546-550

Chapter 546: Power Awakens  

Black Leg Sanji just smirked at Ruli’s words, closing his eyes as if ready to accept death. “I don’t hit women, especially not to kill.” 

Ruli stomped her foot in frustration. “Ugh, you’re so uncooperative.” 

“Fine…”  

She hefted her massive axe. “If you won’t play along, don’t blame me for this.” 

Without a shred of mercy, she swung the axe down… 

“Sanji!!!”  

Nami screamed in horror, her face pale with shock.  

That blow would surely kill Black Leg Sanji, severing his head clean off. 

But… 

The strike was blocked. Sanji caught it with his hand.  

The cost? His arm was bent at a gruesome angle. 

“Huh?!” 

Ruli’s eyes widened in shock.  

No one had ever taken such a brutal hit from her and come out with just a bent arm. It was unreal—like she’d struck a slab of steel.  

That’s exactly how it felt to her. 

She took two steps back, eyeing Sanji as he shakily got to his feet, clearly as stunned as she was. For now, she held off on attacking. 

What was Sanji feeling?  

It was like some mysterious power had sparked to life inside him—deep, potent, overwhelming.  

It gave him the sense that no matter what hit him, he’d be fine. 

He was stunned, unsure where this power came from…  

And he didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse.  

For now, though…  

One thing was clear: this change could get him out of this mess. 

He could feel his injuries healing, his body knitting itself back together.  

His strength was returning—fast.  

He felt like he was brimming with power. 

“Could this be… the legendary Bloodline Factor awakening?”  

Ruli frowned, recalling what Yoru had told her.  

The Germa Group had created five enhanced humans.  

Four were resounding successes.  

Only Black Leg Sanji was deemed a failure, showing no special talents.  

But now…  

It was clear he hadn’t failed. His power was just too immense, lying dormant until now. 

“Heh, looks like things just got a lot more interesting!”  

Ruli grinned, her eyes blazing with excitement.  

The stronger her opponent, the more it fueled her fire.  

Sanji, on the other hand, felt his scalp tingle with dread.  

Sure, Ruli was a woman, but her abilities were downright terrifying.  

And worse…  

Her physical skills were just as monstrous!  

That’s why he’d been taking such a beating. 

“Since you’ve powered up, let’s see what you can really do!”  

Ruli wasn’t about to give Sanji time to adjust.  

She swung her giant axe at him with full force.  

Sanji’s nerves screamed.  

Ruli was a beast—her raw strength was overwhelming, and even without her powers, she was a force to be reckoned with.  

Clang!  

His fiery red leg clashed with her axe, the razor-sharp edge sending chills down his spine.  

“Dark Cloud!”  

Ruli unleashed a thick black mist. Sanji gritted his teeth and leaped back, not daring to let even a wisp touch him.  

That cloud drained stamina on contact—a horrifying sensation he had no interest in reliving.  

But Ruli wasn’t giving him a moment to breathe.  

When her first strike missed, she zipped behind him in a flash, her fist coated in jet-black Haki as it rocketed toward him.  

Sanji tensed…  

He threw up a knee to block, but the impact sent a sickening crack through his leg as the bone shattered. 

Chapter 547: Just a Trial  

“Ugh!”  

Sanji let out a pained grunt, his face twisting in agony.  

But Ruli didn’t give him a second to recover.  

BOOM!  

Another fierce clash erupted… 

Over with Nous! 

“Man, these two are some serious monsters. This is gonna be fun!”  

Nous eyed Duke Inuarashi and Nekomamushi with keen interest.  

They weren’t overwhelmingly strong, but they had some fascinating abilities—like unleashing powerful lightning attacks.  

As someone who wielded lightning himself, Nous was eager to test his skills against them.  

BOOM! 

BOOM!  

Nous single-handedly held off both Duke Inuarashi and Nekomamushi, putting immense pressure on Momonosuke’s side.  

“God, you guys are so annoying!”  

Urti, like a raging little gremlin, was headbutting Denjiro relentlessly, giving him a massive headache.  

