The power of space was exceedingly rare, no matter which world you were in. And those who could control spatial abilities were never simple individuals.
The man approaching Hui was no exception.
Sending someone with spatial abilities to deliver the Devil Fruits? To claim there were no ulterior motives would be a blatant lie.
And as expected, this man wasn't just here to make a delivery, he had a mission.
With his ability to sense others' thoughts, Hui clearly understood what was on this man's mind.
His mission was to use his spatial powers to instantly teleport the Celestial Dragon away.
Once that was accomplished, others who were already in position and lying in wait would launch their coordinated attack.
That was their plan.
Simple, yet it would have been effective against anyone else.
Unfortunately for them, their opponent was Hui, a practically living cheat. He wasn't like anyone else.
Not only did Hui know their plan in advance, but he also possessed spatial abilities far superior to this man's.
Which meant this plan was doomed from the very start.
Ten-plus Devil Fruits were too many to carry at once, so the spatial ability user approached with just a few in his arms.
As he drew closer to Hui, he appeared hesitant, almost fearful, as if he were intimidated by Hui's presence.
But Hui knew it was all an act.
Inside, the man was calm, carefully waiting for the perfect moment.
So, Hui decided to give him that perfect opportunity.
The moment Hui exposed an apparent flaw in his stance, the man didn't hesitate.
He tossed all the Devil Fruits toward Hui and quickly lunged toward Saint Mosankro, ready to teleport him away.
However, just as he activated his spatial ability, convinced he had succeeded, his expression twisted in horror.
Splurt!
A bloody hole appeared right in the center of his forehead, caused by a beam of light.
The brightness faded from his eyes, and he collapsed to the ground.
Dead.
Just like that.
A spatial ability user, someone who should have been nearly untouchable, had died in the simplest way possible.
This scene left everyone frozen in shock.
They had all been prepared to strike the moment the teleportation succeeded, but at this crucial moment, everyone halted in their tracks.
Their eyes were wide with disbelief, staring at the man who had fallen. None of them could fathom how he had died so quickly, without even managing to fully activate his ability.
Yes, from the perspective of most people there, the man hadn't even had the chance to use his power.
But for a select few, a different realization began to dawn amidst their shock.
Like Sengoku.
As a Marine Admiral, Sengoku knew a lot about the hidden powers of the World Government. Naturally, he was familiar with their spatial ability users.
He had seen this very man in action before. He knew how unbelievably fast his ability could be activated.
In the situation just now, there was no doubt in Sengoku's mind thst the man should have been able to use his power and complete the mission.
Yet the reality was that he had failed.
Which led Sengoku to a bold conclusion:
This young man who called himself "God"… possessed the ability to control or restrict space.
Or perhaps, he had an ability that could completely immobilize others, freezing them in place.
Or even more terrifying, he might have a power that prevented others from using their abilities altogether.
Regardless of which possibility was true, each one was more terrifying than the last.
And fighting against someone like that? It was bound to be a nightmare.
This young man looked far too relaxed. He showed no concern for his situation, as if, whenever he wanted, he could leave at a moment's notice.
So, Sengoku speculated, the mysterious young man's power was definitely related to space.
Only with a spatial ability could he move so freely, even while surrounded on all sides.
This realization gave Sengoku a headache.
Spatial abilities… they were the ultimate wildcard.
They were the very definition of: If you can't win, just run.
However, there was one thing Sengoku hadn't considered, Hui's absolute confidence didn't stem from mere arrogance at the fact that he could escape unscathed at any moment.
It was because he knew that, even if everyone here joined forces against him, they still wouldn't be his match.
After killing the spatial ability user, Hui turned calmly toward the Celestial Dragon's representative.
The man's face was deathly pale. He had never imagined that his plan would fail so miserably.
"Thirty Devil Fruits," Hui said in an even tone. "You have one hour."
His voice remained calm, but at that moment, a thin beam of light shot out from his body.
Shlick!
A severed finger fell to the ground.
"AAAHHHHH!!!"
Saint Mosankro's agonized scream echoed through the plaza, sending chills down the spines of everyone present.
"Fine! Don't hurt Lord Mosankro any further! We'll meet your demands!"
The Celestial Dragon's representative shouted desperately, his forehead drenched in sweat. He looked utterly disheveled, far from the dignified figure he had been moments ago.
Saint Mosankro had lost a finger.
Though the representative hadn't yet spoken to Sorokari, he could already imagine how furious the man must be at this very moment.
And as for himself, the one who led this failed operation…
The mere thought sent tremors through his body.
He no longer dared to play any tricks. His only concern now was ensuring Mosankro's safe return, fully intact.
But just because he wasn't planning anything anymore didn't mean others had given up.
The Marines.
The Five Elders.
To them, Mochizuki Hui's insatiable greed was leading him straight toward his doom.
Because one hour, one full hour, was more than enough time to take action.
When this situation first unfolded, it had been so sudden that they hadn't had time to react properly. As a result, they were forced to watch helplessly as events spiraled out of control.
But now?
Now, with one hour, they had plenty of time to turn things around.
Plenty of time to limit the damage and reclaim their authority.
And so, in that one hour, countless powerful figures began converging on Sabaody Archipelago.
Including none other than Fleet Admiral Kong.
At the same time, word of the incident spread rapidly.
With the presence of Den Den Mushi, explosive news like this swept across the world at terrifying speed.
All across the seas, among the greatest pirates and factions, the news reached eager ears.
And the moment it did…
The entire ocean seemed to ignite.
"A Celestial Dragon kidnapped… and extorted for thirty Devil Fruits? There's actually someone with the guts to do this?! Unbelievable!"
A pirate with a bounty of nearly 800 million Berries was utterly stunned. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that someone had actually dared to do such a thing.
"Interesting. This is truly interesting!"
A voice filled with amusement rang out.
A golden-haired man, known as the infamous Golden Lion, shook his head in disbelief. Though he had once been "defeated" by Roger, his ambition had never waned.
"This kind of event, one that's bound to shake the world, Oh what i'd do to witness it in person."
His first instinct? To rush straight to the scene.
Unfortunately, given his current location, even with his ability to fly ships, he wouldn't make it in time.
Meanwhile, somewhere in a distant city, a silver-haired man sat alone.
"That guy… He really knows how to make an entrance," Rayleigh murmured to himself.
He was no longer aboard a ship. There were no Roger Pirates by his side.
Because the Roger Pirates had secretly disbanded.
"Is he really taking on the entire world?" Rayleigh sighed, a flicker of nostalgia in his eyes.
"The captain said you had terrifying strength… that you could have easily wiped us all out back then."
"Then this time…"
Rayleigh's gaze sharpened.
"Let's see just how strong you really are."
…
On Baterilla Island, a man who had once ruled the Grand Line as Pirate King sat in a quiet home.
He had long since retired from the sea, living a life indistinguishable from that of an ordinary man.
But as news of the Sabaody Archipelago incident spread rapidly across the island, Gol D. Roger found himself momentarily stunned.
Then, he muttered to himself, "That man… Can he really do all that?"
And so, the world erupted into chaos.
A Celestial Dragon kidnapped.
A Celestial Dragon extorted.
Such an event was unprecedented. It was an event that shook the very foundations of the world, leaving countless hearts trembling.
This day…
Would undoubtedly go down in history.
At this moment…
It felt as though the entire world had turned its attention to Sabaody Archipelago.
join my patreon for 150+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL