A massive pterosaur soared across the sky, its wings wreathed in flames. Its shadow blanketed the earth below, obscuring the sun with its overwhelming presence.
Terry gazed up solemnly at the figure above. He didn't believe the man was much stronger than himself—just more renowned.
"Hahaha! This is mine, Terry's! Yours? Who the hell do you think you are? Kaido?"
"Frog in a well," King replied blandly.
Under the eyes of the watching crowd, King suddenly vanished. When he reappeared, he held a Devil Fruit in his hand. His footsteps struck the ground with such force that they echoed through the hearts of every pirate present.
As for Terry—his figure was gone. All that remained atop a heap of corpses was a single charred shell of a body.
"O-One strike… He took down a pirate with a bounty of 110 million in just one move? Is this the power of a New World elite? Is this the strength of the All-Stars? This is insane!"
King paid no attention to the shocked expressions around him. He'd seen it countless times before—nothing new.
He pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his chest and dialed a number. A voice came through.
"You've arrived?"
"Yes, but there's only one Devil Fruit here, not the five we agreed upon. And there's a swarm of pirates fighting over it. Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
...
...
"That was my oversight. However, I now have precise information on the locations of all five Zoan-type Devil Fruits. With your strength, retrieving them shouldn't be a problem."
"As a gesture of goodwill, I'll give you all five Devil Fruits for free. Consider our previous deal void."
After learning the whereabouts of the other four Fruits, King ended the call and soared into the sky on his wings.
Inside a massive fortress, Groo hung up his Den Den Mushi. A rare smirk crept onto his otherwise calm face. Even though things hadn't gone exactly as planned, the result was the same.
He hadn't expected that a pirate, even in his dying moments, would have the guts to shoot at a Celestial Dragon. What an unexpected delight. Latriss was finished. As Groo said—"Even God himself couldn't save him."
And to think one of the Devil Fruits ended up in Weiss's hands. How... amusing.
"Let's see who's stronger—the young swordmaster, or the seasoned All-Star. And with a Navy Admiral and those other ambitious bastards arriving soon…"
"Latriss? Not even worth my effort."
"How many people will die this time? How many seats will be emptied on the sea?"
Groo held a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. On it, in bold letters: Devil Fruit Plundering Technique.
Back on Canopy Island, King's arrival brought a sudden hush to the bloodthirsty pirates. Upon learning he had taken down a pirate worth over 100 million in a single blow, their bloodlust cooled.
At some point, a strange box appeared on the island. The first person to find it thought they had scored a Devil Fruit. But when they opened it, all they found was a piece of paper.
Frustrated and disappointed, they cursed aloud. "What the hell kind of sick joke is this?" They quickly tossed the box aside, and the note fluttered to the ground.
Another passerby, intrigued, picked it up. After reading it, he gasped. "No way… This can't be real!"
The shout drew other pirates' attention. When asked what it said, he refused to answer, stuffing the note in his pocket and fleeing.
The crowd assumed it must be something valuable and charged after him. If they couldn't get the Devil Fruit King took, this new treasure had to be theirs.
That man died. The note fell again. Another shout. Another death.
Every pirate who read the note reacted with disbelief—before being immediately slaughtered.
Soon, the island fell into chaos. Pirates were slaughtering each other over a single scrap of paper. No one knew what it actually said—only that every reader seemed utterly shocked.
Eventually, someone finally spoke after obtaining it.
"The Devil Fruit Plundering Technique… How could something like that even exist?!"
"The five Zoan-type Devil Fruits that showed up today—they belonged to five Zoan users who recently vanished! I've seen them before!"
A voice echoed from somewhere unknown, setting off the remaining pirates.
Meanwhile, at the port, one elegant ship after another began to arrive. None dared dock next to the Celestial Dragon's vessel. Each ship disembarked only a few select individuals.
Even from afar, their powerful presence was palpable. These weren't famous names—yet their auras were terrifying.
They strode through the ruins effortlessly, heading straight for the island's center. After about fifteen minutes of running, they heard the commotion of pirates shouting in disbelief.
In the next instant, their figures vanished—leaving behind only afterimages.
It was all orchestrated by Groo. Releasing just the right amount of information at just the right time—for maximum effect. Now that the key players had arrived, it was time for the cannon fodder pirates to be swept away.
...
"You have the last Devil Fruit, don't you?"
Faced with King's towering six-meter frame, Weiss never imagined he'd run into someone like this in the first half of the Grand Line. From the looks of it, King intended to take the Fruit by force.
"Kadun, hand me the Devil Fruit. You and Jack take these two to the ship. Tell Karina to sail in the direction of the Log Pose. I'll follow soon."
"Yes, Captain!"
Kadun handed Weiss the box containing the Fruit, and the four quickly made their way to the Chris. They knew staying behind would only hinder him. Weiss needed space to fight.
King ignored the fleeing group. His eyes were fixed only on the Devil Fruit in Weiss's hands.
Weiss opened the box and took out the Fruit, weighing it in his hands. He seemed curious—wondering what kind of power it might hold.
King wasn't worried about Weiss suddenly eating it. Weiss had kept his presence hidden like a typical low-level pirate. King figured he could kill him the instant he tried to take a bite.
"Hand it over and I'll let you live," King said casually. His mood was good—after all, he'd just scored five Zoan Fruits for free. How could he not be pleased?
If Weiss cooperated, he might even spare his life.
"Spare me? Come and take it yourself," Weiss sneered. "You think I'd hand it over just because you asked? Who do you think you are—Red-Haired Shanks?"
With those words, Weiss unleashed his killing intent. Crimson malice surged like a tidal wave, sweeping across the area. The sheer force distorted the air, crashing into King.
The sky darkened. The clouds above seemed to recoil. Even the sun dimmed.
A suffocating, murderous aura erupted across the land.
King stood his ground, feeling the weight of Weiss's bloodlust. He realized he had underestimated this man. To encounter such a powerhouse in the Grand Line—how thrilling.
Just as King prepared to strike—
A lazy, almost lewd voice rang out from above.
"Oh my, how scary! That's some intense killing intent."
Both men looked up.
It was the Navy Admiral—Kizaru.
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