While Carl continued to amass his strength, Joy Boy had not been idle either.
A slightly aged, jet-black ship sailed upon the vast ocean. On its deck, Joy Boy stood alongside Pedro and a group of Mink warriors, gazing toward the Red Line.
Not long ago, Joy Boy had infiltrated Wano alone, and this very ship was what he had brought out using his abilities.
Its name was self-evident—it was none other than Pluton, one of the three Ancient Weapons. More precisely, it was the first Pluton.
Pedro, looking at Joy Boy, spoke with excitement:
"This Pluton has been dormant for too long. We really should have tested its power on Wano! To see if it's truly as formidable as the legends say!"
Joy Boy frowned and responded:
"Pedro, how can you even think that way? Do you realize how many people live in Wano? Do you intend to kill them all?"
Pedro gritted his teeth. "It can't be helped. Their king is Doflamingo, the most loyal servant of the Celestial Dragons. Wano under his rule is no longer what it once was. It would be better to wipe them out entirely than let them become our enemies in the future!"
Joy Boy shook his head. "You're being too extreme. Doflamingo alone is insignificant. He won't make a difference. Once we overthrow the World Government, dealing with him will be easy. As for the citizens... who rules them isn't as important as you think."
He turned his gaze toward the horizon and continued:
"Besides, there's no need to test Pluton's power. I witnessed it firsthand 800 years ago. Now, it's time for the Celestial Dragons and their so-called World Government to experience it themselves! When the time comes, we'll fire at will. There are no innocents in Mary Geoise!"
Upon hearing this, Pedro immediately echoed with a fervent voice:
"That's right! Those Celestial Dragons all deserve to die! For years, they have kidnapped our kin, enslaving and torturing them. This time, we'll settle the score once and for all!"
Joy Boy gave a slight nod, instinctively reaching for his straw hat—only to grasp at empty air. He froze for a moment before remembering that he had left the hat atop the massive elephant, Zunesha, to conceal its whereabouts.
Running his fingers through his wild white hair, he murmured, "Tomorrow night is the full moon. The time for our final assault has arrived."
Pedro clenched his fists in excitement. "Yes! We will overthrow that damned World Government! I will finally be able to avenge Nekomamushi! Please, grant me the chance to personally execute the Celestial Dragons!"
Joy Boy's expression twitched slightly. Even he found Pedro's thinking a bit naive.
Setting aside the fact that Joy Boy himself wasn't yet certain he could defeat Carl, even if he did, it would likely be a pyrrhic victory. By that time, the war would be reaching its climax, and Pedro's survival would be uncertain—let alone his ability to finish off Carl.
Although Joy Boy found Pedro's eagerness ridiculous, he didn't want to dampen his fighting spirit. Flashing a grin, he said:
"Of course, Pedro. I'll make sure you get your chance. Just be ready when the time comes."
Pedro was overjoyed, unaware of the vast power gap between himself and the true titans of this world. He hadn't yet witnessed the might of the strongest warriors, where even the shockwaves from a battle between Joy Boy and Carl could turn him to dust.
He had no idea that even a gravely wounded top-tier fighter would still be far beyond his reach. A mere ant cannot survive under the foot of a giant.
Yet, with the promise Joy Boy had given him, Pedro's resolve to attack Mary Geoise only burned brighter. He spun around and shouted to his fellow Minks:
"To Mary Geoise! Let's liberate the world!"
The Minks, long indoctrinated into this cause, roared back:
"To Mary Geoise! Let's liberate the world!"
Their faces were flushed with excitement, silver arcs of electricity crackling over their fur as their battle spirit surged.
Joy Boy watched with an ever-widening grin. But what he failed to notice was that his smile no longer carried the purity it once did. A subtle darkness now lurked within it.
His actions had long since strayed from his original ideals. The Joy Boy of 800 years ago would never have used his comrades as mere pawns.
That's right—in Joy Boy's eyes, the Minks were nothing more than expendable assets.
He understood the scale of the war to come. Even with the advantage of a full moon and their Sulong transformations, few of these Minks would survive the battle.
And yet, he continued to incite them, leading them toward almost certain death. He was knowingly sending them to Mary Geoise as sacrificial lambs, their bodies unlikely to ever be recovered.
The Joy Boy of 800 years ago would have found such an act unthinkable—beneath him.
But the Joy Boy of today? The moment he deceived Luffy and stole his body, his convictions had already crumbled.
After being repeatedly thwarted by Carl, Joy Boy had been left with only one obsession: overthrowing the World Government and bringing what he called "freedom" to the world.
How he achieved it no longer mattered. He had already waited 800 years.
Guilt would creep into his heart, but he would quickly turn that guilt into anger.
To him, it was Carl's fault—Carl, who had manipulated the world while Joy Boy was still regaining his strength. Carl, who had crushed those who represented true freedom. Carl, who had spread fear and forced people to abandon their desire for liberation.
Because of Carl, Joy Boy had been forced to forsake his beliefs and resort to shameful tactics.
He was the Sun God. He was destined to bring light and freedom to the world.
That was the unshakable truth he clung to.
As he gazed at the sun sinking toward the horizon, Joy Boy narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself:
"This time, I will not be the falling sun."
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+160 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg