Overall, Ryūjin's gains from his battle against the Whitebeard Pirates were more than worthwhile.
The biggest reward, without question, was Marco's Phoenix Fruit.
With it, Ryūjin's Yang Release chakra could evolve even further, undergoing another transformation entirely.
Naturally, he was in an excellent mood.
"Gurararara! What terrifying strength!"
Whitebeard's booming laughter echoed across the sea as he enthusiastically invited Ryūjin aboard his ship.
Although Whitebeard had been completely overwhelmed throughout the battle, the exchange had oddly made the two of them much more familiar with one another.
As for the commanders who had been beaten senseless by Ryūjin, not a single one looked upset.
Instead, they were excited.
"Demon Eye Ryūjin truly deserves his reputation!"
"We actually got to participate in a battle of this level!"
"Participate? Didn't you get blown away before even reaching him?"
"And weren't you the one who got knocked out by one punch despite having Marco backing you up?"
"Hah! I, Diamond Jozu, took a direct hit from Demon Eye Ryūjin and survived!"
"You call collapsing like a dead dog surviving?"
Laughter erupted among the commanders.
The atmosphere aboard the Whitebeard Pirates was strangely lively.
To them, lasting even a little longer against someone like Demon Eye Ryūjin was something worth bragging about.
Of course, everyone understood one thing.
Ryūjin had held back.
This had only been a sparring match.
Aside from bruises and battered pride, none of the commanders suffered serious injuries.
That alone showed just how absurd Ryūjin's strength truly was.
Defeating powerful opponents so effortlessly while carefully controlling his force was something only someone vastly stronger could accomplish.
After returning to the Moby Dick, Ryūjin received an enthusiastic welcome.
His popularity aboard the ship reached ridiculous levels.
In this world, strength earned respect faster than anything else.
And Ryūjin was not only overwhelmingly powerful, he had also helped heal Whitebeard's condition and shown mercy during battle.
Naturally, Whitebeard treated him like an honored guest.
Personally accompanying him, Whitebeard showed Ryūjin around the Moby Dick and several nearby ships.
A number of commanders even followed along.
Even Shanks had never received treatment this special.
After spending some time aboard the ship, Ryūjin finally stood to leave.
"Alright, Whitebeard."
Ryūjin stretched lazily.
"Thanks for the hospitality. I had a good time."
"But I still have things to deal with, so I'll be heading out."
On the deck of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard personally came to see him off with all his commanders.
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard laughed loudly.
"Demon Eye Ryūjin, the Whitebeard Pirates will always welcome you!"
"And me too, Mr. Edward!"
Nami suddenly stepped forward, standing on her tiptoes while waving her hand.
"Don't forget me!"
Whitebeard burst into louder laughter.
"Of course!"
He pointed dramatically at Nami and Robin.
"Beautiful Miss Nami and Miss Nico Robin are always welcome! The best food and finest wine on my ship will always be waiting!"
"Let's go."
Ryūjin waved casually before turning around.
He stepped onto the wooden pathway he had previously created and walked back toward his ship.
Nami, Robin, and Crocodile naturally followed behind.
Kizaru and Aokiji, who had practically become unwilling passengers by now, were still waiting aboard.
The moment Ryūjin returned, Kizaru spoke.
"Demon Eye Ryūjin, although I doubt you'll answer honestly, I'm genuinely curious."
He adjusted his sunglasses.
"What exactly is your goal?"
Kizaru had spent enough time observing Ryūjin to grow confused.
Ryūjin challenged powerhouse after powerhouse, but there never seemed to be any deeper purpose behind it.
No grudges.
No treasure hunting.
No territorial ambitions.
The Navy simply could not understand him.
Even during private conversations, Kizaru and Aokiji had repeatedly discussed Ryūjin.
Yet no matter how much they analyzed him, they only ended up realizing how little they actually knew.
"Crocodile, set sail."
Ryūjin ignored the question entirely.
Then he glanced sideways at Kizaru.
"Not every Admiral likes talking nonsense as much as you do."
Kizaru's expression stiffened.
That was basically Ryūjin's attitude.
"Ryūjin-san, where are we going next?"
Nami approached while holding a map.
"To the Navy's appointment," Ryūjin answered immediately.
The agreed time was approaching, and he had no reason to delay.
Nami spread the map open.
After tracing a route carefully, she pointed at several islands.
"Ryūjin-san, if we follow this route, we'll need to pass five islands."
She calculated quietly.
"Assuming the Log Pose takes only one day to reset on each island, we'll need around twenty-seven days."
"That's under ideal conditions."
"If anything unexpected happens, it'll take longer."
"Twenty-seven days…"
Ryūjin rubbed his chin.
"There are still thirty-four days left before the Navy meeting."
"That's enough."
Nami nearly covered her face.
A seven-day gap was not enough.
Not even close.
Then Ryūjin's eyes paused on the route.
"Hm?"
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Amazon Lily?"
That island immediately caught his attention.
The territory of Boa Hancock.
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Although Hancock herself was not among the strongest fighters in the world, Amazon Lily had something Ryūjin actually wanted.
Haki.
A large number of Kuja warriors possessed Haki.
Compared to Devil Fruits, which he planned to obtain from his future deal with the Navy, Amazon Lily represented another opportunity entirely.
