Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Logia, Mythical Zoan, Monstrous Talent!
"Whoosh—"
Above the blue sea, Moss, in his massive Pelagornis bird form, began to shift, transforming into a hybrid beast form.
With his feathers puffed and his figure reminiscent of a majestic griffin, he extended his massive wings, now serving as hands, and opened the briefcase. Carefully, he moved the Devil Fruits into a secure pouch he had prepared in advance, then tossed the black briefcase into the sea below to avoid any potential traps from the World Government.
If they had slipped in a piece of Vivre Card as a tracker, that would have caused serious trouble.
Having thoroughly inspected each Devil Fruit, Moss was confident there were no issues with them.
"Heh, the World Government sure has a well-stocked treasury," Moss said with a grin as he secured the fruits. "Pulling out Logia and even the rare Mythical Zoan types without hesitation."
"After ruling the seas for centuries with a Navy presence in nearly every corner and CP spy networks worldwide, it's no surprise they have such a vast collection," replied El, his black wings whipping up a powerful gust as he flew beside Moss. "But pushing them for twenty Devil Fruits was the limit. The World Government isn't stupid—they won't keep giving in."
"Destroying two large naval fortresses and then kidnapping Celestial Dragons to ransom the World Government—these tactics are only viable before the 'Totto Land Plan' officially begins. Right now, they don't have a fixed location on us, and we're mobile. Once we establish a solid territory and develop a stable state, both sides will start calculating risks differently. At that point, unless both sides are prepared for full-scale war, neither of us will take things too far."
"You've got a point!" Moss nodded thoughtfully. Without an established base, the World Government couldn't easily track or confront them. But once they claimed territory and began to grow as a force, the benefits of more resources, recruitment, and influence would also mean new constraints. Both the World Government and the Fallen Angel Pirates would have limits unless ready for open war.
For now, though, they needed to survive and repel any attacks that the Navy or World Government launched. Only by demonstrating undeniable strength could they prevent the other side from acting rashly. Without that, neither the World Government nor the Navy would allow them to continue challenging the Celestial Dragons and flaunting their independence. It was only a matter of time before they tried to crush any efforts to establish a pirate state.
"Moss, you head back with the Devil Fruits. I have some things to discuss with Sally."
While El hadn't fully inspected each Devil Fruit, he had a general idea of what they were. As expected, the World Government had been careful. While they provided rare Logia and Mythical Zoan types, they weren't the most powerful versions. For instance, the Logia Fruit was the Smoke-Smoke Fruit—not weak, but also not a powerhouse. The Zoan, however, was more impressive than he expected.
"Understood," Moss replied. He then fully transformed, following the Vivre Card's direction back to Atlantis.
…
A Short While Later—
On a deserted island near the Sabaody Archipelago...
"El-sama..."
As El's towering figure descended from the sky, the graceful and alluring Sally approached with a soft smile. "It seems everything went smoothly, doesn't it?"
The two made their way to a cave entrance—a secret base within the Fallen Angel Pirates' intelligence network. Tucked away in a secluded and hidden location, it was nearly impossible to find unless you stumbled directly upon it. Sally, as head of intelligence, often conducted operations from here.
"More or less," El replied, with a slight smile.
With a subtle shift in his stance, his muscles contracted, visibly rippling as he executed Life Return, reducing his form down to a more compact three-meter height.
"What kind of abilities do those Devil Fruits hold?" Sally asked, sliding into the spacious, well-lit cave alongside El. Embracing his arm, she leaned closely against him, looking up with curiosity.
The agreement with the World Government for the first exchange stipulated one Logia, one Mythical Zoan, one Ancient Zoan, and four additional Devil Fruits.
"The three rarest abilities include the Smoke-Smoke Fruit (Logia), the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami (Mythical Zoan), and the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Velociraptor (Ancient Zoan)," El replied, amusement in his tone. "The others relatively have ordinary abilities, so nothing to get too excited about."
"And actually, I've come away with something even better."
El's expression shifted to a sly smile as he raised his right fist, clenching it as red-black lightning crackled, a powerful display of Conqueror's Haki flowing around him in intense arcs.
If Kong had witnessed it, he would have been speechless. This advanced Conqueror's Haki coating technique took him years to master. Yet El, this formidable Lunarian, had now achieved it as well.
"Is this..."
Sally's eyes widened as she gasped in astonishment. "Is this... the Conqueror's Coating technique you've been training so hard to master?"
As El's trusted aide, she knew well how much time he had invested in honing this skill, alongside perfecting his swordsmanship, physical strength, and Devil Fruit powers. Although he'd made steady progress with his Observation and Armament Haki, Conqueror's Haki had seemed elusive. While it had intensified over the years, there had been no breakthrough—until now.
She recalled El mentioning that Conqueror's Haki, when mastered, could coat attacks with immense force, far surpassing Armament Haki. This ability was known only to the world's elite few—true titans of power.
"The technique is still a bit unpolished," El said, dismissing the Haki as he smiled with confidence. "But I've finally broken through. It's only a matter of time before I perfect it."
For this, he had Kong to thank. El had been on the cusp of a breakthrough for some time, but it was Kong's Haki-coated punch that finally gave him the push he needed, allowing him to intuitively break through that barrier. Now, with years of accumulated knowledge, mastery was within reach.
"You're incredible, El-sama..." Sally's eyes sparkled with admiration, her gaze unwavering. Here was a man she found herself hopelessly drawn to, one who had captivated her with both strength and character.
In that moment, she leaned in closer, her form flexible and enticing, like a graceful serpent coiling around him. "Still, I'd love to test just how powerful you really are."
