"Sorry... Sakura, I didn't... protect Kuina properly."
Fisher Tiger, lying on the ground, trembled as he propped himself up and grabbed Sakura's pant leg.
"Don't worry, leave the rest to us."
Sakura lightly tapped Leviathan's head. Receiving the signal, she immediately moved forward to take Tiger and Kuina away.
Then, under Hyena's trembling gaze, Sakura took a step forward.
The Kumotsuna in her hand coiled with Haki. The surging cloud sword was imbued with a jet-black color.
"Hey, wait... wait!"
Hyena waved his arms, continuously retreating.
'Fighting this monster in my current state?'
'Don't joke around, that's suicidal!'
"Fine, I'll give you a chance for last words!"
Sakura gripped the Kumotsuna's hilt tightly. Vast and violent lightning traveled between the cloud swords.
And the effect of Yang Attribute Chakra giving life to form allowed Sakura to freely control this lightning. Gradually, the outline of a ferocious beast appeared.
"Then you'd better watch closely!"
Hyena reached into his chest and pulled out a figurine.
Under the effect of his ability, the figurine gradually enlarged, finally turning into a heavily wounded Arlong!
"Huh? Why am I here? Damn it, who are you!"
The conscious Arlong immediately struggled, opening his mouth to bite the Hyena holding him.
However, the next second, a fist imbued with Armament Haki smashed hard into his face, breaking his nose and teeth together, knocking him unconscious again.
"Stand down, or I'll kill him! And those Fish-men out at sea will also be executed by us!"
Using Arlong as a shield, Hyena inched closer to Sakura.
Before him, the girl's face was obscured by shadow, her shoulders shaking.
After a long time, a clear laugh broke the silence.
"Pfft, hahahaha," Sakura brushed her bangs aside with her palm, the hand holding the sword raising behind her, "You're using a hostage to threaten a pirate?"
"Why?! Isn't this guy your comrade?!!"
Hyena's eyes were wide with fury, his grip on Arlong tightening.
"This guy, just a few days ago, said he wanted to kill me and steal my ship."
Sakura pointed at Arlong. Leviathan on her shoulder cooperatively let out a mocking cry.
"How did you, out of all these people, manage to pick him so accurately?"
Hearing the girl's tone, Hyena's heart skipped a beat.
How did he pick him? Of course, because this guy was the most obnoxious when they're defeating the Fish-men!
Thinking such an arrogant guy must be an important figure, he brought him along casually to use as a threat.
He never expected this Fish-man could give him such a big 'surprise'.
"Stop! I still have..."
Hyena took a step back, his face contorted.
"Enough talk, just die!"
Pure killing intent converged, gathering on the blade to form a roaring Haki.
A hoarse roar, like thunder, sounded. In that instant, the greatsword wrapped in lightning fell.
A spear of light, so dazzling it was impossible to look at directly, connected heaven and earth, swallowing the world with light that incinerated everything.
[Ikoku Sovereignty: Roaring Light Sword!]
A storm abruptly arose. Terrifying heat rose to the heavens. The earth melted into magma. The surrounding ruler lines evaporated and collapsed. The perspective also gradually enlarged, finally returning to normal size.
As the dust settled, looking at the devastated basin, Sakura stretched contentedly. "Finally over."
"Tired already, Miss? But, I'm not quite ready to call it quits yet~"
From a distance, the Hyena, who had been reduced to only his left half, stood up stiffly and mechanically, letting out a troubled sigh.
"Still alive in that state? Are you also from the God's Knights?"
Sakura gripped the Kumotsuna, watching the man warily.
"How rude. I am not one of those esteemed individuals."
A white, gelatinous, viscous substance flowed from the Hyena's mutilated body. Soon, another man's face struggled to emerge from the severed section.
"I haven't introduced myself yet. I am the Chief of CP0, code name- Abyssal!"
The man broke free from the Hyena's remains and walked forward elegantly. "My purpose in appearing here is simple. I need to convey a message to you from the Center."
"A message?"
Sakura raised an eyebrow. The corner of her eye noticed the corpse discarded on the ground was now covered in spores and decomposing within constantly forming fungal bodies.
Abyssal raised his hand to his chest and bowed deeply to Sakura. "The esteemed ones from the Center extend an invitation to you, hoping you can become one of them."
"The Center... the Celestial Dragons?"
Sakura's voice held a note of surprise. The only ones a CP0 Chief would call 'esteemed' were the Celestial Dragons.
'But why would those Celestial Dragons, with nothing better to do, invite a pirate? And a pirate who attacked the Holy Land and trampled their dignity into the dirt, no less.'
'It couldn't be... because they thought I was good-looking, right?'
"Regarding your lineage, the esteemed ones have also arranged it. It will be the Ethanbaron Family. Ethanbaron V. Sakura-hime."
Abyssal's tone was flat, as if stating an established fact.
In this world, there is no nation or individual that can resist what the Center wishes to accomplish.
This is the power of the order that has dominated the world for over 800 years!
"What an ugly name! Don't change my name randomly! I have parents!"
This condescending tone angered Sakura, making her swing her sword in fury.
A flash of sword light passed, cutting through Abyssal's body and a large swath of forest behind him.
Yet the bisected Abyssal, his upper body falling to the ground, could still speak. "So, what is your answer?"
"Who would want to become that kind of trash! Just how far does your World Government plan to look down on me?!"
Sakura's eyes narrowed. Countless dark lightning currents swirled.
The will of a conqueror burned, tempering a brutal Haki.
This power stretched for thousands of miles, continuously raining terrifying impacts upon the mortal world.
"What a pity. I was actually looking forward to working with you."
Abyssal sighed, his body beginning to wither, like a dying plant.
"By the way, since you have not joined the government's ranks, I cannot let those enemies go."
Abyssal raised his nearly disintegrating hand and snapped his fingers. A wave of ability fluctuation spread, making Sakura's pupils contract.
"Bastard, what are you doing?"
Abyssal laughed heartily. "Explosive Mycete!"
Boom!
In the distance on the island, numerous explosions sounded.
And Leviathan's belly suddenly swelled, with flashes of fire appearing inside.
"Sakura~ it's bad, Kuina and the others..."
Hearing Leviathan's voice, a terrible thought instantly surfaced in Sakura's heart.
"I've heard you are a renowned doctor across the seas. Treating this many should be no problem for you, I presume..."
Crunch!
Sakura stomped on Abyssal's face. The extreme heat generated by her ability spewed forth, even melting away a layer of the topsoil.
Her Observation Haki swept over the area, ensuring not even a single tiny spore remained. Sakura, with Leviathan, quickly headed towards the coast.
"CP0, I'll remember what happened today!"