Chapter 178: Arrive Dressrosa

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In the palace of Dressrosa:

"When will this be over? Staying here is so boring!" 

Tatsumaki hovered around the room using her psychokinesis, circling endlessly, much to the dismay of Lucci and the others, who were already feeling dizzy from watching her. 

They desperately wanted her to settle down, but her immense power left them with no choice but to humor her. 

Even Doflamingo and the Donquixote Family were still trapped underground, completely subdued by her abilities. Confronting her directly was not an option.

Lucci tried to calm her down. "It shouldn't be much longer. I just received word from Lord Night—they're already on their way here."

Thanks to Tatsumaki's psychic barrier, their conversation remained unheard by Doflamingo and his crew.

"Ugh, the opponents here are so weak. There's no challenge at all," Tatsumaki complained idly, unaware that her offhand remark had deeply stung those around her.

At that moment, Law couldn't help but think, 'Lady Tatsumaki, Doflamingo is a Warlord of the Sea—someone I've spent my entire life trying to kill. And yet, to you, he's not even worth mentioning?'

Even Enel, usually so arrogant, felt humbled. 

He had always considered his strength to be formidable on the Grand Line—after all, his bounty stood at an impressive 700 million berries. 

Within Night, only Sonic and Lord Night surpassed him.

But now, these two mysterious powerhouses brought in by Lord Night completely overshadowed him. 

The petite, childlike girl had single-handedly crushed the entire Donquixote Family, a feat that spoke volumes about her terrifying power.

And then there was the man called King. His sheer presence rivaled, and at times even seemed to surpass, that of Lord Night himself. 

Although King hadn't lifted a finger during this mission, his overwhelming aura convinced everyone that his strength was at least on par with Lord Night's—if not slightly inferior, then certainly not by much.

Of course, if they knew that King's imposing aura was nothing more than a façade and that he was, in truth, an ordinary man, they might just drop their jaws in shock.

The journey from the G-5 Marine base to Dressrosa would normally take about a day. 

However, aboard the Ship, traveling at full speed, Byakuya and Issho managed to cut that time significantly. By the next morning, they had arrived at Dressrosa. 

Standing on the deck and gazing at the kingdom bathed in the light of dawn, Byakuya couldn't help but feel a sense of reflection. 

From today onward, Dressrosa will truly see a new beginning. It's time to reveal the darkness lurking behind this façade of prosperity.

Not that Byakuya saw himself as a savior of the kingdom—everything he was doing had its purpose.

"Issho, let's go."

"Indeed. Let's see how this kingdom, praised by the World Government, truly differs from the rest."

The two disembarked from the ship, followed by over two hundred soldiers marching in formation behind them.

Back in the palace, Sonic appeared suddenly before the group.

"Lord Night has arrived. We can start preparing to withdraw."

"Finally! I'm free at last!" Tatsumaki cheered, visibly elated.

Lucci glanced at Sonic. "Have you confirmed Sugar's location?"

"Yes, I've already informed Lord Night."

"Good. Once Lord Night arrives and we meet one last time, we can begin our return to Sky Island."

At that moment, Law spoke up. "What about the three Revolutionary Army members we captured at the weapons factory? Do we leave them here for the Marines, or take them with us?"

Law and Sonic had been searching for Sugar based on Law's knowledge of the more secretive areas of the island from his time in the Donquixote Family. 

While investigating a hidden weapons depot, they stumbled upon an illegal arms deal between the Donquixote Family and the Revolutionary Army.

A dispute over pricing had broken out, escalating into a fight. Among the Revolutionaries was a young man whose strength caught Law and Sonic's attention. 

In the confusion of battle and poor visibility, the Revolutionaries mistook Law and Sonic for reinforcements from the Donquixote Family and launched an attack.

Initially, Sonic intended to kill all three Revolutionaries, but Law stopped him just in time.

Law knew the Revolutionary Army's goal of overthrowing the World Government aligned somewhat with the ideals of Night. 

Their methods differed, but their ultimate aim—world peace—was not so different.

Believing it unnecessary to provoke conflict with the Revolutionaries prematurely, Law persuaded Sonic to capture and subdue them instead. 

Now, with Lord Night's arrival and the group preparing to leave, the fate of these three captives posed a dilemma.

Leaving them to the Marines would mean certain death, something Law couldn't bear. However, taking them to Sky Island without authorization felt equally problematic.

After some thought, Lucci spoke up. "Blindfold them and take them to Sky Island. Once we've returned, report their capture to Lord Night and let him decide their fate."

