Chapter 280 – The Power of the lasso of truth! (Subscribe, please!)
Eustass scrambled to his feet and looked into the distance.
Dozens of small boats rowed through the barrier, the soldiers aboard raising rifles to aim.
Atop the cliff,
the Amazon warriors of Themyscira, aided by Queen Hippolyta, nocked flaming arrows and loosed them at the intruders.
"Open fire!"
The officers on the boats shouted.
Just then,
a fierce aura swept from the shore toward the horizon.
Eustass unleashed Conqueror's Haki, crushing the soldiers in the boats.
"Bang-bang-bang…"
Before they could pull their triggers, the Haki knocked them cold; they slumped over the gunwales.
Arrows rained down, thudding into flesh.
Men were skewered without the slightest chance to fight back.
"What…?"
Queen Hippolyta stared in bewilderment—why had the enemy suddenly collapsed?
She shrugged it off and ordered the Amazons to keep shooting.
Meanwhile a warship burst through, cannons leveling toward Themyscira.
Eustass slipped a hand into his pocket and produced a tiny box.
Diana gaped at him.
He flipped it open: inside were a clutch of miniature objects.
nano armor and a nano core shrunk by Pym Particles, the black blade ama-no-habakiri and Yama Enma, and the magic sword gifted by Odin—all minuscule.
Eustass plucked out Odin's sword.
He had already turned ama-no-habakiri and Yama into black blades; could Odin's sword become a black sword as well?
He pressed the switch and the sword expanded to full size.
When he'd released his Conqueror's Haki moments ago, he hadn't spared Trevor—who now lay unconscious.
Trevor sprawled on the sand, out cold, unable to glimpse Eustass's Pym-tech.
Eustass trusted Trevor as far as he could throw him—the man was a spy.
A trustworthy spy? Pigs would climb trees first.
Spies and moles even keep secrets from their own; outsiders can expect even less.
Diana was stunned. What sorcery was this?
Eustass pocketed the box, wrapped Armament Hakiround the blade, and swept it at the warship.
A crescent of cyan light tore free, skimmed the sea, and sliced the vessel in two.
"Boom—!"
The slash hit the magazine; shells cooked off, fireballs blossomed, the hull listed and sank.
Men died either to the blade or the blast.
Survivors leapt overboard and swam frantically for shore before the whirlpool dragged them down.
Eustass swung again and again, arcs of cyan cutting down swimmers.
Diana, her divine power only newly awakened, watched slack-jawed.
He could project sword energy!
Hippolyta, arriving at the beach, was equally dumbstruck.
"This… is human?"
Ridiculous.
Eustass swept Observation Haki across the waves—every last foe was dead.
White Thread formed a scabbard across his back; he sheathed the sword.
"That weapon…"
Hippolyta stepped closer, sensing divine energy—yet not of the Greek pantheon.
Eustass glanced at the still-prone Trevor and nudged him with a boot.
"Agh—what? Did I get shot? Medic—I need a Doctor!"
Trevor bolted upright, patting himself for bullet holes.
"You're alive,"
Eustass said, turning to Diana and Hippolyta.
The queen nodded; the sword's divine aura curbed her hostility.
Then she barked an order: seize Trevor.
"Wait—what are you doing?"
Trevor backed away in alarm.
"He's with them!" Hippolyta roared.
Amazons have keen eyes; from afar they'd seen his uniform matched the invaders'.
"It's a misunderstanding—I can explain!"
Diana eyed him uncertainly.
"He's a spy,"
Eustass stated flatly.
"Right, I'm a spy,"
Trevor blurted—then paled.
"Kill him!"
Hippolyta commanded; spies could not be allowed to report Themyscira's secrets.
Trevor's face drained of color.
Eustass almost laughed—contemptible, but useful.
"Hold it," he said, "we still need him to find Ares."
"What?" Hippolyta frowned.
"Who are you, stranger? That blade bears a god's essence."
"Long story short: a gift from Odin."
She accepted it; no Greek gods remained save Ares—further questions were pointless.
"State your name, your origin, and why you trespass."
Her tone toward Trevor turned icy.
"Can't say,"
Trevor hedged… "Captain Steve Trevor, pilot, U.S. Expeditionary Force, serial 8141921…"
Minutes later,
an Amazon looped the lasso of truth round him and he spilled everything.
"Assigned to British Intelligence."
"What is this thing?" he yelped.
"The lasso of truth—it compels honesty,"
Diana explained.
"Feels hot."
"Not to me,"
Eustass said, having touched it and instantly wanted to confess—he jerked his hand away.
Trevor gulped.
"Mission details, war situation—talk,"
Eustass demanded.
"I won't…"
Trevor clenched his jaw, face scarlet.
Then the lasso wrenched every secret from his lips.
Chapter 281: Teaming Up with Diana to Smash Ares! (Subscribe Please!)
In short,
Dr. Poison was preparing to develop a biochemical weapon to turn the tide of the war.
Trevor, disguised as an enemy soldier, sneaked in and stole her research, then fled under pursuit.
He flew off in a plane, running the whole way.
But a World War I aircraft… you know how it is.
Open cockpit—couldn't climb very high to begin with.
Catching up to Trevor was child's play.
So the enemy chased him all the way here.
"If I can get these notes to Intelligence in time, I can save millions and—end this war."
Trevor said hurriedly.
"War? What war?"
Diana asked at once.
Eustass sat nearby; he knew exactly what Diana was thinking.
Where there is war, there is Ares.
Still, he found the notion… a rather convenient excuse.
If, in the Wonder Woman storyline, Diana had already killed Ares,
why did another World war break out later?
She was giving Ares way too much credit.
The guy had merely acted as a catalyst.
"That war is the one to end all wars,"
Trevor answered, staring at these women—did they know nothing of the outside World?
"A scrap among interest blocs that couldn't divide the spoils evenly,"
Eustass interjected.
Trevor nodded; that was spot-on.
As Trevor kept describing the carnage outside, Eustasswatched him coldly.
Trevor's own side was hardly innocent.
But Eustass saw no need to spell it out; once Diana left the island and saw things for herself, she'd understand.
Not long after,
Trevor was taken away and locked up.
Queen Hippolyta wanted a word with Eustass, but Dianacut in:
"Ares—Ares must be behind this war."
Eustass couldn't help laughing. Sure, sure—blame it all on Ares.
"What's funny?"
Diana asked, puzzled.
"Nothing I say right now will convince you. Go out and take a look—you'll see."
Eustass replied.
In the original plot, after the first movie Diana gave up trying to fix humanity.
Probably because of the wars that followed.
Ares was dead, yet the World kept tearing itself apart.
She must have been disappointed in humans for a while.
Only when the Justice League appeared did her view shift again.
"No! Absolutely no troops. We will not fight for them—I won't leave Themyscira defenseless!"
Queen Hippolyta snapped.
"It isn't about war. Humans are just, clever, strong, passionate—Zeus made them so—"
Diana said quickly.
"…"
Eustass, biting back laughter, cocked his head; he was about to lose it.
Humans run the full spectrum; you can't tar every good soul, yet you can't claim they're all saints either.
Thinking every human is evil is extreme; thinking every one is virtuous is equally wrong.
If all people were good, hatred wouldn't exist.
And horrors like the Warp's shoe-gods wouldn't breed outside the World.
Good and evil coexist in the human heart; heroes and villains differ only in whether they can leash the darkness inside.
