Sasaki regretted his earlier actions, while Isuka and Who’s-Who both felt a sense of relief—one relieved that she had encountered Shayna at her most critical moment and thus gained the power to save herself.
The other was relieved that he had finally mustered the courage to defect and had come to the right place.
Maria looked at Kaido, Ulti looked at Page One—these people had experienced the Divine Blessing Ritual more than once. Even when Arceus displayed his power in public, their only thought was that Arceus was finally getting serious; they were not particularly shocked.
The ones truly astonished were the outsiders.
“Close your mouth, your drool’s about to fall out.”
“Miss Delia, could you not joke at such a serious time?”
At this moment, Kawamatsu stood beside Kozuki Hiyori, Kikunojo stood next to Delia, and as for Denjiro, he currently did not have the qualifications to be in a place like this.
“Oh? So you do know this is a serious moment. Not bad. Then do you still remember what I said before?”
“What?”
“Don’t become our enemy, or I’ll be put in a difficult position. Because if that happens, I’ll have to kill you myself~”
Delia draped her arm over Kikunojo’s neck. Although her daily habits were rather terrible, she still had her own principles and knew what to do when it came to major matters of right and wrong. That was why King had promoted her.
There were several scars left on her arm, but Kikunojo knew very well that this seemingly slender arm could easily twist off an elephant’s neck.
“Look, look at your Shogun’s eyes. I’ve seen that look many times. It’s the yearning and desire for Lord Arceus’s power.
You are her retainer. She is satisfied with her current life, and as for that so-called brother, that’s your master’s family matter. As retainers, you shouldn’t interfere. So don’t do anything that would put me in a difficult position.”
“…Mm.”
“Hahaha, good that you understand. The current situation is already the best possible outcome for you. Don’t keep that gloomy face. Come on, drink!”
This was a small warning from Delia to Kikunojo. The effect of the Kozuki “virus” was quite dangerous—she knew Kikunojo had been unable to make up his mind. While there is no problem now, there is no telling what may happen in the future.
Arceus’s power was enough to shatter most people’s mental defenses. Being an enemy of someone with godlike power and being an enemy of a god were not the same thing.
At a time like this, explaining the pros and cons was often most effective. Seeing Kikunojo’s current state, Delia was quite satisfied.
As for Kawamatsu, he couldn’t get a word in at all. He simply looked at Kozuki Hiyori and sighed. He understood her well; she had always been a bit extreme, and she certainly wasn’t going to change now.
However, Kawamatsu could also understand it. After witnessing such power firsthand, even he felt a slight temptation. Only a handful of people present could remain unaffected.
Meanwhile, the battle finally came to an end.
Bepo’s control over ice-element attacks covered a wider range and was more violent, but his battle instincts were inferior to Carrot’s. In the end, Carrot fooled him with Substitute and, after landing a decisive blow to a vital point, rendered him unable to continue fighting.
“What a wonderful battle. Don’t you think so, Hajrudin?”
“Shanks, why are you here…?”
Shanks had stayed in Elbaf for quite some time, and Hajrudin had met him before setting out to sea with his companions. However, he never expected Shanks to appear within the territory of the Beasts Pirates.
“Of course, I have my own reasons. Quite a few people are worried about you.”
“We’ll return after completing our goal.”
“I know, rebuilding the Giant Warrior Pirates, right? But that won’t be easy. After all, Dorry and Brogy have already returned to Elbaf.”
“?!”
Hearing this, the members of the New Giant Warrior Pirates were stunned. Dorry and Brogy were legendary figures among the Giants. They had once led the Giant Warrior Pirates to dominate an era, and were also the legendary heroes Hajrudin had heard about from his parents when he was a child.
“A senior truly worth challenging.”
“Hajrudin, didn’t Miss Delia mention that contribution system on the way here? The five of us combined aren’t far from being able to apply for an ability, right? When the time comes, we’ll get one for you first.
A Giant with a Mythical Zoan ability. Surely that would shock those seniors quite a bit, wouldn’t it?”
Not one of these young Giants showed any fear. From the moment they chose to follow Hajrudin out to make their own way, they had already made up their minds. Naturally, they wouldn’t be afraid by the appearance of the previous generation, only excited.
The disappearance of the Giant Warrior Pirates had begun in the era of Dorry and Brogy. Because the two captains fought for decades over a single child’s remark, the Giant Warrior Pirates eventually disbanded as well.
