The sudden shift in atmosphere froze everyone present.
All eyes turned toward the entrance, expressions solemn.
"Hey, you're all here."
Yuno stepped forward slowly, his voice echoing throughout the hall.
Diamante frowned, his gaze scrutinizing Yuno from head to toe before settling on the distinctive mask. He spoke coldly, "Black and white mask… you're the bounty hunter Quincy who stole from us, aren't you?"
The description matched the intelligence report—black and white mask, unmistakable.
Yuno instantly recognized him.
Diamante—the top executive of the Don Quixote family and the wielder of the Hira Hira no Mi!
Still, Yuno didn't stop. He kept walking forward. "Stole? I retrieved it from a pirate crew. A bounty hunter killing pirates and taking their spoils—isn't that perfectly reasonable?"
"Hmph."
Diamante sneered with contempt. "No matter how you got it, I suggest you hand it over now. Otherwise, the consequences will be beyond you."
Yuno chuckled. "What's your plan? Intimidate me with the name of the Don Quixote family? Or maybe throw around Doflamingo's title as a Warlord of the Sea?"
Rage flickered in Diamante's eyes. "Since you know who we are, how dare you act so arrogantly? Do you think just because you wiped out a pirate crew with a 40 million bounty, you're strong enough to oppose us?"
"If Doflamingo said that to me, I might give it some thought," Yuno said calmly. "But you? You're not him."
"Arrogant brat!"
Diamante was fuming. Not only had Yuno stolen a Devil Fruit vital to them, he was now mocking them outright.
Did he really think they wouldn't kill him?
"Arrogant? Try me and find out."
Yuno's sneer was sharp as he struck.
Lightning crackled behind him, tearing open his shoulder seams. His specially tailored outfit absorbed the surge, leaving only the shoulders ripped while the rest stayed intact.
Yuno took a step—and vanished in a streak of light.
Target: Diamante.
"Lightning… a Logia-type? No—an esper?" Diamante's eyes narrowed as the blinding flash approached. The speed was incredible.
But with Observation Haki, he reacted just in time.
The cloth in his hand transformed into a flexible, deadly blade.
"Sword Art—Snake Sword!"
Thanks to his Hira Hira no Mi, Diamante could manipulate anything he touched into light, fluttering fabric. Even his steel-forged weapon had been turned into silk, then wielded as if weightless.
Like a striking serpent, the blade lashed out at Yuno's head from an unexpected angle.
But Yuno, anticipating the move, shifted sideways with practiced ease.
His momentum didn't falter—it surged!
Arriving in an instant, he gathered his strength and slammed a fist toward Diamante.
"Bullfighting Cloak!"
Diamante's expression changed. Feeling the force behind the punch, he hurriedly flung his cloak forward to absorb the blow.
Bang!
Yuno's fist landed.
Though the cloak was soft and flowing, it struck like iron—Diamante's power at work.
Yet Yuno's raw power was overwhelming.
The cloak withstood the structure, but not the force.
Diamante was blasted backward, his boots gouging grooves into the floor. The imprint of Yuno's fist was visible on the reinforced fabric.
"Nice ability," Yuno remarked, spreading his fingers as crackling lightning gathered in his palm. "Then try this."
Thunder Roar Cannon!
As Yuno's mastery of his abilities deepened, his precision grew.
Skills like White Thunder and Sokatsui, already at 100 proficiency, were under complete control—chant or no chant.
His current Thunder Roar Cannon was at 65 proficiency.
The lightning surged.
A pillar of raw thunder exploded forward with a deafening roar, blasting straight at Diamante!
Diamante stomped the ground with immense force, shattering the floor behind him. The recoil was the only thing that stopped him from flying further.
Looking up, he saw a thick column of lightning hurtling toward him.
"Half-Moon... Glaive!"
In that critical moment, Diamante had no time to think. He unleashed his full strength. At the very last second, he swung his sword, releasing a crescent-shaped wave of energy.
Boom!
Two powerful forces collided in mid-air, unleashing a terrifying shockwave that spread in all directions.
Caught near the center of the explosion, Diamante was blasted away at tremendous speed. He crashed through a building, which promptly collapsed and buried him in rubble.
"Gudu..."
The surrounding Donquixote Family members gulped.
"Lord Diamante... has he been suppressed?"
"How... how is this possible? He's one of the top executives of the Donquixote Family!"
"Who the hell is that guy? How can someone this strong exist in the North Blue?"
They stared at Yuno, fear written all over their faces.
None of them dared to attack.
But Yuno didn't spare them a glance. Despite their strength, they were far too weak in his eyes.
From beneath the rubble, Diamante slowly pushed himself up. His eyes flickered with fear as he stared at Yuno.
If he hadn't swung his sword in that instant, even with his cape made from iron-threaded steel, the attack would've wrecked him completely.
Even though his sword slash had weakened Yuno's lightning, the two forces had clashed at close range—and he was still sent flying.
"When did a monster like you appear in the North Blue?" Diamante muttered, his tone laced with both dread and confusion. "Lightning abilities... Is it the Logia-type Thunder Fruit? No... that's not it. You're not a Logia!"
His eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Just now, thunder erupted from behind Yuno, and a lightning pillar had formed in his hand. At first glance, it looked just like the power of the Goro Goro no Mi.
But on closer inspection, something was off.
A true Logia user would partially elementize when unleashing their abilities. It was subtle, but noticeable—if you knew what to look for.
Yuno didn't show any signs of that.
"Haha, guess," Yuno said with a faint smirk.
In truth, all his abilities came from the system. Even he didn't know how to explain them properly.
"Shinigami Template Fruit"? That just sounded ridiculous.
Better to let others speculate.
What others imagine is often more convincing than what you say yourself.
"A Paramecia-type... Discharge Fruit?"
Diamante offered the guess cautiously.
In the world of pirates, knowing your opponent's Devil Fruit ability was critical. It determined how you approached the fight. Lacking information was a massive disadvantage.
One wrong move and you'd be sent straight to the sea floor.
Yuno's mouth twitched. 'Discharge Fruit'? What the hell was that supposed to be?
If someone gave him a fruit with that name, he might as well die on the spot.