"That's just a story!"
Hippolyta declared, turning to leave.
Eustass passed the cave where the Amazons held Trevor.
Trevor waved cheerfully at him.
Eustass smiled and released a swarm of White Thread, sealing the cave airtight.
Trevor: "…"
Evening.
Eustass was bathing in a cave pool; as he stepped out of the water,
Diana walked in.
Eustass waved; the ground morphed into a White Threadwall between them.
Diana had never seen a man; her naivety was understandable.
But he wasn't about to parade around like Trevor.
Without a sense of shame we're no better than Masira.
Once dressed, Eustass dismissed the thread.
"What can I do for you?"
He stepped closer and asked.
"…"
Diana lowered her head, smiling faintly.
"Looks like you're curious about me."
Eustass teased.
"Sorry; I've grown up surrounded only by women."
Diana said.
"Thank you for pulling me from the water."
"And for helping us against the outsiders."
They walked out together; the air turned awkward.
"Let me guess—you want to leave and stop Ares, end the war?"
Eustass asked.
"Yes."
Diana nodded. "I believe you'd make a strong ally."
"But your mother forbids it?"
"Exactly."
"Then will you come with me?"
"Of course."
Eustass studied her and nodded.
Diana looked at him, puzzled.
"I'm curious about you too."
With that, Eustass walked off smiling.
Diana flushed; her curiosity had merely been about what a man looked like.
She still knew the difference between men and women.
But his curiosity felt… different.
Still, she didn't mind.
"First, we find Trevor."
Eustass said.
"All right."
Diana agreed.
Soon after,
at the mouth of Trevor's cave,
Trevor studied the impossibly tough threads, fascinated.
In the next instant the threads dissolved.
"Let's move."
Eustass turned and left with Diana.
"Where to?"
Trevor asked, staring after them.
"To smash Ares."
Eustass replied.
Trevor was speechless—who was Ares?
At the cliff edge,
across the chasm lay the vault of the "Godkiller Weapon" weapon.
To slip past the Amazon guards and keep her mother from stopping her, Diana chose to jump.
She sprinted and leapt a distance that left Trevordumbstruck.
Diana barely caught the jutting stones. Eustass, using Moonwalk, flashed over, slipped an arm around her waist, and vaulted through the window with her.
Trevor's jaw dropped.
"Shoot, I must be dreaming!"
he blurted.
One jumped dozens of meters; the other walked on air.
There he stood, staring at the abyss, knees trembling.
"Thanks."
Inside the chamber,
Diana said gratefully as Eustass set her down.
"No problem."
He tossed her the lasso of truth and her shield.
They slipped from one room, leapt through a window, and landed in another below.
Diana lifted down the Godkiller Weapon blade.
Eustass eyed the battered sword; the real Godkiller Weapon was Diana herself, not this chipped piece of metal.
But she hadn't realized that yet.
Chapter 282 – Trevor: I Shouldn't Be on the Boat, I Should Be Under It! (Subscribe Please!)
Just like Eustass.
What he's truly strong in is Haki.
The weapons in his hands—be it ama-no-habakiri, Enma, or the longsword gifted by Odin—
aren't actually that important.
Given time, they'll all be forged into black blades by his overwhelming Haki.
Diana took up the sharp sword, paused in a room, and stared at the set of women's light armor.
Then she changed right into it… Bored, Trevor sat on the cliff; when he saw Eustass, arm around Diana's slender waist, strolling through the air from the window,
he couldn't shake the feeling he was completely superfluous. Eustass stepped over on Moonwalk and set Diana on the ground.
Diana now wore a beautiful, sexy set of light armor draped with a heavy fur cloak.
The three of them walked toward the island's edge, ready to row away.
The more Trevor looked at the two of them, the more redundant he felt… "Mate, are you even human?"
Trevor blurted out.
"You should be questioning yourself—maybe you're just too weak."
Eustass shot back.
Trevor was lost for words.
Eustass glanced at him; this was the guy who could trade barbs with Stark—little Trevor, laughable.
But the moment they reached the shore, Queen Hippolytaarrived on horseback with her warriors.
"I'm going, Mother!"
Diana said quickly. "Innocent people are dying; I can't stand by. If no one else will stand against Ares to protect the World, then I will—I must go!"
"I know—at least I know I can't stop you."
Queen Hippolyta dismounted and walked over. "There's still much you don't understand."
"I've figured it out: those people can't fight for themselves, so I'll fight for them—just like you once did."
Diana looked her mother dead in the eye.
"If you choose to leave here, you may never return."
"What good would staying do?"
Antiope strode up quickly. "This was meant for our greatest warrior; now I give it to you…"
Antiope took the ornament from her helmet and presented it to Diana.
"In the World of humans, be careful."
Queen Hippolyta said, glancing at Trevor.
Trevor: "???"
He was innocent! The one she should worry about is Eustass!
Why did the queen have it in for him from the start, yet show no bias toward Eustass at all?
"Don't worry, I'll protect her from now on."
Eustass told Queen Hippolyta.
"Thank you; she's in your hands."
With that, the queen gave Eustass a slight bow.
Eustass patted Diana's shoulder, and the two turned together toward the small boat.
Trevor felt like crying.
Queen Hippolyta treated him like a villain on guard, yet entrusted her daughter to Eustass.
Such blatant favoritism?
The sailboat set off, gradually leaving the barrier of Themyscira; mist closed in on every side.
Diana gripped a rope, gazing back at the island.
"All right, rest for a bit first."
Eustass patted her shoulder.
"Mm…"
Still lost in the sorrow of leaving home, Diana gave a small nod.
But she was strong; even knowing the barrier would seal all presence and she might never come back, she wouldn't show a trace of sadness.
"Hey, someone come give me a hand!"
Trevor called from the stern, coiling rope.
"I'll do it."
Eustass walked over; after all, he'd lived so long in the Pirate King World and knew sailboats inside out~
You used to be a fisherman?"
Trevor exclaimed, watching Eustass deftly adjust the sail.
"You must've been a farmer—so clumsy."
Eustass quipped back.
"By the way, how long till we reach the battlefield?"
Diana came beside Eustass and asked curiously.
"Battlefield? Which one do you mean?"
Trevor asked, puzzled.
"Take us to where the fighting is fiercest."
Diana sat down, covering her legs with the black-fur cloak, legs crossed. "Once you get us there, I'll definitely find Ares."
"Ares—that god of war?"
Trevor almost laughed; he didn't believe Ares existed at all.
"Yes. Stopping Ares is the duty of us Amazons; with this I can kill him, and the war will end."
Diana said innocently, holding up her sword.
Eustass sat to one side.
Trevor looked at the sword in Diana's hand, recalling the rumor that Eustass had once split a warship with a blade.
"Can you swing your sword and—whoosh-whoosh—send out something to sink ships? You know, those crescent, glowing things?"
Trevor, not knowing the term Slash Wave, struggled to describe it.
"Slash Wave."
Eustass supplied.
"Right, Slash Wave."
Trevor nodded.
"Uh…"
Diana was stunned.
She'd accidentally tapped into her divine power before, but later couldn't do it again… Producing a Slash Wavelike Eustass was beyond her.
"I can't."
Diana admitted awkwardly.
"But I have the Godkiller Weapon; I believe I can finish Ares."
She quickly added, glancing at Eustass—she still had such a powerful teammate.
