loyalty! 

"Thank you, Captain!" 

"Alright, the helmsman position on the ship is yours. Do a good job, and I, Yoru, will never treat my crewmates poorly!" Yoru patted Burgess's arm, a promise and a warning all in one. 

"Nouthis, this is a Tori Tori no Mi. You can choose to eat it and gain great power at the cost of becoming a 'hammer', or not eat it and stay a normal swordsman," Yoru held out the Akuma no Mi towards Nouthis. 

This made Nouthis pause, then look a little disbelieving. "Captain, this is a Devil Fruit that can sell for hundreds of millions of Berries! You're actually letting me eat it?" 

"Why not?" 

"Didn't you just say I had great stamina earlier today? Eat this, and you'll gain powerful stamina too!" Yoru said noncommittally. 

"Then... thank you, Captain!" With a Devil Fruit right in front of him, probably not many people could resist that temptation! 

"Ugh~" 

"So gross!" But the moment Nouthis took a bite, his face instantly changed. 

The taste of a Devil Fruit... definitely wasn't great! 

"How is it? What do you feel?" Yoru watched Nouthis with great curiosity, wanting to see what kind of form he would develop. 

Crackle, crackle, crackle! 

Just as Yoru finished speaking, lightning started sparking around Nouthis's body. 

Nouthis said with a look of enjoyment, "Captain, you seem to have given me an incredible Devil Fruit! I feel a very powerful force erupting inside me!" 

Yoru didn't need Nouthis to say it; he could see it himself! Nouthis's aura was rapidly growing stronger, becoming wild. 

"Chee!" 

Nouthis suddenly let out a long cry and leaped into the sky. Then, his body rapidly transformed – wings, talons, a bird's body... 

In just three seconds, a blue Luan bird, completely enveloped in terrifying lightning, appeared before Yoru. 

Gurgle, gurgle~ 

And surprisingly, even Yoru's own body reacted slightly. A powerful force was awakening, responding to the call of Nouthis's Luan bird power. Yoru felt his blood boiling. Every cell felt like it was being remodeled, experiencing a burning heat. 

Amazing. My ability actually resonated and synchronized with his. Does that mean my fruit form is on the same level as his? Yoru thought to himself, watching Nouthis soar through the air like a favored child of lightning. 

In his mind, the system's voice chimed: [Congratulations, Host, for completing the battle against powerful individuals. Rewarding Host 420,000 Reinforcement Points!] 

[Detecting resonance between Host's ability and another's ability. Ability potential has been stimulated, body has been remodeled and enhanced again. Body attributes have increased, Strength Level +2!] 

Receiving the reinforcement points, Yoru didn't hesitate at all and put them into strengthening his Dual-Color Haki. In the world of pirates, the strength of your Haki makes a huge difference in boosting your power! 

[Strengthening Kenbunshoku Haki and Busoshoku Haki commencing. This reinforcement will consume a total of 400,000 Reinforcement Points!] 

Reinforcement began! 

Yoru felt his vision suddenly become clear and bright, and a heavy, sharp power was boiling within his body, making his muscles tougher and his strength more solid. This feeling was incredibly strange, yet surprisingly comfortable! Yoru felt like he was a piece of iron, constantly being reinforced and forged, with all his attributes seemingly increasing. 

The reinforcement process only lasted five minutes! 

After the reinforcement was complete, Yoru felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration! 

[Attribute Panel] Host: Yoru Age: 19 Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix: Intermediate (55/100) Skills: Phoenix Fire Feather, Phoenix Meteor Strike, Phoenix Feather Slice Kenbunshoku Haki: Novice (70/100) Busoshoku Haki: Novice (70/100) Swordplay: Lv3 (Flash) Weapon: Purifier of Illusions Reinforcement Points: 20,000 Plane: One Piece Body Attributes: Strength: 130 (Average Person 5) Speed: 80 (Average Person 5) Agility: 80 (Average Person 5) Stamina: 140 (Average Person 5) Defense: 130 (Average Person 5) Strength Level: 65 (Marine Admiral 95) ... 

Nouthis flew around in the sky, showing off for over ten minutes, before finally landing. 

"Captain, this fruit is seriously amazing! I feel more powerful than ever!" 

"Captain, can I have a fight with you?" Nouthis was practically bouncing with eagerness, his eyes sparkling with excitement. 

"Alright, let's go!" Yoru's strength had just gotten a boost again, and he wanted to test it out and get used to the power. Plus, it was a good chance to see how much Nouthis's strength had grown. 

"Here I come then, Captain!" Nouthis was instantly surrounded by crackling lightning. "Watch out!" 

He shot towards Yoru like a bolt of lightning. The short dagger in his hand felt like it held immense power; even Yoru felt a sense of danger. 

