"With your Mantra—Observation Haki—it should be easy to find these people. Remember, don't harm any civilians. Can you do that?" Cyrus smiled.
"No problem, I can handle it." Without another word, Enel turned and walked out.
Riku and Kyros watched in stunned silence.
'Is he going to act alone?'
Boom!
A clap of thunder sounded as Enel transformed into a bolt of lightning, shooting straight into the sky.
Riku and Kyros recoiled in astonishment. 'A Logia-type? Lightning?'
"Although his personality is a bit peculiar, he'll handle this well," Cyrus assured them.
"This person is a Logia-type user?" Riku's eyes widened as he turned to Cyrus.
Dressrosa was in the New World, and during his decades as king, he had seen numerous major pirates pass through.
But in his memory, he had only seen two or three Logia users, and they were conventional elements like mud or swamp.
Lightning was an entirely different tier of destruction.
'Cyrus actually has such a powerful subordinate? He has hidden quite a lot. It appears aligning with him was the correct choice.'
Enel's dramatic exit had given Riku even more confidence in his decision.
"Indeed. He will stay here for about six months, and we'll make further arrangements afterward." Cyrus waved his hand and stood up. "By the way, send someone to the port to pick up a guest and bring her to my residence—Boa Hancock, the Empress of Amazon Lily."
With these words, Cyrus walked out.
The two men, still stunned by the lightning user, exchanged glances.
"He said Boa Hancock, right?" Kyros asked Riku.
"That's the name," Riku nodded stiffly. "We knew Crocodile was his subordinate, Hawkeye traveled with him, and now even the Pirate Empress is connected to him."
Kyros was at a loss for words, but thinking about Cyrus's overwhelming strength, it made a terrifying sort of sense.
"Go pick her up," Riku ordered, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
...
By the time Kyros and his guards rushed to the coast, the Perfume Yuda had already approached and docked.
"Sister!" Before the ship had even stabilized, Boa Hancock jumped down.
Her two younger sisters called out to her.
"Wait on the ship for my orders," Hancock commanded.
She didn't want to cause trouble, especially since Cyrus was on this island, worrying that causing a scene might displease him.
In the past, Hancock wouldn't have considered the consequences—she'd simply do whatever she wanted.
But now, she had learned to think about his perception of her.
"Empress Hancock, Mr. Cyrus sent me to welcome you." Kyros recognized the woman from her bounty posters and stepped forward.
"Did Lord Cyrus send you to welcome me?" Hancock asked, paying no attention to anything else.
"Yes," Kyros bowed his head slightly to avoid direct eye contact.
"Take me to him," Hancock demanded without hesitation.
As soon as she finished speaking, a piercing thunderclap echoed from within the city.
Hancock looked sharply toward the source.
'It's that lightning guy.'
"That's Mr. Enel. Mr. Cyrus assigned him some tasks to clear out the remaining pirates," Kyros explained.
As he spoke, chaotic noises and approaching thunder rolled closer from the distance.
Hum!
Conqueror's Haki erupted from Hancock.
A large group of fleeing pirates running toward the shore collapsed unconscious. Hancock stood with one hand on her hip, staring toward the source of the lightning.
The lightning paused mid-air, revealing Enel's figure.
He frowned in their direction, then transformed into a bolt of lightning, crashing down onto the unconscious pirates.
The men knocked out by the King's Haki showed no further reaction amidst the fatal electrical strikes.
Then, the lightning shot back up into the sky to hunt the rest.
"Let's go. Take me to see Lord Cyrus." After watching Enel depart, Hancock turned her gaze back to Kyros.
With a wave from Kyros, a carriage was brought over.
Seeing the flower-adorned vehicle, Hancock accepted it.
The carriage began moving toward Cyrus's residence under Kyros's guidance.
As the carriage rolled on, Hancock's heart grew uneasy. She wondered what Cyrus's attitude toward her would be.
...
Meanwhile, Cyrus was contacting Morgans. The bird was currently on the run with his staff.
"It seems you're indeed in a tough spot. Are you really not considering my offer? This would bring great benefits to both of us," Cyrus coaxed.
Compared to his previous excitement, Morgans's voice was now filled with exhaustion.
"Speaking of which, I've been doing all this for you. Do you really plan to stand by? If I get taken out and the paper falls under World Government control, then whatever they say about the seas will become the sole truth."
Instead of answering Cyrus's question, Morgans tried to leverage him for protection.
"So? How do you want me to help? Should I just announce that the newspaper is under my protection?" Cyrus asked, his tone peculiar.
Even if he made such a declaration, it wouldn't change the immediate reality.
The World Government placed great importance on neutralizing Morgans.
The World Economy News Paper had always been independent, and even if Cyrus claimed it was his, no one would believe the sudden acquisition.
But this time, Morgans had gone too far, second only to Cyrus himself, using his channels to openly confront the World Government's propaganda.
This was something the authorities wouldn't tolerate.
"True enough," Morgans admitted, his voice full of helplessness.
"So, reconsider it will ya? Don't worry, I can't even be bothered to personally manage the Hunter Guild, so I have no interest in micro-managing your newspaper. You'll still control the paper yourself—we're just partners. Partners with a deeper level of cooperation," Cyrus said cheerfully into the snail.
"Although I know what you're saying might be false, I don't have many choices right now." Morgans had remained silent for a long time before responding, clearly finding the decision difficult.
"Good. Contact Crocodile for the specific cooperation matters. Also, help me promote someone this time."