If they wanted to revive the Giant Warrior Pirates, defeating Dorry and Brogy was actually one of the most effective methods. At the very least, it would prove they had surpassed the previous generation.
The end of the battle between Bepo and Carrot also signified the conclusion of the Divine Blessing Ritual. The hospital beds Setsuna had reserved went unused. In the end, Arceus personally healed them to their pre-battle condition.
“Effort brings reward. If you want to obtain rewards, then exchange them with your own actions.”
Arceus’s voice reached everyone’s hearts. After that, his body gradually became illusory, leaving the stage in this manner.
Having also completed their mission, the Lunarian guards flapped their wings and flew toward the crack in the sky, returning to the Reverse World. In the eyes of outsiders, it was as if they had returned to the Kingdom of God.
After that, the stage once again became Queen’s domain. He pushed a small cart onto the stage and took over the now-empty stage.
“Those who didn’t receive Lord Arceus’s divine blessing, don’t be discouraged. Although the Divine Blessing Ritual has ended, the reward distribution hasn’t! These newly cultivated fruits belong to you!”
The artificial Devil Fruits planted by Queen in the Reverse World had also reached harvest season. The defective ones had already been eliminated by Arceus, and the remaining ones were rewards for the ordinary members.
“As for all you kings, the chefs of Wano Country have specially prepared a banquet for you. You may take a rest and enjoy this unique nation. If you don’t wish to stay, we can also send you back directly.”
There was no need for others to continue watching the remaining process. Even if they did, they wouldn’t understand anything.
The gathered spectators began heading toward different areas, but not a single king chose to leave first. Although Queen had said so, they didn’t dare believe it, who knew what the Beasts Pirates were thinking? If the first to leave were taken as showing disrespect, that would be troublesome.
After witnessing that absolute power, these kings began to have different thoughts.
People inevitably make associations. Power could be granted, stamina restored, injuries healed, then what about lifespan?
Those who stood at the top had already enjoyed much of the world’s splendor. Precisely because of that, they were reluctant to part with it.
Some had already begun to fantasize about whether they could obtain that long-desired thing here.
Even Otohime and Neptune sensed a different atmosphere. They weren’t coveting things like lifespan, but this was the first time they hadn’t felt any strange gazes directed at them.
The pirates of the Beasts Pirates were already accustomed to their race, and the natives of Wano Country, after decades of change, held no discrimination either. As for these kings, whether to curry favor or out of fear of the Beasts Pirates, they also behaved warmly.
For the Fish-Men, this was undoubtedly a good sign. If they could seize this opportunity, their future would surely be much better than it is now.
While the celebration continued on Onigashima, people were busy in the outer seas.
On an island near Kuja, craftsmen from Wano Country and pirates of the Beasts Pirates were busy setting up a venue.
“Pick up the pace! Clear away all the extra stones! You all know what this island is for! Even for your own sake, work harder!”
“Ohhhh!”
For the upcoming social gathering, they worked with great enthusiasm, quickly clearing out an area.
Graveler curled into a ball and rolled across the ground, creating a level surface like a road roller. On the shore, Machamp carried large amounts of building materials down, and in a very short time, polished giant logs and various planks were assembled into a house.
For the sake of their lifelong matters, these people truly spared no effort. Others were filling soil into the island’s crevices, transplanting suitable plants, putting in all their strength to transform this barren island into a venue for social gathering in a short time.
In addition to craftsmen from Wano Country, they had also recruited craftsmen and laborers from nearby islands. With the help of Pokémon, the island’s terrain was being rapidly reshaped.
The increased manpower sped up the transformation, but it also brought side effects. Due to Wano Country’s isolationist nature, it could remain undisturbed internally, but other islands could not.
Trade within the Beasts Pirates’ territory was flourishing. With the large flow of people, there would always be those who tried to slip in and gather intelligence.
Recently, the Beasts Pirates had been making bigger and bigger moves, even forming unclear ties with Shanks. To figure out what was going on, the Revolutionary Army, other pirates, the World Government, and the Marines had all been sending more scouts into Beasts Pirates’ territory.
However, these scouts found it difficult to penetrate deep inside and failed to gather any highly valuable information. Upon learning that an island here was recruiting craftsmen, these intelligence agents began to take action.
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