"Ding-ding-dang~"
Eustass flicked the blade with a finger.
"Hey, don't touch it; you'll hurt yourself."
Diana hurriedly sheathed the sword, afraid Eustass might get injured.
This sailboat was German.
Eustass rummaged around and found a gun.
Then, right in front of Diana and Trevor, he twisted the barrel into a pretzel.
"The Godkiller Weapon and human weapons aren't in the same league,"
Diana said hastily.
Eustass tapped the hilt of her sword—and left a small dent with his thumb.
"Pfft—"
Trevor couldn't hold it in; he collapsed on deck, roaring with laughter.
Diana stared, dumbstruck.
She looked blankly at Eustass.
She was tough; normally she wouldn't cry.
Unless she really couldn't help it.
Diana despaired—the Godkiller Weapon could actually be bent.
"Still don't see the real problem?"
Eustass asked her.
"What?"
Diana looked at him, puzzled.
"What's powerful isn't something outside you."
Eustass said.
Diana gazed at him, puzzled—but she would understand someday.
The Godkiller Weapon was herself.
"But I believe once Ares is stopped, those warring people will be freed from his spell and become good."
Diana said naively.
Eustass and Trevor exchanged a look; both burst out laughing.
This was probably the most chuuni, most innocent moment since Diana had debuted.
"All right~!"
Trevor said, walking aside to tidy up, spreading packs and cloth pads across the deck.
"What are you doing?"
Diana asked curiously.
"Uh… resting."
Trevor answered, helpless.
"Three people, looks like it won't be enough space."
Diana remarked.
Trevor glanced awkwardly at Eustass—surely he wouldn't have to give up his spot?
The next instant,
Eustass snapped his fingers.
Countless White Threads surged out, weaving a fluffy rest-pad on the deck behind him and Diana, then a wind-shielding fluff-structure and a fluff-blanket.
"Whoa~"
The two stared, stunned.
Chapter 283: Strolling Through the Fog-City with Zeus's Daughter! (Please Subscribe!)
Trevor watched Eustass and Diana climb in together, the two of them sharing a single wool blanket.
Fine—he was the spare wheel.
He didn't dare suggest squeezing in.
Eustass had clearly taken a dislike to him from the start; Trevor wasn't about to court trouble.
"Sigh…""
Lying atop a bundle of luggage, Trevor felt the sea breeze and hugged himself for warmth.
"Damn, I really envy that guy…"
He stared at Eustass, thinking.
Of course, it stayed a thought.
He'd never act on it.
Plenty of Westerners in Trevor's day were still conservative.
Besides, a Fluffy Creation lay between Eustass and Diana, so he wasn't taking advantage of her innocence.
"But what kind of power is that?"
Trevor was dying of curiosity.
Yet when he recalled Diana and Eustass's monstrous strength, he relaxed.
After all, those two clearly weren't ordinary folk.
"Why put something between us?"
Diana rolled onto her side, propped her head on her hand, and stared at Eustass in puzzlement.
"Pfft—"
At the far end of the boat Trevor couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Because, for a man and woman who aren't… involved, sleeping together is immoral."
Eustass sighed; he knew the morals of this era differed from the future.
He did fancy Diana, but he wouldn't exploit her naïveté—at the very least they needed a barrier. "What do you mean, 'involved'?"
Diana asked, puzzled.
Eustass glanced at her—how on earth to explain?"Marriage,"
Trevor called from the far end.
"If I don't marry you, we can't sleep together?"
Diana asked, tilting her head.
"Marriage is just a formality; only people who love each other can… well…"
Eustass began.
"What is love?"
Diana asked, eyes bright with curiosity.
"…"
Eustass was speechless—how to answer that?
He wasn't sure he knew himself.
"…"
Trevor had no words either; he couldn't help Eustass now.
"Anyway, getting too close invites trouble."
Eustass concluded.
"Pfft—"
Trevor snorted a laugh—true enough.
Eustass glanced at Diana and sighed.
He was a skirt-chaser, sure.
But he wouldn't take advantage while she was clueless about men and women.
Yet saying she was clueless wasn't quite right.
She knew a little—just not much… So was she doing it on purpose, or simply that innocent?
Eustass whispered something in Diana's ear; she stared at him in surprise.
"Really?"
"Really."
"That's wonderful!"
Lying at the far end, Trevor cursed himself for meddling—so jealous… What had they said?
He burned with curiosity.
Several days later.
Early morning.
Eustass woke to the sound of a cruise-ship whistle.
Diana had, once again, crossed the boundary line.
He rolled her back, lifting her arm off his chest.
"Are we there?"
Diana blinked awake, looked up at him, and smiled.
"Yeah. The Fog-City—London—has arrived."
Eustass nodded, gazing at the forest of Chimneys belching Black Smoke skyward.
The whole sky was gray; the Canal water filthy.
"Welcome to London, you two,"
Trevor said brightly.
"It's so dirty,"
Diana said with disgust.
"The air's thick with industrial fumes; live here long and you'll die young,"
Eustass remarked.
"True—but there's money to be made, right?"
Trevor grinned.
Eustass sighed, too lazy to retort.
Reality: the profits went to the few, the fallout to the masses.
He thought of the Pirate King's White Town, Flevance.
The royal and noble families had known a century ago that mining the lead there was toxic.
Yet for profit they kept the danger secret and continued extraction.
When Flevance perished, they fled with the money.
A familiar tale.
Countless Chimneys around them spewed endless Black Smoke that drifted and turned ashen-gray.
The "fog" of the Fog-City wasn't natural mist—it was this exhaust.
The sailboat docked.
Eustass snapped his fingers; multicolored threads flew onto Diana, weaving into a full outfit.
No help for it—even with her black cloak, gaps had let the wind through. "What's wrong?"
Diana asked, puzzled.
"This isn't Themyscira. Watch the women on the streets and you'll see."
Eustass said.
"Right—otherwise people might think… well, it won't reflect well on you."
Trevor added.
In a later era Eustass wouldn't care.
But this was early days; the West remained conservative.
"All right."
Diana nodded and followed him ashore.
An antique car rattled up, honking.
Eustass slipped an arm around Diana's slender waist and guided her clear.
"That's a car—an invention that will one day make travel easy."
he explained.
"And now?"
Diana asked, bemused.
"War,"
Eustass answered simply.
"Exactly—cars aren't for ordinary folk,"
Trevor put in.
On the roadside several Officers turned their heads.
"What a beauty."
Eustass glanced back and released just a wisp of Haoshoku.
The Officers' minds reeled; they toppled backward into the Stinking Ditch.
"That was…?"
Diana looked up at him in surprise.
"My ability—it can intimidate anyone weaker than me."
Eustass said.
"Anyone?"
Diana was stunned.
"Within range,"
he confirmed.
"Is it magic? Can I learn it?"
Diana asked eagerly.
She rather liked the idea of merely stunning foes instead of harming humans.
"No—it's bloodline-based, and awakening it is a matter of chance."
Eustass shook his head. Strictly speaking, Haki belonged only to the Pirate World's people; for outsiders it counted as a hereditary gift.
Still, she could bear him a child who would inherit Haki… "Trevor,"
Eustass released Diana and called.
"What is it?"
Trevor hurried over.
"Help Diana and me cover our tracks—forge some IDs if possible."
Eustass said.
"Why?"
Trevor asked, puzzled.
"Because to you people, our origins are as mysterious as each other's."