Chapter 115: Chapter 115: El's condition for the last Transaction
The next day, after a night of indulgence, El returned to the same place with Moss, who was carrying another Celestial Dragon for the second exchange with the World Government. Just as yesterday, the CP0 agent led the negotiations, with Admiral Kong providing security.
Everything went smoothly; the World Government showed no immediate signs of breaking their agreement. This time, the ransom included one Logia fruit, one Ancient Zoan, and five additional Devil Fruits. El was especially pleased with the Logia fruit offered, which hinted that the World Government's reserves were indeed well-stocked with quality fruits.
After ensuring the Celestial Dragon was escorted away by medical staff and CP agents, the CP0 agent in charge asked, "When's the next exchange?" Fleet Admiral Kong also perked up, attentive.
"Three days from now... But you know what? Let's avoid causing more trouble here on Sabaody." El cast a quick glance at the island. As the guardian of plant life, he didn't want to see the giant Yarukiman Mangrove, which had endured for countless years, damaged by their skirmishes.
"We'll do it on Tonelito Island."
El had every reason to expect a fierce battle next time and wanted the extra days to fully hone his new Conqueror's Haki coating technique. He was certain his foes would be in for a nasty surprise, but precautions were still necessary.
"Tonelito Island…" The CP0 agent and Kong both frowned. "That's a bit far, isn't it?" The island was not close to either Marine Headquarters or the Holy Land of Mariejois, requiring at least four or five days' travel.
"You'll manage," El replied with a calm smile. "The World Government has enough transport methods, so there's no need for excuses."
He was sure they would use their flying specialists, and it was likely that the Holy Knights would finally intervene. After all, the Navy had already suffered a setback at his hands once; another defeat, especially of a high-ranking admiral, would shatter the World Government's authority and plunge the seas into chaos.
In just a few days, news of the Navy's humiliation had sparked a ripple effect. The sea's situation was shifting as pirates grew bolder, spurred by the Navy's declining power. In this short span, pirate activity had surged dramatically, forcing Navy bases everywhere to scramble and repeatedly call Marine Headquarters for reinforcements.
Despite its impressive scale and millions-strong force, the Navy had always been stretched thin across the vast oceans dotted with countless islands. Even with their primary focus on World Government-affiliated nations and territories, resources were spread too thin. Most bases had only minimal troops and were often plagued by inefficiency. Corruption also drained manpower, as officials reported inflated numbers to the World Government.
In reality, many bases relied on temporary recruits to pass inspections, leaving them with as few as a third of their supposed combat-ready forces.
With the seas "at peace for so long," the World Government began systematically cutting the Navy's budget, aiming to reduce its expenditures. As a result, the Navy, already financially constrained, had even less funding allocated to its various branch bases. Unlike Marine Headquarters or the directly managed "G"-branch bases in the Grand Line, many regional bases around the Four Blues struggled with aging or even barely functional ships. Forget new ships—even replacing outdated, worn-out artillery was often impossible. Most bases couldn't even afford regular training ammunition to keep their combat skills sharp.
If the seas remained stable, this wasn't too much of an issue. But with the recent turmoil, bases everywhere were suddenly overwhelmed, struggling just to keep operations running and manage frequent aid requests. Manpower was severely lacking, and many bases were out of practice. The few remaining operational ships were hard-pressed to respond.
After recent heavy losses of elite forces, the Navy's resources were stretched thin, leaving Fleet Admiral Hammons William in a state of constant stress. He not only had to allocate troops to fight and quell pirate activity, but also to handle post-battle responsibilities like compensation for the families of the wounded and fallen Navy personnel. Were it not for the urgent demand to prioritize funds for the Celestial Dragons, even Admiral Kong might have had to step in himself to put out fires across the seas.
"Additionally, you may have the advantage in numbers, but for safety's sake, you can only send one person." El crossed his arms and smiled, "If I detect even a hint of any extra presence nearby...the Celestial Dragons won't leave alive. And don't doubt my resolve!"
"Absolutely not!"
The CP0 agents and Steel Bone Kong's expressions shifted immediately, as they loudly rejected El's unreasonable demand. They didn't trust him any more than he trusted them. Bringing only one person to face this dangerous opponent was a risk they weren't willing to take. They knew this "Fallen Angel" was capable of anything, and he had already killed one admiral.
"Fine, aside from the medical staff, you can bring two people." El raised an eyebrow and gestured to the medics. "Even with masks on, I've memorized their faces and auras. You can't deceive me."
"If there's a single extra person, I'll execute the hostage immediately."
"So that's all the courage you've got..." Kong replied with a scowl.
"You're right," El sneered back. "I have little patience, and I 'hold grudges'. Anyone who crosses me only has one fate—death!"
He didn't need to add any further threats; his chilling intent was clear. Every agent, soldier, or officer connected to the manhunt against his family would not escape his vengeance.
Each time the Intelligence Sally gave, he reviewed the list of those involved, every single name found on it, especially high-ranking officers, had been marked for retribution. Retirement? A peaceful life? That was a delusion.
"You—"
Kong's expression darkened, fully aware of what El meant: the Fallen Angel's vengeance wouldn't end here; this was only the beginning. Even Kong felt a chill run through him. If they couldn't stop this creature soon, El would bring about even greater chaos.
"El, the World Government won't agree to such an unreasonable condition," the CP0 agent said firmly. "If you were to suddenly turn hostile, we would have little recourse to protect the Celestial Dragons."
"How about this," El replied calmly, his gaze unwavering. "You can bring yourself along as well. But no more."
He could tell the CP0 officer was formidable, yet likely not much stronger than the current Sengoku or Garp. Certainly no match for Linlin. He was confident they could handle it.
~~~
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