The Strongest Lunarian in One Piece

"Bang—"

At the summit of the Red Line, in the Holy Land of Mariejois, a luxurious tea table shattered into countless pieces.

Seated in their usual positions, the Five Elders wore expressions of pure fury.

Scattered across the floor lay a freshly printed copy of the Totto Land Daily and several newly issued bounty posters. Among them were posters featuring the Five Elders' own faces. The bold, astronomical figure of 10 billion Berries printed beside each of their names was almost blinding in its audacity, leaving anyone who saw it utterly speechless.

"Kukulkan El…"

"That bastard… how dare he!"

"Absolutely lawless! Completely out of control!"

"Ten billion Berries… quite the show of wealth, isn't it?"

"That damned Lunarian brat…"

The Five Elders were equally shocked and enraged. They had never imagined that the Totto Land Kingdom would dare to publicly place bounties on the World Government's representatives.

Not only had Totto Land put a price on the heads of Navy officers and CP officials, but even the Five Elders themselves—holders of the highest authority in the World Government—were included, along with the Holy Knights and the Celestial Dragons.

Each of the Five Elders carried a 10 billion Berry bounty.

Members of the Holy Knights were priced at 5 billion Berries, and each Celestial Dragon at 3 billion Berries. In comparison, the Fleet Admiral's 5 billion and the Admirals' 3 billion seemed almost modest.

These outrageous figures made it clear that this was no empty threat or bluff. Totto Land was serious.

What made matters worse was the promise of protection for anyone who carried out these assassinations. If a Celestial Dragon dared to descend into the mortal world, they now faced the genuine risk of being targeted and killed.

Despite efforts to suppress the information, word had already leaked about the Celestial Dragons who had been kidnapped and murdered by the Fallen Angel Pirates. Whether this leak was an intentional act by the Fallen Angel Pirates, utilizing their own intelligence network to tarnish the World Government's reputation, remained uncertain. Nonetheless, the damage was undeniable.

The World Government's painstakingly crafted image of invincibility, upheld for centuries, now showed cracks. Though the illusion of divine authority wasn't entirely shattered, it had been shaken. The once-ironclad law that "the descendants of the Creator are sacred and untouchable" was now in doubt, sparking dangerous thoughts in the minds of the ambitious, the ruthless, and the desperate.

A 3 billion Berry bounty for a Celestial Dragon, coupled with the promise of protection, was enough to tempt the greedy and vengeful. Among the oppressed and impoverished who had suffered under Celestial Dragon tyranny, some might now find the courage to act.

"We must spare no cost to eliminate them immediately," Saint Nasujuro said coldly, his gaze dark and venomous. "We missed our chance before!"

"Indeed. We never should have compromised," Saint Ju Peter added with a trace of regret. "Now they've grown too powerful. The Fallen Angel Pirates have become a true force, and dealing with them won't be easy."

Saint Saturn and Saint Mars remained silent. Though it was easy to offer hindsight now, what could they have done back then? Real power in the World Government did not lie with them—it belonged to Imu. Had they refused to compromise and allowed the Holy Land to be destroyed, disturbing Imu would have brought the wrath of the King of the World upon them, possibly resulting in their own punishment.

Later, the Fallen Angel Pirates had escalated, hurling island-sized boulders toward Mariejois. If they could throw one, they could throw more. Predicting or defending against such an attack was impossible. With the national treasure's limited energy—each use consuming an irreplaceable resource—there had been no choice but to compromise.

"Five years have passed, and that Lunarian monster is still only 22 years old," Saint Valkyrie said bitterly, his voice dripping with frustration. "In a way, he's just entering the golden age of his explosive growth in strength. While I don't believe he can grow without limit, it's undeniable that he's likely far stronger now than he was five years ago."

Back then, even with Saint Saturn's full cooperation, they had barely managed to hold El at bay. They could only stall him, relying on their near-immortal resilience. Now, it would likely take three or four of them working together to fully restrain that monster. Even then, his terrifying speed made it impossible to guarantee his capture.

At best, they could consider a direct assault on Totto Land's capital, aiming to cripple the kingdom's leadership and infrastructure in one decisive strike. But the Fallen Angel El might not be willing to flee—he had built everything painstakingly. Moreover, the Navy, despite having replenished its forces through extensive global recruitment and alliances, had not outpaced the Fallen Angel Pirates. Over the years, the pirates' power had snowballed into a formidable force.

CP intelligence reports were chilling. Another attempt to raid Cake Island would not be as simple as before. The Fallen Angel Pirates could mobilize their elite forces, potentially trapping the attackers in a deadly encirclement. Their previous attempt had clearly been anticipated, allowing the pirates not only to strike Mariejois but also to blow up Marineford, nearly destroying the Holy Land. They had even invited the Roger Pirates and Rocks Pirates to join them, showcasing an unparalleled intelligence network rivaled only by the Government's own CP units.

Could the World Government launch another surprise attack without its plans leaking first?

"It's not just Fallen Angel El we need to worry about," Saint Saturn said solemnly. "The overall strength of the Fallen Angel Pirates cannot be underestimated. Even if we were to attack, there's no guarantee we could wipe them out. And we must consider the possibility that Fallen Angel El might ally with the increasingly dangerous Rocks Pirates to target the World Government."

According to CP intelligence, the Fallen Angel Pirates had employed a giant with the Stone-Stone Fruit to expand Totto Land's islands, raising their foundations and connecting them with enormous bridges equipped with railways for high-speed trains. They had also developed fast-moving automobiles, now in mass production. In the event of an invasion, their scattered combat units could swiftly regroup and defend the kingdom.

The kingdom now possessed hundreds of warships, transport vessels, flying Homies, ferocious aerial beasts, and massive sea beasts. Even disregarding ordinary soldiers, the cadre of the Fallen Angel Pirates was powerful and could quickly mobilize reinforcements.

There was also the risk they might ally once again with other factions, turning the tables on the World Government. A large-scale naval siege of Totto Land was unrealistic. Such an action could provoke a devastating counterattack from both the Fallen Angel Pirates and the Rocks Pirates, forcing the Navy into a two-front war.

The monsters within the Fallen Angel Pirates—each a calamity-level threat—were nightmare enough. If El unleashed his full power, creating massive tsunamis and unimaginable storms, the World Government's fleet might be destroyed before it even reached Totto Land.

"Damn it," Saint Saturn growled, his face dark as he struck the ground with his cane. "If we could just resolve the energy issue with Uranus, this wouldn't be a problem!"

If they could fully activate Uranus for an all-out assault on Totto Land, they might have a chance to annihilate the Fallen Angel Pirates in one decisive blow. But most of the Fallen Angel Pirates' high-ranking officers rarely stayed together. Even when they gathered, it was often aboard the mobile fortress Atlantis, a floating base with no fixed location.

Unless the Uranus energy issue was resolved, they couldn't afford to waste its limited power on a risky operation. Without a guaranteed victory, the consequences would be catastrophic. If Fallen Angel El survived, he would undoubtedly retaliate, possibly launching island-sized rocks, bombs, or even poison gas at Mariejois. The resulting chaos would be uncontrollable.

Given El's insidious tactics and ruthless methods, there was no limit to the destruction he might unleash in revenge.

~~~

Patreon(.)com/Bleam

— Currently You can Read 70 Chapters Ahead of Others!