"So strong!!"
Witnessing the scene, Rebecca covered her mouth with her small hands, letting out gasps of amazement. She knew Ryuuto was strong, but she never imagined he could annihilate Little Oars Jr. so effortlessly.
"It seems you still don't truly understand what it means to be a Yonko."
"They are called the Emperors of the Sea for a reason," Kyros said softly, walking to Rebecca's side. The tension finally left his eyes, replaced by the hint of a smile.
Rebecca really made the right choice! Kyros thought to himself.
He just didn't know what Rebecca had sacrificed to make it happen. Then again, it seemed to have all been a one-sided delusion on her part.
Rebecca had misunderstood from the very beginning.
As the sun slowly climbed into the sky, the residents of Dressrosa who had been hiding in the shadows began to emerge into the light. They did not yet know that after today, their freedom would be restored.
When the sunlight warmed their skin, it was as if all the darkness and despair were finally being swept away.
Diamante and Lao G lay weakly in the corner of a ruined building, their faces etched with despair. They had been lucky enough to avoid Ryuuto's Heavenly Blade of Ten Thousand Thunders, and so while they were injured, they were still alive.
"So this is the power of a Yonko?! No wonder Doflamingo never dared to offend Kaido. No wonder he was executed during the Summit War!"
The thoughts swirled in Diamante's mind, leaving a bitter taste. He had no idea how Ryuuto would deal with him.
Lao G, on the other hand, was thinking that if he survived this, he wanted to find a quiet little island and live out the rest of his days in peace.
Baby 5's face was a mask of pure shock. The sheer, crushing difference in power left her in awe of Ryuuto's might.
"Thunderfall of a Thousand Birds!!"
With a furious roar from Ryuuto, the countless pools of lightning plasma on the ground instantly converged, forming savage thunder birds that surged toward Vice Admiral Onigumo with an overwhelming aura of destruction.
Crackle!!
A sky full of golden lightning erupted.
Onigumo's hands tightened on the hilts of his swords. Already prepared, he stamped his foot hard and leaped to the side.
Boom!!
The first thunder bird missed its mark, slamming into the ground and blasting out a deep crater. A powerful shockwave expanded outwards, sending rubble and dust flying. Not only that, but the residual golden plasma continued to corrode and assimilate the earth.
"It's over, Onigumo!!"
Seeing this, Ryuuto spoke calmly, slowly sheathing his blade, Kuiryuu Zan, before turning to walk back toward Hancock and the others.
He moved with an easy grace, as if victory had already been decided. The sunlight cast a long shadow behind him, making his figure seem impossibly tall and grand.
And it was true. The moment he had unleashed that technique, the countdown to Vice Admiral Onigumo's life had begun.
As Ryuuto's words faded, dozens of savage thunder birds formed from golden plasma descended upon Vice Admiral Onigumo from every direction.
A familiar sensation washed over him.
Onigumo's hands trembled as he held his katanas. Then, with a sudden clench, he arranged the eight blades into a meticulous, circular defense. A powerful aura erupted from him, crackling with black lightning.
"Eight-Sword Style... Slash!!"
Boom!!
The instant he finished his move, the golden thunder birds completely engulfed him.
A colossal explosion rocked the island.
An immense gale erupted from the point of impact, a shockwave that swept outwards like a tidal wave. The surrounding ground buckled as if struck by a meteor, and countless buildings were pulverized into dust.
Baby 5 was sent flying by the blast, slamming hard into the ground.
"Phew—"
She spat out a mouthful of dust. Her white maid headdress was gone, and her red maid outfit was now covered in grime.
Splat!!
Diamante and Lao G were hit directly by the shockwave. They coughed up a mouthful of blood before their heads lolled to the side, and they fell into unconsciousness.
Back with Ryuuto's group, an invisible wall of wind stood before them, deflecting the entire blast.
This was Ryuuto's Call the Wind ability.
