Yuno wondered if Simon Sandy carried a Den Den Mushi (a One Piece transponder snail used for communication) or if he had already passed on his message to someone.
That was why Yuno had resorted to deception in the first place.
If this false information managed to get through, it could cause trouble for both the World Government and Stussy (an underworld intelligence operative in One Piece).
Failure didn't matter—it was only words, after all.
Arriving at the border, Yuno crouched, scanned Simon Sandy's body, and pulled a Den Den Mushi from his pocket. However, it was dormant.
He wondered if it had been connected or if the person on the other end had overheard his earlier words.
"Never mind. Whether it has or not, it won't affect my next move."
After a moment's thought, Yuno didn't discard the snail but kept it. It might prove useful later.
Back on the battlefield, Yuno's earlier attack was impossible for any onlooker to miss. Simon Sandy's subordinates froze in horror, seeing their leader slain.
How could they muster the courage to fight someone who had just cut down their boss as easily as slicing melons?
Several turned and fled, their will to fight completely shattered.
However, Basil Hawkins knew Yuno would not let them go. He ordered his men to pursue and personally joined the hunt.
With his own powerful abilities and Wara Wara no Mi (Straw-Straw Fruit) powers, Hawkins was stronger than almost anyone under him. It didn't take long to finish them off. Still, the Divination Club—Hawkins' crew—suffered heavy casualties.
From the time Simon Sandy's forces landed to the moment they were wiped out, barely half a day had passed.
Yuno walked over.
Hawkins stepped forward respectfully. "Sir."
He dared not show even a hint of disrespect—the earlier slash had shocked him completely!
He had never imagined such power could exist in a single blow—it had looked as though Yuno had cleaved the entire island in two!
The others stared at Yuno in awe, as though they were looking at a god.
Yuno said calmly, "Thank you for your hard work. As I said before, I will help you solve a problem in the future—within my ability."
Hawkins bowed his head. "Understood."
"Take care of this place." Yuno waved his hand and turned to leave.
Watching Yuno's retreating back, Hawkins took a deep breath, the scene of that earlier attack replaying in his mind.
Haki… swordsmanship… I really am weak…
After killing Simon Sandy, Yuno didn't receive many achievement points—only 150. Apparently, in the system's view, Simon Sandy was no longer a high-level threat.
The system's reward scale for kills was based on the opponent's perceived danger level.
When Yuno had first defeated Diamante (a high-ranking officer of the Donquixote Pirates), the reward had been generous, despite how easily he won. But from now on, killing Diamante again would yield much less.
Whether the system was truly "intelligent" was unknown—but its ability to evaluate threat levels seemed sharp.
Yuno's current achievement points: 570.
Originally 1,086, he had spent 666 unlocking the [Elemental School Combat Method], then gained 150 from Simon Sandy's defeat.
His time at sea had been far more rewarding than his stint on Donzik Island.
He was also thankful for having obtained [Artificial Gigai] earlier—without it, his strength wouldn't have risen so quickly.
For example, the Marine version of Yuno—currently training hard in the camp—would never have had such gains. Aside from a small reward for defeating two soldiers earlier, he had been relying on his disguise as an Elemental Fruit user.
His fighting style was now a mix of:
primarily physical combat techniques,
supported by "Shinigami" abilities
and occasional swordplay.
He would never use his future-famous Bankai unless cornered—and he was confident that his personality would never let him get into such a desperate state.
The reason Yuno had chosen to use swordsmanship to defeat Simon Sandy was because he wanted to test whether he could combine the Thunder Roar Cannon with the Getsuga Tenshō Strike. To his surprise, it turned out to be possible.
This idea had come to him on a whim, but the results exceeded his expectations.
Although the attack consumed a large amount of his stamina—its shockwave even reached Marine Headquarters, startling the Marines in training and nearly making them stumble—it was undeniably powerful. Even if it hadn't reached its full potential, it was still an attack that could be considered top-tier in this world.
Truth be told, although Yuno had deliberately lured Donquixote Doflamingo into coming here, taking the initiative in this game of strategy, he wasn't entirely confident about defeating the Donquixote Family outright.
He decided to first observe the situation before committing to action.
Yuno was no fool—if he knew he couldn't win, he wouldn't fight recklessly.
If things didn't go his way, he could always demand a ransom and withdraw. As for his long-term plans, they could be postponed.
His preferred approach was to let the Donquixote Family and the Shipping King's forces wear each other down, then swoop in to reap the spoils.
He always acted after careful planning, never putting himself in unnecessary danger.
Yuno steadied his mind.
The next day
Yuno arrived at the location where Diamante was being held—a secret underground passage beneath the Dia Mafia headquarters.
By then, Diamante had regained consciousness.
His hands and feet were shackled with Seastone cuffs, his mouth sealed shut, and he was locked in a reinforced cage. In his current state, there was no chance of escape.
Incidentally, the underling whom Yuno had spared earlier was also imprisoned here—true to his word, Yuno hadn't killed him.
"Hey, you awake?"
Yuno pulled up a chair in front of Diamante, sat down with his legs crossed, and looked at him.
Diamante's mouth was still sealed, and he glared at Yuno with eyes full of cold, murderous intent.
Glancing toward the underling, Yuno smirked.
"Your boss wants to talk. Why don't you help him out?"
The underling's body trembled at the command, but with unsteady steps, he approached and tore the seal from Diamante's mouth.
"You'll pay for this! Absolutely! The Young Master will never let you go!" Diamante spat, his tone as sharp as his gaze.
"I've heard that at least ten times now," Yuno replied calmly. "So tell me—why do you think I'm still here talking to you instead of killing you?"
From Enfite, to Lawrence, to Vinsmoke Judge, and most recently Simon Sandy, all had said the same thing to him.
Some had ended up dead. Others… had chosen to surrender.
If Yuno hadn't decided to keep Diamante alive for now, he would already be a corpse.
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