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One week later:
Seven thousand meters above sea level.
The White Sea, where the clouds end.
This wondrous sea, formed by flowing clouds, reached its edge here.
In ancient times, this was the primordial gateway out of the White Sea. All visitors would descend through this gate back to the "Blue Sea" below.
But at this moment, outside the long-abandoned Cloud End:
Bang! Bang!
A massive sound shattered the silence. It was the sound of something enormous flapping its wings.
Gale-force winds swept across the sea of clouds, churning and shifting them as if to welcome some enormous guest.
Then, in the next instant:
Bang!
A figure crashed through the ordinary clouds beneath Cloud End.
In an instant, the enormous figure blocked out the sky above the White Sea. Torn clouds swirled behind it like tail feathers.
Its fearsome visage, overwhelming aura, and ancient vitality unmistakably revealed its identity:
It was a massive winged dragon.
Yes.
Here, on a seven-thousand-meter-high Skypiea, at the Cloud End, where the clouds should have fallen into the Blue Sea, this enormous creature defied the age-old rules and soared into the heavens.
But what was even more astonishing was...
"Lunar Fox, how are you? Can you adjust to the high-altitude oxygen? I wouldn't want Shinryu to think I'm mistreating his subordinate." At that moment, the colossal Winged Dragon spoke.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the dragon's face was concealed by a bird-headed mask.
Perched on the dragon's back was a woman.
She wore a Sea Beast mask like the dragon's, but it was different. Most of her mask was unadorned, except for a small fox emblem on her forehead.
"I'm fine, though I feel a bit weak. I can still manage, Youji-sama."
Beneath her mask, Nico Robin, known as "Lunar Fox" had maintained an expression of shock for quite some time.
As she answered Youji's question, she clenched her hands tightly.
She couldn't help but recall the events from two days prior at Baroque Works' secret headquarters.
She had simply gone to report on her mission.
"Oh? The first batch of profit is here? How much?" the man with the dragon head mask asked her, having just drained a glass of cola.
"MR1 turned in 40 million Beli, and MR2 turned in 300 million," Robin summarized succinctly. "Including the latest payment from Alabasta for the rainmaking project a few days ago, the total comes to approximately 9 billion Beli."
"That's more than I expected. Not bad, not bad at all," Shinryu remarked, clearly pleased.
"That Zishu fellow has been taking on a lot of jobs lately. Inoshi received his second payment, too. Cough, cough. Anyway, this is a godsend, Miss All Sunday."
At this, he turned to Robin. "Oh, right. MR.3 mentioned that you've made progress on the matter I asked you to investigate."
Robin, though curious about his remarks regarding the other high-ranking officers of the Twelve Zodiac, prioritized answering Shinryu's inquiry first.
"Yes, the agents investigating the Nismail Kingdom and their collaborators in human trafficking on the Sabaody Archipelago have identified them. Here's the detailed information. The collaborator is Yakshawood, one of the archipelago's largest human auction houses."
As she spoke, she paused mid-sentence. "Moreover, just as you suspected, Celestial Dragons have been frequenting that auction house to purchase high-quality slaves. During the time period you inquired about, a Celestial Dragon from the Limoshi Family visited the auction."
The Celestial Dragons acted with such ostentation that they rarely bothered to conceal their actions, allowing her to gather remarkably detailed information.
Yet she couldn't help but feel curious.
"Is there a particular reason you're investigating this?" she asked.
She had grown familiar with Shinryu and knew he wouldn't mind divulging some internal organizational matters.
"It's not for me personally," Shinryu replied casually. "Youji asked me to look into it. Apparently, it's related to his newly acquired subordinate."
As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to remember something. "Oh, right, speaking of that..."
"Youji is going to investigate a certain place on Leader's orders. According to our intel, there should be a Poneglyph there. As we agreed, would you like to come along? It would be a good opportunity to deliver the information as well."
He chuckled heartily as if this were just a casual remark.
Robin stared at him, her eyes wide, while thinking. 'When will this guy ever get serious?'
It's one thing for him to play the absentee manager and leave most of Baroque Works' affairs to me, But this is a crucial matter! Shouldn't he have told me immediately?"
Robin's answer could only be one thing: "I'm going, of course."
"Good. Youji will pick you up in two days. Take this mask, and remember your codename."
Shinryu handed her a mask.
"From today onward, you are my subordinate and a member of The Twelve Zodiac's Division - Lunar Fox."
Recalling this moment, Robin touched the mask on her head once more, still incredulous.
She still couldn't quite believe it. Had she really joined the Twelve Zodiacs?
But clearly, such considerations were secondary now.
The most pressing issue was...
"There are structures below the clouds."
Gazing down at the enormous "Cloud End" below, Robin's heart overflowed with disbelief. Though she had heard legends of Skypiea before, she had never taken them seriously. But, as she observed the dilapidated, long-abandoned structures, she realized that Shinryu hadn't lied to her.
