He raised his hand, and the cage of lightning began to contract. Umit's body was squeezed tighter and tighter, bones creaking under the unbearable pressure. "Wait!" For the first time, Umit's face twisted with fear. "We can talk! What does Crimson Dawn want? The shipping trade? I'll give you half!" Enel let out a derisive chuckle. "The captain already said it we don't want cooperation, we want takeover. Once you're gone, the shipping business is ours anyway. And more importantly…" Umit stared at him, waiting for the rest. "You actually made me this embarrassed." The lightning cage snapped shut completely. Umit's scream was swallowed by the dazzling flash. Moments later, the prison dissolved, leaving Umit's charred body sprawled on the ground, unconscious. Enel released his Raijin form, landing lightly and dusting his hands. "Done." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮·𝓷𝓮𝓽 Tesoro approached from the distance, glanced at the unconscious Umit, and smiled. "Nicely handled. Though don't you think that was a bit too loud?" Enel shrugged. "The captain never said to keep it quiet." Tesoro chuckled and shook his head, then pulled out a transponder snail. "Captain, the mission's complete. Umit has already 'agreed' to hand over all of his shipping business." On the other end came Ritter's languid voice. "Good, then the next step is resource integration. I'll leave that to you, I'll leave that to you. Eh~ Laboon, I'm scissors and you're paper come on, hand over the fish snacks." Tesoro sighed and put the snail away. "Understood." He turned his gaze to the battered harbor, wrecked from the battle, and muttered, "This will definitely shake the underworld to its core. Looks like another massive project ahead." "Well then, let's get to work." He lifted his hand, palm downward, as golden ripples spread from his fingertips, instantly locking onto Umit's hidden treasury. "Gold-Gold Fruit: Universal Assimilation." In an instant, the shattered buildings, broken ships, scattered cargo even the dust in the air were coated in a dazzling layer of gold. Under Tesoro's power, the entire port transformed into a radiant golden kingdom. "Oi, oi, isn't this a little over the top? That setup looks just like the captain's style." Enel raised a brow. He knew Tesoro's ability well, but every time he saw this kind of scale, he couldn't help but click his tongue. If Ritter were here, he would've said: "A true card master always sets the stage. Without it, you're not pure." Tesoro ignored the jab and simply snapped his fingers. "Gold-Gold Fruit: Reconstruction." The golden ground flowed like liquid, rebuilding collapsed structures, restoring broken ships, even renewing charred decks struck by lightning. Within minutes, the entire harbor rose from ruin into something even grander than before a glittering golden trade hub. "That should make repairs much easier," Tesoro said with satisfaction. "Seriously flashy, Tesoro," Enel commented. To him, wealth meant little. What fascinated him was how spectacular it all looked. As always, Tesoro's steadiness was reassuring. He strolled toward Umit's office, spreading his Observation Haki. The layout of the entire building unfolded clearly in his mind. Three hours. That was all Tesoro needed. In just three hours, he had read through every ledger, trade record, client list, and hidden warehouse location Umit possessed. "I see…" Tesoro narrowed his eyes. "His business was even larger than expected. He was handling transport not only for the World Government, but also for Charlotte Linlin's forces." He turned to Enel. "The captain was right. By swallowing Umit's empire, our shipping network can cover the entire New World." Enel yawned. "Then take your time. I'm heading back to sleep." He had been worked like a laborer all day lugging things around just because his Mantra was stronger. Ah, invincibility really was unbearably lonely. Tesoro let him go with a smile, then dialed another number on the transponder snail. "Baccarat, have the finance team from Gran Tesoro come over immediately and take charge of all Umit's businesses." "And spread the word to every broker in the underworld from today onward, the shipping trade belongs to Crimson Dawn." Though they handled it from the shadows, Tesoro and Enel ended up staying at what was once Umit's stronghold no, Crimson Dawn's new base for an entire month, overseeing the takeover. And that one month… kept the rest of the underworld's rulers wide awake. That night, on a hidden island somewhere in the New World, a black merchant ship without a single flag silently docked at shore. Inside a towering castle, candles flickered. Around a round table sat several grim-faced figures the kings of the underworld. "Crimson Dawn… they're moving faster than we anticipated." The loan shark king, Du Feld, tapped his fingers irritably against the table as he chewed on his cigar. "That old bastard Umit couldn't even last three hours." The mortician tycoon, Draguel Piacoro, sneered. "So much for the so-called 'Shipping King.' Pathetic." "Don't mock him so quickly." Stussy, queen of the Pleasure District, sipped her wine, her eyes glinting with cold sharpness. "With Crimson Dawn absorbing Umit's network, their reach now extends into all of our territories. Do you really want to be next in line?" The room fell into heavy silence. "So, what do we do?" asked storage magnate Giberson in a deep voice. "Sit and wait for them to devour us one by one?" "Cooperation." Stussy set down her glass calmly. "Alone, none of us can stand against Crimson Dawn." "Cooperation?" Du Feld sneered. "What, you want us to huddle together like scared children? Or are you just hoping to learn our weaknesses and run back to Ritter with them?" Stussy only smiled faintly, offering no denial. She already had her own orders from the World Government: hinder Ritter's growth at all costs. "Enough!" Piacoro slammed the table. "This is no time for infighting! Crimson Dawn is a threat we can't ignore. We need a countermeasure!" "Countermeasure? Hah." Giberson laughed coldly. "Even Admiral Kizaru came away defeated by Ritter. What exactly are we supposed to fight back with? Your funeral business? Going to offer him a coffin?" "You—!" Piacoro glared furiously. "Join Crimson Dawn?" Du Feld slammed his fist on the table, cigar ash scattering. "Are you insane?! That man won't treat us as allies he'll swallow us just like he swallowed Umit!" At the round table, Giberson's face darkened. His fingers tapped unconsciously against the wood as he muttered, "But what choice do we have left? If even a Marine Admiral can't handle Ritter… what chance do we stand?" The room turned deathly still. "Cowards," Piacoro spat with a derisive laugh. "Thinking of surrender before the fight's even begun? No matter how strong Crimson Dawn is, they can't possibly wipe us all out at once." ————————————————————————————————————————————————— 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