Eustass replied.
"Will do."
Chapter 284 – Shopping with Wonder Woman! Two Hundred Outfits—Ridiculous! (Subscribe Please!)
"What are they doing?"
Diana watched a man and woman walk past, puzzled.
The pair strolled hand-in-hand, chatting and laughing.
"They're a couple—it means they're going to marry."
Trevor explained.
"I see."
Diana nodded and secretly took Eustass's hand.
Eustass glanced at her but didn't pull away.
Since Diana understood, there was no point in being coy.
Either way, he came out ahead.
"How about I take you two shopping? Honestly, the way you're dressed…"
Trevor turned his head as he spoke.
He caught sight of Eustass and Diana's joined hands.
He really shouldn't have looked back.
A faceful of PDA!
Truth be told, he hadn't needed rations these past few days at sea.
Dog-food alone had kept him stuffed.
"We don't fit the times?"
Eustass asked, eyeing his own clothes—definitely out of step with 1918 fashion.
"YES~!"
Trevor clapped and nodded.
Eustass's outfit was way too futuristic.
And the layer he'd woven for Diana looked equally ahead of its time.
It stood out like a beacon.
"I think it's perfect—soft, comfy, and it lets me move freely. Great for combat."
Diana protested, tugging the fabric; Eustass's threadwork really was amazing.
"Waaah~!"
Not far off,
a woman cradled a wailing infant.
"Oh, baby~!"
Diana's heart melted; she dragged Eustass over, desperate to hold the child.
"Don't scare them—people here are wary of strangers."
Eustass pulled the reluctant Diana away.
Who'd have guessed Wonder Woman could be this adorable?
The mother kept soothing her baby, eyeing the unfamiliar woman warily.
She shielded the infant with her arm.
"That one wasn't sculpted from clay."
Eustass teased.
"I—I know."
Diana nodded vigorously, still craning for another glimpse of the cute human cub.
"Then the two of you should just make one of your own."
Trevor joked.
Diana sneaked a look at Eustass.
A tiny spark of hope flickered.
A short while later,
a petite, plump secretary in a bowler hat—cute Londonaccent—came running.
She hugged Trevor, thrilled, certain he'd died.
"Whoa…"
The secretary craned up at Eustass—over two metres of Easterner was absurd in 1918, eye-catching anywhere.
"Allow me—Etta Candy."
She flashed a professional smile at Eustass and Diana. "I'm Steve Trevor's secretary."
"What is a secretary?"
Diana asked, puzzled.
She spoke hundreds of tongues, yet outside-World basics eluded her.
"Assistant, aide, second-in-command—same idea."
Eustass supplied.
"Exactly."
Etta nodded brightly.
"Oh…"
Diana stared. "Back home we call that a slave."
"You read my mind."
Etta agreed.
"What kind of hell-tier take is that?"
Eustass face-palmed.
Though… she had a point; Trevor shot Eustass an apologetic shrug.
Even he found the logic wild.
"Ladies and gents—time to move. Ladies first."
Trevor announced.
Eustass led Diana off.
"Still, the pay's excellent…"
Ms Etta trailed behind, muttering nonstop.
Her charming clipped accent really was delightful.
"Is this your country's armour?"
Diana tugged Eustass toward a Corset display.
Such beautiful armour, she thought.
"Armour? Uh…"
Etta blinked. "It's fashionable wear—cinches the waist, makes you prettier."
"Some think the tinier the waist the better, to a freakish degree.
No need—just crushes your organs."
Eustass said.
Etta stared—she'd never thought of it that way.
"How about this one?"
Etta felt the pair were seriously odd.
Their clothes didn't match London's crowds,
and their talk was stranger still.
"Alright, I'll try it…"
Knowing nothing, Diana began peeling off the coat Eustass had woven.
Eustass quickly pressed her hands back.
"Not here—this isn't an all-women place."
he warned.
Diana looked at him, puzzled.
He whispered in her ear; she smiled and nodded.
Etta exhaled—Diana was a sheltered little princess, naive about everything.
Diana took the clothes, let Eustass escort her to the fitting booth.
He was about to let go and draw the curtain,
but she tugged him again.
"Change by yourself…"
Eustass said, eyebrow twitching.
He liked Diana, but this was rushing it. "Fine…"
Diana nodded and closed the curtain.
"What did you say to her? Worked like magic."
Etta eyed him.
Trevor snickered.
"I'd get jealous."
Eustass answered bluntly.
Etta was speechless.
"By the way, what'd you whisper earlier?"
Trevor asked, curious.
"You sure you want to know?"
Eustass raised a fist.
Trevor, thinking it was something risqué, laughed and let it drop.
Eustass grinned; it'd been perfectly innocent—he'd told Diana he had a way to get her home.
He'd dropped a Nano-Drone near Themyscira—Arc Reactor Core-powered, solar-boosted.
His company in the Marvel Universe had plenty of black-tech toys.
The bot would feed them location data for ages.
Eustass was lost in thought.
Diana emerged in a heavy purple gown, layers of skirt trailing.
Far too formal.
First time in heels, she steadied herself, stepped to the mirror.
She grabbed the bulky skirt, about to hop sideways.
Eustass lunged and pinned the dress down.
No jumping—wrong era! He wrapped an arm around her.
"Gorgeous, but useless in a fight."
Diana looked up. "Do you like it?"
"Lovely—let's try another."
Eustass sighed; the image of Diana charging enemies in a cumbersome ball-gown was pure absurdity.
In the end she tried more than two hundred outfits.
Still couldn't decide on a style.
Eustass watched, unfazed.
He was used to shopping with women.
Chapter 285 – Ares Just Popped Out on His Own!?
In the end, Diana chose a rather inconspicuous outfit.
Still, with her beauty and figure, anything looked stunning.
Eustass led her into the fitting room and pulled the curtain shut.
Diana looked down at Eustass, a little shy.
Eustass took the sword and shield from her hands and produced his Pym Technologies containment box.
Pym Particles shrank the sword and shield, then stored them—along with Eustass's own blade—inside the box.
"..."
Diana had thought he might try something, but he was simply stowing her weapons.
She turned her head, cheeks flushed.
They stepped out together; Eustass had also picked a contemporary suit. Trevor and Ms. Etta hurried them away.
Outside, Trevor scanned the street.
A man reading a newspaper on the corner, two others chatting across the way.
Yet all of them kept glancing over.
Trevor knew—enemy Agents.
"Move."
He quickened his pace at once.
Ms. Etta was only a courier; aware she'd only be in the way, she split off immediately.
Eustass held Diana's hand as they followed close behind Trevor.
Eustass and Diana couldn't scour the entire battlefield like headless chickens looking for Ares.
The front was vast; even with constant Observation Haki, Eustass might not locate the god faster than the original plot.
Trevor's Military, however, could supply intelligence.
He'd crossed over so long ago. Wonder Woman's biggest draw had been Diana herself; who played Ares mattered as much as some random cat or dog—he'd never cared.
He'd long since forgotten those cats, dogs, and Ares!
They trailed Trevor into an alley. The moment he rounded the corner, a revolver poked out and pressed against his head.
"Captain Trevor, I believe you're carrying something that belongs to General Ludendorff."
A short, stout Agent stepped from behind the bend.
Black bowler, grey overcoat, leather gloves, gun trained on Trevor as he circled him.
Three more Agents appeared fore and aft, revolvers aimed at Eustass and Diana.
