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🕑 Added 2025-07-15 16:34:43 +0000 UTCChapter 426 – Buster Call
Sakazuki (Akainu) let out a cold snort when he heard the report. "Do you really think I need you to remind me?"
Anyone who could go toe-to-toe with a monster like Douglas Bullet—and even gain the upper hand—was undeniably powerful. There was no question about Yoru’s strength.
That day… A fleet of warships arrived just offshore of Lightning Island.
A stern-faced Vice Admiral disembarked and stepped onto the island.
“Well, well… Vice Admiral Onigumo. What wind blew you here?”
Yoru, sitting lazily, grinned as she eyed the tall, sharp-featured Marine officer before her.
“Oh? Vice Admiral Doberman, and even Vice Admiral Momousagi are here too? That's quite the show of force. You here to arrest me or something?”
Leaning back in his chair, Yoru looked completely unfazed as he casually addressed three of the Marine Headquarters’ elite vice admirals.
“Lightning Killer, the Fleet Admiral and the Gorōsei want you to stop investigating the Poneglyphs. Cease your actions immediately.”
“Otherwise…”
Onigumo’s gaze turned icy as he stared Yoru down. “We’ll revoke your position as one of the Shichibukai and issue a Buster Call on Lightning Island. Your entire crew will be captured and brought to justice.”
“Lightning Killer, you should know what’s at stake here.”
“A Buster Call, huh? Sounds scary. No wonder the port’s crawling with Marines—and not just any Marines, but your elite forces and top vice admirals.”
Yoru licked his lips and smiled darkly. “But what if I say… no?”
“Lightning Killer, don’t play with fire. You’re digging your own grave.”
Hearing Yoru’s rejection, Onigumo’s expression grew darker, and his tone turned even colder.
“Oh? Digging my own grave?” Yoru gave him a sideways glance, a hint of disdain in his eyes. “You think you can take me down? Onigumo… you’ve clearly picked the wrong opponent.”
Just how strong was Yoru now? Only a Yonkō or an Admiral-class fighter could hope to beat him—and even then, it would come at a steep cost.
As for others—unless they were on the level of Marco, King the Wildfire, or Katakuri—no one else could hope to trade more than a serious injury for a minor wound against Yoru.
Everyone else? He didn’t even consider them a threat.
“Wehahaha! Captain, why waste time talking? Let’s just fight already!” Burgess (Barssas) was practically itching for a brawl.
“That’s right, Captain! Why bother with all this chatter? Do the Marines really think we’re easy prey?” Nowus licked his lips as well. “Perfect chance for me to test just how good the elite Vice Admirals of Marine HQ really are!”
Behind Yoru, black smoke had begun to rise from Ruri’s body—a clear sign that she was ready for battle.
“Lightning Killer, think carefully about the cost of this decision!” Seeing Yoru’s stance, Onigumo instinctively tensed up.
He knew all too well how terrifying Yoru could be.
“Cost?” Yoru laughed even brighter. “You think I care that much about being a Shichibukai? It’s nice to have, but I don’t need it.”
“You think I’m the type to rely on a Warlord title for power and influence?”
“In that case… we have no choice but to fight!!”
At that moment, Vice Admiral Momousagi, who had been silently observing, stepped forward. She looked at Yoru, then glanced at Onigumo and Doberman.
“I’ll keep him occupied.”
“As for Nowus the Lightning Bird, Burgess the Champion, and the Dark Queen—I'll leave them to you.”
With that, she drew her sword, and her gaze sharpened to a deadly edge.
“Lightning Killer, don’t underestimate the Navy!”
Then—whoosh!—she vanished from where she stood, launching herself straight at Yoru.
Chapter 427: Encirclement
Zing!
No one even saw how Yoru moved. A flash of cold light streaked through the air—and Vice Admiral Momousagi was suddenly forced back!
“She repelled Vice Admiral Momousagi in a single blow?!”
Vice Admirals Onigumo, Dalmatian, and Doberman all tensed at the sight.
Momousagi was someone with the potential to become an Admiral—her strength far exceeded theirs.
Yet she was at a disadvantage… from the very first exchange?
“Advanced Armament Haki?”
Momousagi looked down at her trembling sword hand, her expression grim.
“Lightning Killer! Don’t get cocky!”
A sharp voice rang out from behind Yoru. It was Vice Admiral Smoker, now wielding a weapon embedded with Kairōseki (Seastone), charging forward to strike.