Rebecca and Kyros's gazes once again fell upon Ryuuto. A single thought crossed their minds: Captain Ryuuto seems to have yet another new ability!
When the dust finally settled, Vice Admiral Onigumo's figure was revealed to all.
He lay on the ground, drenched in blood and utterly still. His eight katanas were scattered messily around him. He had been killed instantly.
With that, all remaining enemies on the island of Dressrosa had been purged.
"Captain Ryuuto, you're amazing!!"
The moment she saw the outcome, Rebecca was the first to rush forward, her face flushed as she cried out to him. Her expression was a mixture of excitement, affection, and shyness.
Ryuuto wasn't entirely sure what she was praising—his strength, or his abilities?
She looked as if she was about to throw herself at him, but a powerful aura from a nearby Hancock quickly made Rebecca abandon the idea.
"Kyros, I'll leave this to you. We're heading to the King's Plateau!"
With that, Ryuuto and his group made their way up to the plateau.
After casually dispatching the few remaining soldiers, Rebecca led them to the dungeon, where they quickly found King Riku.
"Father!!"
Seeing him, Rebecca could no longer contain her longing and flew into his arms.
"Rebecca, who are these people?" King Riku asked, finally looking up after a long embrace with his daughter.
Rebecca explained everything, and King Riku finally understood the incredible events that had transpired on Dressrosa in just a few short days.
"Captain Ryuuto, thank you so much!" King Riku said, standing and bowing deeply to him.
Ryuuto quickly helped him up.
The group left the dungeon and entered the royal palace of Dressrosa. Just then, Kyros walked in, carrying two people.
They were Lao G and Baby 5.
As for Diamante, Kyros had already executed him. Kyros's hatred for the man who had posed as Dressrosa's "hero" was bone-deep, so he had ended him without hesitation. Lao G and Baby 5's crimes were lesser, so Kyros brought them to be judged by King Riku.
"Baby 5? Leave her to us! We happen to be short a dutiful maid on our ship. She can work to atone for her sins!" Ryuuto's eyes lit up at the sight of her, and he immediately voiced his idea.
"Hmm?"
Nami instantly shot him a suspicious look.
"Don't tell me the captain's just fallen for her looks?" Nami thought, sizing up Baby 5's delicate features before viciously pinching Ryuuto's waist, making him wince in pain.
Hancock tilted her chin up high, staring coldly at Baby 5 as a powerful pressure assaulted her mind.
"Wh-what's happening?"
Before Baby 5 could even figure out the situation, she found it hard to breathe, sweat pouring down her forehead.
"Nice one!!" Vivi thought, clenching her fists, secretly thrilled by the scene. Even if I'm still making my own moves in secret, I won't allow any new competition!
Ryuuto then explained Baby 5's unique circumstances to everyone.
He described how the woman had suffered since childhood, which had twisted her personality. All she wanted was to be useful to others, a trait that made her completely unable to refuse any request, leaving her vulnerable to deception and harm. Even the officers of the Donquixote Family had only ever treated her as a tool.
"Captain, I misunderstood you!"
Hearing Ryuuto's explanation, tears instantly welled up in Nami's eyes. She hugged him, her face full of emotion as she spoke softly.
Hancock had a strange expression. She stroked her chin and muttered, "Normally, shouldn't someone who suffered so much as a child want to take revenge on the world?"
She truly couldn't understand it.
"That's just too pitiful!" Vivi's eyes also grew red.
"In that case... shall we?" Seeing that everyone was moved, Ryuuto decided to strike while the iron was hot and looked toward Nami and the others.
"Mhm, let's have her join us!" Nami and Vivi nodded in agreement.
"You bastards, what do you think you're doing?" Enraged that they were deciding her fate for her, Baby 5 kicked off Kyros's chest, breaking free. She leaped into the air, her right arm transforming into the black barrel of a firearm aimed directly at Ryuuto.
Bang!!