And it wasn’t just a headache—she was tough!  

Urti’s strength was nothing to scoff at.  

She wasn’t an enemy you could handle carelessly.  

Even for Denjiro…  

He had to stay on high alert, moving cautiously to avoid getting crushed by her attacks.  

Meanwhile, Page One was charging through like a wrecking ball…  

Barreling forward alongside Urti, mowing down anyone in their path.  

Page One’s opponent?  

Kin’emon, one of the Nine Red Scabbards.  

Facing Page One’s thick hide and seemingly endless stamina, Kin’emon was struggling hard.  

His attacks barely scratched Page One’s defenses.  

But every hit from Page One dealt serious damage to him.  

Then there were Drake, Who’s-Who, and Dogstorm…  

They were piling unimaginable pressure on the rest of the Straw Hats.  

The situation, overall…  

Was looking grim for the Straw Hats and Momonosuke’s group.  

The tide had turned sharply against them.  

Momonosuke’s face grew even more terrified.  

He hadn’t been confident about attacking Night Island to begin with.  

And now…  

His gut feeling was proving right.  

Night Island wasn’t going to fall easily.  

Not only were they failing to take it…  

Their lives were on the line.  

As the battle grew more intense…  

Yoru, on the other hand, was as relaxed as ever.  

He was casually slurping down a bowl of rice noodles from who-knows-where.  

Talk about laid-back!  

Next to him…  

Marco was crouched in almost the same pose, digging into a bowl of noodles with equal gusto.  

While eating, he glanced at the fight and commented, “The Straw Hats are something else, huh? They’re all pretty tough.”  

He shot Yoru a playful look. “But, man, being that harsh on Luffy? Aren’t you worried Ace is gonna come for your head?”  

Nearby, Ace stood with his arms crossed, his clenched fists betraying his inner turmoil.  

How could he stay calm?  

Who could stand by and watch their little brother in danger without feeling a thing?  

Sure, this was all part of a prearranged trial.  

But even a “simple” trial like this was packed with danger!  

How could he not worry?  

“Relax, we’re going easy on them. Nobody’s dying,” Yoru said, slurping up the last of his broth and wiping his mouth with a satisfied grin.  

“Hmph, like I need you to tell me that,” Ace snapped, his tone dripping with sass.  

Yoru just shook his head.  

“Tsundere types. Nothing more to say.”  

Chapter 548: Just for Fun  

Marco wasn’t as hung up on Straw Hat Luffy and his crew as Ace was. 

He glanced at the chaotic battlefield, then turned to Yoru. “Are you sure you want to go all-in and clash with the World Government? Follow in Roger’s footsteps?” 

“You know this isn’t some light, easy choice!” 

“Are you really ready for what that means?” 

At that… 

Yoru grinned. “Why wouldn’t I be?” 

His gaze drifted to the distant sea, seemingly unbothered by Nous, Luli, and the others fighting in the background. 

He said, “Sooner or later, we’re bound to clash. So why not now?” 

“It’s just a matter of facing what’s coming a bit earlier than planned.” 

There wasn’t a trace of fear or worry on Yoru’s face. 

And, well… 

It’s rare to ever see those emotions on him. 

He’s always been this fearless, reckless guy who does whatever he wants! 

Everyone on the seas knows that. 

“This Blackfoot Sanji’s pretty interesting. He’s actually holding his own against the Dark Queen.” 

At that moment… 

Vista, the Flower Sword, spoke up, watching the fight between Sanji and Luli with a hint of surprise. 

In his mind, Luli should’ve been way stronger than this. 

She should’ve ended the fight with Sanji ages ago. 

But now? Sanji seemed to be getting sharper with every move, growing fiercer under Luli’s relentless attacks. 

Vista’s comment caught Marco and Ace’s attention. 

They looked at Sanji, their expressions turning serious. “Something’s happening to Blackfoot Sanji. Something we don’t fully understand.” 

“There’s a powerful force hidden inside him. It’s waking up, slowly transforming his body!” 

“His attack power’s almost on par with Marco or Joz!” 

