"This… this man killed Enel?"
Ohm and Shura stared at the man before them in utter disbelief, their hearts churning like stormy seas. In their eyes, there was not only shock, but also deep awe toward someone overwhelmingly powerful.
When Lancelot's gaze swept over them, Ohm and Shura almost instinctively lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.
Because in their understanding, any being capable of killing a god had to be another, even stronger god.
Resist?
That thought flashed through their minds, but it was quickly extinguished.
After all, if they had truly possessed the courage to resist, they would have done so long ago when they were facing Enel.
The reality was that Enel had beaten every bit of defiance out of them. In the end, they had not even had the courage to challenge Enel's rule or his divine authority.
And now, they had even less courage to challenge someone stronger than Enel.
Their gazes shifted toward Urouge and Blueno, and they silently thought to themselves.
Even this man's subordinates were terrifyingly powerful. Putting aside Urouge, who was of their own race, even that horned man alone could probably sweep across all of Sky Island.
At that thought, Ohm and Shura felt a wave of helplessness.
Faced with such a powerful enemy, they seemed to have already lost both the ability and the courage to resist.
They might as well accept their fate.
At the very least, the current situation was much better than when Enel had ruled.
After all, if their own people governed them, they probably would not be driven to death.
Lancelot's gaze slowly fell on Urouge, and the corner of his mouth lifted into a faint smile.
"From now on, this Sky Island and the island below it are your territory. Manage them well. With your ability, I believe you can turn this place into something prosperous."
Lancelot's voice was calm and gentle, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.
Still, worried that Urouge might not be skilled at governance, he added a few reminders.
"Remember this. Everything on Sky Island is rare and valuable to the Blue Sea. If you trade those things down below, you'll make quite a lot. You can also develop tourism… Of course, you'll need to take control of the island beneath Sky Island as well."
Hearing this, Urouge's eyes lit up sharply, as though a flame had been kindled inside them. An indescribable joy surged in his heart.
Lancelot had not only given him enough power to act freely, but also considerable autonomy. This was far beyond what he had expected.
Most importantly, Lancelot had even given him such useful advice.
In sharp contrast to Urouge's excitement, Blueno was stunned.
He had never expected Lancelot to hand over such enormous authority to Urouge so easily. It sounded almost absurd.
After all, Urouge had only just been recruited.
And Blueno was still standing right here!
Was it really fine to give those instructions right in front of him?
Blueno's mind went blank. He stood there stiffly, completely at a loss. Sometimes, he truly wished—
"Buru buru!"
Just then, a sudden sound broke the silence.
The Den Den Mushi in Lancelot's coat rang at exactly the wrong time, as if reminding him that there were other matters waiting for him.
"!!!"
Lancelot's heart tightened.
For the Den Den Mushi to ring right now, it was probably not good news.
Especially at such a critical moment.
He could not help murmuring in a low voice, "Looks like things have already started at G-5. Kaido, Charlotte Linlin… you actually dared to make a move. Since that's the case, I'll beat you both until you're completely convinced this time."
As he said those words, Lancelot's eyes narrowed slightly. A cold glint flashed within them, as though two sharp beams of killing intent had shot out.
That murderous aura surged like a volcano that had been suppressed for far too long, finally erupting without restraint.
"Gulp!"
Urouge, Blueno, Ohm, and Shura, who were standing nearby, all felt their hearts tighten when they saw Lancelot like this. Their throats moved unconsciously as they swallowed.
Because the pressure Lancelot was giving off right now was simply too terrifying.
Lancelot took a deep breath, slightly calming his emotions, then quickly answered the Den Den Mushi.
However, the moment he placed it by his ear, a look of surprise appeared on his face.
It seemed the news from the other end was completely beyond his expectations.
Sure enough, Issho's slightly surprised voice came from the Den Den Mushi.
"The situation here has changed somewhat. The Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates have not attacked G-5 as we previously expected. Instead, they changed direction and launched a war directly against the territories of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates. Judging by their routes of attack, they clearly discussed this in advance.
"I believe it is because the final result of the Summit War went beyond their expectations. Because of that, they changed their strategy and chose to strengthen themselves first."
Hearing this, Lancelot's heart tightened, and his brows furrowed deeply.
He knew very well that the current situation was extremely unfavorable to him.
This was the outcome he least wanted to see.
If the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates successfully swallowed the territories of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates, then their strength would increase tremendously.
This did not merely mean that their territory would expand. More importantly, it meant they would gain far greater resources and profits.
And in the process, those two pirate crews would definitely subdue some other forces and powerful individuals, bringing them under their command.
For the Big Mom Pirates, that might still be manageable. After all, they were already a very exclusive crew and would not easily accept outsiders.
But for the Beasts Pirates, who had suffered massive losses in high-level combat power, the situation was completely different.
Their top fighters had been heavily depleted, so they would absolutely seize this opportunity and do everything they could to recruit strong individuals. In that case, the overall strength of the Beasts Pirates might very well surpass what it had been before.
If they then joined forces with the Big Mom Pirates to attack G-5, the situation would become extremely troublesome.
Although Lancelot was confident in his own strength and did not fear a combined assault from those two pirate crews, he had to admit that this development was worrying.
Because if things reached that point, the losses would be enormous.
At that thought, he immediately made a clear decision.
"Issho, we absolutely cannot allow them to grow freely like this. Otherwise, they will bring us endless trouble in the future."
Issho deeply agreed and nodded.
"That is exactly what I was thinking. That is why, aside from reporting the specific situation to you in detail, I also have another important purpose for this call.
"I want to suggest that we take the initiative and strike first."