"Flying Slash?"
Seeing this, Terry was horrified and quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow.
The minions behind him weren't so lucky—they couldn't react in time and were cleaved in half, blood gushing everywhere!
Terry was quite experienced. He had once sailed the Grand Line with a pirate crew. Although their group was destroyed shortly after setting out, he had been lucky enough to survive.
That experience had exposed him to many powerful individuals: swordsmen who could unleash Flying Slashes, users of terrifying Devil Fruit powers!
Their pirate group had been annihilated by a single pirate swordsman.
That man, wielding a single sword, could launch Flying Slashes that shredded ships and men alike!
But Terry had never imagined that in this remote corner of the North Sea, another being with that level of power would appear.
Why would such a monster be here—far from the Grand Line?
And more importantly… why would he attack them!?
Run! Run! Run!
That was the only thought that flooded Terry's mind. Resistance? Unthinkable.
He had experienced this nightmare once before.
He was utterly terrified of dying.
"You're a bit knowledgeable. Too bad that won't save you," Yuno smiled coldly, pointing his finger. A streak of white lightning shot forth, piercing Terry cleanly between the brows.
Terry—dead!
Until his final breath, he never understood when or how he had offended such a monstrous being...
All he could think was—in this world, weakness is the original sin.
"All of you... go down and join him."
"Sokatsui!"
Yuno calmly raised his hand. A pale flame exploded forth, engulfing the remaining members of the Iron Hand Gang in one sweeping inferno!
Hadō No. 33 — Sokatsui!
With a thunderous roar, they were all consumed by the blast.
Casualties were heavy. Even those with the best luck couldn't escape Yuno's finishing strike.
Thus—the Iron Hand Gang was annihilated!
After eradicating every last member, Yuno swept his gaze over the scorched ruins. Without a second glance, he turned and walked away.
Only after he left did others dare to approach.
They were the bottom-feeders of the Chaos Zone—drifters, pickpockets, and small-time crooks.
They weren't saints, but they weren't bold enough to murder or plunder openly either.
Now, standing before the remains of the Iron Hand Gang, they all gulped hard, eyes wide with horror.
"The Iron Hand Gang has been destroyed!"
"I can't believe one man did all this!"
"Where did this monster come from? With a single sword... he wiped out the entire gang!"
"Terrifying! Who is this guy!?"
...
It didn't take long for the news to spread across the island.
Even the destruction of the Evil Wolf Gang—which had initially gone unnoticed—was now brought to light!
Boom!
Everyone who heard the news was shocked to the core.
The delay in the Evil Wolf Gang's report was understandable—they were isolated in a remote zone and rarely made contact with outsiders.
Now, two of the three major factions in the Chaos Zone had been destroyed in a single day!
The entire island was in an uproar!
Orleans Clan Headquarters —
One of the final pillars of the Chaos Zone.
Its leader, Orleans, suddenly shot to his feet as the report came in.
"What did you say!? Both the Evil Wolf Gang and Iron Hand Gang have been wiped out? What the hell happened!?"
The subordinate who brought the message trembled under Orleans's fierce aura, but managed to force the words out.
"A single man... wielding a sword… annihilated both factions!"
Orleans's face twisted in disbelief and dread.
"Are you sure!? A single man?"
The subordinate swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes… It's true!"
Orleans's expression flickered between conflicting emotions. He took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, and growled,
"Gather everyone. Prepare for what's coming…!"
"!!!"
The younger brother's heart dropped, terror creeping into his face. Did the boss just say… prepare? For what?!
Could it be...
"What are you standing there for? Go!"
Orleans snapped, his voice icy.
"Y-Yes!"
The younger brother turned and fled the room, but a deep sense of dread weighed down on him like a boulder. Panic churned in his gut.
Once alone, Orleans stood silent for a moment. Then, from his coat, he retrieved a Den Den Mushi.
"What's the situation?"
A voice crackled from the other end.
"Boss… something's happened…"
A heavy silence followed.
Meanwhile, in the Security Zone — Marine Branch P-4 Base.
Senior naval officers from across the region were gathered for an emergency strategy meeting.
Lieutenant Colonel Yara, the base commander, stood at the head of the table. He scanned the room and said grimly,
"I assume you've all heard the news. What are your thoughts on the destruction of the Wolf Gang and the Iron Hand Gang?"
An officer with square-framed glasses rose to speak. His voice was steady,
"According to intelligence, a masked man is responsible. As for his motive… it's unclear."
He hesitated, then added,
"But based on footage from a video Den Den Mushi, he's now heading straight for the Orleans family."
This officer was part of Naval Intelligence — and among the few with a clear understanding of the unfolding crisis.
Another officer, Lieutenant Bruner, adjusted his cap and snorted with disdain. A glint of cold arrogance flashed in his eyes.
"Hmph. Someone targeting the top three factions in the Chaos Zone? Sounds like some self-righteous bounty hunter nonsense."
His voice carried scorn — but beneath the surface, rage simmered.
The truth was, Bruner had long been in secret collusion with the Evil Wolf Gang, profiting immensely off their illegal operations. Now, with two of his "business partners" gone, his power — and his profits — were evaporating.
Yuno had just cut into his cake.
"I recommend launching a direct assault on the Orleans family estate. Arrest the masked man and every member of the Orleans faction!"
Bruner barked, eyes flashing with thinly veiled malice.
Lieutenant Colonel Yara shot him a sharp look, then waved his hand dismissively.
"No rush. We still know too little about this mysterious figure. Whether he's friend or foe hasn't been determined. And we'd be foolish to make enemies with someone who took out two major forces overnight."
He pulled a classified file from a drawer and laid it flat on the table.
"Besides… new intel has arrived. This runs deeper than we thought."
He slapped the document against the operations board behind him.
THWACK.
Gasps filled the room.
"What!?"
"There's another force backing the Orleans family? Who?"
The officers leaned forward, eyes wide. Written in bold on the dossier:
"Preliminary analysis indicates that the Orleans family may be backed by the Vinsmoke Family."
"Classified intel confirms: a secret Vinsmoke experiment facility is located beneath Donzik Island. It is highly dangerous. Proceed with extreme caution."
At first, some officers scoffed at the notion.
But when they read the name "Vinsmoke", their expressions froze.
Pupils shrank. Faces turned pale.
All of them had one thing in common —
They were native sons of the North Blue.
And in the North Blue, the Vinsmoke name wasn't just feared.
It was legendary.