"Hand over Dr. Maru's property!"
the fat Agent barked.
"I left it right—"
Trevor began to reach inside his coat, but Eustassstopped him.
Eustass read Trevor's intent in a glance.
Trevor the genius.
He planned to use the pretense of retrieving the item to ambush the nearest Agent—the fat one—
and figure out the rest afterwards.
But without Eustass and Diana beside him, that move would be suicide.
Back in the day, in America, the moment he reached for anything they'd have emptied the clip.
"It's on me, gentlemen. Best come search for yourselves; if I go for a gun things could get messy, agreed?"
Eustass joked; the four Agents nodded, finding the Oriental's logic sound.
What a decent fellow~
All four closed in.
Next instant—
Eustass used Soru, stomping the ground dozens of times in a heartbeat, vanishing and re-appearing before the fat Agent. A White Thread dagger formed in his hand and plunged straight through the man's heart.
"Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!"
Three more Soru steps left whirlwinds of dust spinning in his wake.
The remaining three Agents dropped in rapid succession.
"Thud-thud-thud!"
All three hit the ground.
Eustass re-emerged, the White Thread dagger gone.
He brushed down his coat and looked around.
His hat had blown off during the burst of speed.
Diana caught it.
She hurried over, rising on tiptoes while Eustass bent; she set the hat back in place and neatened his coat.
"My God..."
Trevor spun in shock; he'd barely blinked before Eustasshad swish-swish-swish-swish eliminated the four enemies.
Was the guy even human?
Strictly speaking, people from the Pirate World might not be the same species as elsewhere... Moonwalk, Soru—can ordinary humans really master those?
Fail to learn Rokushiki and you'll wreck yourself before you succeed.
"Why kill them? I still wanted to ask about Ares."
Diana pulled the lasso of truth from her coat with a sigh.
"They wouldn't have told you."
Eustass crouched, pried open a corpse's mouth and pointed. "Look—back molars, poison capsules."
"Right. They'd bite and die before revealing a thing."
Trevor nodded.
"Damn it."
Diana stamped in frustration.
Not long after—
Eustass and Diana followed Trevor to the Militaryconference site.
Trevor went inside.
Eustass waited outside with Diana; he couldn't be bothered sparring with a roomful of arrogant brass.
Just by looking, the top brass would take an instant dislike to them.
Diana was a woman.
That room would never allow a woman into such a seat of power.
Recall Agent Carter's treatment when S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded.
As for Eustass—
An Oriental... if they mouthed off, he wouldn't mind sending the lot of them westward.
Soon—
Trevor emerged with a white-haired general.
The old man glanced at Diana and Eustass in clear disgust.
"What's wrong with his eyes? Always rolling them?"
Diana muttered.
Trevor panicked, shaking his head frantically at them.
"Looks like a serious illness—probably terminal, couple of years left at best."
Eustass shot back with a grin.
Sensing the approaching figure with Observation Haki, Eustass decided Trevor and his backers had outlived their usefulness—
because Ares had just popped out on his own... seriously, how ridiculous!
Eustass was floored—was this the fabled "all bark, no bite"?
"Highly impolite, madam, and you, sir—somewhat... oversized."
the general barked, craning at Eustass.
"A Beast in a gentleman's coat, silk hat, and cane, bowing politely—doesn't that strike you as downright clownish, Mr. Bandit?"
Eustass replied, smiling.
Chapter 286 – Ares: Only a God Can Kill a God! (Subscribe Please!)
"Captain Trevor!"
"I heard you died on a mission. Never thought you'd come back from the dead—and with two friends in tow."
At that very moment,
a gentleman strolled over and interrupted the conversation.
The General heard the familiar voice, quickly turned and bowed, his tone instantly softening:
"Sorry to disturb your conversation, Sir."
The difference in attitude and posture showed just how lofty the newcomer's status was.
"No, no, no—no need."
The gentleman smiled, then looked at Eustass and Diana. "I imagine the two friends who saved Captain Trevormust be rather interesting."
"Sir Patrick Morgan, at your service."
Patrick smiled at the pair.
Morgan… Ares… Eustass's mouth twitched; he had a hunch the writers were trying to say something.
"Eustass Mola; this is Diana Prince."
No point starting a fight here, Eustass thought—he'd probe whether this guy really was Ares later.
After all, he'd only sensed an exceptionally powerful aura from the man.
"Oh."
Sir Patrick nodded, lost in thought.
"A familiar surname, that."
Eustass watched Patrick with a smile; his Observation Haki could feel emotions, and just now, when Patrick heard Diana's full name, the Baron's mood had flickered.
"Indeed it is."
Baron Patrick gave a genial nod. "We'll meet again shortly."
Baron Patrick walked off.
"Shall we speak in private?"
The General smiled; seeing the Baron's cordial attitude toward the pair, his own manner did an instant U-turn.
"See you later—we have other business."
With that, Eustass took the bewildered Diana by the hand and headed out.
"Hey, where are you two going?"
Trevor called after them, worried.
"Catch you later."
Eustass waved and left with Diana.
Trevor stared in confusion at the biochemical-weapons notebook of Dr. Maru in his hand, a bad feeling rising.
He still hadn't handed the notebook to Baron Patrick, who had hurried off.
Out on the street,
Baron Patrick climbed into a car that slowly pulled away.
He folded his hands on his lap, eyes closed, brows knit in puzzlement.
'He's seen through me? Impossible—he's only human…'
'Or has my sister found me? No, judging by her look, Paradise Island's kept her sheltered—naïve, ridiculous; she can't sense me yet.'
'What is this unease…?'
For the first time in eons, Sir Patrick felt a stirring of anxiety while toying with mortals.
Normally he played them like puppets—effortless, risk-free.
Now, aside from himself, only his half-sister remained of Earth's gods; the rest were extinct.
Ares couldn't tell who was causing this disquiet.
Could anyone on Earth still threaten him?
Back at the manor outside the city,
Ares stepped from the car into the garden, looked up at the thick industrial smog overhead, and smiled.
"Humans always reap what they sow; even without my help they'd make the same mistakes."
Having mocked them, Ares comfortably accepted the conclusion that humanity deserved extinction, and walked into the Villa.
Meanwhile,
a mortal was escorting a demigod, racing here to wipe Ares out.
Night fell.
The more exhausted daytime Londoners were, the rowdier the bars became at night.
Baron Patrick planned to drop by a bar, find Baron Trevor, and exploit Diana's innocence to deceive her.
He'd pay to send Diana, Eustass, and Trevor to the front, chasing a nonexistent Ares.
Or make them think General Ludendorff was Ares.
Mainly he wanted the naïve Diana to witness the cruelty of human war.
Perhaps, with a bit more brainwashing, she'd turn dark.
At the thought, Baron Patrick laughed in delight.
Playing with hearts, fooling his foolish sister—so amusing.
"Still, that Eustass is an eyesore; the man's far too sharp. Best dispose of the human early."
"Watching mortals slaughter each other—delightful, delightful~"
With that, Ares took up his cane, twirled it, set on his black top-hat, and smiled.
Ares felt Eustass had been right about one thing.
Some people are Beasts in tailored suits, tipping their hats and bowing with a cane.
"Ridiculous, isn't it?"
Ares chuckled.
He was Ares wrapped in the skin of Patrick.
The door had just opened—
—when Ares's smile froze.
