Swallow Island
After Yuno hung up the Den Den Mushi, he let out a soft "hmm," a faint glint flashing in his eyes.
The reason he had demanded a ransom from Donquixote Doflamingo to redeem Diamante was, of course, part of Yuno's larger plan.
Given Doflamingo's personality—as portrayed in One Piece canon—he was not the type to abandon his subordinates once captured. Especially not those from the original Donquixote Executives who had followed him since his rise.
Doflamingo still valued his core group, and Yuno knew this well.
He had already proven capable of defeating Diamante, and most of the other Donquixote officers wouldn't stand a chance either.
Which meant... there was a high probability Doflamingo would personally intervene.
That was precisely what Yuno wanted.
Yuno had no intention of slowly building up power from scratch. That would be far too time-consuming.
Instead, seizing territories—especially those owned by players in the Dark World—was the quickest route to domination.
He already had a target in mind: the domain of the shipping king, "Deep Current" Umit.
Why Umit? There wasn't any particular grudge—Yuno simply set his sights on him first.
But to launch such a conquest, initial capital was essential. That's why Yuno had demanded a ransom of 10 billion berries from Doflamingo.
To an average pirate crew, ten billion would be a staggering amount—but to someone like Doflamingo, a former Warlord and major broker in the Underworld, it was well within reach.
What Yuno wanted even more than the money, however, was Doflamingo's influence and intelligence network.
As a broker in the Dark World, Joker (Doflamingo's alias) had extensive connections, dealing arms to giants like Kaido, supplying SMILE fruits, and even manipulating Dressrosa from the shadows.
To eliminate such a useful figure would be wasteful.
Instead of destroying him, utilizing Doflamingo would be far more effective.
However, Yuno was clear on one thing: with Doflamingo's pride and ego, he would never submit willingly.
Just like Kaido had once crushed Doflamingo to keep him in line—Yuno would have to do the same.
Only by overwhelming strength could Doflamingo be subdued.
With those thoughts in mind, Yuno dismissed the call and turned his attention to the system panel in front of him.
There, new notifications appeared:
[Ding!] First defeat of a pirate with a bounty exceeding 50,000,000 berries. Reward: 500 Achievement Points.]
[Achievement Unlocked: "Challenger" — Reward: [Maximum Points] item granted!]
Yuno blinked. "Maximum Points?" That was a new one.
Opening the item description, he quickly understood its purpose.
It could instantly raise the proficiency of any one skill to 100.
His eyes lit up—this was a top-tier item, the kind that could significantly enhance his combat power.
Currently, only two of his skills had reached 100:
Byakurai (White Lightning)
Sokatsui (Pale Flame Pursuit)
His next highest was Swordsmanship, which stood at 87.
Now, with this item, he had a chance to max out another ability. But which one?
He considered three of his core techniques:
Shunpo(Flash Step)
Zangetsu
Thunder Roar Cannon
After a moment, he eliminated Zangetsu.
As the bounty hunter Quincy, Yuno couldn't reveal his true identity—using his signature sword style would be too risky. For now, he needed to focus on hand-to-hand or energy-based combat.
That left Shunpo and Thunder Roar Cannon.
Shunpo was powerful but came with drawbacks.
Yuno recalled using it in his initial battle with the Vinsmoke Family—a high-speed movement technique, but the strain on his body was immense.
His body would feel like it was being torn apart.
He speculated that the technique, originally reliant on spiritual energy (possibly inspired by Bleach-style movement like Shunpo), was being forcibly converted into a physical-speed skill in the One Piece world—powered purely by stamina.
And his physique just wasn't built to handle it yet.
In contrast, Thunder Roar Cannon had no such side effects and delivered devastating power.
After a brief moment of thought, Yuno made his decision.
"Let's enhance Thunder Roar Cannon."
Just like Luffy in the original manga (One Piece), who initially suffered severe side effects from using Gear Second and Gear Third, Yuno also faces limitations. However, Luffy overcame those drawbacks through rigorous training and physical conditioning.
Similarly, given Yuno's current physique, even if he maxed out his [Shunpo] proficiency to 100, he might still be unable to fully unleash its power due to his body's current limitations.
That's why the Thunder Roar Cannon is currently his best offensive option.
Don't forget—once [White Thunder] reaches 100 proficiency, it gains the ability to shift the flow of battle. So what would happen when Thunder Roar Cannon reaches its peak?
That's something worth looking forward to.
Moreover, Yuno's achievement points have once again reached 1086, prompting him to consider unlocking additional skills.
Aside from his sword techniques, Yuno realizes his offensive arsenal is somewhat lacking.
Opening the [Fist] branch of the system, he pondered for a moment before unlocking a skill called [Element Style Combat].
According to the description, this is based on the White Style used by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 in Bleach.
"One bone, two bones…"
Yuno's lips curled into a smirk.
"Doflamingo… will you be able to withstand a strike infused with the full might of the Thunder Roar Cannon?"
Could this punch rival the Sun God Nika's (One Piece) legendary fists and shatter Doflamingo's body?
Meanwhile…
The fleet led by Simon Sandi, under the banner of the King of Shipping, was approaching the waters near Swallow Island.
Landing was imminent.
Standing at the bow, Simon Sandi's expression was grim—not because of the Quincy incident, but something else entirely.
To him, Quincy was merely a bounty hunter from the North Blue, someone who could be swatted away like a fly.
What truly concerned him was how to communicate with the Donquixote Family and handle the aftermath properly.
Their client's goods had been robbed while under their watch. It was their failure.
Had it been an ordinary group, the matter could have been swept aside. But this wasn't a bunch of nobodies. "Joker"—Doflamingo's underworld alias—was no one to mess with.
In the Dark World, the Underground Kings operated like a delicate web—interconnected through business deals, alliances, and fragile peace.
Even Simon Sandi's own boss dared not offend Doflamingo casually.
The current era had ushered in a delicate balance among the criminal underworld. No one was eager to start a war.
Which is exactly why Simon Sandi was troubled.
If things weren't handled with precision, this small incident could spark a full-blown conflict between two kings of the underworld.
The more he thought about it, the more furious he became.
"It's that damn bounty hunter's fault!" he cursed.
"I have no choice—I'll find that bastard Quincy, reclaim what he stole, and then beat the crap out of him!"
His crew watched in silence, none daring to speak up. They simply tightened their grips on their weapons and prepared for the upcoming landing.
Suddenly, a sharp voice echoed from the watchtower:
"Boss! We've got visual on Swallow Island. We'll reach the port in ten minutes!"
Simon Sandi's eyes gleamed coldly.
"Everyone get ready," he barked. "We land. We search. We find the bounty hunter. And we drag him out—dead or alive!"
"Yes, boss!"
The men roared in unison, their expressions bloodthirsty, murderous intent surging as they prepared for war.