Chapter 239: Chapter 239: Empty Throne
(T/N: Please consider reviewing this Fanfic, Thanks and appreciate all who support me)
(T/N: Enjoy!!)
<><><><><><>
Next, Byakuya swiftly executed Urouge, claiming that his appearance didn't match his aesthetic, and killed Killer because he refused to remove his mask—surely hiding an unsightly face.
With only four of them left, the remaining Supernovas finally understood.
Byakuya wasn't really selecting new recruits; he was just finding an excuse to kill them in a different way.
If they continued to sit still and wait, death was inevitable. Exchanging glances, the four of them launched a simultaneous attack on Byakuya.
Capone Bege's body suddenly opened multiple doors, revealing hundreds of armed mafia soldiers who unleashed a wild barrage of gunfire at Byakuya.
Hawkins conjured a small straw effigy in one hand and gripped a dagger in the other, stabbing himself directly in the chest.
Blood spilled from the wound, and at the same time, a gash appeared on the straw figure's chest.
His Devil Fruit ability allowed him to transfer damage he received to his enemies through the straw effigies.
Kid, watching his closest friend Killer die before his eyes, was consumed by rage.
Metal objects from all directions whistled through the air, gathering around his arm and forming a massive mechanical limb.
Swinging the metal arm furiously, Kid roared, "Give me Killer's life back!"
Bonney watched as the three launched their attacks but forcefully suppressed her own urge to join in.
While she resented the idea of being held captive by Byakuya, she also didn't believe they had any chance of harming him.
Since she had already secured her survival, there was no point in making a reckless move. Besides Bonney, "Red Flag" Drake also refrained from attacking.
He had received a discreet signal from Sengoku, telling him not to make a move.
Drake was originally a Marine Rear Admiral who had defected and become a pirate under Sengoku's orders.
Sengoku had intended for Drake, as a user of the Ancient Zoan-type Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Allosaurus Model, to infiltrate the Beasts Pirates and act as a spy for the Marines.
However, before Drake could establish himself within Kaido's ranks, Kaido was personally torn apart by Byakuya.
With the Beasts Pirates utterly annihilated, Drake's deep-cover mission was rendered meaningless.
Sengoku had planned to reinstate Drake as a Marine Rear Admiral, but that was delayed due to his own dismissal from duty.
Now, by sheer coincidence, they had crossed paths at such a critical moment.
Knowing Byakuya well, Sengoku understood one thing—if Drake didn't act, there was still room for negotiation.
But the moment he dared to attack Byakuya, his death would be inevitable
Even with his plea, it wouldn't have made a difference. That was why he had waved at Drake earlier, signalling him not to act.
Clearly, Drake had followed Sengoku's advice. However, the sudden assault launched by Kid and the other two had absolutely no effect on Byakuya.
Capone Bege's men had fired so many rounds that they were exhausted. Hawkins was one stab away from killing himself.
Kid's arm was on the verge of snapping from all the swinging.
Yet, Byakuya remained completely unmoved, standing in place as if a transparent barrier surrounded him, effortlessly blocking all attacks.
This realization filled the three with utter despair.
Once, they set sail in pursuit of their dreams, choosing the life of piracy with the ambition of one day stepping over the corpses of the Four Emperors to claim the title of Pirate King.
But all their dreams had crumbled to dust with Byakuya's sudden rise.
With a mere exertion of his telekinesis, the ground beneath Kid and the others cracked open, and the three were forcefully crushed into the fissure, unable to put up even the slightest resistance.
As the crevice sealed shut and their agonized screams faded, only three fresh pools of blood remained on the ground alongside their lifeless corpses.
Drake and Bonney, who had been watching the entire scene unfold, stood there in complete shock, their gazes toward Byakuya now filled with even greater fear.
They weren't the only ones—Sakazuki and the others also found themselves swallowing nervously.
Though they had killed countless pirates before, none of them had ever done so with such casual cruelty as Byakuya, who laughed and chatted as he mercilessly slaughtered.
Kuzan silently noted that Byakuya's bloodlust had grown stronger than ever.
He could only hope that such brutality wouldn't one day be directed at the Marines.
At that moment, Kuzan solidified his resolve to join the Night Organization.
Not for any other reason, but simply because if the day ever came when Byakuya turned his wrath on the Marines, Kuzan hoped to be by his side—to persuade him not to use such ruthless methods against them.