Towering Eustass and armor-clad Diana stood outside, blades ready, eyes locked on him.
"Good evening. How may I be of service?"
Ares greeted them with a slight bow.
"We're here to kill you, Ares."
Eustass said coldly.
Ares sighed; he'd just been planning to kill Eustass, and now the man had come to kill him first.
"You can't kill me, human—only a god can kill a god."
Ares sneered.
Eustass looked at him as if he were an idiot.
So-called gods were just a race stronger than humans; if he was stronger, one slash to the neck and a god still died.
"Diana, by now you surely know who I am."
Ignoring Eustass, Ares removed his hat.
"Ares."
Diana answered coldly.
She hadn't believed Eustass at first,
but standing before Ares and hearing his words in the house, no further proof was needed.
"Humans aren't worth saving; they deserve only destruction."
Ares hastened to tempt her.
"Nonsense!"
Diana shot back; she hadn't seen much of the outside world and still held a rosy view of humanity.
She simply thought some people had been misled by Ares.
"Humans have always been and always will be weak, cruel, selfish—
capable of the most terrible things."
As he spoke, Diana lunged with her sword to cleave him apart,
but Ares vanished instantly.
"I wanted the gods to see how evil my father's creations were,"
his voice came from behind Eustass, hand reaching to slay the human,
but in the next instant—
—Eustass spun and punched.
Ares's eyes widened, his face warped by the blow as he was sent flying.
Ares's pupils shrank, his head took the hit, features distorted, and he crashed away.
Ares's pupils shrank, his head took the hit, features distorted, and he crashed away.
Chapter 287 – 287. A God Gets a Human Beating! (Subscribe!)
Ares slammed into the distance, smashing half the manor's furnishings before crashing into the wall.
"This…?"
Ares stared at the distant Eustass, dumbstruck.
Is he really human?
Ares began to doubt.
Eustass sprinted over and brought his sword down in a single slash.
Ares dodged in a blink, vanishing and reappearing in front of Diana.
"I am Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta. I have come to finish her—"
Diana summoned her courage, raised her sword, and swung at Ares.
Ares regarded his sister coldly and lifted his left hand.
The blade met his palm and shattered, inch by inch, the Godkiller Weapon crumbling in a burst of flame.
"The Godkiller Weapon!?"
Diana gaped at the ruined sword—only the hilt remained, the rest reduced to ash.
"My dear sister, this—"
"Agh!"
A figure shot in and kicked Ares in the head.
Before Ares could finish, he was sent flying with a scream.
"Diana, the Godkiller isn't that sword—it's you."
Eustass stood beside her and spoke.
In the distance—
Ares, having flipped a parked car, had one word on his mind: shit.
The man held a sword, yet threw fists and kicks.
Was he being mocked?
"He's right, Diana. You are the Godkiller."
Ares rose slowly. "Daughter of Zeus and the Amazon queen, you alone can end me."
A white-threaded whip flashed from Eustass's hand, lashing Ares and hurling him away screaming.
"So I can't kill you? That really stings."
Ares lay prone, glaring resentfully. Of course the man knew—he just wanted an excuse to hit him again.
Despicable human!
Diana was stunned. She was the weapon?
She was the child of Zeus and her mother—not clay?
For a moment she couldn't accept it.
"I am not the god of war, Diana. I am the god of truth."
Ares spoke.
"You lie!"
Diana flung her lasso of truth toward him.
"No, that is the truth."
Ares let the golden rope bind him, calm. "Humans took this World from us…"
He channeled lightning through the lasso, trying to sway Diana.
Eustass watched the ploy with detached interest.
The lasso of truth did not guarantee truth.
Not when the foe—Ares—was stronger than Diana.
Every trick relied on power.
In the Pirate World, a Devil Fruit might seem broken, but if the target's Haki surpassed the user's, the effect fizzled—or did nothing.
Eustass himself had touched Diana's lasso several times.
Yet he could hold back secrets.
Because he was strong enough.
Still, he didn't stop Ares.
If Diana could be swayed, she wouldn't be Diana.
"Day by day they ruin it, and I—the only god who sees—stand powerless. For ages I fought alone."
"I whispered, inspired them: poisons, weapons."
"But I never forced them; they chose war themselves."
"All I did was draft a peace treaty they would never keep."
"I nudged them toward self-destruction, yet it was never enough—until you arrived."
"At first I meant to destroy you."
"But if you could see what the gods could not, then you would stand with me."
Ares's whispers circled Diana; her guard slowly lowered.
In the next instant—
her surroundings shifted into a scorched battlefield.
Eustass grasped the lasso.
Ares's psychic force surged along the rope toward Diana—and now toward Eustass.
The instant it touched him, it rebounded, hurled back by a far fiercer will.
To Eustass, Observation Haki was simply another form of spirit.
His spirit was too strong; Ares could not touch it.
Ares clutched his head, feeling as though it had met a hammer.
"Then we must be enemies…"
He had barely spoken when Eustass vanished.
"Damn—he's really an Earthling?"
Ares cursed.
A foot appeared from thin air, planting itself in his face and sending him sprawling.
"Foolish human, your crude style is an insult!"
With a wave of his hand the manor shattered; walls lifted and hurled toward Eustass.
Diana rushed to help, but Ares summoned a gale that flung her back.
"Oh, dear, you still have much to learn."
Ares gloated.
Diana tried to snare him with the lasso, yet the wind kept it from reaching.
"Your human lover will age and die, dear sister. You and he are doomed."
Ares sneered at Eustass.
His earlier pummeling had been sheer carelessness.
Who could guess that among fragile humans there now stood one so absurdly strong?
Eustass strode toward him; Ares smiled—no one could run against that wind.
Then—
Eustass vanished.
Ares's grin froze.
He guessed a kick was coming and shot skyward, sneering.
"Petty human, nothing but—argh!"
Eustass used Razor, arcing skyward in a blur to plant another foot in Ares's face.
Ares crashed into the mud outside.
On all fours he glared up at the man hovering via Moonwalk.
Which of us is the god here!?
Ares roared!
Chapter 288: Diana Awakens Her Divine Power! (Subscribe Please!)
"You're strong, but I'm stronger!'
Ares declared, drifting into the air; with a sweep of his arms the Earth split open beneath him.
Countless chunks of rubble shot toward Eustass and Diana.
Eustass flicked a hand: a nearby tree turned into White Thread, and the ground it rooted in followed suit, dissolving into endless strands.
The White Threads sprang up, piercing every incoming stone.
"You're definitely not human!'
Ares roared, "Who exactly are you?'
Eustass couldn't be bothered to answer.
Who else could he be, if not himself?
Ares's foster father, perhaps?
He didn't want such a Disobedient Son.
Watching Ares hover, Diana tried it herself; she hopped and found herself floating too.
"So much chatter.'
With those words Haoshoku Haki cloaked Eustass's blade, and he slashed at Ares.
Boom—!
Ares leapt aside, glancing back.
The ground had been cleaved in two.
He stared at Eustass in shock—this guy… definitely isn't an Earth native!
In the next instant.
Eustass flashed in front of Ares and kicked him in the face.
Ares: "!!!'
He had a motherf* he wasn't sure he should voice.
The man carries a sword yet insists on kicking him!
It's pure humiliation!
"Let me see what sort of monster you are!'
Ares crashed to the ground; with a wave the Estate's cars exploded apart and antique swords came flying.