If an ancient kingdom truly existed above the clouds, then there was a high probability that an undiscovered poneglyph was hidden there.
Yet, what truly intrigued her was how The Twelve Zodiac discovered this place in the first place.
Just as her curiosity reached its peak, Youji spoke: "Now that you've acclimated to the oxygen levels, prepare yourself. We're ascending further!"
Youji's words startled Robin. "Lord Youji, are we climbing higher?"
They were already at an altitude of 7,000 meters.
"Naturally," Youji chuckled softly. "Our destination lies above 10,000 meters."
At that very moment...
Hōng lóng!
...the surface of the White Sea churned violently behind them.
Several colossal sea beasts erupted from the depths, their forms grotesquely distorted and their size beyond imagination.
They had clearly been lurking beneath the surface, their eyes fixed on Youji's massive form. Now, they launched a ferocious assault.
"Sea beasts in the clouds?" Robin's pupils constricted as she witnessed the spectacle. She crossed her arms, preparing to unleash her abilities in response.
But in the next moment...
Buzz!
An invisible, crushing pressure suddenly descended.
Robin, already struggling to breathe due to the thin air, now felt like she couldn't breathe at all. She crouched low with her legs tensed and her entire body trembling uncontrollably; she was on the verge of fainting.
It was like a Sea King-class creature appearing before a small fish.
Even without overt malice, the former's overwhelming presence would be enough to make the latter faint.
Robin could sense the source of this terrifying pressure: it was the Youji beneath her feet.
She was certain that the pressure was a restrained version of Youji's full power.
Because
The true targets of this overwhelming pressure were clearly the colossal Sea Beasts, each over a hundred meters long.
Thud! Thud!
Their eyes rolled back in their sockets, and they lost consciousness.
Their colossal bodies plunged into the sea, unleashing a tidal wave on the surface and within Robin's heart.
'Haoshoku Haki?'
The term flashed through Robin's mind.
Though she didn't wield Haki herself and only had a basic understanding of it, she had heard of "Haoshoku Haki," a power so rare that it is found in fewer than one in a million people. It is a mark of the "Qualities of a King."
Legend has it that masters of Haoshoku Haki can render opponents unconscious with the sheer force of their presence, a description that perfectly matches what Robin had just witnessed.
'Is Youji a master of Haoshoku Haki?'
Robin was almost speechless.
She knew Youji was powerful, or rather, she knew all the top Officers of the Twelve Zodiac were formidable.
Yet these powerhouses continued to shatter her perceptions.
On another note...
"Rumor has it that Youji can incarnate into a massive winged dragon, but ultimately..."
Slightly regaining her composure, Robin turned her gaze to Youji, who had already suppressed his aura. She couldn't help but think to herself:
'As the existence of the Twelve Zodiac was exposed by the World Economy Newspaper and gradually became known to the world, the World Government's information blockade on the Twelve Zodiac naturally loosened as well.'
Thus, by now, some information about Youji had become available through underground channels and various sources.
Robin had heard rumors that Youji could transform into a winged dragon roughly twenty meters in length, leading to speculation that he was an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit user.
'But how could he possibly be only twenty meters?'
Robin wondered silently, gazing down at the colossal creature beneath her, which stretched at least 60 meters.
At that moment, Youji was clearly unaware of the turmoil in Robin's mind.
"Get ready... we're ascending!" he warned in a low voice. Then...
Buzz!
In the sunlight, its massive body began to radiate a brilliant, dazzling light.
"Hundred Flowers' Dance!"
Robin, who had witnessed this phenomenon before, saw this and decisively closed her eyes, activating her ability. Countless arms instantly emerged and anchored her firmly to Youji's back.
The next instant, Youji flapped his massive wings.
The immense force generated an incredibly violent wind that instantly flattened the surface of the White Sea below.
Radiant light erupted, and he moved with terrifying speed in a split second.
Youji's colossal figure shot skyward.
If Commodore Lanley, who had previously fought Youji, were to witness this display, he would surely question his entire existence, for Youji's current speed and power were exponentially greater than anything he had demonstrated before.
And indeed, this was the truth.
[Roy Amos (Slice Clone - Youji)]
[Currently Equipped Devil Fruit: Glint-Glint Fruit LV3 - Allows the user to transform their body into photons, enabling them to move and fight at the speed of light.
The enhancements that Youji had acquired were, of course, far more significant than simply reaching LV3 of the Glint-Glint Fruit.
The most extraordinary thing about Youji at this moment was the source of the "Haoshoku Haki" that Robin was sensing.
It was a Devil Fruit residing within his fifth Devil Fruit Ability Slot.
[Fusion Devil Fruit: Conqueror's Wing Dragon Devil Fruit.]
(End of Chapter)