Clang! Clang! Clang! 

The two began an intense clash, making so much noise that the entire Mock Town could hear it. The whole town trembled from their battle. 

... 

Their fight went on until three in the morning! 

They fought fiercely for over six hours. Finally, Nouthis was the first to run out of stamina, bringing the battle to an end. 

"Heh heh, Captain, with my strength now, I'm worth at least a 300 million Berry bounty, right?" Nouthis grinned, lying in the middle of the ruins. 

"Definitely. Plus, with your air superiority advantage, a 300 million Berry bounty is more than enough!" Yoru couldn't help but marvel. The Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Luan form, felt like it was made just for Nouthis. 

Chapter 379: Arriving at Skypiea 

That lightning power gave him incredible speed and strength, making Nouce's already solid short blade swordsmanship even sharper and totally lethal. The biggest thing was, the added lightning attacks were seriously powerful, boosting Nouce's strength by way more than just a little bit! 

Burgess, who could pressure Nouce before, lost in just a hundred moves this time! 

Of course, Yoru's own gains were even bigger! He's now got power on par with a mid-tier Shichibukai. If you're talking bounty, that's gotta be at least 500 million Berry, able to easily take down a Pacifista! That's basically Straw Hat Luffy's strength level before he busted out Gear Fourth after the two-year time-skip. He's totally strong enough to stroll right through the first half of the Grand Line; even Moria isn't his opponent anymore! 

... 

Time flew by! 

The Knock Up Stream at Mock Town arrived! 

"Wehaha! Flying through the sky feels amazing!!" That bizarre feeling of riding the air current up to Skypiea even made Burgess couldn't help but let out an excited shout. 

"Second Information Poneglyph, here I come!" 

Skypiea is located thousands, even up to ten thousand meters above the ocean – a place with thin air and all sorts of weird, amazing stuff happening. 

The White Sea! 

Located 7000 meters above the sea within the Cumulonimbus clouds, it's a sea made of "sea clouds" that you can actually sail on. This is the first stop on the way to Skypiea. 

Naturally, this wasn't Yoru's final destination. Yoru was aiming for God's Island in the even higher White-White Sea. 

But when Yoru and his crew arrived, they still got noticed by the locals. That's because Straw Hat Luffy had already visited and sorted out the mess between the native Skypieans and the outsider Shandians. 

So, the people who showed up in front of Yoru were combined guards from both races. But they were still just as wary of outsiders as ever. 

"Outsiders, what's your business here?" The Skypiean guards looked at Yoru and his two companions, their faces full of suspicion and not exactly friendly. After all, Burgess just did not look like a nice guy. 

"Relax, we don't have any bad intentions. We just need to take a look at the Poneglyph on God's Island!" "I was hoping you could grant me this favor!" Yoru was pretty polite; when you're on someone else's turf, it's usually better to be courteous unless things get desperate. 

"The Poneglyph on God's Island?" Hearing Yoru say that, the guards looked surprised. Then they exchanged glances. "Please wait while we go report this!" 

After that, they pulled out a strange shell used for communication (a Dial, like Nami uses!) and started talking. 

Not long after! 

A fully armed old man riding a sky horse (a Pegasus!) appeared in front of Yoru. The ruler of Skypiea, God Gan Fall! 

Gan Fall looked at Yoru, his eyes and expression incredibly serious. He felt a strong sense of danger and pressure coming from Yoru. He knew right away it was better not to mess with Yoru! 

So, he said politely, "Greetings, friend from the Blue Sea. I am Gan Fall, the 'God' of Skypiea!" 

"Hello, Mr. Gan Fall!" Yoru politely returned the greeting, then asked, "What do you think about my request, Mr. Gan Fall?" 

"I don't see a problem. Please follow me!" Gan Fall smiled, welcomed Yoru into Skypiea, and led them toward the higher God's Island. 

Of course, just to be safe, a group of guards followed closely behind Yoru and his two companions. They were all Shandians giving off powerful auras. 

... 

God's Island! 

Located ten thousand meters above the sea! 

"Ugh, feels a bit rough!" Even someone as tough as Burgess felt a little uncomfortable, let alone Yoru and Nouce. Of course, as Devil Fruit users, both of them quickly got used to the discomfort from the thin air. 

"This is where the Poneglyph stone tablet is kept!" Gan Fall led Yoru and his two companions to the place where the previous 'God' of Skypiea, Enel, used to live! Inside that dazzling palace, stood an ancient, weathered stone tablet! 

"Thanks for this!" Yoru took out the rubbing paper he'd brought and made a copy of the information. 

"Captain, can we stay on this island for a few days? I feel like the environment here is awesome for training!" Burgess suddenly spoke up, looking really eager. 