The group had no objections to Lucci's decision. 

Among the members of Night, aside from Byakuya himself, Lucci wasn't even guaranteed a spot in the top three in terms of strength. 

This highlighted how crucial it was to have a sharp mind on the seas. Byakuya and his group made their way up the mountain path leading to the palace. 

However, they were stopped halfway by a group of people. At the forefront stood a burly, muscular man, radiating an air of toughness. 

He was accompanied by over thirty subordinates armed with rifles, blocking Byakuya's path.

The muscular man bellowed, "This is the territory of Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea! Marines are not permitted to set foot here without prior approval!"

Because Tatsumaki and the others had launched a surprise attack, quickly taking the palace, subduing its guards, and effortlessly defeating Doflamingo and his top officers, the speed and efficiency of their actions had kept the larger public unaware. 

The lower-ranking members patrolling below the palace had no idea their leader had been captured and assumed he was out on business with the senior officers.

Byakuya couldn't help but laugh at the situation. 

They don't even know their leader has been subdued, yet they still dare to use Doflamingo's name to intimidate me? They must not know what death looks like.

Turning to Issho, Byakuya remarked, "Look at this. The so-called might of the Seven Warlords." 

"Dressrosa is a member nation of the World Government, and yet Marines don't even have the right to set foot here. And this restriction exists only because of pirates. How ironic."

Though Issho couldn't see, he could sense the arrogance dripping from the muscular man's tone.

The man grew enraged when the Marines didn't respond to his threats. "I tried to reason with you, but you won't listen. Don't blame us for taking action!"

With that, the thirty or so subordinates raised their rifles, ready to pull the trigger. But before they could, they were all shot down, each with a bullet through their heads. 

The muscular man met an even grislier end, his body riddled with bullets until he was left unrecognizable. The sight caused toys and citizens on the street to scatter in terror. 

To them, the Donquixote Family was akin to gods, and now that their "gods" had been struck down, something major was bound to happen.

"Pathetic. Do they dare point their guns at our leader? They must have a death wish."

"Exactly! Who do these so-called Seven Warlords think they are? Threatening Byakuya-sama? We ought to tear this place apart!"

"If we don't loot this family's entire fortune, it'll feel like we came here for nothing!"

The soldiers under Byakuya grumbled among themselves, their words making them sound more like pirates than Marines. 

Dressed in Marine uniforms, their pirate-like attitudes created a jarring contradiction.

Byakuya, however, was already used to their personalities. Issho simply smirked but said nothing.

With such a brutal example made, the remaining members of the Donquixote Family dared not stand in the Marines' way. 

They could only watch helplessly as Byakuya's group ascended the path to the palace.

Some attempted to contact their young master or senior officers, but no matter how many times they called, there was no response. 

Panic began to spread—could something truly have happened to their leader?

When Byakuya and his men arrived at the palace, they were greeted by seven members of Night standing at the entrance as if they had been expecting the Marines.

Lucci and the others already knew that Vice Admiral Byakuya was, in fact, Night's leader. Now was the time to test everyone's acting skills.

Byakuya stepped forward and demanded, "Where is Doflamingo? What did you do to him?"

As Night's unofficial strategist, Lucci took it upon himself to answer. 

"He's alive… barely. Honestly, your Marine organization is pathetic—how do you pick people for the Seven Warlords?"

Byakuya stepped closer, resting his hand on his sword and glaring coldly. 

"How the Marines operate is none of your concern. Looks to me like you're itching for a retirement stay at Impel Down."

The sight of Byakuya seemingly about to draw his blade made Lucci's eyes widen in shock, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. 

Wait, what? Is Lord Night planning to kill us to maintain his cover? This wasn't part of the plan!

Lucci had witnessed Byakuya's strength firsthand. If Byakuya truly wanted to make a move, none of the seven of them would be able to escape. 

The rest of the group had similar thoughts, all instinctively stepping back half a pace.

If the situation hadn't been so tense, they might have taken off their masks and yelled, Boss, it's us! Don't do this! We're on your side!

Even Issho was stunned. Was Byakuya really this bold? The people before him had a combined bounty exceeding six billion berries. 

They were known across the seas as the Fifth Emperor. Even if the two of them fought together, it would still be a daunting battle to face all seven of them.

And yet, not only did Byakuya show no fear, but the Night members themselves had retreated. 

Issho couldn't help but wonder: Does the Night organization truly believe that Byakuya alone could handle all seven of them?

<End Chapter>

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