All Intruders Defeated
Ryōsuke felt the warmth of the three women pressing against him.
He smiled and said, "Of course. I won't do anything to the Straw Hat crew, and naturally, I won't harm your brother, Hiyori. On the contrary, I will give him special treatment."
After all, he had never intended to kill them. With his status, strength, and identity, he wouldn't stoop to their level.
Momonosuke, however, was an exception.
Hearing Ryōsuke's words, Robin breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed His Majesty truly wasn't a cruel man; as long as her former companions were safe, that was enough.
Hiyori also relaxed. No matter how disappointing her brother was, his actions were tantamount to rebellion. She hadn't expected Ryōsuke to not only forgive him but also offer him special treatment.
This was wonderful.
Ryōsuke turned to Ulti and instructed, "Ulti, get some people to lock them up properly with Seastone handcuffs."
"Understood, Your Majesty. I'll get it done right away."
Ulti released Ryōsuke's arm and immediately went to fetch the guards. These people actually dared to offend her man; they had to be locked up securely with the strongest Seastone.
Ryōsuke noticed Yamato's sullen expression and asked in confusion, "Yamato, what's wrong?"
Feeling helpless, Yamato asked, "Ryōsuke, is my father an evil man? Does he deserve his punishment? Should he atone for the sins he committed in the past?"
Hiyori looked at her with complicated feelings. Despite being Kaido's daughter, Yamato was so kind-hearted. Hiyori had already accepted her as a sister in her heart.
Ryōsuke comforted her, saying, "The past is in the past. Clinging to it won't do any good. At the very least, under my command, he won't be allowed to run wild anymore. Rest assured."
Hearing Ryōsuke's words, Yamato felt it made a lot of sense. She really shouldn't dwell on the past. With Ryōsuke's capabilities, he certainly wouldn't let Kaido continue committing evil deeds. Knowing Ryōsuke could handle it, Yamato felt much more at ease.
The next day, Ryōsuke arrived at the prison within the Shogun's palace.
The rebels from yesterday were being held here.
He approached the cell holding the Straw Hat crew. The people inside were still lying on the floor, clearly unconscious.
Naturally, they were still under his Rinnegan genjutsu. Without him releasing it, they would never wake up.
With a thought, he dispelled the illusion.
Luffy slowly opened his eyes. Suddenly recalling the events of yesterday, his face paled in shock. How did he end up here? Hadn't they just stormed the Shogun's palace?
Right, he remembered now. Even after closing his eyes, he had still been knocked out by the enemy.
Resentment boiled in his heart.
*What kind of despicable ability did that guy use to knock us all out?*
He looked around and saw his crewmates waking up as well.
"Zoro, Brook, Sanji, Usopp, Franky, Chopper, Nami, are you guys okay?"
The others regained their senses.
"We're fine, but looking at our situation, it seems we've been locked up."
They noticed they were bound by Seastone handcuffs, and their feet were shackled with Seastone as well.
Everyone sat there in a daze, feeling utterly deflated.
How could that guy be so terrifying? He hadn't even lifted a finger, yet they had suffered a crushing defeat.
They had never experienced such a miserable loss before.
This wasn't just a gap in physical strength; it was an indescribable chasm.
It felt as if they weren't even on the same plane of existence.
At that moment, Usopp spoke up in panic, "We aren't going to be killed, are we?"
He remembered that this Emperor absolutely despised pirates, and they were exactly that. Furthermore, they had actually tried to overthrow him.
This was a massive grudge.
Hearing Usopp's words, Nami also felt a surge of fear. This man was even more terrifying than the man-eating Big Mom. She said dejectedly, "Our journey isn't going to end here, is it?"
Luffy's face was ashen.
"Absolutely not!"
"I will definitely save you guys."
Saying that, he struggled with all his might to break free from the Seastone cuffs and shackles.
However, he found that he couldn't muster any strength at all, instantly realizing they were made of Seastone.
*Damn it!*
He cursed inwardly.
Seeing this, the others felt a wave of disappointment. They were locked up and couldn't even put up a struggle.
Even Nami was speechless. She wasn't even a Devil Fruit user, yet she was still bound by Seastone cuffs and shackles.
Zoro felt disheartened. *Was there really a way to defeat someone like that?*
In that moment, his resolve toward his own goal wavered. What was the point of becoming the world's greatest swordsman? Even if he achieved it, could he resist that man?
He felt that even if Hawkeye were here, facing those terrifying eyes, he would probably be knocked out with a single glance.
Ryōsuke pushed open the door and slowly walked into the cell.
He looked at the Straw Hat Pirates, all shackled and hanging their heads in despair.
When he saw that Nami was also bound by Seastone, he was a little surprised.
Nami didn't need them; she wasn't a Devil Fruit user.
It seemed Ulti had followed his orders to the letter.
Seeing him, Luffy grew even angrier.
"What the hell did you do to us?"
Ryōsuke chuckled.
"Do you think I'd tell you?"
Even if Luffy knew, could he resist his Rinnegan genjutsu?
Obviously not, unless he awakened as the Sun God Nika.
But clearly, Ryōsuke hadn't given him the chance to fight back.
Even if telling Luffy was harmless, he would never reveal his secrets to an enemy.
Luffy was furious.
"You bastard, I'm definitely going to send you flying!"
His heart was filled with rage.
Ryōsuke said nonchalantly, "Wait until you can break out of those Seastone handcuffs before you talk."
"Besides, you little punk keep trying to cause trouble for me. Should I just kill you all right now?"
His sharp gaze swept over the group.
Everyone's hearts trembled.
Luffy was so angry he couldn't speak.
This guy actually called him a little punk.
Although he didn't fully understand the insult, he knew it was incredibly demeaning.
Even he knew that if they were killed now, they had no ability to fight back.
Zoro's face grew even darker.
*This is it.*
Usopp and Chopper turned pale with fright.
Nami's mind went completely blank.
*We're really going to die this time.*
*There's no hope left. No one is coming to save us.*
Although they still had Jinbe coming as backup...
It was hopeless.
Even Luffy didn't have the slightest ability to resist.
Let alone Jinbe.