Having witnessed Byakuya's sheer brutality, Sengoku was now deeply worried that Byakuya might turn his killing intent toward Drake next.
If that happened, Sengoku would never be able to face Drake's father again. "Byakuya, Drake is one of us. Uh… I mean, he's a Marine…"
Sengoku hesitated as he spoke, suddenly realizing that Byakuya was no longer part of the Marines.
Calling Drake "one of us" didn't quite fit, but referring to him as a Marine also wasn't ideal.
After all, given Byakuya's identity as a pirate, killing a Marine would be entirely justified.
Byakuya glanced at Drake and chuckled, "If I didn't know his true identity, even if he hadn't attacked just now, he would still be dead."
Drake couldn't help but feel relieved. However, he also came to a realization—Byakuya wasn't recruiting people for the Night Organization.
He was clearly building a harem! If Byakuya had known what Drake was thinking, he probably would've retorted,
"I've worked hard for years, built up my strength to this level—am I not allowed to enjoy life now?"
Turning to Sakazuki, Byakuya spoke, "Akainu, go back and tell the Five Elders that if they don't hand over Shanks, I will personally lead the Night Organization to Mary Geoise in one week."
"Then, I want to see what's more important to them—those bloated, pig-like Celestial Dragons, or the pirate spy they've been sheltering, Shanks. Oh wait! He also might be Celestial Dragon! No wonder!"
For all the time the Night Organization had been occupying the New World, they had found no trace of the Red-Haired Pirates.
It was as if Shanks and his entire crew had vanished into thin air, leaving not the slightest clue behind. If they were hiding somewhere in a remote corner of the New World…
Given the vast seas of the New World, even if Enel used his Mantra nonstop to search, it would still take several years to locate them—assuming the Red-Haired Pirates didn't move.
But Byakuya had no interest in playing hide-and-seek with them for that long.
Instead of wasting time searching, he might as well force the World Government to make a choice: were the Celestial Dragons more important, or was Shanks?
Either way, both sides were bound to die eventually. The only question was which one would go first. Though Byakuya's words were brief,
the implications behind them sent chills down everyone's spine.
Whether it was the shocking revelation that one of the former Four Emperors, "Red-Haired" Shanks, was actually a spy planted by the Five Elders, or the fact that Byakuya intended to launch an attack on Mary Geoise in a week—both pieces of information carried terrifying significance.
After finishing his statement, Byakuya gestured for Kuzan to follow him and left.
Of course, he hasn't simply returned to the New World yet. Instead, he swept through every auction house on the Sabaody Archipelago, looting them clean.
It wasn't until he found five Devil Fruits that had yet to be auctioned that he was finally satisfied and set off for the New World.
Five Devil Fruits could be exchanged for 5,000 World Source Points.
Combined with the 35,000 points he had gained from eliminating the six Supernova pirates earlier, this trip had earned him a total of 40,000 World Source Points.
On top of that, he had also recruited a Marine admiral and a promising Supernova.
A complete win with zero losses!
Meanwhile, over at Pangaea Castle, the Five Elders were growing increasingly alarmed upon receiving the reports—Byakuya had punched Reini to death with a single blow, and now he was demanding they hand over Shanks or face an attack on Mary Geoise.
They immediately realized that the situation had become dangerously serious. If Byakuya truly led the Night Organization to Mary Geoise,
then the holy land would be utterly annihilated. If that happened, even if the Five Elders died a hundred times over, they would never be able to atone for their failure.
Exchanging glances, the five of them seemed to come to a silent agreement before stepping forward in unison, making their way to the deepest chamber within Pangaea Castle in Mary Geoise.
At its very centre, the grand hall stood a towering staircase with ninety-nine steps leading up to a vacant throne at the top.
The next moment, the Five Elders—the very people who wielded the highest authority in the world—knelt before that empty throne and spoke in unison,
"Lord Imu, an unforeseen crisis has arisen, one that we can no longer resolve."
The "Empty Throne" was officially described as a symbol of equality and justice.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, the figure addressed as Lord Imu took their seat upon it, signifying absolute dictatorship and totalitarian rule.
It was a declaration—this person, Imu, was the true ruler of the entire world.
If you want to support me, join my patr**on. Have 10 advanced Chapters for you guys.
patr**n.com/saitamablast > OP:OPM NOVEL TIER