"Oh? You'd actually ask for something like that? That's a bit of a surprise!" Hearing Burgess's request, Yoru was a little taken aback, but seeing Nouce also looked keen, he turned to Gan Fall. 

"Mr. Gan Fall, could you perhaps help us out and let us stay for a few days?" Seeing Gan Fall look a bit hesitant, Yoru smiled and said, "Don't worry, we'll pay, and we absolutely won't cause any trouble! You can even post guards to watch us. If we mess up, you can kick us out right away, and we won't say a word!" 

Hearing Yoru say that, Gan Fall looked at the muscular guy behind him carrying a big steel cannon. "Wiper, what do you think..." 

Yoru also looked at this guy. If he remembered correctly, this was the leader of the Shandians, known as 'Warrior' Wiper, and he was quite strong! 

"Alright, but you have to promise not to cause trouble. Otherwise, I definitely won't go easy on you!" Maybe after settling things with the Skypieans, Wiper had become more flexible and understood the benefit of bending a little; he actually agreed. That would have been completely impossible before. 

"Thank you very much then!" Yoru thanked Wiper and Gan Fall. 

Right after that, Gan Fall, Wiper, and the others left, arranging for guards to keep an eye on Yoru and his crew nearby. 

"Alright, you guys can start training!" Yoru told the excited Burgess. 

"Nouce, take some time to teach Burgess Haki too. Maybe he'll pick it up faster here on Skypiea, who knows!" 

Hearing Yoru say that, Burgess was ecstatic, "Really, Captain? You're really going to teach me Haki?" Burgess hadn't known about Haki before, or how amazing it was. But after fighting Nouce, who uses Haki, he got a real understanding of it. For someone who fights with his body like him, this thing would be a huge help and quickly boost his strength. Now, hearing Yoru was going to teach him such a powerful skill, Burgess couldn't have been happier. His strength was good, but he couldn't fully focus it on one spot, so his destructive power wasn't top-notch. But with Haki, he felt he could do that. 

"Of course!" Yoru looked at Burgess. "Like I said, I never treat my nakama badly!" 

"Wehaha! Thanks, Captain!" Burgess cheered with his arms raised. His loyalty to Yoru instantly shot up. Yoru as a captain is way, way better than Blackbeard. 

Chapter 380: Running into the Straw Hat Pirates 

Yoru and his two companions spent a full week chilling on the Sky Island. 

During that week, Yoru really beefed up his immunity to the sea itself. Even when soaked in seawater, he could still keep his fighting strength, not getting all soft and weak, totally out of juice. 

Of course, thanks to the Sky Island's super unique environment, his body got a serious boost. His Strength, Speed, and Agility all saw some solid increases. 

Strength got the biggest jump! Couldn't help it, right? Both Bashas and Nuowusi were way stronger than Yoru in that department. So, after sparring with those two, his strength just naturally went through the roof. Even his progress with Buso Haki (Armament Haki) got a little nudge forward because of it! 

【Status Panel】 Host: Yoru Age: 19 Tori Tori no Mi (Bird-Bird Fruit) - Phoenix Form: Intermediate (55/100) Skills: Phoenix Fire Feathers, Phoenix Falling Star, Phoenix Feather Slice Kenbun Haki (Observation Haki): Beginner (70/100) Buso Haki (Armament Haki): Beginner (75/100) Swordsmanship: Lv3 (Flash) Weapon: Powang Enhancement Points: 0 Dimension: One Piece Body Attributes: Strength: 155 (Regular Person 5) Speed: 90 (Regular Person 5) Agility: 82 (Regular Person 5) Stamina: 145 (Regular Person 5) Defense: 135 (Regular Person 5) Strength Level: 67 (Marine Admiral 95) ... 

And Bashas? Man, his thirst for Haki was seriously beyond what Yoru ever expected. In just one week, he actually got a solid grasp on Buso Haki, making it super proficient. His strength really grew a lot, and he even developed a new skill: Shocking Punch! 

Naturally, on the flip side, his Kenbun Haki progress was, well, snail-paced. He could only just barely predict someone's actions a little or sense a tiny bit of danger – basically, it was like having none at all. 

Nuowusi probably got the least out of it. Besides getting a bit better at controlling his Devil Fruit ability, nothing much else changed. 

But hey, Nuowusi was already pretty happy with that! 

At the eastern edge of Sky Island, Yoru and the other two used an Air Dial to descend back towards the Blue Sea. 

... 

Chebel Island! 

On an island in the Grand Line, near a certain Marine Branch base. 

Yoru and his two buddies landed smoothly on the sea surface. 

"Phew, back on the ocean! My body feels surprisingly light and comfortable!" Bashas exclaimed, taking a deep, almost intoxicated whiff of the salty air. 

