Chapter 274: Another Homecoming

With a sharp crackling sound, Shiryu of the Rain forcefully shattered the ice encasing his body. Though he managed to free himself, his breathing was labored, and for the first time, a trace of despair flickered across his face.

Shin's attack had struck at the very weakness of the Venom-Venom Fruit. Magellan's poison, despite its lethality, was vulnerable to extreme temperatures.

If subjected to high heat, such as from the Flame-Flame Fruit or the Magma-Magma Fruit, the venom would simply vaporize, turning into toxic gas. While this might slightly reduce its potency, it would make the poison even more pervasive.

However, when frozen, the danger was significantly diminished. Unless someone was foolish enough to consume the frozen poison directly, even ordinary people could safely touch the ice without consequence.

"Damn it..." Though he knew he stood no chance, Shiryu still took a fighting stance. Shin raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "From what I understand, you never got along with Magellan, and you don't seem particularly attached to your role at Impel Down. So why are you standing in my way?"

"It has nothing to do with that," Shiryu said coldly. "I just refuse to admit defeat."

"I can die in battle, but I won't surrender."

In the original timeline, Shiryu had willingly joined Blackbeard of his own accord, never forced into servitude. Though he was undoubtedly ruthless, he had a warrior's pride.

"I see," Shin nodded before launching a devastating punch. A powerful shockwave erupted, tearing through Shiryu's chest and blasting through multiple walls of Impel Down, leaving a gaping hole in each one.

Shiryu's eyes rolled back as blood and fragments of his organs burst from his mouth. His lifeless body collapsed to the ground.

Without hesitation, Shin extended his hand, black mist swirling around it as he absorbed Magellan—along with his massive Poison Giant—into the dark dimension. Magellan, still trapped within his toxic creation, was entirely frozen and unable to resist.

Moments later, Shin discarded Magellan's frozen form, leaving his body shivering and pale. He then disappeared into the depths of Impel Down, the Venom-Venom Fruit now firmly in his grasp, a satisfied smile on his face.

At Dressrosa.

"Finally, we're back!" Violet sighed as she gazed at the still-thriving kingdom of Dressrosa.

"Your Highness, you've returned," several palace guards greeted her with bows. "Please, follow us to the palace."

A complicated expression crossed Violet's face. How long had it been since she had last been addressed as a princess?

After a brief moment of contemplation, she steadied herself and followed the guards toward the royal palace atop King's Plateau.

"Violet is a princess?" Charlotte Pudding, who had accompanied her, glanced around curiously before turning to Shin.

"She is a part of King Riku's royal family," Shin nodded. "She later joined the Donquixote Pirates to protect her father."

"I see," Pudding muttered. "No wonder she seems so different from us."

By "us," she referred to herself, along with the siblings Ulti and Page One—individuals who were pirates through and through, born and raised in a world of lawlessness.

"Don't overthink it. The title of 'princess' doesn't mean much," Shin rolled his eyes. "Aren't you technically a princess of Totto Land?"

If anything, Luffy's adventures had proven that princesses in the world of pirates were a dime a dozen. Saving princesses was practically his daily routine.

The group arrived at the palace, where they were greeted by an unexpected sight. Instead of the usual grandeur, they found Doflamingo hunched over a desk, diligently sorting through stacks of paperwork.

Standing beside him was King Riku, attentively serving tea and water.

Violet: "???"

For a moment, she suspected that her father had also fallen victim to Shin's influence.

"Violet, you're here." King Riku finally noticed her presence and quickly set down the teapot, stepping forward to embrace his daughter.

"Father, what's going on?" Violet asked, her confusion evident.

King Riku hesitated before answering, "Well... I realized that Doflamingo is far more capable of governing a country than I am. So I decided to learn from him."

Violet was speechless.

Doflamingo... an efficient ruler?

On the surface, it sounded ridiculous, yet upon deeper reflection, it wasn't entirely incorrect.

Despite her personal grievances against him, Violet couldn't deny that Doflamingo had successfully run Dressrosa, maintained a vast underworld empire, and kept the kingdom prosperous—albeit through underhanded means.

But in the past, Doflamingo had never shown much interest in governance. He had always ruled through intimidation and force.

Unexpectedly, after being controlled by Shin, his administrative skills had surfaced.

Of course, the reality was that the true Doflamingo was long gone. What remained was merely a biochip—an artificial intelligence that contained his memories and knowledge. Unlike a human, it had no bias, and its computational abilities far exceeded those of any normal person.

With cold efficiency, Doflamingo now managed Dressrosa with a level of precision that no ordinary ruler could match.

Within moments, he finished processing the documents on his desk and lifted his gaze toward Shin.

"Master, do you have new orders?"

"Show me the latest intel on the New World."

"Understood."

Moments later, a comprehensive report was placed in Shin's hands. He skimmed through it carefully.

Kaido had returned to Wano, but the Beasts Pirates had become notably subdued. Their once aggressive expansion had halted, and they seemed far more cautious than before.

The Whitebeard Pirates, on the other hand, continued to grow stronger. Notably, there was a surge in the number of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users within their ranks, significantly boosting their overall combat strength.

These were details Shin had already anticipated—his intelligence gathering merely confirmed them.

Meanwhile, the Big Mom Pirates had been in decline ever since Shin's last visit.

Charlotte Linlin's actions against the underworld brokers had caused major factions to distance themselves from her, cutting off crucial intelligence and resources. This had left the Big Mom Pirates increasingly isolated.

Furthermore, after suffering defeat at Shin's hands, Charlotte Linlin appeared to have lost her edge. She now spent most of her days overindulging on Whole Cake Island, seemingly indifferent to the outside world.

While she had always been known for her excessive eating habits, she had at least maintained an awareness of her surroundings before. Now, she had completely withdrawn, spiraling into self-destruction.

Ironically, the residents of Totto Land had benefited from this shift. With the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit no longer looming over them, they were no longer forced to pay their 'soul tax.'

Shin closed the report, a faint smirk forming on his lips.

"Interesting…"

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