"Hmph, who said I don't want it anymore?"
Choate snorted coldly and immediately swallowed the Sand-Sand Fruit.
Pizarro was right—Sand-Sand Fruit is a Logia-type Devil Fruit, and many people coveted it. If he missed this opportunity, who knows how long it would take to obtain such a powerful ability again?
With this, all the major Devil Fruits in Lucifer's possession had found their wielders:
San Juan Wolf, wielder of the Paramecia Stone-Stone Fruit
Shiryu of the Rain, now the Logia Blood-Blood Fruit user
Red Earl Ryder, possessing the Zoan Phantom Beast: Bat-Bat Fruit, Vampire Model
Pizarro, the new user of the Logia Lava-Lava Fruit
Choate, wielding the Logia Sand-Sand Fruit
With such a lineup of fearsome combatants and their Devil Fruit powers, the combat strength of the Nether Pirates had far surpassed that of the other Four Emperors. Combined with Lucifer's overwhelming strength, the Nether Pirates now reigned as the strongest crew in the world, in both power and influence!
However, one Devil Fruit still remained unclaimed—the Venom-Venom Fruit.
Lucifer sighed, tossing the Venom-Venom Fruit up and down in his hand. "Tell me, how come no one wants such a powerful ability?"
The group surrounding him shuddered slightly.
The Venom-Venom Fruit was indeed powerful, but its side effects were too great. The user had to consume poison daily, endure hours of excruciating diarrhea, and would become a walking toxin, unable to physically interact with others.
For any man, eating the Venom-Venom Fruit was akin to giving up on a future "happy" life.
"Captain Lucifer, we've arrived!"
Charlotte Perospero's voice came from the bow of the Nether.
Lucifer glanced up, and a barren island appeared on the horizon. Perospero held a life card in his hand, guiding them to their destination.
The Nether Pirates were now in a remote region of the Grand Line, far from any standard sea route. The surrounding islands were desolate and uninhabited, hidden away from the prying eyes of the world. Without the life card, it would have been impossible to locate this place.
"That guy Owen sure knows how to hide," Lucifer muttered with a faint smile.
This time, their journey was to pick up Charlotte Owen—or rather, Nico Robin.
All of this was for her.
Finding her had been anything but easy. Lucifer had even clashed with the Naval Headquarters over her. Robin was the spark that ignited an all-out war:
The Marines suffered devastating losses because of her.
Impel Down fell because of her.
Admiral Akainu perished because of her.
Marine hero Garp also met his end because of her.
A single woman had shaken the world to its core. Her title as the Devil's Child was more fitting than ever.
On the shore of the deserted island, Charlotte Owen spotted the pirate ship's flag approaching from the distance.
"They're finally here."
Owen turned to Robin and said, "Let's go, Nico Robin. Captain Lucifer went to great lengths for you."
Grabbing Robin, Owen used Geppo (Moonwalk) to fly toward the Nether.
Soon, they landed on the deck.
"Captain Lucifer, here is Nico Robin," Owen said respectfully, presenting her.
"Good work. Go take a rest," Lucifer replied with a nod.
"Yes, Captain," Owen said, stepping back with a sigh of relief after confirming Katakuri was safe and sound.
Robin sat silently on the deck, surrounded by a group of ruthless and fearsome pirates. Her heart raced. Nervousness gripped her; after all, these were monsters in human form.
But the scariest of them all was Lucifer himself.
Though Lucifer's appearance was more refined and handsome than the likes of Shiryu of the Rain or Weibull, Robin knew better than to underestimate him.
Her experience in intelligence had taught her just how terrifying Lucifer truly was.
"Relax, Nico Robin. I won't harm you," Lucifer said with a faint smile. "Finding you took quite a bit of effort."
"It hasn't been an easy journey," he added.
Robin took a deep breath, masking her unease with a slight smile. "Should I feel honored, Captain Lucifer?"
"Of course," Lucifer replied.
Enel, standing nearby, interjected with a sly grin, "You should be honored, woman. After all, Captain Lucifer went head-to-head with the Naval Headquarters for you."
"War?"
Robin was taken aback.
Having spent days on this deserted island with the pirates, she had no idea what was happening in the outside world.
"That's right," Shiryu said with a cold grin. "For you, the Naval Headquarters lost over 20,000 people this time. Even Marine Admiral Akainu and the Marine hero Garp were killed.
"So, tell me, shouldn't you feel honored?"
The Evil King, Byrnndi World, and the Crescent Moon Hunter Catarina Devon glanced at Robin with complex, almost bewildered expressions.
They, too, had realized that the entire war had erupted because of the woman standing before them.
Their own freedom from captivity was also tied to her existence.
"As a woman, I truly envy you for stirring up such chaos.
"Nico Robin, your title as the Devil's Child is no exaggeration," Catarina said, letting out a sharp, eerie laugh.
"Soon, you'll be infamous across the entire world!"
Robin was stunned by their words, her mind racing and on the verge of blankness.
Because of her?
A full-scale war had broken out between Lucifer and the Naval Headquarters.
Over 25,000 people had died in the conflict.
Even Admiral Akainu and the Marine hero Garp had perished!
Robin's face turned pale, her lips curling into a bitter smile.
What could she possibly be worth to Lucifer?
"Are you after the Poneglyphs?" Robin asked, quickly piecing the situation together.
"That's correct," Lucifer said calmly, leaning back on the sofa and gazing at her. "You might very well be the last person in the world who can read the Poneglyphs.
"So, what do you say? Will you join the Nether Pirates?
"With my protection, you'll never have to run away again. No one will dare to threaten you."
Robin met his gaze, her voice faint. "Do I even have a choice?"
"Of course not," Lucifer replied with a faint smirk.
He had gone to great lengths to bring Robin here; there was no way he would let her refuse.
She had no choice but to agree and take on the role of historian for the Nether Pirates.
"Alright, we've got what we came for. It's time to head back!"
"Little ones, set sail for the New World!" Lucifer commanded.
"Roar!!!!"
The fleet of the Nether Pirates let out deafening cheers as they began their march back to the New World.
The news of the Impel Down battle could not be contained, spreading like wildfire across the Grand Line and into the New World.
Morgans, the world's most influential news figure, trembled with excitement as he crafted his headlines.
This was the highlight of his career.
Stories that would shake the very foundation of the world flowed from his pen.
Headlines from Morgans:
"The Ghost Pirates Clash with the Naval Headquarters: A Decisive Victory!"
"Admiral Akainu Falls! Marine Headquarters Suffers Catastrophic Losses!"
"Marine Hero Garp Dies in Battle: Lucifer Declared the Strongest in the World!"
"Legends Fall: Garp Perishes at the Hands of the Demon Lucifer!"
"From Solo Hero Garp to the Three Admirals—How Strong is Lucifer?"
"Lucifer Kills Akainu and Garp, Rising as the New King of the Seas!"
"Secrets of the World's Strongest Demon, Lucifer!"
"Akainu and Garp Dead: Marine Strength at an All-Time Low!"
"A New Era Dawns: Is Lucifer's Goal to Rule the World?"
"Lucifer Unleashes Chaos: Impel Down's Most Feared Pirates Join His Ranks!"
Morgans' inspiration seemed boundless, each headline more shocking than the last. His reports shook the world, leaving millions stunned.
On the Moby Dick, the flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco's voice echoed anxiously:
"Dad! Dad! Something serious has happened!"
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