Chapter 138: The aning of Battle, Arrangents for Conrad!
Conrad had initially tried to resist, but eventually, he gave up.
Even though Najenda wasn't stronger than him in raw power, Armant Haki, or even Devil Fruit ability, she completely overwheld him in combat. With her Imperial arms Susanoo, paired with her battle experience and total mastery over her strength, Najenda dominated the fight.
At one point, even Najenda was stunned.
This guy could still move after being pumled that long?
His regeneration and sheer durability were insane.
No wonder he walked around so cocky. With that kind of endurance, anyone would think they were invincible.
"That's enough, Najenda. Stand down," Ryuunosuke called out as he approached.
He hadn't intended to cripple Conrad—just knock him down a peg. The point was to humble him, to show him that his current strength was far from the top. He didn't want the guy to walk away with a trauma from losing.
"I know, Captain," Najenda said, stepping back and returning to Ryuunosuke's side.
"Captain... I get it now."
"I was cocky. Overconfident."
"I let my guard down even though I was facing the captain of the first division. If that had been a real enemy... I'd be dead."
Conrad knelt on one knee in front of Ryuunosuke, his voice filled with guilt and regret.
Ryuunosuke had saved his life, gifted him a Devil Fruit, and used so unknown thod to massively enhance his strength. And yet, he'd let it get to his head.
He'd treated that gift like it made him untouchable.
That was nothing short of disrespect to everything Ryuunosuke had done for him.
"I'm glad you understand," Ryuunosuke said calmly. "That's exactly what I wanted you to realize."
"From now on, focus on training. Lead your squad with purpose—make them a force known across the seas."
"Soday, even Zou Island on the back of the Elephant Lord will take pride in your na."
"Don't just sit on your strength. Push yourself. Keep evolving."
"I understand, Captain. I'll take care of my injuries myself. No need for healing," Conrad said quickly, shaking his head. "Let them hurt—it'll remind not to slack off again."
"Good."
Ryuunosuke nodded.
"From this point forward, your role—and that of the other captains from the odd jobs division—is the sa."
"But you also have a special mission."
"You're to rescue every stranded mber of the Mink Tribe you can find."
"Even if they're slaves or guards now... they're still your people."
As he spoke, Ryuunosuke pulled out a Den Den Mushi and began dialing.
He was reaching out to Morgans—one of the underground emperors. If anyone could track the locations of trafficked Mink Tribe mbers, it was him.
---
While Ryuunosuke negotiated with Morgans, Conrad stood silently, watching.
His eyes stung.
Tears welled up and spilled over.
This... was his captain?
He'd thought Ryuunosuke only saw him as a tool, only wanted his power.
But after joining the Dragon Hunter Pirates, his very first mission... was to save others of his kind.
No words could describe how that hit him.
The selflessness, the vision, the sheer nobility of it—Conrad was overwheld.
Ryuunosuke, on the other hand, didn't even notice the emotional breakdown happening behind him.
He was too focused on the call. He didn't hear the notification from the system about his increased reputation either—it had been muted.
But even without any system assistance, Ryuunosuke had completely earned Conrad's loyalty.
This was the power of personal charisma. This was the strength of true leadership.
"Ugh..."
A flutter of wings interrupted the mont. A news bird landed nearby.
"Conrad, you still crying? Get over here already!" Ryuunosuke called out, glancing back.
At first, he assud Conrad was still in pain from the beatdown, but the more he watched, the more it seed... off.
Still, if the man needed a good cry, let him have it. But now that the news bird was here, he had to pull himself together.
Was there really that much snot?
"Y-Yeah!"
Conrad quickly got to his feet and hurried over.
To be fair, the Mink Tribe's recovery abilities were pretty insane. Anyone else beaten that hard by Najenda would still be in bed. But Conrad was already walking again.
Then again, it probably had sothing to do with his recent power boost. Najenda's beatdown might've helped him integrate those new strengths better.
"This is a news bird—you've seen them before."
"And this," Ryuunosuke said, handing him a device, "is an Eternal Pose that belongs to the News Agency. Follow it to a contact who'll give you the leads you need."
"When you're done, return the Eternal Pose to the bird."
The price for this information had already been negotiated.
It wasn't cheap—300 million Berries. If not for a special deal Ryuunosuke had with Morgans, the information wouldn't have been for sale at all.
"I understand, Captain!"
Conrad accepted the device with both hands.
Ryuunosuke had thought everything through, even arranged a direct lead for him.
If he failed this mission... he might as well eat dirt and disappear from sha.
"And one more thing," Ryuunosuke added. "Never forget—you are part of the Dragon Hunter Pirates."
"You've got us backing you up."
"If there's anything you can't handle, don't hesitate. Call us."
Ryuunosuke handed over the news bird, and Conrad... broke into tears again.
Minks were seriously emotional. That or Conrad just had a lot bottled up.
Once Conrad was on his way, Ryuunosuke and the others resud their journey.
"Captain, I think I've figured out what you're planning."
Najenda walked up beside him.
"Oh?" Ryuunosuke raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it."
It would've been disappointing if Najenda didn't catch on. She'd always been at his side, and her strength wasn't just in combat—she was a tactician.
Unlike Aka, who only thought about slicing things and eating at.
"You want to let each of the handyman division eventually beco their own independent pirate crews," Najetta said.
"They'll still be under our banner, but independent in function."
"Doing this will massively boost our overall influence and spread our na across the seas."
Ryuunosuke gave her a nod.
She wasn't completely right, but close enough. Based on the limited info she had access to, her analysis was solid.
Far better than Aka's complete lack of insight.
Just as Ryuunosuke was about to respond, Kuina approached, looking... conflicted.
"Sothing on your mind?" he asked, noticing her serious expression.
Kuina wasn't just carrying the pride of the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
She also carried the legacy of Wano.
She rarely brought it up, but Ryuunosuke hadn't forgotten.
He could tell this wasn't sothing trivial.
"Captain," she said quietly, taking a breath. "Are you... really connected to the Kozuki Clan?"
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