"Hey hey, are you trying to get me killed too?!" Bonney shouted in exasperation.
"No need to make such a big deal out of it," Kaguya replied nonchalantly. "It was just a few people. Nothing to fuss over."
Bonney slapped her forehead and sighed. "How can someone like you even exist? Don't you have any sense of danger?"
"What's there to worry about?" Kaguya asked curiously.
Bonney gritted her teeth. "Those guys you killed were part of the Beasts Pirates—they were officers. With Kaido's temper, he's definitely not going to let this slide."
Kaido?
Kaguya paused. Hadn't she already taken care of him?
Then she realized—their battle had taken place in a remote sea area with no major trade routes nearby. Plus, it had only happened recently. News probably hadn't spread here yet. That made sense.
"If he shows up, we'll have no choice but to run," Bonney muttered, ruffling her hair in frustration. "Why is it that every time I hang out with you, something terrible happens?"
"Don't worry," Kaguya said comfortingly. "Even if they come looking for us, it's fine. Worst case, we die."
"If I die, I'm taking you with me!" Bonney shouted angrily.
Sabaody Archipelago was still in ruins from the earlier destruction, and with the Navy focused on the Whitebeard situation, they had no capacity to manage the island. This gave criminals and outlaws an opening to cause chaos—looting, burning, and violence soon broke out.
But no matter how wild the lawbreakers got, none dared approach two particular individuals on the island. It was like an unspoken agreement among them: if they saw those two, they made themselves scarce immediately.
It wasn't hard to understand why. The ones foolish enough to cross Kaguya had long since ended up six feet under.
That's when the locals began to realize—compared to the savage criminals, the infamous multi-million-berried Kaguya was actually far more pleasant. And as long as she was around, the thugs didn't dare show their faces.
Not only that, but Kaguya was generous with money, never haggled over prices. She quickly became a beloved figure in town.
If only they knew she was the very person responsible for Sabaody's devastation—what would they think then?
While walking through the broken streets, Kaguya paused. She seemed to sense something. Turning to Bonney, she said, "I have something to do. Head back first. I'll be right behind you."
Without waiting for a reply, she quickly walked off into the distance.
"Hey, hey!" Bonney called after her, stomping her foot in frustration. "Unbelievable! She just comes and goes as she pleases!" She kicked a stone from the roadside in annoyance.
Kaguya turned into a narrow alley at a street corner and stopped. "How is the plan progressing?"
A figure stepped out of the shadows and knelt respectfully on one knee. "Master, the plan is nearly ready. If all goes well, we can begin mass production soon."
The slender figure with pale green hair and alluring curves was Monet.
Kaguya nodded. "What about the situation in Marineford?"
"Marineford has entered its highest alert state. Not only have all the Admirals been recalled, but even senior officers have gathered at headquarters," Monet explained calmly. "According to intel, the Navy now has around 100,000 troops stationed at Marineford."
Kaguya scoffed. "The Navy just gets more disappointing by the day. Mobilizing this many people for just one Whitebeard."
"They may be doing this to guard against another force," Monet said softly.
"Another force?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow.
Monet continued, "According to the latest reports, Red-Haired Shanks is also likely heading to Marineford."
Red-Haired Shanks.
He was going too?
That didn't quite fit his usual character.
"I see. Well, that makes things more interesting," Kaguya said, curling a finger under Monet's chin with a wicked smile. "The bigger the stage, the better the show, right?"
To her, the greater the storm, the more entertaining. A minor scuffle would only be boring.
Monet's gaze grew hazy, her shimmering eyes misted over. A blush crept onto her cheeks. "Master..."
Kaguya reached down and pulled her up, wrapping an arm around her slender waist, lips curling into a teasing smirk. "Do you want a reward?"
Monet's eyes were filled with adoration as she whispered, "Anything you give me, Master, I would love—"
Before she could finish, Kaguya's lips silenced her. Kaguya held her close, one hand sliding beneath Monet's vest, trailing upward along smooth, silk-like skin, then gently squeezing a soft curve.
A breathy moan escaped Monet's throat as she reflexively embraced Kaguya even tighter.
But just as things were escalating, Kaguya suddenly let go.
She turned her head toward the distance, her gaze sharpening. "Someone's coming."
Monet blinked, her dazed eyes quickly clearing. She straightened her clothing and said softly, "If Master has business to attend to, then I'll take my leave."
With that, she turned and quietly vanished into the shadows.
Kaguya watched her disappear with a faint smile. If anyone truly understood her, it was Monet. Clever, perceptive, and most importantly, she knew when to advance or retreat. That was why Kaguya liked her.
At that moment, a tall, burly man approached with a swaggering gait. He had a thick beard, wore a black hat and long black coat, with a pistol tucked at his side. His towering frame made him stand out in any crowd.
Kaguya walked toward him, and just as they were about to pass each other, she spoke.
"To think the one responsible for provoking Whitebeard to attack Marineford is strolling around so openly. Aren't you afraid of Whitebeard coming after you?"
This man was none other than Blackbeard.
