Vegapunk needed Yhwach's blood to create the "Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Yhwach."
While a single batch of lineage factors would suffice for production, the more blood invested, the more powerful the resulting Devil Fruit would be. He had already funneled the previous two batches of blood into the process; adding the two new batches from this encounter should be enough. After all, this blood also contained the soul power of Sternritters.
Under normal circumstances, when they died, this soul power would return to Yhwach along with his blood. However, because Yhwach did not exist in One Piece, Beltz was able to intercept it. By merging these four batches of blood into the Devil Fruit, he could likely create the most powerful fruit in the history of One Piece.
This time, however, thanks to his interference, the Wandenreich had suffered severe losses. Four members of the Bambies were captured by Aizen, and two other Sternritters were taken to One Piece. In one fell swoop, the Empire had lost six powerhouses of the Knight level. If Yhwach found out, he would likely feel the sting for quite some time.
Even if Yhwach triggered Auswählen, at most he could only strip the power from the four Bambies held by Aizen—and even then, he might not be able to target Candice and Meninas. Since Aizen had performed Hollowfication experiments on them, granting them the power of Hollows, it would be no easy feat for Yhwach to "select" them from a distance. Furthermore, Yhwach was currently in his "slumber" state, making Auswählen even less likely.
He was still twenty-three years away from fully awakening, and it would take another nine years after that to recover his full power. Thus, at this point in time, the "disappearance" of six Knights was a crippling blow. Not to mention, Beltz was about to make a move on Gremmy.
When the news reached the Wandenreich, the entire nation was shocked. Six Sternritters had been deployed, only to vanish without a trace—dead or alive—within a single day! Haschwalth immediately convened a meeting of the Sternritter.
Beltz and Liltotto walked toward Silbern together. The ordinary soldiers on the path wore heavy expressions, some even bordering on panic. Even Liltotto was frowning. She had been sleeping at home when she received the news and was abruptly summoned; she only ran into Beltz on the way to the meeting.
Though she desperately wanted to ask if this was his doing, she knew better than to ask in public. She would have to wait until they were back in private after the meeting. However, some Sternritters didn't seem to share any sense of grief. Bazz-B looked merely irritated, Robert remained stoic, and the others showed no signs of sorrow. It could only be said that the Sternritter were far from a close-knit group; they were lucky if they weren't backstabbing each other, let alone mourning.
Upon entering the conference room, they found someone they hadn't seen in a long time.
"Gremmy?" Liltotto was surprised to see him sitting there looking completely relaxed. "Weren't you locked up?"
A smirk played on Gremmy's lips. He sat with his hands in his pockets, leaning back in his chair. "It's only because some people are too incompetent. When certain people run out of options, they naturally have to release me, the strongest."
The Sternritters were all arrogant, but hearing Gremmy speak this way, they were merely incensed but held their tongues. Gremmy was a monster—that was the consensus. He was not only powerful but also utterly indifferent to others, showing little respect even for Yhwach. The man was simply mad. And who would argue with a madman?
On the other hand, the fact that Yhwach had released such a lunatic proved just how dire the situation had become. As everyone took their seats and looked at the empty chairs, the reality of the six missing members finally set in.
"I imagine you all know by now."
Haschwalth entered the room, his voice cool. "Liltotto, Beltz—you two have spent the most time in Hueco Mundo. Do you have anything to say about this?"
Liltotto looked at Beltz, who paused for a moment before speaking. "If I had to say, I do know of a formidable Hollow organization in Hueco Mundo called Las Noches. Their strongest is Baraggan Louisenbairn, who calls himself the King of Hueco Mundo. This group has existed for centuries but has expanded rapidly in recent years. I encountered them a few times during my stay. However, if you're asking if they could defeat six Sternritters, I don't believe it for a second."
"Isn't that obvious?" Bazz-B sneered. "No matter how incompetent those six were, they were still Sternritters. How could mere Hollows from the desert be a match for them? Personally, I think it's more likely the Shinigami did it. Don't they have an advance team in Hueco Mundo?"
"What kind of dream are you having, kid?" Nanana said dismissively. "A single advance squad wouldn't even be a match for that Las Noches place. Beltz, keep going."
Haschwalth ignored the bickering and sat in his seat, looking back at Beltz. Beltz continued, "Bazz-B has a point; a lone Hollow group would struggle to trouble Sternritters. But don't forget, there are 'Demons' in Hueco Mundo as well. If... the two sides joined forces, there would definitely be a significant danger."
The strength of the Demons was well-known; everyone had seen the battle in the Seireitei. It was precisely because they knew how dangerous the Demons were that they had sent six Sternritters, including the Bambies who usually fought as a unit. Under those conditions, even if they were outmatched, escaping shouldn't have been a problem. How could they have been wiped out entirely?
Haschwalth nodded. "If they have joined forces, it is a grave threat to the Empire. Gremmy, do you dare to investigate?"