The New Whitebeard Pirates crew chimed in, assessing Sanji. 

They all knew how terrifying Luli’s strength was! 

But seeing Sanji, burning like a demon god and holding his ground despite Luli swinging her axe, left them genuinely shocked. 

In fact! 

Luli herself was stunned. 

She could sense something extraordinary emerging from Sanji. 

Like… 

An exoskeleton! 

And… 

Incredible bone regeneration and bodily recovery abilities. 

And then… 

Those blazing, ferocious crimson kicks, burning as hot as the sun! 

So strong, so explosive… 

They were starting to feel like more than she could handle. 

Of course… 

This feeling… 

It was awesome! 

Luli was absolutely thrilled. This kind of battle was what she lived for. 

So… 

Her body radiated dark energy, her double-headed axe swinging as if it weighed nothing, moving so fast it was a blur, like a rhythmic, fiery symphony. 

Clang! Clang! Clang! 

The sound of metal clashing rang out endlessly… 

Like a blacksmith hammering iron, echoing in every direction! 

The shockwaves from their Armament Haki collisions shook the surroundings. 

Luli’s fighting spirit soared, her eyes blazing like torches, fierce and terrifying! 

Boom! 

Boom! 

“Bring it on! Again!” 

Marco and the others could tell—Luli wasn’t just fighting. She was having the time of her life. 

Her axe was practically deforming from the sheer force she was putting into it. 

It was insane! 

Even with Armament Haki reinforcing the axe, it couldn’t withstand the kind of power that even Yoru marveled at. 

And yet… 

Blackfoot Sanji, time and again, got flattened like dough only to bounce back, his recovery almost eerie! 

Chapter 549: Nami’s Breaking Down  

Sure, Black-Leg Sanji looked pretty badass right now, holding his own against Ruri like they were evenly matched. 

But the truth? He was suffering in silence. 

He wasn’t some god who could keep recovering at this insane pace forever. 

He felt like he was being drained dry! 

“Nice job, Black-Leg Sanji. It’s been a while since anyone’s given me such a thrilling fight,” Ruri said. 

She was like a Valkyrie… 

Radiating a fierce aura that made it hard to even look at her. 

“Give me a break already!”  

Sanji’s head was spinning at the thought of Ruri gearing up for more.  

He was done! 

She was too strong! 

Ruri was just too damn strong. 

“Gum-Gum… King Cobra!!!”  

Luffy let out a roar, unleashing a ferocious burst of power that felt like it could shatter the heavens, slamming into Basas with everything he had. 

“Gah!”  

Basas spat out a mouthful of blood and finally collapsed. 

But Luffy immediately dropped out of Gear Fourth, panting heavily, eyes drooping, completely spent. 

Sweat poured off him, soaking his entire body in moments. 

It was clear…  

Basas had pushed him to his absolute limit! 

“It’s over, you two!”  

“Thunder Punishment!”  

On Nous’s side, two massive bolts of purple-gold lightning crashed down like pillars. 

Even in their Moon Lion forms, Duke Inuarashi and Nekomamushi couldn’t hold up. 

When the lightning faded… 

They lay unconscious, their bodies bloodied and broken. 

But they’d left their mark on Nous too. 

The deep gashes across his chest told the story. 

Looking at it all… 

Luffy, the captain, had the worst performance of the crew! 

And on the Lightning Pirates’ side, Ruri had the least impressive record. 

But Ruri didn’t care one bit… 

She was steadily cornering Sanji, pushing him closer to the edge. 

Even as Sanji got faster and his attacks grew more powerful… 

Ruri countered effortlessly. A black mist, like a void, enveloped her, turning the surrounding space into her domain. 

Whenever Sanji appeared, that overwhelming gravitational force slowed him down, making him an easy target for her relentless assaults. 

Sanji was questioning his entire existence!  

He couldn’t win, and he couldn’t even escape! 

“Franky… Radical Beam!”  

If anyone on this battlefield was a surprise, it was “Iron General” Franky, who took down Toriki.  

That scorching blast of power was so intense, even Marco was shocked! 