He hadn’t been seen in over a year— And in that time, he had mastered Busoshoku Haki!
“Smoker?” Yoru sneered. “Someone like you thinks they can step into this fight? What a joke.”
With a firm grip on Pobō, Yoru aimed her blade at him.
“Assassinate him—Pobō!”
A cold flash split the air like a meteor. The sheer sharpness and crushing pressure were terrifying.
“You really think… that would work on a Logia like me?”
Smoker thought his elemental form would allow him to ignore the attack.
But at the very moment the strike hit—
He realized he was dead wrong.
There was no time to react. Pobō’s speed was far beyond what he could follow.
Slash!
As the sword pierced through him, the pain wasn't just from the blade—it was from the massive, shockwave-like force that erupted inside him.
His internal organs were immediately damaged.
One blow.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed heavily to the ground—most of his combat power gone in an instant.
“Wahahaha! That’s our Captain for you!” Burgess roared with laughter. “One hit to take down a Marine Vice Admiral! Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!”
His eyes then turned toward Onigumo. “You look like a master of Rokushiki and close-quarters combat… I bet fighting you will be a hell of a good time!”
“Everyone, don’t engage that man recklessly!” Momousagi shouted in warning, frustrated by Smoker’s rashness. “He’s far more dangerous than you think!”
“Instantly taking out Smoker? That’s nothing special.”
Yoru casually flicked the blood from Pobō, completely unfazed.
Even Doflamingo had nearly taken Smoker out within ten moves.
And Yoru had far more— A devastating sword, advanced Armament Haki, and a fully awakened Devil Fruit ability.
If he couldn’t one-shot Smoker with that setup, then it would all be a waste.
“This bastard…” Momousagi clenched her teeth in anger.
Acting like it’s normal to one-shot Smoker…
Smoker was a Vice Admiral capable of taking down pirates with bounties over 300 million!
He wasn’t some weakling.
“Alright, everyone—let’s go,” Yoru called to her crew behind her.
“Just what I was hoping for, Captain!” Burgess and Nous grinned excitedly.
“Douglas,” Yoru said with a smirk, “it’s time to show me what you’re made of.”
“The five Marine warships on the sea are your responsibility. You know Rokushiki, and your subordinates are decently strong. Without any Vice Admirals on those ships, you should be able to handle it… right?”
Her gaze left no room for disagreement.
“Leave it to me, Captain!”
Douglas nodded firmly, transforming into his lion-man hybrid form. With one powerful step, he launched himself toward the warships on the sea below.
Chapter 428 – Losing Control
“Well then…” Yoru licked his lips with a grin. “Let the game begin.”
With a sudden whoosh, a massive pair of wings burst from his back—dark crimson streaked with golden flames. In the blink of an eye, he shot toward Momousagi like a blazing meteor.
BOOM!
It was only after crossing swords with Yoru that Momousagi truly understood the depth of his power. His raw strength alone was suffocating.
“Advanced Armament Haki… no wonder it feels like getting hit by solid steel!” Her arms went numb from the blow—it was like taking a full-force strike from a living weapon.
“What’s wrong? Surprised by my strength?” Yoru smirked as he caught the look of shock on her face.
“I’ve gone head-to-head with monsters like Whitebeard, and traded blows evenly with someone like Bullet—for a full day, mind you.” “You really thought I’d be weak?”
Momousagi narrowed her eyes and snapped back, “Enough talk!”
A surge of killing intent erupted from her, her sword aura slicing through the air with devastating power. It was strong enough to cut through even Yoru’s highly condensed Armament Haki.
“Hmph… no wonder you're a candidate for Admiral. As Vice Admiral Tsuru’s protégé, you do live up to the name.” Yoru’s gaze sharpened with excitement. “Alright then, show me if you’re really worth my full power!”
With that, he unleashed his own monstrous killing intent, his swordplay clashing violently with hers.
BOOM! CLANG! BANG BANG BANG!
Their fierce battle lit up the island like a storm. Winds howled, shockwaves erupted, and sparks flew like firecrackers. Their speed and intensity made it nearly impossible for onlookers to follow.
But then— To Momousagi’s horror, she suddenly realized—
“This guy… he actually has Marco the Phoenix’s regeneration ability!”