He looked at Gremmy, who remained calm even in front of Haschwalth. "If I go, it won't just be an investigation. I'll destroy that Las Noches," Gremmy said with absolute confidence. "As for the lives of those six... hmph, don't expect me to play the savior."
"As you wish," Haschwalth said coldly. "The Empire has no need for prisoners."
This statement didn't chill the hearts of those present; they took it as a given. Even Liltotto said nothing.
"Then I'm off." Gremmy stood up to leave. "By the way, don't send anyone with me. I prefer to act alone." He walked out of the room without looking back.
"That guy... he's too damn arrogant," someone muttered once he was gone.
"You'd be the same if you had that power. Just by thinking it, you can make it happen. That is invincible power, isn't it?"
"So? Are we really letting him go alone?"
"You want to follow him?"
Haschwalth looked at the arguing crowd and said softly, "Silence." His voice was low, but it reached everyone's ears, quieting the room instantly. He tapped the table, and a light screen rose from the surface.
The screen displayed Gremmy's Reiatsu as a point of light. If Gremmy encountered an enemy, other points would appear, and they could judge the strength of both sides by the size of the lights. If Gremmy met a powerful foe, they could reinforce him. In their minds, even if the Demons were powerful, they couldn't possibly kill Gremmy in a short amount of time.
In other words... Gremmy appeared to be the main attacker, but he was actually a bait pushed out by Haschwalth. Haschwalth was worried that sending someone too weak would lead to them being killed or captured instantly, but he also feared that someone too strong would scare the Demons into hiding. Gremmy was the perfect middle ground: strong enough to hold his own, but not so strong that the enemy wouldn't strike.
As soon as Gremmy engaged, Haschwalth would lead the remaining Sternritters to finish the fight. Beltz saw through the plan immediately, and Haschwalth proceeded to explain it exactly as Beltz had surmised.
Finally, Haschwalth said, "Therefore, until then, you will all wait here. No one is permitted to leave."
Beltz nodded outwardly but sneered inwardly. A good plan, unfortunately, I won't give you the chance to realize it.
In the next moment, before the disbelieving eyes of the Sternritter, the light representing Gremmy's Reiatsu on the screen... vanished.
!!!?
Beltz joined the others in a look of feigned shock.
"Wh... what?!"
"It disappeared?!"
"Is there a malfunction?"
"He just left, didn't he?"
"Wait, you mean he vanished the moment he stepped through the Gate of the Sun?"
Even the normally composed Haschwalth had dilated pupils, showing genuine shock. Gremmy's Reiatsu... gone? How was that possible? In the current three worlds, who could make Gremmy disappear instantly? It was impossible!
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Haschwalth's forehead. His plan had ended before it even began, and he had lost a top-tier combatant in the process? Even if Gremmy didn't follow orders, he was a vital asset for the future war against the Seireitei!
"Quick! Go find him!" Haschwalth lost his composure for a rare moment. He stood up to leave but stopped after two steps. Looking at the other Sternritters who had also stood up, he said deeply, "No. No one moves. Close the Sun Gates. Sever all external connections of the Empire. No one goes out, and no one comes in!"
Everyone froze. "What do you mean by that?"
"Just follow the order." Haschwalth didn't explain. He walked out quickly; he had to inform Yhwach immediately.
Gremmy hadn't disappeared after arriving in Hueco Mundo; he had vanished during the transfer process the moment he entered the Gate of the Sun! This meant the problem wasn't Hueco Mundo—it was the Gate of the Sun itself! The enemy might have found a flaw in their transportation! If they could interfere with the transfer, they could potentially use the Gate of the Sun to invade the Empire!
They had to lock the doors and seal the headquarters.
Seeing Haschwalth's grim expression, the crowd dispersed. They followed the orders, sealing all passages and cutting off contact even with the Quincies stationed outside. Panic, already simmering, spread throughout the Wandenreich. However, a thousand years of training had turned the Empire into a heartless machine; despite their unease, they completed the tasks with high efficiency.
Once everything was handled, Liltotto went to Beltz's room. She closed the door, checked for surveillance, and looked at him. "Is this related to you?"
Beltz both nodded and shook his head. "Yes and no."
Liltotto frowned. "What do you mean?" She didn't care about the others, but the Bambies were her comrades. If they could be saved, she wanted to help.
"Remember I told you before that I was taken to another world?"
"...I recall." Liltotto remembered him saying that when he first took her to One Piece. He said someone had given him the ability to travel between worlds and told him of the Quincy's future. Back then, he said he had only met that person once. Had he seen them again?
Beltz nodded. "Yes. I entered that place again. The man calls himself Adam and has founded an organization called the Twilight Hermit Order. Now that I've grown stronger, I finally qualified to join them."
"Twilight Hermit Order?"
"Correct. There are others besides me. It's not just us who can travel between worlds." Beltz added, "As far as I know, the plan to capture the Quincies was designed by Miss Keiko."
"Keiko..." Liltotto paused, then gasped. "The woman who almost killed Whitebeard?!"