Just as Yuno had annihilated all the enemies, the system chimed again—
[Ding! Destroyed the Dia Mafia – Reward: 50 Achievement Points!]
[Ding! Killed Barofia – Reward: 150 Achievement Points!]
[Host: Yuno]
[Achievement Points: 1086]
[Zanpakutō - Swordsmanship]: Proficiency 87
[Zanpakutō - Zangetsu]: Proficiency 56
…
The stats hadn't changed much. Yuno hadn't used any achievement points recently. Instead, he had just been stockpiling them, not unlocking even a single new skill.
Now that his achievement points had surpassed a thousand, he finally decided it was time to invest in his strength.
"Let's see what skills have been unlocked first."
He opened the skill panel. This time, far more options appeared—far more than before—but none that truly excited him.
There was no Ryūjin Jakka, no Hyōrinmaru, no Senbonzakura, and no Kyōka Suigetsu...
He scrolled through the list. Many advanced Hadō had become available, but Yuno had no use for them at this stage. He didn't want to unlock skills he hadn't even mastered the basics for.
He hadn't even fully exploited the power of Raikōhō (Thunder Roar Cannon), let alone the higher-tier spells.
With no desirable new skills to unlock, he turned his attention to enhancing skill proficiency.
The top candidates were [Shunko] and [Shunpō].
Shunko was currently his trump card. Improving its proficiency would provide the most immediate increase in power.
As for Hakuda (White Hit), he was curious whether pushing it past 80 proficiency would trigger a qualitative breakthrough.
After some deliberation, Yuno decided to focus on Shunko—a necessary step for the battles ahead.
Currently, Shunko's proficiency sat at 55. Increasing it would directly boost his combat capability. But as soon as he attempted to level it up, he discovered something maddening.
Each point of proficiency cost 50 achievement points!
A complete rip-off.
Gritting his teeth, Yuno upgraded Shunko to 65, costing him 500 points—a heartache so intense it made him breathless.
It takes forever to earn these points… but they disappear in seconds.
With some points still left, he decided to slightly boost his Shunpō (Flash Step) proficiency.
Outwardly, nothing changed. But Yuno felt the difference—his control over Shunpō was noticeably smoother.
More interestingly, Hakuda's proficiency had increased as well.
Apparently, Shunpō and Hakuda were linked. As his mastery of movement increased, so did his close-combat finesse.
[Hakuda - Proficiency: 75]
There weren't many other notable changes for now.
…
On the island, two major gangs remained: the Dia Mafia, now obliterated, and a faction known as the Divination Club.
The Divination Club was led by an old witch—cloaked in black, deeply wrinkled, and barely 1.5 meters tall.
Her name was "Black Hand" Sharon, the infamous boss of the Divination Club.
Currently, she stood trembling before a man in a black and white mask.
"I didn't expect that one of the island's two ruling gangs was led by a woman over fifty," Yuno said casually, taking a seat and gazing at the old witch. His tone was light but cold.
A flicker of fear passed through Sharon's eyes. She quickly dropped to the ground, bowing respectfully.
"I-I apologize for not welcoming you properly, Your Excellency…"
Yuno chuckled.
"You're smart. At least you didn't scream and attack me on sight."
Sharon remained respectful. "Excuse me, Your Excellency. With your strength, crushing our Divination Club would be easy. We wouldn't dare act recklessly."
"Then tell me…"
Yuno crossed his legs, took a sip of tea, and looked at her calmly.
"…who's the one behind you?"
A flash of panic flickered in Sharon's eyes, but she quickly concealed it. She forced an awkward smile. "Your Excellency must be joking. I'm just a little girl. I lead the Divination Club. Who could possibly be behind me?"
Yuno's gaze sharpened. His aura erupted, instantly engulfing the room. Sharon broke into a cold sweat under the pressure.
Then, he laughed lightly and withdrew his aura. "Forget it. I'm just curious. Whether someone's behind you or not… it makes no difference to me."
He shifted in his seat, resting into a more casual position, and looked down at the old woman kneeling at his feet.
"You should know—more or less—what's about to happen on this island, right?"
Sharon lowered her head. Her voice was sincere. "If Your Excellency has instructions, please say the word. If it's within our power, we will obey."
"You're very sensible. No—" Yuno paused, his gaze sharpening again. "I should say the person behind you is very sensible. That… complicates things."
From the moment he stepped into the Divination Club, everyone had been overly polite. Not a trace of hostility—on the contrary, it was as if he were the boss of the place.
Sharon bowed deeply. "Please, sir."
"It's a simple request," Yuno said calmly. "Let your little brother fight for me. Just once."
His eyes shifted to a small straw doll tied at Sharon's waist.
Sharon didn't hesitate. She bowed again. "Yes, sir."
Yuno smiled faintly, turned to leave, and paused at the doorway.
"Oh—and let Basil Hawkins know… I'm pleased with his tact. If he behaves, I might solve a problem for him someday."
With that, he left without looking back.
Sharon stood frozen. Her heart thumped wildly.
He… he knows?!
Far away, in a dimly lit room, a young man jolted as the straw doll at his waist collapsed lifelessly.
He hadn't even noticed it fall.
His mind was in turmoil. "How is this possible?! I've never contacted him! How could he know it was me?!"
This young man… was none other than Basil Hawkins, the future supernova.
But now, he wasn't yet a fearsome pirate—only a shadowy mafia figure, and the true mastermind behind the Divination Club.
Though he lacked his peak strength from the original timeline, his divination ability was already formidable.
Before Yuno had even arrived, he had performed a reading.
—The probability of the Divination Club's destruction: 50%.
—His own death: 50%.
It was precisely because of that reading that he'd ordered the entire Club to treat Yuno with reverence.
No confrontation. No risks.
He, meanwhile, remained hidden—always hidden. Almost no one knew the Divination Club's true master.
So how… how was he exposed?!
The more he thought, the more his unease grew.
In the past, he had always been the one using information to intimidate others.
But this time…
He was the one intimidated.
"How did he know…?"
Basil Hawkins took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. But he couldn't. Not until he solved this mystery.