And there was one more thing.
The Calm Belt.
The place was filled with Sea Kings.
If he remembered correctly, absurdly large ones.
Perfect.
A real Sea King pulling his ship sounded useful.
Multiple benefits from a single trip.
"Change course."
Ryūjin looked toward Nami.
"We're heading to Amazon Lily first."
"Huh?"
Nami blinked.
"Ryūjin-san… Amazon Lily isn't on our main route."
"And if we go there, we'll definitely miss the Navy appointment."
Ryūjin shrugged.
"There's a saying where I'm from."
"Sharpening the knife doesn't delay cutting wood."
He smirked faintly.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Since Ryūjin had already decided, Nami stopped arguing.
She immediately went to relay instructions to Crocodile.
The ship gradually changed course.
Its destination became Amazon Lily.
Meanwhile, the world exploded once more.
Big News Morgans had already published the results of Ryūjin's battle against Whitebeard.
As newspapers spread across the seas, chaos followed.
"Whitebeard lost?!"
"The strongest man in the world got defeated by Demon Eye Ryūjin!"
"Not just Whitebeard!"
"He defeated Whitebeard and all his commanders at the same time!"
"In other words, Demon Eye Ryūjin defeated an entire Yonko crew by himself!"
"Does that mean the strongest man alive is no longer Whitebeard?"
The seas erupted into endless discussions.
Fear.
Shock.
Excitement.
Everywhere people talked about one name.
Demon Eye Ryūjin.
Marineford.
Inside Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office.
After reading the latest report, Sengoku rubbed his forehead in frustration.
"Whitebeard too…"
His headache worsened.
The Navy had already lost three Admirals to Ryūjin.
At this point, Whitebeard's defeat somehow felt less shocking.
What truly troubled Sengoku was the aftermath.
Since Ryūjin defeated the Admirals, pirate activity had exploded.
Every Navy branch was under pressure.
Even Kaido and Big Mom had started moving toward Marineford.
If Garp had not personally intervened with several Vice Admirals, things could have spiraled into disaster.
The seas had become complete chaos because of one man.
And that man still refused to settle down.
"First the Seven Warlords…"
"Now the Yonko…"
Sengoku sighed heavily.
"What exactly are you trying to do, Demon Eye Ryūjin?"
Unfortunately, there was no time to think.
The date of Ryūjin's deal with the Navy was approaching.
Preparation came first.
Sengoku picked up a Den Den Mushi.
"Commander-in-Chief Kong."
The Den Den Mushi activated.
"The operation is about to begin."
"Please oversee Marineford."
"Understood."
Kong's deep voice echoed back.
Five days later.
A massive island finally appeared on the horizon.
Wrapped around its cliffs were enormous serpent statues.
Amazon Lily.
Even from a distance, the island radiated authority.
The giant words Kuja stretched upward across the rock walls.
"Ryūjin-san, we're here!"
Nami's eyes brightened.
At the same time, her instincts as a navigator already confirmed something important.
They had entered the Calm Belt.
Normally, entering this region was suicide.
No wind.
No movement.
Countless gigantic Sea Kings.
But for Ryūjin?
None of that mattered.
He could literally create wind whenever he wanted.
The only one uneasy was their unwilling boatman.
Clearly, the man had sensed what lurked beneath the water.
"Not bad."
Ryūjin stood up slowly.
"You've worked hard."
"Time for you to go."
Clap!
Wood Release restraints vanished instantly.
Splash!
The terrified boatman jumped into the sea and disappeared.
Without hesitation, Ryūjin raised his hand.
"Wind Release, Typhoon Pass."
A violent gust pushed the ship forward.
They officially entered the Calm Belt.
Suddenly.
Splash!
Massive waves erupted.
Several gigantic Sea Kings surfaced from below.
Each one stretched hundreds of meters long.
"So huge…"
Nami stared with wide eyes.
Robin quietly observed as well, visibly surprised.
The sheer size was ridiculous.
But strangely, nobody panicked.
Not even Nami.
Because everyone aboard understood something.
Sea Kings?
Against Ryūjin?
They were nothing.
"Chidori Current."
Lightning erupted from the sky.
Crackle!
A gigantic electric field spread outward.
Boom!
Boom!
The Sea Kings convulsed violently before crashing back into the ocean.
Massive waves spread everywhere.
Yet Ryūjin's ship moved forward steadily.
Unaffected.
Like a mountain crossing the sea.
Meanwhile, on Amazon Lily, the sentries spotted the approaching ship.
Their expressions changed immediately.
Inside the palace.
"Snake Princess!"
Margaret hurried inside anxiously.
"This is bad!"
Boa Hancock frowned.
Her sharp eyes narrowed.
"Why are you panicking?"
"What happened?"
Sandersonia also looked over.
"With us here, what could possibly be so serious?"
Margaret swallowed hard.
Then she finally spoke.
"Demon Eye Ryūjin…"
"He entered the Calm Belt."
"And he's heading straight for Amazon Lily."
The moment those words left her mouth, the atmosphere froze.
Boa Hancock immediately sat upright.
Her pupils shrank.
For perhaps in a long while, the Pirate Empress looked genuinely shaken.
Even someone as proud and arrogant as Boa Hancock could not stay composed after hearing the name:
Demon Eye Ryūjin.
___
Happy New Month