Aboard the Wind Granma departing Marine Headquarters' port, Dragon shed the solemnity he'd shown at HQ.
Gazing at the towering Red Line ahead, an unconscious smile curved his lips.
"Dragon-san... you seem in good spirits," Koala beside him tilted her head slightly, her delicate face also relaxed with a smile.
Dragon nodded, and suddenly adopting a sage-like deanor.
"Long, long ago, people invented fire to endure the endless night, only to find it could never replace the sun—for flas only illuminate their own hos."
Koala blinked, clearly not grasping Dragon's whats Dragon talking about.
Without giving another explanation, Dragon said plainly, "Order all five army commanders to return to headquarters for a eting. Fleet Admiral Orion hasn't given us much ti."
"Understood!" Koala hurried off towards the cabin without delay.
*****
anwhile...
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's office.
Just as Orion prepared to leave, the Den Den Mushi on his desk rang.
Imu's voice ca through imdiately.
"Orion, it's Imu. Co to the Chamber of Flowers at once!"
"What happen anyway?"
"I'm swamped at Marine Headquarters, and you expect to drop everything at your command? Do you take for your errand boy?!"
Imu cut to the chase.
"All the Devil Fruit energies in the box have escaped. Also, I cannot leave the Holy Land!"
"What?"
Orion froze completely. "The contained Devil Fruits escaped? Don't be absurd, those were—"
Mid-sentence, his expression changed.
For contained Devil Fruit energies to escape, only two explanations existed: either his system was interfering, or so force even the system couldn't withstand had compromised its containnt.
The forr seed unlikely.
Yet either scenario spelled grave consequences.
With that realization, Orion wasted no more words.
"I'm on my way."
*****
When Orion arrived at the Chamber of Flowers, Gunko and Imu had been waiting in the garden pavilion.
"Fleet Admiral Orion!"
Gunko greeted him cheerfully upon his arrival, her voice tinged with delight.
Imu remained seated, her gaze fixed intensely on the box before her.
Orion acknowledged them politely before sitting opposite Imu and pulling the box towards himself.
"All of them really escaped?"
After sensing no energy fluctuations from the box, Orion slightly furrowed his brows before tentatively asking in his mind.
'System, what exactly is going on? Why did all the Devil Fruit energy in the containnt box escape?'
After posing this question internally, Orion didn't actually expect the system to respond.
Since obtaining the system, it had only appeared a handful of tis—each instance cold and detached before vanishing into silence again, never interacting with him.
However, though there was no communication from the system, a familiar prompt tone abruptly sounded.
"Detected mysterious energy interfering with this world!"
"You now have two choices!"
"One: Shatter the dinsional barrier, track the source and take the initiative to find the new host of the escaped Devil Fruit energy, Rewards : Divinity!"
"Two: Beco the king of this world and prepare for all-out war."
Hearing the two options presented by the system, Orion's expression gradually grew solemn.
Though the choices sounded simple, the implications behind them were vast.
Especially the ntion of "shattering the dinsional barrier" in the first option—it clearly indicated that the mysterious energy interfering with this world ca from... another world.
Most importantly, the phrase "track the source and take the initiative" ant that this mysterious energy from another world had caused cracks in the Devil Fruit containnt box when interfering here.
Not only had the Devil Fruit energy escaped, but it had also fled to the world where this mysterious energy originated.
In simpler terms, he now had to either take the initiative to break through the dinsional barrier and pursue the escaped Devil Fruit energy to its new world, or wait for the other side to invade the Grand Line by breaking through the barrier themselves.
In the anti, he would need to unify the Grand Line and prepare for all-out war.
Shattering the dinsional barrier was currently impossible for him.
If he had that ability, he would have already broken through this world and returned to Earth long ago.
This ant, in reality, he had no choice.
All he could do was beco the king of this world and prepare for the dinsional invasion.
Of course, it wasn't necessarily just waiting passively—perhaps the mont he beca the world's king, he would find a way to break the dinsional barrier and take the fight to them.
With this in mind, Orion couldn't be bothered to hesitate.
The first option was impossible for him now—he lacked the ability to shatter the dinsional barrier, aning even the reward of becoming a god was out of reach.
As for the second option, he would have pick it regardless of whether the system presented it or not.
Choosing or not made no difference.
"Orion?"
Sitting across from him, Imu noticed Orion's increasingly grave expression and prolonged silence.
Unable to hold back, she tentatively spoke up, "Did you discover sothing?"
Orion withdrew his gaze from the box and nodded slightly.
"Another mysterious entity has appeared. But it's not targeting you—their goal is ."
At this, Orion suddenly grinned, revealing his teeth.
"You have the threat of the Sun God Nika and now so mysterious force wants to destroy everything I've built. Fair, isn't it?"
Imu didn't find it amusing.
A cold glint flashed in her dark red eyes as she said solemnly, "They want to destroy what you've created? Who? What can I do to help?"
"It's not soone who want to destroy everything I've done—it's desire, what they want is desire!"
"Desire?" Imu was montarily stunned before turning to look at the box with sudden realization.
Orion nodded.
"Devil Fruits were born from humanity's craving for supernatural abilities, triggering a natural mutation phenonon! You should understand this better than I do."
After a brief pause, Orion tilted his head slightly, gazing at the clear skies beyond the pavilion, his eyes narrowing.
"However, this ti it might be even more intense. We'll need the combined strength of the entire world to confront it."
Imu's expression was sincere.
"If there truly is a mysterious force even you must take seriously, I will stand by your side."
"That's not up to you."
Orion smiled faintly. "If it really cos to that, we'll be grasshoppers tied to the sa string."
-----------------------------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator
Reviews
All reviews (0)