Ritter, Perona, and Laboon were feasting in the dining hall, eating and drinking with reckless abandon. Standing nearby, Tesoro smirked. "It seems our little 'gift' has really given the Marines and the World Government quite the headache." Ritter chuckled and glanced at the newspaper on the table: Admiral Kizaru Gravely Injured, Recovering. Punk Hazard Research Facility Relocated After 'Accident'. "As expected of Sengoku. The one who stands atop justice could never bow and scrape forever." Ritter tipped his head back, draining his cup. "Now that the Marines and the Government are at each other's throats… our real chance is only just beginning." He leaned lazily against the chair, turning his gaze toward Tesoro. "By the way, Tesoro… where do you think that bird, Morgans, has flown off to?" The self-proclaimed king of the news was the boldest information broker alive, able to say anything and report everything. Yet his ability to vanish was just as legendary. Ritter knew for a fact that countless others were also hunting him down. But finding him? That was another matter entirely. As a man who had reincarnated into this world, Ritter understood better than most just how powerful public opinion could be. The problem was, it was useless if you couldn't actually get hold of the man who controlled it. Tesoro shrugged. "We're hardly the only ones looking for him. If Morgans were that easy to catch, he would've been dead a long time ago." "True enough." Ritter smirked. His mind drifted to the six infamous figures who ruled the Underworld. There was Du Feld, the Loan Shark King. A financier who seemed more bark than bite in the original timeline. His fate would depend on Ritter's mood. Then Stussy, the Queen of the Pleasure District, who was secretly a CP0 agent of the World Government and deeper still, a clone created by Vegapunk. None of that mattered much to Ritter. She wasn't his scientist, after all. For now, she was untouchable. He had only just struck a deal with the Five Elders, and pulling out their chess pieces too soon would not yield the right kind of return. All it required was a better opportunity. But Umit, the Shipping King, now that was different. The old man had his hand in everything from the construction of Whole Cake Island to transporting food supplies to the Celestial Dragons. Ritter rose from his chair and looked at Tesoro. "Tesoro, take Enel with you. He's been grumbling about the lack of action lately. Pay the Shipping King a little 'visit' for me." A sharp grin tugged at his lips. "And remember, I don't want cooperation. I want annexation. He doesn't have the qualifications to sit at the same table as me." At the vast shipping port, dozens of merchant vessels were docked, workers hauling and unloading crates in a frenzy. Inside the tallest tower, Umit sat with a cigar in his mouth, flipping through ledgers. Suddenly, golden light flared outside the window. The entire glass wall exploded inward, and a wave of gold surged across the floor, transforming it into glittering treasure. Umit shot to his feet, cigar tumbling to the ground. "Tesoro?!" The Golden Emperor strode forward on a rolling tide of gold. Ever since joining Ritter's crew and ascending to the sky islands, Tesoro's flair had only grown more extravagant. Behind him crackled Enel, lightning arcing across his body. "Good evening, Shipping King." Tesoro's smile was razor sharp. "Our captain thinks… your business would be better under new management." Umit's expression darkened. He reached under the desk to press a hidden alarm only to find it dead. Enel scoffed. "Don't bother, old man. I cut the power the moment I arrived. And your men? Most of them are already gone. Even if you press it, no one's coming." "You Blood Dawn pirates are too arrogant!" Umit roared. His suit shredded as his muscles bulged, fists coated in Armament Haki. "I didn't survive this long by luck—" The entire high-rise shuddered under a storm of lightning, glass exploding outward. "You talk too much." Enel's voice was cold. Umit was blasted across the room, blood spraying from his lips, yet he staggered to his feet. "Tch… tougher than I look, eh?" Enel, seated cross-legged atop a floating drum of thunder, sneered. "You should know, in the presence of a god—" He vanished, reappearing above Umit with lightning-charged leg raised high. "Electro-Forged Divine Whip!" Umit crossed his arms, Haki flaring, but the moment they clashed, he was driven straight through three reinforced steel walls, crashing into the cargo hold. Containers burst open in the shockwave, filling the air with glittering dust. Enel's eyes narrowed. "Sea-Prism Stone powder?" Umit staggered upright from the wreckage, blood staining his chin. He grinned through the pain. "Surprised? I've spent twenty years in the arms trade. You think I don't keep a few trump cards hidden?" He flung the powder into the air, creating a shimmering wall of dust that resisted lightning. Enel felt his lightning teleportation falter. His pupils contracted. "Sea-Prism Stone… against me?" Umit bellowed, veins bulging, muscles swelling further as Haki cloaked his body. "The name 'Shipping King' was built on the corpses of pirates!" With a roar, he hurled a blackened fist toward Enel. The blow shattered through the misty haze. Caught off guard, Enel barely raised his golden staff to block, yet the punch sent him crashing through the steel bulkheads, rubble burying him. Watching from afar, Tesoro arched a brow. "Well, that's interesting." In the ruins, Enel shoved aside twisted beams, one of his golden earrings cracked in half. He broke into manic laughter. "Good… this is good! Too much fun!" Thunder drums spun wildly at his back. Though outwardly battered, he was barely injured. Still, the thought of Ritter and the others mocking his disheveled state made him scowl. He could already picture Moria's jeering face. "Two Hundred Million Volts… Raijin!" With a roar, his body expanded, transforming into a colossal giant of living lightning. Tens of meters tall, his form illuminated the entire port as if it were midday. The Sea-Prism dust wall was no match for the overwhelming force, scattering under the sheer electric pressure. "What?!" Umit's pupils shrank in shock as the storm engulfed him. "In the presence of a god, your struggle is meaningless." Enel's voice boomed as a colossal thunder pillar descended, splitting the sky. Umit braced, Haki flaring, but the blast sent him crashing into the earth, coughing blood. His arms trembled, skin scorched from the lightning's heat. "You're not the only one who can burn things." Enel sneered, lightning serpents writhing around him. "Electro-Forged Divine Judgment!" The serpents coiled into a massive cage of lightning, slamming shut around Umit. The heat was unbearable, searing even his breath. He gritted his teeth, straining to break through, but the lightning only raged harder in response. "Damn it!" he roared, slamming his fists again and again, only to be thrown back by arcs of power. Enel looked down upon him with absolute disdain. "Is that all? You dare call yourself a king? The world only needs one king, and that is our captain." ————————————————————————————————————————————————— 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 Change @ to a. Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝙣𝙚𝙩