She watched in disbelief as Yoru’s wounds healed instantly, completely ignoring the damage done by her Armament Haki.
Her heart sank. This was turning into a nightmare.
He hadn’t even gone all-out—just using his swordsmanship and a hint of his Devil Fruit power—and yet she was already being pushed into a corner.
“Is this… only 85% of his strength? And I’m already at my limit…?”
Yoru’s sword strikes were heavy, precise, and explosive. Worse still—they burned.
Momousagi’s body was already covered in slashing burn wounds, each one reducing her agility and stamina.
The intense heat was evaporating moisture from her body and draining her energy at an alarming rate. Her movements were growing sluggish, her reactions slower.
She was losing control.
Meanwhile—
“Wehahaha! This is awesome!”
On the other battlefield, Burgess (Barssas) was clashing with Vice Admiral Onigumo. Onigumo’s strength was nothing to scoff at—he was a top-tier powerhouse.
But Burgess was no pushover either. Though slightly outmatched, he was using Onigumo as a sharpening stone, his fighting ability improving rapidly with every exchange.
As for Doberman—
“Thunder Rises to the Heavens!” “Wind and Thunder Wing Slash!” “Lightning Shock Impact!” “Heaven-Splitting Thunder Claw!”
Nowus had transformed into a massive mythical luan bird, launching an aerial blitz against Doberman with relentless force.
Despite Doberman’s strength and mastery of Moonwalk (Geppō), he was steadily being driven back.
Whenever he took to the air, Nowus summoned lightning to strike him. Whenever he landed, Nowus rained down precise strikes from above.
Each of Nowus’s attacks crackled with destructive electricity—powerful enough to bypass even Armament Haki defenses.
Doberman was struggling. He was starting to lose control of the fight.
Chapter 429: Retreat
The intensity of Nous’s attacks gave him the same pressure as when he faced Fire Fist Ace. One wielded wild, crackling lightning, the other unleashed explosive, blazing fire.
Both were equally troublesome—equally powerful!
As for Bastille...
“Dark Hole!”
If Luli didn’t use her Devil Fruit powers, she might not necessarily be a match for Bastille.
But the Yami Yami no Mi—called the most malevolent of all Devil Fruits—turned her into darkness itself, granting her black hole-like gravity that could absorb, compress, and crush anything it touched!
Even mountains could be pulverized by Luli. Bastille? He didn’t stand a chance.
Although Luli hadn't mastered the Yami Yami no Mi to the extent that Blackbeard had, it was more than enough to deal with someone like Bastille!
“Be crushed, Navy scum!”
Luli grabbed Bastille’s massive blade with one hand, dragging him in with the black gravity, while her other hand gripped a heavy warhammer. Covered in Armament Haki, she slammed it hard onto Bastille’s skull.
“Pffft!”
Blood gushed from Bastille’s mouth as his skull cracked open. But he couldn’t escape her pull—the black gravity kept dragging him in, and his body began to collapse under the crushing force!
“AAAHHHH!!”
Bastille screamed in agony, dropping to his knees, swinging his other fist in a desperate counterattack.
“Dark Water!”
Luli calmly swung her hammer, and a swirling vortex of darkness absorbed Bastille’s punch with ease.
“It’s over, Navy!”
With a vicious smile, Luli leapt high, slamming her knee into Bastille’s jaw. The sheer force of the strike made him cough up blood and roll his eyes back as he passed out cold.
“Dark Queen… Don’t get cocky…!!”
At that moment, Smoker’s voice rang out behind her.
Luli tilted her head, narrowly dodging his strike and swiftly reached out to grab him.
Smoker suddenly felt a powerful suction force pulling at him from a distance, and before he could react, Luli had him by the throat and slammed him into the ground!
“What the hell? My powers…”
Smoker tried to transform into smoke to escape—but to his horror, his powers weren’t working!
“As a Devil Fruit user, you’re the last person who should’ve come after me,” Luli said, her right hand wrapped in Armament Haki. “The Yami Yami no Mi is the natural enemy of all Devil Fruit powers. In front of me, your abilities are useless…”
“You really overestimated yourself, Vice Admiral Smoker.”
With a single punch, Smoker was defeated—completely!
As a shipwright, Luli was monstrously strong. Even Burgess, who specialized in raw power, admitted that her strength was terrifying—on par with the giants!
“Wahaha! Looks like I’m the only one falling behind here!”