The steel reshaped, wrapping around him to form armor and a face-plate.
Dual blades in hand, Ares hacked at Eustass.
Eustass swung once, twice—Ares's swords snapped.
Eustass kicked again; Ares tried to dodge, but Top-tier Observation Haki foresaw it—boot met face.
I predicted your prediction!
Ares tumbled far, his visor caved in.
He gestured, the visor repaired, and broken blades fused into a chain that lashed toward Eustass.
Ares whipped the chain at him.
Still copying Ares's flight, Diana landed awkwardly and sprinted over.
In the distance.
Eustass caught the chain one-handed; White Threads shot along it, binding Ares's arms.
Ares paled, struggling in vain—Armament-clad threads held firm.
Eustass sneered, yanked the chain, and began to swing.
The chain clattered, whipping round and round.
Ares, arms trapped, was dragged in circles and slammed repeatedly into the ground.
Craters erupted, trees toppled, walls collapsed, debris flew.
"Damn—this guy's strength is insane!'
Ares thought, stunned.
Eustass kept swinging; Ares had no chance to retaliate.
A god himself, beaten black-and-blue by a mere human—utterly crushed.
He summoned every scrap of metal on the Estate, fusing it into a massive Steel Plate that rocketed toward Eustass.
Boom!
A thunderous crash.
The plate wrapped around Eustass and crashed to the ground.
Freed, Areadied to finish him.
Eustass rose, glanced at the steel pinning his arms, and grinned.
Screech—
Boom!
Armament Haki sheathed his arms; the steel shattered.
More scrap flew, forming a long blade in Ares's grip; he leapt and stabbed at Eustass.
Eustass watched the blade snap against his body, bemused.
This is a god?
Feels… pretty mediocre.
Ares was equally stunned—this guy's human?
Hell, his sword couldn't even break skin!
"NO!'
Diana, facing away, didn't notice.
She thought Eustass had been blindsided.
Golden light burst from her; a shock-blast sent dust and wind howling outward.
Diana lifted her head, eyes blazing at Ares.
In the next instant.
Diana vanished.
Bang!
She zipped to Eustass's side and punched Ares flying.
His visor shattered; his face twisted again.
Diana glanced back, grief-struck, then froze, brain crashing.
"What's on your mind?'
Eustass asked, puzzled.
A toy blade trying to pierce him?
Ares must be dreaming.
"N-nothing…'
Diana looked down: metal shards littered the ground.
Just like when she'd swung her own dull sword—Areswas no match for Eustass.
"You—'
As Ares stood, Diana whirled, stepped, leaned, and slammed her Bracers together.
The gauntlets collided.
In the next instant.
Brilliant gold lit the night; power erupted from her arms and blasted Ares away.
Ares:???
He hadn't even spoken yet!
Or launched an attack.
Ares wept—probably the unluckiest Boss alive.
His Dear Sister ran off with an outsider and now helps beat him up, never even letting him finish a threat.
A classic Couple's Tag-Team?
"Hey, Diana, humans really aren't worth your protection!'
Ares shouted coldly.
Lightning crackled as he hurled a spear of electricity at her.
Eustass thrust a palm; Armament Haki burst outward, forming a barrier that scattered the bolt.
The lightning split into blue serpents that writhed and faded.
"Ares, you don't understand humanity.'
Eustass said coldly.
Humans hold both good and evil; the heart carries both kindness and cruelty.
What matters is the choice they make.
Eustass had always felt Marvel and DC diverged here.
Marvel, perhaps less dark, uses heroes like Spider-Man to preach kindness—often too bright, even fake.
DC leans darker, yet prefers to explore human nature.
"I don't understand? Ages have shown me exactly what they are!'
Ares roared.
"You really don't.'
Eustass replied, advancing; Diana kept pace.
Eustass had crossed many worlds—unity alone curbed most wars.
All Ares ever did was sow chaos.
In short, the man was full of lies.
He never sought peace for humanity, never even looked for a way—humans were mere pieces for his amusement while he watched them fight.
Chapter 289 – 289: Killing Ares! Diana: Do You Like Boys or Girls? (Subscribe!)
"It's not a question of whether it's worth it."
Diana followed Eustass toward Ares, tilting her head to glance at him.
She really was too naïve and didn't know much about the outside World.
But she felt some things shouldn't be judged so hastily.
If you don't understand humans, what right do you have to judge them?
Eustass stared at Ares with loathing; the man spouted grand excuses to wipe out humanity.
Disgusting.
Ares hurriedly raised his hands to the sky; blazing lightning crashed down, serpents of thunder coiling around him, ready to destroy everything.
In the next instant—
He hurled the pillar of lightning straight at Diana and Eustass.
Ares laughed wildly, thinking that with such a terrifying attack that despicable human and the rookie Diana would surely be finished!
Eustass thrust out a palm, Armament Haki bursting forth to block the lightning.
As the barrier vanished, Diana stepped up, arms crossed to catch the lightning—and top up her charge… Eneru: Nice!
Eustass gripped a longsword, Armament Haki swirling around the blade.
Diana's arms crackled with thunder; the two locked eyes, then turned to Ares.
They leapt as one—giant sword cleaving down, twin fists wrapped in lightning smashing in.
Ares assumed they'd close in for melee and threw his arms up to guard.
Instead, Eustass slashed, releasing a thousand-meter cyan shockwave.
He'd never killed a DC god before—better safe than sorry; no more Ares comebacks.
Giant slash—play it safe~
Diana hovered beside Eustass, arms crossed, a furious pillar of lightning surging toward the trash brother and villain Ares.
Ares froze on the spot.
"Boom—!"
The cyan shockwave tore his armor apart, shredded his divine body, and ripped a kilometer-long fissure across the earth.
The lightning pillar pierced him, and together with the shockwave erased his form.
A titanic explosion rocked the World like a missile detonating.
Blinding white and cyan light erupted, visible even from downtown London.
A colossal crater yawned in the ground, flames dancing, a thousand-meter crack cleaving across it.
Those in the know would call it a fearsome attack.
The uninitiated might think aliens had crafted calligraphy.
Or maybe mistaken it for the magnetic-flux symbol Φ.
"Where do we go next?"
Diana landed, caught Eustass's hand, and looked up at him.
She definitely didn't want to return to Themyscira.
It would only slow things down with Eustass… He glanced at the crater and the long crack.
And at the manor reduced to rubble behind them.
If the damage had been smaller, he'd happily have replaced Baron Patrick and lived as a tycoon.
But with devastation this obvious, the local bigwigs would guess the baron was dead.
They still didn't understand this place… they had to leave.
"Come on, I'll show you the whole World."
Eustass said with a smile.
He certainly wouldn't follow Diana's original path of working for the Justice League from 1819 onward.
No job, no way—super-villains spoke nicely, their pockets were empty; you just "helped manage" their money to get by.
Eustass scooped Diana up in a princess carry.
Stepping on Moonwalk, he shot skyward and sped into the distance.
As for why he didn't use the nano armor… don't ask, it was deliberate… Under the night sky he strolled through the air while Diana nestled in his arms, arms about his neck.
Both were inhuman; even with the wind howling they barely felt it.
Instead, it felt rather fun, rather romantic.
Once they left London the night sky was a little cleaner.
The farther they went, the fresher the air became.
Eventually they had no idea where they were; the air was pristine, and under the bright moon Eustass, still holding Diana, drifted past the Moonlight.