Blackbeard stopped in his tracks and grinned, revealing a row of broken and missing teeth. "Whitebeard's era is over. A new era is about to begin. That old man of the past should go where he belongs."
"Oh?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow. "A new era?"
"That's right," Blackbeard chuckled. "A brand-new age is on its way. The world will shift course. The decaying old ways will be cast aside. What remains will be a world ruled by the truly strong."
"And," his eyes gleamed with excitement, "that person is no longer around. Without her standing in the way, it's the perfect opportunity to take the world for ourselves."
"That person?" Kaguya's gaze sharpened.
"Yes, the one they called the strongest in the world—Kaguya," Blackbeard said with a sinister laugh.
Looking at Blackbeard's elated expression, Kaguya suddenly felt a strange sense of absurdity. Had she become some kind of childhood trauma for these guys?
Blackbeard went on, "If she were still around, I wouldn't even dare dream of such ambitions. I'd probably just spend my life rotting away in the countryside. She was a warrior beyond her era. No one could compare. Not even the Pirate King, Roger, stood at her level. But now, she's gone. Hahaha!"
He threw back his head and laughed loudly.
"So, that's why you want to be Pirate King?" Kaguya asked with interest.
"Exactly!" Blackbeard grinned wide, spreading his arms. "I'm the man who will become Pirate King! The one who will rule these seas and rise to the top of the world!"
"If that's the case," Kaguya said calmly, "then I'm sorry."
"Oh?" Blackbeard looked puzzled. "Don't tell me you want to be Pirate King too?"
"No," Kaguya shook her head. "I haven't sunk so low as to become a mob boss."
"Mob boss?" Blackbeard burst into laughter. "Yeah, that's about right! A mob boss! Hahaha!"
"Too bad," Kaguya shrugged. "Since you have such lofty ambitions, I can't let you leave here alive."
As soon as the words fell, Kaguya stomped hard, her figure shooting out like an arrow, cutting through the air. In the blink of an eye, she appeared in front of Blackbeard. With a swift lift of her arm, a black-and-red longsword materialized in her hand and stabbed straight into Blackbeard's chest.
The blood-soaked blade pierced through his body.
Blackbeard froze, as if he hadn't even registered what had just happened.
Bang!
A soft gunshot rang out. A bullet spun through the air, aiming directly at Kaguya's forehead.
Kaguya frowned, stepped back with a stomp, and swept her sword horizontally. Clang! Sparks flew as the bullet was deflected.
The shot had come from a distance—from Blackbeard Pirates member Van Augur.
"Aaaahhh, it hurts, it hurts!"
At that moment, Blackbeard finally reacted. Clutching his chest, he howled in pain, rolling on the ground like a child.
At the same time, several figures suddenly emerged from the shadows, placing themselves between Kaguya and Blackbeard. They were the members of the Blackbeard Pirates.
"Cut the act, Blackbeard. If you're still putting on a show at a time like this," Kaguya said coldly, her icy gaze fixed on him, "you might end up dead."
Blackbeard climbed to his feet, baring his teeth. "It really hurt, you know. Heh... didn't expect you to actually attack. So ruthless, Artoria."
The wound where he had been stabbed in the chest had mysteriously vanished, leaving behind only a trace of blood.
Kaguya scoffed. "Anyone who dares stand in my way will be eliminated. That includes all of you."
"You're too optimistic," Blackbeard said, grinning. "I'm not one of those weaklings you've dealt with before. If you think you can defeat me that easily, you're mistaken."
As he spoke, a dark aura suddenly erupted from his body, like a cloud of black sand swirling into a vortex of darkness around him.
"This is the power I dreamed of. Among all the Devil Fruits, this one is the most fearsome. I am darkness—and darkness is me!" Blackbeard laughed wildly. "That fool Ace was crushed by this very power. Want to try it for yourself?"
"Getting that excited over such a power... You must've had a rough childhood," Kaguya replied coldly.
Blackbeard's smile froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "I had thought of recruiting you to join me in conquering the world. But now, there's no need."
With that, he clenched his fist. A flood of black energy surged out from him, racing across the ground in all directions like a tidal wave.
"Die in the darkness!"
Blackbeard roared with laughter, stretching out his hand and shouting, "Dark Vortex!"
As the words left his mouth, a powerful gravitational pull exploded from his palm. Kaguya's body was yanked forward uncontrollably.
Blackbeard sneered. His muscled arm swung up, ready to smash the incoming Kaguya with a punch.
But just as his fist was about to land, Kaguya looked up and smirked. "Is that all your power amounts to?"
Suddenly, a massive surge of power erupted from Kaguya. A dark aura whirled around her like a roaring tornado, and in an instant, she broke free from the gravitational force.
Blackbeard froze in disbelief.
Kaguya's eyes narrowed. Gripping her sword with both hands, she swung it down hard. A wave of black sword light exploded from the blade, tearing through the air like a massive beam of light and struck Blackbeard with thunderous force.
"Excalibur!"
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted as two blasts of dark energy collided. The resulting shockwave surged outward like a tsunami, shredding everything around them with unstoppable force.
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