Inside a dimly lit chamber, five figures sat in silence. "The balance of the Underworld has shifted," murmured Saint Nasujuro, the Warrior God of Finance, tapping his scepter with deliberate rhythm. "Not just because of 'Golden Emperor' Tesoro's influence. No… Ritter's power has grown far too quickly. At this rate, the Underworld will soon slip completely out of our grasp." "That pirate, Ritter… is extremely dangerous," said Saint Saturn, the Warrior God of Science and Defense, his voice cold and sharp. "His ambitions extend well beyond the Underworld. Leave him unchecked, and he will become another Rocks." Saint V. Nusjuro chuckled, eyes glinting with amusement. "What's interesting is that Donquixote Doflamingo seems to have struck some kind of arrangement with him. That traitorous Celestial Dragon has never been content to play by our rules." "Should we eliminate him?" asked Saint Mars, the Warrior God of Environment, narrowing his eyes. "CP0 can be deployed immediately." "No," Saint Nasujuro raised a hand to stop him. "Allocate twenty billion berries in military funds. Let the Navy handle it. Sengoku… it's time he felt some pressure." The other four nodded in agreement. Marine Headquarters – Fleet Admiral's Office Fresh from his summons at Mariejois, Sengoku gathered the three Admirals. "The Five Elders summoned me personally," Sengoku said, voice grave. "Their tolerance for Ritter's 'Blood Dawn Pirates' has reached its limit." Akainu crushed the teacup in his hand, his magma-hot temper flaring. "We don't even know the full extent of Ritter's abilities. But if justice demands it, sacrifice is inevitable." Kizaru leaned lazily against the wall, though his words carried weight. "His crew alone is… troublesome. Tesoro, Enel, Moria… each one strong enough to shake the New World. We can't risk deploying all of our top fighters just to chase him." From the doorway, Steel Bone Kong spoke, having returned from Mariejois himself. He cast a long look at his pupil. "Then strike at his 'influence'. That twenty billion? It isn't for justice, it's to buy our silence." Sengoku, the strategist, cleared his throat. "The Five Elders don't expect us to capture the Blood Dawn Pirates outright. What they want is containment. We must cripple Ritter's operations, dismantle his industries, and halt his expansion." The Five Elders' constant frustration with Kong wasn't without cause. After all, just look at the Navy officers he had trained. The order was carried out swiftly. The Marines launched sweeping operations, seizing not only parts of Tesoro's black-market empire but also purging a wide swath of the nobility's shadow networks. Enraged, several nobles from allied nations lodged complaints against the Navy to the Five Elders. Kong replied without hesitation, "Suspected dealings with Tesoro. We will not hesitate to destroy them, even if mistakes are made." Under that pretense, the Navy uprooted countless local tyrants and criminal families. As if mocking the Elders, the Marines sang in unison with a sardonic edge: "We're only following your orders. Don't blame us for being thorough." Before long, newspapers spread across the seas carried bold headlines: "Shocking! Navy Destroys Blood Dawn Pirate Bases – Justice Will Prevail!" "Future Pirate King in the Navy's Crosshairs!" Ritter snorted as he flipped through the papers. "Pirate King already? These headline writers don't waste time, do they?" Tesoro slammed intelligence reports onto the table. "Seven of our underground weapon hubs in the New World… two already seized by the Navy." "Relax, Mr. Gold," Ritter said casually. "The Marines are being generous. They could have taken more." His gaze shifted to the world map pinned to the wall. Finally, his finger stopped at one island. "Punk Hazard." Tesoro frowned. "That World Government research base? We're not retaliating against the Navy?" "Exactly." Ritter's grin widened, blood-red mist swirling behind him. "Why waste time on the Navy? If we push them too far, they'll just cry to their masters. Better to strike the World Government directly. They hit our business… so let's take it from their hide. If we're lucky, we might even snatch ourselves a genius scientist." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹~𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮~𝚗𝚎𝚝 The seas were cloaked in fog. The Bruma Jackson glided silently across the waters, Ritter's mist blending with the light and sea until the ship seemed invisible. On deck, Ritter stood cold and focused, eyes fixed on the fortified island in the distance. Moria's shadows spread, devouring the light across the entire sea. Every surveillance Den Den Mushi froze, their vision drowned in darkness. Ritter could have done it himself, but he smirked. He was captain now. Letting Moria handle it suited him fine. From above, Enel soared into the sky as living lightning. Drums of thunder roared behind him. "God's Judgment!" A pillar of gold lightning crashed down, striking Punk Hazard's energy shield. The explosion rocked the island to its core. Ritter tilted his head. "Not bad. In a world of sailboats, and they managed to invent forcefields." Moria sneered, shadows rising like tidal waves. "Dark Curtain: Shadow Strike!" Explosions ripped the night as cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier. The shield shattered in moments, little more than ceremonial defense. Tesoro smirked, his golden rings glowing. The sea erupted in molten gold, forming a towering tidal wave. "Golden God Punishment: Tidal Surge!" The shieldless steel walls crumbled like paper beneath the golden wave. The ground turned to flowing metal, shackling Marines where they stood. Tesoro descended on a gilded crest, his smirk cruel. "Captain's orders. Tonight, Punk Hazard will be erased from history." Dozens of white-clad figures sprinted out from the island's depths, masks gleaming under moonlight. Their presence radiated killing intent. "CP0," Ritter murmured. He had rarely seen the black suits of CP9, and now here were white suits instead. But even this number felt… inadequate. The towering leader raised a hand, warping the very air. "CP0 Directive: Eliminate the intruders!" Before his words finished, his body flickered, appearing before Tesoro. "Shigan!" Tesoro didn't flinch. Golden armor engulfed his form. The strike reverberated, and Tesoro only staggered a step back. His grin widened. "That all you've got?" His fingers curled. Golden spikes burst from the ground, impaling the CP0 agent. Blood sprayed, yet the man forced his body to heal, surging forward again. Tesoro's aura flared as he expanded his golden domain, the entire battlefield beginning to hum. Elsewhere, Enel was surrounded by three CP0 operatives. Dozens of slashing waves locked down every escape. Enel yawned, picking his ear lazily. His body dissolved into lightning. "Two Hundred Million Volts: Raijin!" The Thunder God descended. His fist struck like a divine hammer, splitting the ground. The CP0 trio vanished into charred corpses before they could scream. ————————————————————————————————————————————————— Hooked already? Let me know what grabbed you leave a review and fuel the journey forward! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops! Things are just heating up. Read ahead in Unbound Evolution and stay ahead of the crowd. [email protected]/_tey