Even Yoru raised an eyebrow, muttering, “The power of Pluton, huh?”  

Toriki’s defeat was no fluke! 

The second surprise was probably Nico Robin. 

Teaming up with Kin’emon and Denjiro, she took down Uruti and left Page One heavily injured. 

The cost? Robin was completely drained and couldn’t move, and Denjiro’s arm was shattered, needing to be reattached. 

“That was one hell of a form!”  

Yoru grinned, praising the state Robin had just shown—a three-headed, six-armed warrior goddess, like an Asura! 

As for the rest of the battlefield… 

It was a mixed bag. 

Dogus and Caribou ganged up on Brook, Nami, Chopper, and Usopp. They didn’t rack up any major wins, but they hadn’t taken any real damage either. 

Overall… 

The tide of battle was heavily in the Lightning Pirates’ favor! 

“Why is the New Whitebeard Pirates teaming up with the Lightning Pirates?!”  

Nami was on the verge of a breakdown! 

Wasn’t Fire Fist Ace Luffy’s brother? So why was he siding with their enemies? 

And just standing there, watching Luffy get pummeled! 

Chapter 550: So What If I Hit Him?  

She was suddenly confused, unable to tell who was friend or foe. 

Everything was just too bizarre. 

Given the life-and-death bond between Luffy and Ace, shouldn’t Ace have stepped in to help Luffy in a crisis like this? So why was Ace standing by, doing nothing? 

Did that make any sense? 

No way! It made no sense at all! She even wondered if Ace had betrayed Luffy, no longer seeing him as a brother. 

How else could this be explained? 

“Lord Momonosuke, please, escape!” 

Kinemon, battered and bruised, stood protectively in front of Momonosuke, his face grim as he urged him to flee. 

“Reclaiming Wano seems impossible now, Lord Momonosuke. You must go, preserve yourself, so you can rise again another day.” 

But Momonosuke was paralyzed with fear. 

All he could do was sob, trembling in terror. 

“Kinemon, I… I… can’t…” 

Momonosuke was on the verge of breaking down. “I… I can’t move!” 

Just then… 

His voice turned shrill as he screamed, “Kinemon, run! The… the Lightning Killer… he’s here!!!” 

Behind him, Yoru appeared, his sly grin sending a chill through them like a plunge into icy depths. 

No one could stay calm in this man’s presence! He was just too strong. 

Even being near him, the overwhelming aura of dominance was suffocating. 

“Lightning Killer, I… I won’t let you… harm Lord Momonosuke!” 

Kinemon drew his sword, pointing it at Yoru with a fierce shout. 

But… 

His frail defense was almost laughable. 

Yoru smirked. In a flash, he vanished from Kinemon’s sight, reappearing beside Momonosuke. With a single slap, he sent Momonosuke flying. 

Smack! 

The sound echoed across the battlefield. A blood-red handprint marked Momonosuke’s face, several teeth knocked out as he crashed into the ship’s wall. 

He was barely conscious… 

Yoru turned to Kinemon, calm and composed. “So, I hurt him. What are you gonna do about it?” 

Yoru had no fondness for Kinemon or Momonosuke’s father, Kozuki Oden. 

And… 

They were trying to take his territory. 

Naturally… 

He wouldn’t hold back. 

“You bastard…” 

Kinemon roared in fury at Yoru’s arrogant words but didn’t dare make a move. 

In the face of such an overwhelming gap in strength, dignity meant nothing. 

Yoru looked at the enraged Kinemon and chuckled. “What else can you do besides get angry?” 

He scoffed, his tone dripping with contempt. “I admire your dream of taking back Wano, but come on, use your heads a little!” 

He gestured at the surrounding Wano soldiers. “With this measly force and the Straw Hat Pirates, you think you can reclaim Wano? Are you delusional?” 

“You haven’t even rallied all of Wano’s samurai. Wait a few years, gather them all, team up with a few more pirate crews—then your odds would be way better!” 

Yoru shook his head. “Do you really think so little of me, an Emperor of the Sea? Or do you actually believe you’re that strong?!”