Ryuunosuke stood on the scorched earth, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
His breathing was labored, his body battered—but his expression held a strange sense of calm relief.
So… Im wasn't invincible after all.
Their clash had shown him that clearly. Im may have stood at the top for centuries, but she bled just like anyone else. She could be hurt.
Ryuunosuke wasn't there yet—not at her level—but one day… he would be.
The Five Elders? They were no longer a threat. At best, they could fight on par with his squad captains. But the Dragon Hunter Pirates—his crew—had only existed for three years.
Three years… and they had brought the World Government to its knees.
There was still room to grow. Still potential to unlock. The war had earned him an overwhelming rise in reputation points. He could now recruit new powerhouses to his cause.
His gaze remained fixed on Im. She was wounded too—her divine armor cracked, stained with her own blood.
"Ryuunosuke," Im said, her voice low but steady, "if you continue… you'll die."
"My offer still stands."
"Join me. The position above the Five Elders is yours. You could even lead the World Government itself."
Ryuunosuke remained silent for a moment.
Then, with a faint smile, he replied, "I appreciate the offer."
"But I didn't come here for negotiations."
"I came to avenge my crew."
"And now… I'll return to being a pirate."
His grip tightened around the Azure Blade.
"Feel free to keep raising our bounty. We'll make sure we're worth every berry."
He turned, ready to walk away.
A sudden burst of darkness flashed before his eyes.
From the shadows, a clawed hand tore through his chest—straight through his heart.
Even his advanced Armament Haki and Dragon-Hunter Armor were useless against this sneak attack.
Blood sprayed across the rubble.
Ryuunosuke's eyes widened in fury.
Standing before him, grinning like the devil himself, was Marshall D. Teach—Blackbeard.
"Anyone, huh?" Ryuunosuke growled. "Even dogs and rats think they can bite me now?"
He staggered slightly, catching himself.
Blackbeard's laugh echoed through the ruined battlefield.
"You didn't expect this, did you, Ryuunosuke?!"
"Captain of the Dragon Hunter Pirates! Reduced to prey!"
"I'll be the one to end your era!"
"The World Government… the Four Emperors… they're nothing!"
"The age of Blackbeard begins now!"
In his hand, Teach held a strange, glowing core—Ryuunosuke's origin essence.
He swallowed it without hesitation.
A violent surge of energy erupted from his body, shaking the ground beneath his feet.
But Ryuunosuke didn't panic.
"You… actually dared to devour my origin."
"Where do you get that kind of confidence?"
He lifted a trembling arm.
"My power isn't something you can just take."
He clenched his fist.
"Designated Recruitment—Marin!"
A golden magic circle appeared in front of him.
From its center, a woman stepped out.
Tall, regal, terrifyingly beautiful—her presence sent a chill down every survivor's spine.
The ground trembled beneath her feet. Her aura was overwhelming—cold and divine.
Everyone watched in stunned silence.
Could Ryuunosuke summon beings … at will?
Was this how the Dragon Hunter Pirates had grown so powerful?
Before anyone could react, Ryuunosuke's aura surged once more.
The Azure Blade in his hand changed—runes glowing across its edge.
"Undereorld Contract!"
The word "Underworld" blazed across the blade.
Blackbeard, now crackling with chaotic energy from the origin he devoured, suddenly faltered.
His instincts screamed at him.
He turned, opening a vortex with his Dark-Dark Fruit to flee.
"Imprison." Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn N0veI.Fiɾe.net
Marin extended her hand and touched Ryuunosuke's arm. Instantly, his body turned to golden sand and scattered into the air.
The battlefield around him crumbled.
Even Blackbeard, already halfway into his escape, began to break apart—his cells unraveling under the divine force.
Ryuunosuke's voice echoed through the silence.
"My Dragon Hunter Pirates… won't perish."
"And when we do—don't make the same mistake again."
A crooked smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Then, he too disappeared into dust.
Thus, the War of Gods came to an end.
Mary Geoise lay in ruins.
The Dragon Hunter Pirates had suffered devastating losses.
The World Government had lost more than half of its military might.
The navy was all but destroyed—less than 20% of its original forces survived.
The Five Elders were gravely injured.
Even Im had been wounded.
The balance of the world shattered.
Panic spread like wildfire.
At the same time, deep within Impel Down, the Revolutionary Army made their move.
Led by Dragon himself, they launched a brutal assault.
The prison warden, Magellan, was left in critical condition.
The entire scientific research division was seized.
And Impel Down… was no more.
On the Red Line, the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates clashed with the Blackbeard remnants.
Burgess fell in battle.
The rest fled, broken and wounded.
The war hadn't been confined to Mary Geoise.
It had spread like wildfire across the Grand Line.
With the World Government shaken, pirates rose like sharks in bloody waters.
Old monsters awakened.
Territories once ruled by the navy fell to chaos.
Even allied nations found themselves under siege.
A global war had begun.
All of it sparked by one man—
Ryuunosuke, captain of the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
Now presumed dead, the World Government seized the opportunity.
They launched a global manhunt, targeting every surviving member of his crew.
If they could not erase the past, they would bury the future.
Five Days Later – The Flower Room, Pangaea Castle
The surviving Four Elders knelt before Im.
Their faces were pale.
Im stood above them, calm and silent.
"Who decided to provoke the Dragon Hunter Pirates in the first place?" she asked, her voice icy.
A long silence followed.
Then, Saturn stepped forward.
He accepted responsibility.
His elite guard—the Celestial Group—had been wiped out. One of his own had betrayed them.
Saturn's head hit the marble floor with a dull thud.
The other four knelt lower, trembling.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Check my Pâtreon for Advanced Chapters
Pâtreon .com/Fanficlord03
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>