On the ground—
Second Lieutenant Evan, bandaged head, sat in a retreating army truck, homesick, sighing as he glanced skyward.
In a fleeting glimpse he saw a shadow carrying a woman flash past the moon.
"There's someone in the sky! A guy hugging a beauty just zipped past!"
Evan yelled.
"Evan, did the hit scramble your brains? Quit joking."
"Yeah, we're exhausted—stop disturbing us!"
"Your head's broken!"
Evan kept pointing skyward, but no one believed him.
"I'm telling you, someone just walked through the air!"
He shouted himself hoarse.
The weary driver finally snapped, stopped the truck, turned and cursed him out.
"It's true, it's true…"
Evan was nearly in tears; the two figures were fading into the night.
The driver looked up—Eustass accelerated and vanished into the darkness.
The driver cursed:
"Beat him—anywhere but the head; a few bumps on this lousy road'll just look like bruises!"
"Aaaah, stop—!"
..."Ares said I'm the child of Zeus and my mother; I grew up hearing Zeus's stories—he's such a playboy!"
Under the night sky,
Diana, arms around Eustass's neck, complained.
Eustass's mouth twitched.
He used to hear netizens joke about Zeus's philandering.
Now, for the first time, he was hearing Zeus's own daughter roast him… but Eustass was much the same.
Pot calling kettle black—he figured he had no right to talk.
At least he hadn't messed things up that badly… "How about we stay on the battlefield a while and see if humans will stop fighting?"
Diana suggested eagerly.
Batman would later claim Diana did nothing for decades but run away.
That nutjob who won't kill villains yet wanted to kill Superman—what the hell does he know!
Diana had always cared about humanity; it was just that after Ares died, wars raged on for decades,
breaking her heart.
"No need—they will stop."
Eustass shook his head; if history was right, it would end this year.
But soon enough they'd start again... "Then let's… find a sunny place full of blooming flowers, with no gun-smoke, okay?"
Diana pondered and said quickly.
"All right."
Eustass nodded.
The main plot was still ages away anyway.
"So do you like boys or girls?"
Diana asked with a grin.
Eustass's footing faltered—he nearly fell from the sky.
"W-we're still having kids?" He'd already had more than enough across the Worlds he'd visited…
Chapter 290 – 290. Furiously Rubbing Batman's Dad's Dog-Head! Call Me Uncle! (Please Subscribe!)
"Let's skip the kid…"
Eustass looked utterly unwilling.
Of course, the main thing was that he was wary of the enemies still to come.
Many more foes would appear later—cunning, powerful, bizarre…
"Why? Don't you like children?"
Diana looked at him, puzzled.
"We'll live a long, long life; why bother with kids?"
Eustass said helplessly.
In the Pirate World he hadn't forced Law to perform the immortality operation with the Ope-Ope no Mi.
He'd always worn a ring of pure gold.
That ring granted him a different kind of longevity.
It was even possible that by the time Thor died of old age, he wouldn't have aged a single year…
"Yes, but don't you find children a bit cute?"
Diana hurried to say.
"…"
Eustass stared at her speechless.
Kids look cute, but in truth they're exhausting.
When tiny they howl all night; parents can't sleep.
Once grown they need endless worry, yet still know nothing—some brats even dare to climb into washing machines… or shove metal into their mouths… and cause havoc everywhere.
Fall in love at school and the parents get summoned… In short: torture.
"Diana, there are many adorable things in this World."
Eustass began.
"Such as?"
Diana looked at him, puzzled.
Eustass kept strolling through the moonlit sky.
He glanced down at Diana.
"You, for example."
Diana's face flushed. In all her years on Themyscira she had fought every battle head-on, fearless.
Today, for the first time, she felt shy…
As they chatted on, Diana seemed to have endless energy, asking what they needed to prepare for the wedding, what came after…
Ares had proved with his life that fighting side-by-side can deepen feelings between a man and woman.
Not long after.
Dawn arrived; the rising sun slowly drove away the darkness.
Eustass landed in a mountain forest—he had no idea where he'd run to… but it didn't matter; he could witness the cruelty of World War I firsthand.
Diana jumped down at once, hugging his arm as they stood at the forest's edge.
Along the mountain path.
A car rolled slowly past, soldiers groaning in its tray.
With WWI-era medicine their agony was easy to imagine; many were lucky just to survive.
"Hatred will take root in them; future reparations will smother their rage; defeat will linger in memory, fueling the thirst for strength… and interest will bind it all together. The next war won't be far off."
Eustass frowned at the truckload of wounded, thinking.
"H-how can that be…"
Listening to the curses from the truck, Diana felt lost.
"Damn it! I'll have my revenge!"
"I'll fight back—my brother, my brother!"
"Those bastards—one day I'll march onto their land with my brothers!"
Eustass's Observation Haki caught every voice, every blaze of anger.
It was normal—war breeds hatred.
When kin and comrades die on the battlefield, who wouldn't hate?
"Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, surprise, fear, thought, desire—emotions humans already possess. If kin are slain and friends perish, yet one feels no fury or hate, that would be abnormal."
Eustass said.
A person without flaws does not exist.
Diana shook her head hard.
"I still choose to believe humanity is good; peace is coming—because the god of war Ares is dead."
Eustass patted her hand.
As long as you're happy… Humans aren't perfect; they're neither 100 % evil nor 100 % good.
People are complicated; you can't think them utterly perfect or utterly rotten.
11 November 1918.
The Great War ended.
Even without Diana stopping General Ludendorff, this pivotal date wouldn't change for a minor hiccup.
The war was over.
Eustass and Diana walked the streets of a European city.
Everywhere people waved flags, cheering and shouting, celebrating peace.
Civilians were elated; low-ranking soldiers were thrilled.
A feverish joy filled the streets as countless voices hailed the day.
Only.
A few big shots in passing cars looked less pleased… but who cares!
Victory brings no benefit to the common folk!
Diana happily trotted beside Eustass, saying again and again.
"See? Humans love peace; the World is beautiful, haha!"
Eustass nodded and smiled, not dampening her spirit.
A little beauty never hurts, he thought… For the next several years.
Diana wanted to stay in Europe.
Eustass gladly agreed.
They married, and together watched Europe rebuild.
Then war flared again across Europe.
Eustass took Diana away, donating all their savings to his homeland.
Afterward they sailed back to Themyscira using coordinates supplied by tiny nanobots.
Fourteen years later they left Themyscira for America.
1945.
Metropolis.
The Mora Group was founded.
Using Marvel Universe tech, Eustass set up the conglomerate in Metropolis.
Seed money, of course, was "borrowed" from some wealthy "friends."
He believed those "kind" souls, now in paradise, wouldn't ask for it back.
Naturally, some tried to make trouble.
They were promptly sent to meet those same "friends"—his "creditors."
Mora Group.
"Are you the super-tall guy Dad talked about?"
Three-year-old Thomas Wayne, at his father's side, looked up curiously at Eustass.
Wayne Enterprises had long been established in Gotham; Old Wayne (Batman's Grandpa) brought young Thomas to Metropolis to visit.
"Not that tall. I've been places where I count as short."
Eustass laughed, vigorously rubbing Thomas's dog-head.
Once Thomas grows up, he can still furiously rub Batman's dog-head—such a sense of achievement!
That bastard Batman spends all day scheming how to guard against teammates—he'll need a good thrashing!
"Come on, call me Uncle."