226 226. To Wano

"Hey, aren't you worried?"

Nami asked Flare.

Flare asked in confusion, "Why should I be worried?"

Nami said, "I mean, that's a Yonko!"

Flare had a smile on his face as he said, "Sir is far stronger than you think. You should ask Pedro, he is very clear about sir's strength."

Nami, Brooke, Chopper and Carrot turned to Pedro for an answer.

"When I first met him he wasn't that strong, I could battle him on equal grounds. However as time passed his ability grew exponentially. Frankly, it was scary."

Pedro thought back to the past and said. After pausing for a second he continued.

"I don't know where his limits are, but a Yonko is no problem for him."

When everyone heard his words they exclaimed.

A Yonko is no problem for him? What kind of monster was he?

Flare suddenly commented and pointed to Whole Cake island, "Man, Pedro. You really made sir angry. Look."

Everyone looked towards island. Though the island was very far they could still see what was happening.

A sky full of swords!

Their hearts felt cold when they saw it.

"One more Yonko."

Flare said offhandedly.

Nami caught onto his words and asked, "One more Yonko?"

Flare curled his lips and said, "We killed Blackbeard."

"What?!"

Nami, Brooke and the rest were shocked. Blackbeard rose up in New World after the Paramount War. Rumour was that he had the strongest devil fruit.

But he was killed? And no one knew about it?

Pedro turned serious, "Is he moving?"

Flare nodded, "Yeah."

Nami asked in confusion, "What?"

Pedro didn't reply. He was lost in thought when he realised something. He stared at Flare and asked.

"Is he really going to kill Big Mom?"

His words shocked Nami and the rest.

Flare nodded.

Pedro took a deep breath and said, "But that's not the plan."

Flare replied, "If you hadn't been so impulsive, this wouldn't be happening."

Pedro said nothing. He hung down his head silently.

Flare waved his hand and said, "Dude, don't worry. Something happened, so either way the world would come to know of sir's true strength."

Pedro nodded. He asked, "What happened?"

Flare said nonchalantly, "It's nothing. A celestial dragon wanted to take Lady Shinobu as his wife. Sir killed his crew and Lady Shinobu poisoned him so that every waking moment he would experience incredible pain."

Pedro expected as much. He was very clear about Shinobu's expertise.

Flare suddenly thought of something and said, "By the way, you are lucky Lady Shinobu is busy, otherwise for what you were about to do, she would have...

Pedro silently shuddered.

Boom!!

A loud explosion rang from the distance. Everyone looked over and widened their eyes in shock.

Half of Whole Cake island was gone. It was split in half along with the sea. The cut surface had many sword scars, and the remaining other half was slowly sinking to the sea.

The sea rolled over as it filled the vaccum made by the missing part.

"He-He did that?"

Chopper asked with a stutter. However no one answered because they all knew the answer.

It was at this moment a shadow flashed through the air. It landed on the Sunny.

"Sir!"

Flare saluted Leo.

Pedro had an apologetic look on his face as he said, "Sorry."

Leo gave a light punch to his face and said, "Next time you want to die, think about your friends."

Pedro rubbed his cheek and said, "That really hurt."

Leo scoffed, "Be glad she is not here."

Pedro immediately shut up.

Leo checked the Strawhat pirates. Atleast they didn't waste these two years.

"Where is Luffy?"

It was Brooke who answered, "He went into the mirror world along with Katakuri."

"Mirror world?"

Brooke pointed to Brulee who was cuffed and said, "Her devil fruit ability is to travel between mirrors. Every mirror is connected to a common point, the mirror world."

"Heh."

Leo was intrigued.

Some devil fruit abilities were weird and almost impossible to believe. Like this one.

As long as one can pinpoint two mirrors separated by a large distance, it's a convenient method to travel.

As the Sunny moved no more ships blocked their path.

Flare said to Leo, "Sir, with this the World Government will know of your true strength."

Leo nodded, "It's fine. Let them focus on us."

He wasn't worried. Two years was enough for him to reach a height where no one touch him.

His initial sword stances weren't strong enough to contain his sword will. And with his increasing strength he had to come up with stances that could perfectly blend his sword will and his haki.

Two years. In two years, he refined the sword stances he created to even further heights. Their lethality was taken to another level.

A sky full of swords, that was the true form of the sword stance, Merciful Rain.

Wherever it fell nothing shall remain.

"Where are you guys headed?"

Leo asked.

"Wano."

Wano?

Leo's eyes lit up. He had heard about this country before. But he wasn't able to make a trip there since that country was closed to the outside world.

"How do you plan to get there?"

Nami explained, "We know people from there. One of them, Kinemon, told us how to get there. The rest of our crew is already there, we will be joining up with them."

Flare knew what Leo was thinking and asked, "Sir, what about...

Leo took out his den-den mushi. It rung for a few seconds before someone picked it up.

"Is that idiot alright?"

Shinobu's voice came from the speaker.

Leo laughed lightly, "He is alright."

"Oh, then why did you suddenly call?"

"Change of plans. I will be making a short detour, it might take me a month or two to get back. Think you can handle that?"

Shinobu chuckled.

Leo got her answer, he smiled and said, "Alright. Take care."

He hung up after that.

Flare shook his head. He knew Leo's curiousity towards new places.

After nearly a day of travel they got out of Big Mom's territory.

During this time Luffy got back. He was in a sorry state but had a wide smile on his face. Leo was surprised the kid could win against Katakuri.

His potential is no worse that Zoro's. Leo thought to himself.

Sanji also joined them before they got out of Big Mom's territory. However he brought an extra luggage with him.

"Charlotte Pudding? Why is she with you?"

When Pudding saw Leo her face paled. She saw what he did. That sky full of swords, the decimated Whole Cake island and Big Mom's death. She still couldn't wake up from that horror.

Sanji stood infront of Pudding and said, "She has nothing to do with Big Mom. She is her own person."

Leo rubbed his chin in amusement. Did this sucker finally fall for someone?

"I don't care. It's your ship, it's not like I have a say in whoever you decides to bring."

Sanji was relieved to hear that. Pudding and him were trying to make a wedding cake to settle Big Mom's craving and pull her out of her hunger pang.

Who would have thought she would be killed when they were half way through.

Leo settled down and closed his eyes as he sat in meditation. In a couple of seconds he fell asleep.

"He fell asleep?"

Flare smiled when he saw everyone's surprise.

Soon the Sunny ran into a storm. The sky darkened suddenly and the sea started to churn.

Leo opened his eyes, he looked at the bad weather and asked dubiously, "Oi, navigator, did you strand us in the middle of a storm?"

Nami grumbled, "Don't question my skills as a navigator!"

She crossed her arms infront of her chest and explained, "We are here, this is the entrance to Wano."

Leo looked around and asked, "This is the entrance to Wano?"

She nodded and explained, "Wano is perpetually surrounded by bad weather. This is also the reason why the outside world is unable to access this country."