Yoru just chuckled at that. 

"Caw!!" 

Just then, a News Coo bird flew overhead and dropped a rolled-up newspaper. Yoru caught it and his eyebrows shot up instantly. 

"These rookies this year are something else... looks like quite the mess has broken out!" 

Right there, plastered on the front page of the paper, was the headline: 'SUPER EGREGIOUS INCIDENT! Straw Hat Pirates Wreak Havoc on Enies Lobby, Break Through Buster Call Blockade, Successfully Escape!' 

Below that, there was an exaggerated description of the events, along with the bounties of everyone in the Straw Hat Pirates. 

"Three hundred million Beri, huh? Straw Hat Luffy, you really are an interesting guy!" Yoru kept reading the rest of the article, and his brow lifted again. "Looks like our plans to head to the next island to look for the Poneglyphs are gonna be put on hold for a bit!" 

"Bashas, Nuowusi!" Yoru pointed out towards the distant sea. "Confirm our direction, the weather, and our target: Marine Headquarters, Marineford!" 

"The Shichibukai meeting has been called!" 

Hearing that, both of them were startled. Bashas grinned even wider, "Wehahaha, Captain, that's definitely gonna be a super interesting get-together, wouldn't you say?!" 

Nuowusi nodded in agreement, totally on board. 

... 

"A Shichibukai meeting, huh? Hmph hmph hmph, interesting. Looks like I'll have to meet up with that troublesome bunch again!" Donquixote Doflamingo chuckled from Dressrosa in the New World. 

... 

"Shichibukai meeting... such a boring game." On a certain island in the Grand Line, a cold, noble-looking swordsman stepped onto his ship. 

The World's Strongest Swordsman, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, 'Hawk-Eyes' Dracule Mihawk! 

... 

On a certain sea area in the Grand Line! 

"Watch out! Enemy spotted!!!" 

A ship with a lion's head figurehead, designed in a super cool way, flying a pirate flag with a straw hat skull – yes, the Thousand Sunny – suddenly had a warning cry ring out. 

"What, enemies?!" "Where?!" "How many are there?!!" 

Instantly, three voices shouted from the ship. 

One wore a straw hat and was lean. One had three long swords strapped to his waist, short green hair, and a determined face. One was in a black suit, smoking a cigarette, with yellow hair and a handsome face. 

"There are only three enemies, about one kilometer ahead on the sea, coming towards us at an incredible speed!" The person reporting the situation was an orange-haired woman with a graceful figure and a strange tattoo on her arm. 

No need to say it, anyone with those features could only be the Straw Hat Pirates, who had just shaken the world! The woman reporting was none other than 'Cat Burglar' Nami! 

"Three people?" The green-haired man with three swords slightly furrowed his brow. "Nami, can you figure out who they are?" 

It was none other than the man aiming to become the World's Strongest Swordsman: Roronoa Zoro! 

"The enemy is one of the Shichibukai, 'Lightning Killer' Yoru!!!" Nami suddenly shrieked! 

"What?!" "A Shichibukai?" 

At her words, Zoro was instantly shocked. 

"Heh heh, a Shichibukai, huh? Well, I've already beaten one before, so if he wants to be our enemy, I'll definitely send him flying!" The young man with the straw hat spoke up, the man whose dream is to become the Pirate King, Straw Hat Luffy! 

After beating the Shichibukai Crocodile, Luffy felt that the Shichibukai weren't quite as amazing as he'd thought. Plus, after recently developing Gear Second and Gear Third, his strength had massively increased, giving him even more confidence to face the strong guys out on the ocean. 

And across from them, Yoru had also spotted the Straw Hats! 

"Out on this vast ocean, and we just happen to bump into them like this... talk about destiny!" Seeing the Straw Hat crew looking all tense, Yoru couldn't help but smile slightly. 

"Too bad, you're still too weak right now, doesn't really get me hyped up for a fight!" Fighting Straw Hat Luffy would get him some Enhancement Points, sure, but not many, so Yoru wasn't planning on making a move. 

"But, we'll probably run into each other again pretty soon!" 

As Yoru was muttering this, the two ships met. Yoru even leaped straight towards the Straw Hats' pirate ship. 

"Look out, he's coming over!" Seeing this, Nami and the others were instantly shocked, while the three main powerhouses – Zoro, Luffy, and Sanji – instantly went into high alert. 

"Yo, hey there, Straw Hats!" But Yoru wasn't there for a fight, so seeing them all tensed up, he waved his hand. "Relax, I'm not here for trouble, I'm not planning on fighting you guys!" 

He sat down on the lion's head figurehead. "Speaking of which, you guys have been causing a massive stir recently, haven't you?!"