Chapter 278: Step Three: Consolidation

When Charlotte Linlin fell from the sky, unable to rise again, the Charlotte family still felt as if they were in a dream.

They had expected a grueling battle lasting three days and three nights. Instead, as the fight stretched into the evening, Charlotte Linlin could no longer endure.

With the power of both the Mythical Vampire Fruit and Shadow-Shadow Fruit surging at night, Pudding's strength skyrocketed. Within mere hours, she had drained Linlin's vitality, leaving the already mentally unstable Yonko critically injured.

Above, the blood-red Susanoo faded away, revealing Pudding's figure. Simultaneously, the shadow Susanoo vanished back into her own shadow.

A trace of disbelief flickered across Pudding's face. She hadn't even gone all out.

Her true peak would have been unleashing the full power of both the blood-colored Susanoo, the shadow Susanoo, and her main body in unison. Yet, against Charlotte Linlin, she hadn't needed to use everything—victory had come effortlessly.

However, that moment of loss quickly vanished as her gaze shifted toward her siblings. A surging emotion welled within her heart.

"From today onward, I am the captain of the Big Mom Pirates."

As her words rang out, an overwhelming aura burst forth from her petite frame.

"Impossible! That's Conqueror's Haki! Pudding... she actually awakened it!"

Hiding nearby with his Clear-Clear Fruit active, Shin watched with mixed emotions, a trace of envy in his expression.

"Tsk, Conqueror's Haki is always reserved for those brutes," he muttered under his breath. "Guys like me, who strategize from the shadows, just aren't cut out for it. Guess I'll have to accept that."

With Charlotte Linlin decisively defeated, there was no longer any doubt that Pudding would assume leadership of the family. And with her public awakening of Conqueror's Haki, the transition happened even faster.

Within days, the entire Big Mom Pirates had sworn allegiance to their new captain.

Now, in the New World, only the Red-Haired Pirates—who followed an elite crew policy—remained out of Shin's growing sphere of influence. The other three Yonko crews were effectively at his disposal.

"Finally, we're close to the final battle."

Leaving the pirate world behind, Shin returned to the shinobi world, stepping into the Virtual World where the Gedo Statue—now the Chakra Tree—stood at its core.

Fueled by immense chakra reserves, the tree had begun bearing fruit, though Shin had refrained from harvesting it just yet. He wanted it to absorb even greater power first.

To accelerate the process, he introduced Artificial Human Fruits into the Virtual World, allowing shinobi to exchange merit points for them, indirectly enhancing their chakra reserves.

Even with only a hundred or so shinobi possessing bodies comparable to those from the pirate world, the overall chakra accumulation speed had already increased by 3%.

"Once the artificial version of the Mythical Nika's fruit is mass-produced, the chakra yield should skyrocket," Shin mused, his eyes gleaming as he gazed at the virtual space. It was like a vast field of crops, ready for harvest. "One day, I'll have this Divine Tree ripen every single year!"

With that, he finally plucked the chakra fruit.

Larger than a standard Devil Fruit, its size was closer to that of a watermelon. Taking a bite, Shin felt an immediate surge of warmth spreading through his body.

His chakra surged like a raging sea, doubling within moments.

"This isn't the limit... Once my body fully absorbs the fruit, my chakra should at least triple!"

After spending a few days in the shinobi world to completely assimilate the chakra fruit, Shin also took the opportunity to learn some of the latest jutsu.

The virtual space has revolutionized knowledge-sharing across the shinobi world, particularly in ninjutsu development. Techniques were evolving at breakneck speed, with updates occurring every few months.

Even the basic Fireball Jutsu had been refined over time, now rivaling B-rank techniques in power while maintaining its original chakra cost and ease of learning.

More astonishingly, sealing techniques had advanced to an unprecedented level. Even soul-based jutsu, which had once been the domain of forbidden arts, had been thoroughly analyzed. A new technique now allowed users to extract and seal souls within themselves, much like a Jinchuriki sealing a Tailed Beast. The only price was an immense chakra expenditure—no longer the loss of life.

Naturally, Shin wasted no time mastering this technique, adding it to his arsenal as a potential trump card.

"Given another hundred years of development, the shinobi world might even be able to counterattack the Otsutsuki Clan."

For now, though, Shin had his own plans.

"If the Otsutsuki dares to return, I'll make them into research subjects myself."

After spending a few more days in the shinobi world—particularly with Mei Terumi—Shin finally returned to the pirate world.

As expected, the breakout at Impel Down hadn't been publicly reported. Not a single mention appeared in the newspapers.

However, beneath the surface, the Marines and the World Government had grown significantly more aggressive.

According to Stussy's intelligence, they had begun covert operations in the New World, setting a trap for Yamato and Ace.

Not only were the three Marine Admirals deployed, but even two Admiral candidates and several CP0 elites were present. If not for Garp's personal ties to Ace, the old Marine hero might have been stationed there as well.

"Hmph. So they plan to capture Ace and Yamato and send them to Mary Geoise?"

Shin's brow furrowed. "Are they insane? Are they seriously trying to start a Marineford-level war in Mary Geoise instead? Do they want the Red Line shattered?"

Violet, standing beside him, crossed her arms thoughtfully. "Maybe their trump card is in Mary Geoise itself, and they can't afford to move it."

Her words hit Shin like a bolt of lightning.

His mind raced, piecing together the puzzle.

"That makes sense. Lord Imu, despite their supposed god-like strength, has never appeared in the outside world. It's not that they're hiding their trump card—it's that they physically can't leave Mary Geoise."

The strongest weapons often came with severe limitations. Nuclear warheads could end civilizations, but their very existence invited destruction.

The Celestial Dragons' 'National Treasure' likely required an immense toll to use.

Perhaps it drained life force. Perhaps it could only be activated in Mary Geoise.

Or maybe, just like Sugar's Toy-Toy Fruit, it possessed an incredible ability... but lacked the means to protect itself.

Shin's eyes narrowed. "Looks like it's time to test exactly what their 'trump card' really is."

*******************************

If you would like to gain early access, you can join me at www.patre on.com/bookbattalion

60+ Advance Chapters Now Available!