On Sky Island—
At the very peak of a colossal vine, Souta Kiryuu sat in quiet concentration, honing his mastery of Conqueror's Haki infusion, consolidating the immense progress he had made during the battle in the Sorbet Kingdom.
He wasn't in any hurry to hunt down the Golden Lion, Shiki. The technology for reclaiming Devil Fruits from fallen users was still incomplete, so defeating Shiki now offered little benefit. Souta had already secured his bloodline factor and marked the location of his stronghold.
To him, Shiki was nothing more than a dish waiting to be served—a crippled old lion of the sky that could be claimed whenever Souta desired.
For now, he had other promises to fulfill. He had agreed to help Dragon and the Revolutionary Army deal with the pirate-ruled allied nations of the West Blue: the Flower Country and the Mulberry Kingdom.
The Flower Country's glacial treasure and the Mulberry Kingdom's weapons were exactly what the Revolutionary Army needed. Unlike Souta's crew, who had discovered the endless riches of Shandora's golden city, the Revolutionaries lacked stable funding. Their sprawling underground networks required immense amounts of money and weaponry.
Once the Sorbet Kingdom's crisis settled, Souta and Dragon would move into the West Blue. Souta even looked forward to testing the abilities of the Mulberry Kingdom's Guardian General, a user of a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
On Skypiea's Upper Yard—
Enel scowled at his newest bounty poster, still unsatisfied. His wanted level was lower than Bartholomew Kuma's, a fact he couldn't stomach. Determined, he stormed off to train harder, swearing to elevate his Armament Haki to Kuma's level.
"My bounty's only 620 million?! I don't even match one of Kaido's All-Stars?!"
Gecko Moria bellowed furiously. His ambitions aimed at Beasts Kaido himself—yet now, he couldn't even compare to Kaido's subordinates.
Did the World Government truly consider him that weak?
"You should start by burning off that belly and relearning how to train your Haki," Kuma said coldly. Truthfully, he believed he could crush the fallen Warlord in seconds.
Moria had wasted too many years hiding in the Florian Triangle, feasting and sleeping while leaving everything to his underlings. Without real battles, his skills had dulled to the point where even Enel, a relative newcomer, had defeated him.
Still, the humiliation of a bounty less than half Kuma's finally rekindled the stubborn flame in him. Gazing down at his bloated stomach, Moria clenched his teeth and dragged himself back into training.
Once, he had been a formidable warrior—bold enough to face Kaido head-on. If he could restore his lost Haki and fighting spirit, he might not defeat Kaido, but at the very least he could rival Jack or Queen. King would still require careful calculation.
Nearby, Jewelry Bonney gleefully waved Souta Kiryuu's bounty poster in her hands.
"Papa Souta's so strong! Thirty billion berries! With one more big event, he'll catch up to Red-Haired Shanks as the youngest Emperor ever!"
She giggled while riding atop a fluffy sky sheep enhanced with breath dials for flight. Princess Mansherry clung to the creature's horns, squealing with delight as they soared a few meters above the ground.
The sheep, once dismissed by Souta, had become Bonney's beloved pet. With her modifications, it now sped through the air at satisfying speed.
Meanwhile, Rebecca trained diligently in swordsmanship under the toy soldier Kyros. Smiling, she called to her aunt, Violet:
"Brother Souta is already stronger than Doflamingo! Soon, we'll take back Dressrosa!"
Violet's eyes shone with anticipation. With Souta's strength, the Donquixote Family couldn't possibly stand in their way. Though he was occupied for now, they were patient. Months, even years—they could wait.
Kyros's skill in swordplay impressed even Law and Lafitte, who occasionally sought his guidance and reaped great benefits.
Elsewhere, young Aisa, blessed with innate Observation Haki, had finally chosen her path: sniper. On her back she carried a cutting-edge rifle from Vegapunk's labs—an innovative fusion of sniper rifle and mafia-style submachine gun.
With her keen Observation Haki and, one day, Armament-coated bullets, she was destined to become one of the world's top sharpshooters.
But while Souta's allies trained, tension in the world grew heavier still.
In Mary Geoise, at the Holy Land itself, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Within the Empty Throne Hall, the Five Elders and the Holy Knights knelt on one knee, heads bowed beneath the shadow of the unseen sovereign. A crushing aura filled the chamber.
Saint Garlin's right arm had been restored, but the arrogance in his eyes was gone. He still couldn't accept the humiliation of being defeated by both Kaido and Souta Kiryuu.
"You disappoint me," came the cold, hollow voice of Imu.
Clutched in her hands were the Pluton blueprints seized by Saint Paenes. But the more she studied them, the colder the room became. With a flick of her fingers, radiant blades of light sliced the documents to shreds. Worthless fakes.
Saint Paenes collapsed forward, forehead pressed to the floor, body trembling, breath ragged.
"You let yourselves be toyed with by a mere experimental subject? And you call yourselves the Celestial Dragons' elite?" Imu's words cut through the silence like frost.
Even the Five Elders pressed their heads to the ground, shuddering under her wrath.
"These blueprints were false… but hidden among them were fragments of the real thing. That means the experiment—Souta Kiryuu—truly holds the authentic Pluton design."
Her voice lingered like an icy wind in their ears, freezing their hearts.
Had Souta really uncovered Pluton's secrets in Water 7?
If so, the World Government was facing disaster.
"I don't care what methods you use. The blueprints and Vegapunk must be seized!" Imu thundered, her fury shaking the palace itself.
"By your command!!" they all cried in unison. None dared to mention replacing Saint Garlin as commander of the Holy Knights. In Imu's fury, even the smallest whisper could mean annihilation.
When they finally staggered out of the Empty Throne Hall, their robes clung to their sweat-drenched backs.
Later, in the Five Elders' council chamber within Pangaea Castle, Saint Foss turned on Garlin with venom.
"Look at your brilliant plan! Because of you, Imu-sama's wrath fell upon us!"
Garlin only glared back in silence. He was already focused on finding Souta Kiryuu's base, determined to reclaim Vegapunk and the real Pluton blueprints.
If Souta truly intended to build a Pluton battleship, the sheer volume of resources required—billions in funding, mountains of rare metals—would shake both the underworld and legitimate markets.
The World Government had no choice. They would watch every flow of goods across the seas, plant spies wherever possible.
Because if Souta Kiryuu succeeded in constructing Pluton, the entire world would plunge into chaos.
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