Yamato finally woke up at noon the next day. Her face was flushed, and her body was utterly exhausted. She hadn't expected Ryōsuke to still be the same old Ryōsuke—his physical stamina was as formidable as ever.
Ryōsuke looked at Yamato, who was bundled under the blankets on the bed. He smiled and asked, "How is it? Do you understand me better now?"
Yamato nodded. "I definitely understand you better."
While Ryōsuke had been exploring her, she had naturally been exploring him as well.
Hearing Yamato's words, Ryōsuke glanced out the window at the bright midday sun. "The army should have already started assembling. Do you want to head out and save Wano Country?"
He hadn't held back against Yamato last night; he did exactly what he wanted to do. He figured her body was still very weak right now, far less resilient than his own.
Yamato said seriously, "That won't do. I must participate in the operation to save Wano Country. I just need to rest for a little while, and I'll be fine."
Ryōsuke didn't object. Yamato's body was still incredibly strong; after all, she was the daughter of the monster Kaido. If she weren't a woman, it would be even more terrifying. But even as a woman, in the original storyline, she could still bounce back full of energy after taking heavy blows from Kaido. No matter what Ryōsuke did, it wasn't as severe as Kaido's devastation of Yamato. So, naturally, he didn't stop her.
Instead, he smiled and said, "Then get yourself cleaned up and prepare to head out."
Yamato was thrilled. Her body felt sticky, and she desperately needed a good wash.
Not long after, Ryōsuke and Yamato arrived directly at the main entrance of Onigashima Castle. At the same time, the grand army of the Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets had assembled there. Although they still looked like pirates and appeared extremely vicious, transforming them into a proper military force was not something that could be accomplished in just a few days. It would likely take months, or even a year or two, before they bore any resemblance to a regular army.
Queen the Plague saw Lord Ryōsuke arrive and excitedly stepped forward. "Lord Ryōsuke, the army has finished assembling."
With Kaido and King absent, these matters had been entrusted to him by his lord. Naturally, he had set aside his scientific research for this.
Ryōsuke looked at the army and spoke. "Before we set out, I am going to give you a stern warning. You are no longer pirates who burn, kill, and pillage. You are now the military of my Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets. Wano Country will become the territory of the Empire. If anyone dares to commit illegal acts within the Empire's borders, I will ensure they die without an intact corpse. Tobi Roppo, the six of you will supervise the entire army. If anyone dares to do such things, execute them on the spot."
A necessary warning had to be given. He would not allow any disgusting atrocities to occur within his nation.
"Yes, My Lord," the Tobi Roppo responded.
For them, attacking and pillaging civilians no longer brought any sense of thrill. Instead, following this lord made them feel like they were embarking on a path of glory, witnessing the dawn of a great enterprise. Incorporating Wano Country into the Empire's territory was just the first step.
While the others felt quite displeased internally, most of them had already mentally prepared themselves when they decided to stay. Naturally, they wouldn't do anything that violated military regulations. Although their lord hadn't officially drafted them yet, they obviously knew the basic rules of a military: do not harm the innocent.
However, a fraction of them didn't think this way. Of course, they still retained a pirate's mindset. If they didn't use the war to plunder some resources, they would be doing themselves a disservice. In such a massive war, even with the Tobi Roppo supervising, so what? As long as they weren't caught, it would be fine. Besides, even if they were the official Marines, so what? Weren't there plenty of them doing illegal things too? The bold gorge themselves while the timid starve.
Ryōsuke keenly sensed that some people seemingly hadn't taken his words to heart. His perception right now was truly terrifying. He could even detect people's thoughts. Of course, he usually didn't do this; having too much noisy information flood his brain felt a bit uncomfortable.
He simply raised his right hand. Terrifying energy instantly gathered into a small, pitch-black sphere, which grew larger and larger.
The two Lead Performers and the Tobi Roppo beside him were stunned. *'What is My Lord trying to do?'*
They could feel the horrifying energy contained within the pitch-black sphere. If it exploded, the entire island would likely sink. They asked in panic, "My Lord, what are you preparing to do?"
Ryōsuke smiled and replied, "Just giving you all a warning. If you do not obey my words, I have the power to erase you from this world at any given moment."
Saying that, he forcefully hurled the pitch-black sphere toward the distant sea. The sphere traced an arc through the air and crashed into the ocean surface in the distance.
Ryōsuke was well aware of the power of the sphere he had condensed; it was absolutely terrifying. Everyone present stared blankly, feeling as though something horrifying was about to happen on the distant sea.
It was exactly as they thought.
A terrifying burst of energy suddenly erupted from the distant ocean surface. Then, a deafening roar swept over them. Immediately after, a massive wall of seawater blotting out the sky crashed toward their direction, accompanied by howling, gale-force winds. If it hadn't been a sunny and peaceful day just moments ago, they would have thought they were seeing things.
But now it was clear—this was Lord Ryōsuke's terrifying strike.
Some of the weaker pirates couldn't even stand steady. They were utterly horrified; this was merely the aftershock of the explosion. If they had been at the epicenter, they would undoubtedly be blown to nothingness.
After a long while, the violent winds and torrential rain finally began to subside. At that moment, someone looked into the distance and screamed in terror, "Look! The sea has sunk!"
These words drew everyone's gaze. Sure enough, at the site of the explosion, a massive crater had appeared directly in the ocean. It was even larger than Onigashima itself.
Everyone was completely dumbfounded, their mouths hanging wide open.
*'This is too terrifying!'*
*'This Lord's power is truly unfathomable.'*
With such an ability, it was exactly as their lord had said—he could wipe everyone, including Onigashima, right off the map.
When he defeated Lord Kaido earlier, they already knew this man was incredibly terrifying. But only now were they catching a glimpse of a fraction of his true power. If Lord Kaido and the late Whitebeard were hailed as men capable of destroying the world... it now seemed like utter nonsense, because even they couldn't unleash an ultimate move with such horrifying destructive power.
But now, they had truly witnessed a strike capable of destroying the world. A strike like this could absolutely obliterate an entire island nation. Even Wano Country would be no exception. After all, Wano Country was also an island nation. And even against those vast, sprawling empires... this lord would only need to unleash a few more of these attacks to wipe out all their major cities. For those great nations, this meant absolute annihilation.
Those who already revered this lord now didn't dare harbor a single treacherous thought. Naturally, those who had harbored petty schemes were even more terrified of being exposed, burying their dark intentions deep within. Compared to making a quick buck or satisfying their bloodlust... they decided their own little lives were a bit more important.