The shot rang out, filling the air with the smell of gunpowder as smoke drifted from the muzzle.
Crackle!!
With a barely audible hum of lightning, the large-caliber bullet passed harmlessly through him and struck the ground, sending stone fragments flying.
Looking back at Ryuuto, a hole about seven or eight centimeters in diameter had appeared in his chest, its edges sparking with golden electricity.
Before Baby 5's shocked eyes, countless tiny arcs of lightning wove together, and the wound on Ryuuto's chest shrank at a visible rate until it was completely gone.
A slight smile played on Ryuuto's lips. "Baby 5," he said gently, "could I ask you for a favor? Please, join us!"
"Ah... okay!"
"No problem!"
The moment he finished speaking, Baby 5 snapped to attention, her face turning a bright, bashful red as she replied.
"Hahahahahaha..."
Ryuuto burst out laughing. Who could possibly turn down a beautiful maid who was eager to be needed and could only say yes!
"It's true, she really can't refuse anyone!" Rebecca watched in astonishment, her eyes wide with disbelief. But she had no time to dwell on it, as she was already dizzy with the overwhelming joy of seeing her years-long dream so easily fulfilled.
Hancock and the other two said nothing more.
Soon after, Kyros threw Lao G into the dungeons. According to King Riku's plan, he would be handed over to the Marines in a few days. The fate awaiting Lao G was likely forced labor building the Despair Bridge.
King Riku had intended to host a grand banquet for Ryuuto and his crew, but Ryuuto remembered that the adorable Tontatta Tribe was still on Dressrosa. Moreover, their warrior Leo was an old acquaintance of his.
So, Ryuuto's group politely declined the King's offer, planning instead to visit the island of Green Bit, where the Tontattas lived underground.
A short time later, Ryuuto and his group arrived at the great bridge to Green Bit.
The first thing they saw was a troubling sight. The bridge was covered in signs of battle and littered with the mangled corpses of several Marine soldiers. The bridge itself had been deliberately severed.
"Could something have happened to the Tontatta Tribe?"
The same dreadful thought occurred to everyone simultaneously.
"Let's go check it out!!"
Ryuuto flicked his right hand, conjuring a gust of wind that instantly swept everyone up and carried them toward Green Bit. Along the way, he couldn't help but think, "I hope those gullible Tontattas are okay!"
...
"King Gancho, are you saying that Leo and the others have already set sail to rescue your Princess Mansherry?"
Within a giant treehouse, Jesus Burgess was holding the king of the Tontatta Tribe, Gancho, in his palm. Before them stood Ryuuto and his crew.
From King Gancho's explanation, Ryuuto finally learned what had happened. It turned out that Blackbeard's crew had appeared, not only stealing all the SMILE fruits but also kidnapping all the dwarves with cultivation talents.
Among them was their princess, Mansherry.
As the user of the Heal-Heal Fruit, Mansherry possessed the ability to heal others with her tears, at the cost of her own life force.
To Blackbeard, she was a priceless treasure.
Upon learning the news, Leo had set out to rescue their princess from Blackbeard's clutches. But they were a step too late.
By the time Leo and his warriors arrived, the Blackbeard Pirates had already left Dressrosa. After severing the Green Bit bridge, Leo's group had taken a ship and set sail in pursuit.
"So that's what happened," Nami said with a nod, relieved to know that the tribe was, for the most part, safe.
"King Gancho, I feel I must tell you, Blackbeard and his crew are incredibly powerful. I doubt Leo's Tontatta Corps stands a chance against them," Ryuuto said, his expression grave.
As Ryuuto spoke, the ever-diligent Baby 5 refilled his cup with a hot drink. This is nice, he thought. A home just isn't complete without a maid!
"Sigh... I know," Gancho sighed heavily. He knew all of this, but how could he stop the fiery passion of youth, especially when so many of their people were at stake?
"Let's hope they have good luck on their side," Nami said with a soft sigh.
...