Late into the night, Nagagutsu shimmered beneath a blanket of lanternlight, casting golden reflections on the cobbled streets. Ryan and Unohana returned to their rooms only briefly—long enough to gather their gear and adjust their attire. The atmosphere felt heavier now, not with tension, but with purpose.
Ryan stood at the window of his room, staring out at the distant lights that marked the noble district. He could see the outline of a grand villa on a hillside beyond the lower rooftops—clearly the estate of royalty. His fingers tapped lightly against the hilt of his katana, but his mind was elsewhere, calculating risk and reward, escape routes and contingencies.
Unohana entered his room without a sound. She paused behind him, her expression unreadable. "You seem resolved to do this."
He nodded slowly. "He has what I need. Devil Fruits, money... enough for next step. But more than that—someone like him shouldn't get away with what he did."
Unohana's gaze turned slightly mischievous, a rare sparkle flickering in her eyes under the dim light of the room. "You mean what he said to me?" she asked, her voice tinged with teasing amusement and just the faintest edge of provocation. Ryan blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden shift in her usually calm demeanor. He looked away, pretending to adjust the strap of his satchel, trying to hide the slight flush rising to his cheeks. He didn't respond, but the flicker of emotion in his eyes was answer enough. Unohana's smile lingered for a moment longer, but she didn't push further. She instead turned her attention back to the task at hand, her tone sobering. "Then we move. No more waiting."
At the stroke of midnight, they moved silently through the sleeping city, shadows melting into deeper shadows as they wove their way past watchful patrols. Their route was calculated, each turn taken with precision until the noble district loomed ahead. The mansion, grand and proud beneath the silver moonlight, stood surrounded by iron gates, sturdy stone walls, and a garden teeming with exotic flora that shimmered faintly under the night sky. Two guards patrolled the front, their armor gleaming but their vigilance dulled by routine. Ryan crouched low behind the garden wall, assessing their path. With a hand signal, he directed Unohana to take the work.
With quiet precision, she scaled the side wall, disappearing over the edge without a sound. Moments later, a soft, deliberate whistle cut through the night. Ryan followed, climbing up and over, landing quietly on the trimmed grass below. One of the guards was slumped near the gate, clearly unconscious. The other was missing—likely dragged into the bushes, a faint smear of blood the only sign of her silent handiwork.
Inside, they passed through servant quarters and lavish hallways. Gilded vases, foreign tapestries, and a floor of polished marble—it was a display of opulence Tritobu had inherited, not built.
Ryan crouched, peering down the corridor with furrowed brows. The opulence of the place only made him more certain the vault wouldn't be in plain sight. He whispered, "We'll have to search every wing. Tritobu could be hiding anywhere, and the vault—who knows where he's buried it in all this excess."
As they moved deeper into the manor, checking each lavish corridor and silent room, the sudden sound of loud, boisterous laughter erupted from behind a grand set of double doors. The voice was unmistakably prince's. His brows furrowed as his gaze locked onto the door. "That has to be him," he muttered, already anticipating what they might find inside.
They burst through the door in a flash. Tritobu barely had time to choke on his wine. He was flanked by two armored guards—better armed, but no better trained. Ryan moved first, katana flashing in a controlled arc, disarming one of the guards before driving the hilt into his sternum. Unohana flowed into motion beside him, her blade dancing with surgical precision. Within moments, the guards were down.
Tritobu scrambled backward, eyes wide. "W-What do you want?!"
Ryan stepped forward. "Your vault."
Tritobu shook his head frantically. "You won't get away with this! I have—"
Unohana moved behind him without a word and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. The pressure alone made him flinch. "You'll open the vault now. Or you won't have fingers left to find the key."
Faced with no options, the prince led them to a concealed room behind a portrait. Inside, shelves were lined with treasure chests, sealed crates, and a polished pedestal displaying six glimmering Devil Fruits, each pulsing with latent power. As Ryan stepped into the room, the charged air seemed to tighten around him. Tritobu's voice, quiet now and tinged with something between fear and pride, broke the silence.
"These... these were meant for the Celestial Dragons," he muttered, eyes darting between treasure and the intruders. "A gift... a way to gain their favor—an invitation to the Holy Land."
Unohana's gaze narrowed slightly while Ryan clenched his jaw, understanding now that this wasn't just wealth—it was leverage, power traded among tyrants. His fingers itched at the hilt of his sword, but he turned to treasures, knowing this find meant more than either of them could have expected.
He quickly stored what they needed, grabbing Berries by the bundle and stashing all of them into his satchel—on top of the million Berries they had already taken from the pirate ship. Alongside the Berries, he carefully packed the six Devil Fruits. Unohana watched him work while keeping her gaze on Tritobu, just in case the man got brave—or stupid.
As they exited the vault, alarms rang through the manor. Without hesitation, they leapt from the upper window, landing hard on the cobblestone below before making a dash for the edge of the estate. Spotlights from the towers began to swivel, and guards surged from every direction.
The moment they reached the outer edge of manor, they launched towards the dense patch of forest near the city's boundary. The cover of trees welcomed them, swallowing their figures into shadow as the mansion behind them lit up in chaos.
By the time the city bells echoed through Nagagutsu Kingdom, they were already gone—vanishing into the sleeping forest with riches, Devil Fruits, and a story that the world would soon know.
And in the quiet canopy above, the stars blinked overhead like distant watchers, bearing witness to a night, this kingdom wouldn't ever forget.