Seeing Yoru suppressing her opponent, Nous overpowering his, and Luli taking down two Vice Admirals, Burgess laughed loudly.
His fists grew even wilder with excitement.
Boom!
BOOM!
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
In the distance, the sound of cannon blasts and exploding warships echoed across the sea. Flames erupted sky-high, and the chaos was overwhelming!
Watching this, Gion (Momousagi, “Peach Rabbit”) was furious, but she knew she couldn't afford to keep fighting!
“Vice Admiral Onigumo—we’re no match for them. Retreat!”
Onigumo understood. As much as he hated it—despised it—they had no choice. If they kept fighting, they’d all be buried here!
He immediately summoned all his strength, sprouting multiple arms from his back to drive Burgess back, then charged toward Smoker.
Gion, with a flash, swooped in, grabbed the unconscious Bastille, and bolted straight for the sea.
Chapter 430: The World Trembles
“Nouss, go bring Dogss and the others back!”
Seeing the situation, Yoru didn’t go after them—instead, she gave an unexpected order to Nouss.
“Heh… Captain, you’re way too soft. If it were anyone else, these guys would’ve all died right here today!”
Nouss shot into the sky without bothering with Doberman, heading straight toward the Marine warships in the distance.
Doberman, on the other hand, didn’t dare linger—he instantly used Soru and dashed away at high speed, using Geppō to leap across the air toward the ships.
As for Yoru...
“We have to keep them from launching a sneak attack and wounding Nouss…”
With a single leap, she transformed into a blazing fire phoenix, wings bursting with flame as she soared after them.
…
In the end, Momousagi and her team fled in defeat!
Yoru’s crew suffered only light injuries—mostly Bashas, Dogss, and a few subordinates. It was a crushing victory.
“You actually took down three warships… No wonder you dared to seize Lightning Island while the Captain was away!”
Nouss clapped Dogss on the shoulder, clearly impressed.
Don’t let Dogss’s earlier submission to Yoru fool you—when he fights, his power is no joke.
He shattered a warship with just three punches—definitely worthy of a bounty close to 200 million.
“Haha, I still have a long way to go to match you veterans,” Dogss replied humbly, clearly good with words.
“Hahahaha…”
…
Meanwhile, back with the Marines…
When it was revealed that Vice Admiral Momousagi had personally led the mission—alongside four elite Headquarters Vice Admirals—only to be utterly defeated, with two even falling unconscious, Sakazuki was fuming.
“That damn ‘Lightning Killer’ got that strong?!”
“I knew this plan from the Gorōsei was crap! And now look—another pirate crew just short of Yonkō-level has risen!”
The fact that someone on Momousagi’s level—an Admiral candidate—still couldn’t overpower Yoru gave Sakazuki a massive headache.
Once Yoru’s bounty is released, it’s guaranteed to send shockwaves through the world.
Because…
There’s no doubt her bounty will exceed 1 billion—maybe even close to 2 billion!
Just thinking about a pirate with that kind of bounty made Sakazuki feel sick.
The delicate balance they’d been maintaining was about to be shattered again.
…
Two days later—
A shocking new set of bounties spread across the Grand Line like wildfire!
Yoru the Lightning Killer, Captain of the Lightning Pirates: 1.732 billion berries
Nouss the Thunderbird: 800 million berries
Bashas the Fighting Champion: 610 million berries
Ruri the Queen of Darkness: 495 million berries
Dogss the Lion, Captain of the subordinate Lion Pirates and a Supernova: 268 million berries
Chack the Black Blade, swordsman of the Lion Pirates: 147 million berries
“The Lion Pirates…”
…
A new pirate crew with a combined bounty over 4 billion berries had officially emerged!
In an instant, the entire first half of the Grand Line fell into chaos.
Even a single crew with a 100 million bounty could terrify people.
But 4 billion?!
This was pushing them to the edge of despair.
“Mhmhmhm… This era just keeps getting more interesting…”
“Who would've thought the Navy would make such a foolish move—turning someone like the Lightning Killer into an enemy?”
In the New World, within Dressrosa, Doflamingo let out a chilling laugh.
“And to think the new Shichibukai is someone with the Gura Gura no Mi… Andes, can you really hold on to that power?”
The strongest Paramecia fruit, yet not in the hands of the strongest man… truly a case of a man without sin, yet guilty for what he holds.
