Chapter 216: The Next Step—Here Comes Katakuri!
Under the sweeping changes brought by Ryuunosuke, even the once-stubborn royal lineage of King Riku had surrendered.
With the Riku clan yielding, the rest became simple.
Their endorsement hastened the fall of the last pockets of resistance. The rebels either bent the knee—or disappeared from Dressrosa's future entirely.
The kingdom was now united.
What came next… was structure.
Dressrosa was split into two clear factions:
One—the underground division. Those who once lived in the shadows now operated openly, handling everything from trade to smuggling. They volunteered, of course. Wealth had a way of motivating people.
The other—the surface citizens, who continued their lives in peace, untouched by the dealings beneath the ground. For them, Dressrosa had never been better.
"Captain, did you foresee all of this when you came to this island?" Najenda asked, standing beside Ryuunosuke with a clipboard of data in hand.
"Everyone now knows Dressrosa belongs to the Dragon Hunter Pirates."
"But not one voice has risen in protest."
She glanced at him with admiration and disbelief.
"To change the heart of an entire country in less than a month… Captain, your methods are terrifying."
She wasn't exaggerating. Najenda had been tracking his every move, every decision.
And yet, Ryuunosuke's thinking always remained just beyond her grasp.
In just half a month, he'd eliminated every hidden danger in Dressrosa.
And now, even the most difficult faction—the Riku royal bloodline—had become vassals of the Donquixote Family once more.
The kingdom was now managed in perfect balance: old nobility, new blood, and the Dragon Hunter Pirates at the helm.
To Najenda, it felt like watching a myth unfold.
"It's almost done," Ryuunosuke said with a faint smile. "Leave a squad here to maintain order. We move at dawn."
"The Valley of the Gods still awaits us."
"Understood!" she saluted, then quickly turned to make the preparations.
After she left, Doflamingo approached.
"So, you're really leaving, Boss?"
He had known Ryuunosuke wouldn't stay long.
But he also knew—once the Dragon Hunter Pirates left, the changes they made would ripple across the sea.
Dressrosa would draw attention.
And when the predators came, Doflamingo would be the one holding the line.
"We're done here," Ryuunosuke said calmly. "But I'm leaving you with something."
He handed Doflamingo two sealed notes.
"One for Kaido. One for Charlotte Linlin."
"If either of them dares move against us—"
His eyes narrowed, and a sharp grin crept onto his face.
"Then I'll pay them a personal visit. Wano. Whole Cake Island. I don't care where."
Doflamingo opened the notes, eyes scanning the contents.
His hands trembled—not with fear, but exhilaration.
For years, he had been silently enduring Kaido and Big Mom's pressure. Acting as a broker, a servant, a pawn.
But now… Ryuunosuke had handed him something else.
Power.
"I understand, Boss!"
Ryuunosuke nodded.
"Master your Conqueror's Haki," he said. "That's your ticket to standing among the true kings."
He paused.
"Oh—and Doflamingo."
"I've always wondered something…"
"…What do your eyes look like?"
The words caught Doflamingo off guard.
"…My eyes?"
He hadn't expected that.
Still, without argument, he reached up and removed his iconic shades.
For the first time, Ryuunosuke saw them.
"…Pfft—HAHAHAHA!"
He burst out laughing.
"You… You look like a completely different person!"
Without his shades, Doflamingo's face lost all its menace. The cold, calculating warlord had been replaced with a boyish, oddly innocent expression.
No wonder he never let those glasses fall in battle.
"…Put them back on."
Ryuunosuke waved his hand, still chuckling.
Doflamingo silently replaced the shades and left to oversee his new duties. The world was shifting fast, and Dressrosa needed a firm hand.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Hunter Pirates began preparing for departure.
But far away, across the turbulent sea of the New World—
Chaos brewed.
---
"What's that!?"
A lookout screamed from atop a battered ship.
A colossal pirate ship had appeared on the horizon, casting a shadow large enough to darken the waves.
"Are they coming for us?!"
"No… It can't be…"
The crew scrambled to spot the flag—but the ship's sheer presence made it clear:
This was not an opponent.
This was death.
"IT'S KAIDO! KAIDO THE BEAST!!"
"ABANDON THE SHIP!!!"
Crewmen threw themselves into the sea. Some fled on lifeboats. Others simply jumped overboard, praying to the sea gods for mercy.
None dared face what was coming.
In front of Emperor-class pirates, ordinary crews were as helpless as ants.
"Sir," Jack spoke, standing beside the looming figure of Kaido. "All the pirates ahead have fled."
"Shall we pursue?"
Kaido grunted.
"No. They're not our prey."
He looked ahead, eyes sharp and burning.
The Dragon Hunter Pirates—they were his real target.
The world couldn't stop talking about them.
Warriors of impossible strength. Unknown origins. Dangerous potential.
And perhaps most importantly…
Charlotte Linlin had requested something of him.
They shared a history. She had once helped him when he was nothing. He owed her that much.
She believed Ryuunosuke posed a threat to the Big Mom Pirates.
And Kaido—though not one to involve himself in others' drama—understood the importance of strategic alliances.
So he would meet Ryuunosuke personally.
Decide for himself.
At that moment, in Dressrosa, another figure had arrived.
A tall, imposing man stepped into the palace courtyard, guided by members of the Donquixote Family.
He wore a long scarf, his mouth hidden, and his piercing eyes radiated strength.
Charlotte Katakuri.
Sent from Whole Cake Island… to meet Ryuunosuke.
He was led to a quiet courtyard.
And there, sitting casually in the center, waiting—
Was Ryuunosuke.
Katakuri's eyes narrowed.
He was alone.
No guards. No backup.
He wasn't even using Observation Haki.
Was he insane?
If Katakuri attacked now, there was at least a 50% chance he could land a fatal blow.
Or so Katakuri thought.
A voice broke the silence.
"You're here."
"Come."
Ryuunosuke didn't even look up.
He just knew.
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