The Revolutionary Army reached a consensus. They decided to join the Jinghai Army.
Some time ago, Dragon had personally visited the Zhenhai Star Hub to express this intent. Since Luo Chen was away, Robin accepted on his behalf. The specific details were still being negotiated.
However, Dragon had learned a piece of news.
The Jinghai Army had originally planned to begin their conquest of pirates from the New World. Now, they were shifting their focus to the Four Seas.
The beast riots in the East Blue were a reflection of the current situation across the Four Seas. The Marines in those regions had essentially come to a complete standstill. Pirates and bandits were running rampant, with no one to restrain them.
Compared to the pirate-infested New World, the Four Seas held a much larger population of ordinary citizens. Therefore, after consulting with the high-ranking officials of the Jinghai Army, Robin decided to prioritize clearing out the bandit and pirate threats in those areas.
They even planned to drive all the pirates from the Four Seas into the Grand Line and the New World to eliminate them all at once.
Consequently, according to the Jinghai Army's strategic goals, they would not be dealing with the affairs of Wano Country in the short term. Wano Country was located deep within the waters of the New World, and with two of the Four Emperors stationed there, the Jinghai Army could not spare the military force for the time being.
Dragon explained the situation of the Jinghai Army to Luffy and the others. After learning the facts, the Straw Hat Pirates realized they could only rely on themselves. Luffy and his crew needed to train further to increase their strength before they could take down Kaido.
Dragon said, "If you want to improve your strength, I know a few good places."
Although he had never met Luffy before, he had always been secretly watching over his son's safety. He had come to Wano Country this time after receiving intelligence regarding the Straw Hat Pirates.
At the same time, Dragon had wanted to try his luck in Wano Country to see if he could take the Ancient Weapon, Pluton. The Revolutionary Army joining the Jinghai Army was a foregone conclusion, and if they wanted more influence within the organization, Pluton would be an excellent bargaining chip.
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time. When Luffy's crew faced a crisis, Dragon had no choice but to reveal his identity and intervene.
Seeing Luffy and the others looking at him with great interest in the training grounds, Dragon shook his head. "Follow me back to the Revolutionary Army headquarters to recover first. Once your injuries are healed, I will arrange for someone to take you to your training."
He glanced at Zoro and Carina. For a combatant and swordsman like Zoro, the best place to go would be to Hawkeye. However, the two strongest Great Swordsmen, Hawkeye and Shimotsuki Ryuma, were currently in the Kingdom. It seemed he would have to make another trip to the Zhenhai Star Hub.
---
The battle that took place in Wano Country was not publicized. Aside from the World Government and Dragon, no third party knew of it.
Three days later, in Mary Geoise.
Given that the World Government had CP agents lurking in Wano Country and the Marines had spies within the Beasts Pirates, Imu learned the details of the battle on Onigashima.
Imu met with the Dark God in the Room of Illusions.
"Joy Boy and the Nika Fruit have appeared together."
"According to my guess, his will must be residing within the Nika Fruit. When the user faced a fatal crisis, Joy Boy manifested."
"In this era, the Nika Fruit is hidden under the guise of the Rubber-Rubber Fruit. The user is Monkey D. Luffy."
Imu held a bounty poster. On the yellow paper was Luffy's photograph. The black mist representing the Dark God swirled above it, and a chilling voice rang out:
"The D. Clan again—a lingering threat left by Davy D. Jones. The Nika Fruit user has not yet matured, which is good news for us. We only need to attempt to kill him to force out the remaining will of Joy Boy. Once Joy Boy is completely gone, no one will be able to detect me devouring souls."
The Dark God's power shared a connection with the Nika Fruit; only the user of that fruit could sense its presence. By eliminating Joy Boy's will, the Dark God could freely devour the souls of the dead to restore its strength. Then, it could erase all enemies, including Luo Chen.
Imu said indifferently, "Monkey D. Luffy has already been rescued by his father, Monkey D. Dragon. No one knows exactly where they went."
The Dark God sneered. "That is simple. I will personally devour some souls to lure out the will of Joy Boy residing in the Nika Fruit. Once Joy Boy appears, we can track Monkey D. Luffy's location. You will send an avatar to threaten his life and force out the hidden will within him."
Imu's multi-ringed crimson eyes showed a moment of reflection. "My avatar needs a vessel; it will take some time to prepare."
Imu could split off a portion of their soul to descend elsewhere, but it required a living vessel. The strength of the vessel was directly tied to the power Imu could exert after descending. To ensure success against any potential powerhouses near Luffy, Imu had to find a sufficiently strong vessel.
Steel Bone Kong was a suitable choice. Another was Loki, the prince of the giant kingdom, Elbaf. Loki's strength undoubtedly surpassed Kong's, but Imu would have to capture him personally.
The black mist of the Dark God gradually dissipated, leaving its voice echoing in the Room of Illusions. "Prepare as quickly as possible. Users of the Nika Fruit have always grown at an incredible rate."
Imu remained silent and flipped a hand to reveal a photograph. It was Princess Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom.
"Lily, I shall use your kingdom to lure out Joy Boy."
Imu's cold, androgynous voice drifted through the room.
---
Seven more days passed. Luo Chen had been in seclusion in Dressrosa for nearly a month.
In the secret room beneath the castle on the King's Plateau, he opened his eyes, looking vibrant and refreshed. His physical techniques had broken through.
*Host:* Luo Chen
*Taijutsu:* Lv12 (Emperor Level ≈ 5 Billion Bounty Pirate)
*Skills:* Overlord's Seal, Observation Killing...
*Ninjutsu:* Tenseigan, Amenotejikara...
*Cultivation Points:* 295,049,850
*Next Cumulative Recharge Reward:* 5 Trillion Berries
Lv12 Taijutsu meant that Luo Chen's raw physical strength, without the use of any Haki or Ninjutsu, was enough to contend with the likes of Kizaru, an elderly Garp, or Whitebeard.
"Advancing from Lv12 to Lv13 will take two months. I'll emerge for now; Robin should be just about ready."
Luo Chen shook the dust from his clothes and stepped out of the secret room. There were still nearly 300 million cultivation points in the system. There was still plenty of room for growth, but it required time.
Reaching the outside, Luo Chen's Observation Haki swept through the area. He found that the castle was filled with women—the presence of Hancock, Nami, and the female soldiers of the Jinghai Army. He walked up the stairs to a window on the upper floor of the castle and looked out.
Nearby, there were several newly built, low-rise houses.
[King Riku's Royal Office]
[Army Commander's Office]
[...]
Signs stood outside each building. Luo Chen realized what was happening with a quick thought. King Riku and the others, who had retaken control of Dressrosa, did not move into the castle. Instead, they had built several simple houses for living and working.
"Is this to show that I am the true King of Dressrosa?" Luo Chen smiled.
At that moment, Hancock ran over from the hallway, her beautiful face lit with joy. "Luo Chen, you're finally out of seclusion!"
She had been using her Observation Haki every day to monitor his status. Seeing that he had emerged, she rushed over immediately.
"Wait for me. I'll open a space portal to bring the Jinghai Army here, and then we can return to Totto Land," Luo Chen said with a smile, appearing in the sky outside the castle in a single step.
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