บท 117: Chapter 117: Preparation before the Last Transaction
"Three days from now, I've arranged to trade the Celestial Dragons with the World Government on Tonelito Island," El announced.
"But I'm almost certain they'll try something, so Moss, you'll be taking Lillian to the nearby islands to monitor the area. Report immediately if you see anything unusual."
With Tsuru now having fully committed to joining the Fallen Angel Pirates, all of the group's members gathered for a meeting in the top-floor lounge of their dreamlike paradise.
Sitting at the head, El continued, "There's no need to rush the final trade. Let's take our time to figure out what they're planning, uncover any hidden cards they might have."
One thing he kept to himself: his primary concern was the Five Elders. These five old men were absurdly powerful, and rumors suggested that each of them had the ability to summon others through a magic circle. If even one of them showed up, it could mean the others would join the fight at any moment.
Despite his immense strength, resilient body, and abilities as a Lunarian, along with the unique Observation Haki he was born with, El couldn't overlook the danger of being surrounded by all five of them. Facing just one, he wouldn't be concerned—but against all five, the risk was far too high. Furthermore, he couldn't rule out that the Five Elders might also bring in Steel Bone Kong and other members of the Holy Knights, some of whom could wield strange abilities capable of restraining him and Linlin.
It wasn't worth the risk.
But he doubted the Five Elders would take the drastic step of "descending" to the mortal realm for a mere Lunarian, even considering the magnitude of this incident and the involvement of the Celestial Dragons. Still, he couldn't afford to be careless. If he judged that the situation became too risky, he would abandon the trade without hesitation, change the meeting location, or even demand a higher ransom from the World Government.
Tsuru, sitting nearby, stroked her chin in thought. "It'd be best to drag things out, changing locations a few more times to wear down their patience. After all, we have the upper hand here."
With her decision to join the Fallen Angels, Tsuru's perspective had already begun to shift. Now, she was viewing things from an anti-World Government stance.
The power she felt from her new Mythical Zoan fruit, the Okuchi-no-Makami, filled her with gratitude toward El and respect for his vision and generosity. Giving her such a rare ability—something El couldn't even be sure she wouldn't betray—was a tremendous show of faith. If their positions were reversed, Tsuru doubted she could have been as open-handed.
Though she knew it was likely a strategic move on El's part, his sincerity and generosity had softened her stance.
"Even if we don't need everyone to step in, make sure you spend the next week or so training and conserving your energy," El said.
Yes, he planned for ten days, not three. He intended to lead the World Government on a wild goose chase, making them circle the seas before any final engagement. But despite the looming confrontation, he didn't see the need to summon the rest of the crew from the New World—Hajrudin, Streusen, Witt and the others. This clash with the World Government was still just a skirmish, limited in scope to the powers of the main players.
Linlin, as the other natural-born powerhouse besides himself, would be his primary ally in battle. The others weren't necessary yet.
The true moment to assemble the full force of the Fallen Angels would be after they launched the Totto Land Plan, for once they moved to establish their own nation, there would be no doubt that the World Government and Navy Headquarters would no longer sit idly by.
…
Two Days Later
On a remote, unnamed island at dusk, with the setting sun casting a dim glow over the land, a massive figure stood silhouetted against the sky. The figure, towering and winged, exuded a terrifying aura.
"Conqueror's Haki Infusion!" El raised his colossal fist, letting potent Conqueror's Haki course through it, intertwining in crackling black-and-red lightning.
The next moment, his fist sliced through the air with immense power, and he punched directly at the mountain before him.
'BOOM!' The impact was so powerful that the entire mountain shattered into pieces, scattering stones of all sizes everywhere, and leaving the earth trembling.
In a flash, the massive form split into three towering figures: El, Lily, and Linlin.
"Linlin, how does it feel?" El asked, turning toward Linlin. "Think you can handle it?"
Over the past two days, beyond honing his own control over Conqueror's Haki infusion, El had also been experimenting with a way for Linlin to train in it faster. Using Lily's Pile-Pile Fruit, they shared senses—a unique technique that allowed Linlin to sense and learn the intricacies of Conqueror's Haki directly from El.
For most, wielding infused Conqueror's Haki was almost impossible; it required immense talent and strength. But Linlin, a natural powerhouse like El, had already developed considerable skills under his guidance. With the Pile-Pile Fruit, there was a chance that she could grasp it.
"Let me try, El oniichan…" Linlin raised her right fist, her face full of focus and determination as she unleashed a powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki. After a moment, she looked frustrated and shook her head. "It's no good—there's just not enough time."
Even with the advantage of shared senses and El's guidance, she couldn't quite compress and control her Conqueror's Haki to infuse it into her fists or weapon.
"No rush. Do your best, that's enough," El said, patting her on the head.
After all, she was still very young, and her current strength was already impressive. Pushing her too hard might stifle her potential later.
"For now, keep honing your Armament and Observation Haki," he advised with a smile. "This upcoming battle could be intense—you might even end up facing someone on par with a Navy Admiral."
He expected the World Government to use this opportunity to gather some of its most powerful agents to eliminate him before his "Totto Land Plan" could be set into motion. If Linlin could help him hold off a strong adversary, he could focus on quickly eliminating one of the weaker targets.
"I'll give it my all, El oniichan!" Linlin replied, her eyes shining with resolve.
"You've got this, Linlin!" Lily encouraged her.
'RING…RING…' El's transponder snail buzzed. He answered immediately, tapping the shell to send coded signals for security.
'TAP…TAP…' came the corresponding coded response. El's eyes narrowed slightly—Moss had called in.
Moss, stationed with Lillian near Tonnerrit Island, had been using Lillian's far-seeing vision granted by her Glare-Glare Fruit to monitor the area. They had sighted movements by World Government personnel. Among them was a member of the Holy Knights with the Mythical Thunderbird fruit, who was not only escorting medical personnel and equipment to verify the Celestial Dragon's identity but was accompanied by both a CP0 officer and Admiral Steel Bone Kong.
What caught their attention, though, was the movement on a nearby island. There, they spotted the Marine Admiral "Pegasus" Bardel Horn, accompanied by two more Holy Knights, including the Supreme Commander of the Knights himself.
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