"King, there are about five days left. That monster will come out." This was a reminder from Vegapunk, an extremely important warning.
"Five days?" Elior fell into thought.
"King, let me see if I can delay it for a while." Before Vegapunk could finish, he was interrupted by Elior.
"No need. What is meant to come will still come."
"All right! King, when the time comes, you must be careful. That monster is not simple!" Vegapunk looked solemn. "His ability is to absorb attacks! Because he attracts attacks, he then counterattacks using power even stronger than what he absorbed! In addition, he possesses unimaginable mastery over the three types of Haki. His Armament Haki has reached the highest level, his Conqueror's Haki can be infused into attacks, and his physical defense is beyond compare."
Vegapunk revealed the horror of the creature with a grave expression.
"I have encountered Kaido, but even Kaido's defense cannot compare to this monster! His body is like a perpetual motion machine; he never gets tired! He has not slept for hundreds of years and only needs human flesh to replenish his stamina. He could easily kill Whitebeard, Gol D. Roger, or even Rocks D. Xebec. He wears armor made of Seastone, but despite being a Devil Fruit user, neither Seastone nor seawater affects him at all. His weapon is a long spear forged from the same material as the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades."
Elior nodded, showing no fear whatsoever. He could control time and space. To defeat him, that monster would have to transcend those very dimensions, an existence that should not be possible in this world. After learning more, Elior ended the secret call.
"Once you come, I won't let you return. I'll grind you into dust and send your head back to the Celestial Dragons," he mused, his eyes turning cold and terrifying.
Ten minutes later, Reiju walked in. She looked more mature and beautiful than ever, her face no longer hidden behind her bangs.
"Husband, I made some soup for you." She smiled, but quickly noticed the icy gaze and terrifying aura surrounding Elior. She couldn't help but tremble.
"Oh, just leave it there," Elior replied calmly. As she placed the bowl down, Elior pulled her directly into his arms. Reiju let out a startled cry but soon calmed down, surrendering to his overwhelming presence. She had no idea that her brother, the only human member of the Vinsmoke family, had already been sacrificed. Her heart and soul were now completely branded by Elior. In his heart, her position was second only to Gion, followed by Shirahoshi.
The next day, Kaido and the others returned victorious, escorting the broken bodies of Marco and Jozu. They were covered in layers of dried and fresh blood, and the thick stench of iron filled the air. They were forced to kneel before Elior, their eyes filled with grief and boundless rage. Elior had killed Ace and Whitebeard, and now he had exterminated their entire crew.
"Boy, what are you planning to do with these two?" Kaido asked.
"Of course, to steal their abilities." Before Kaido could react, Elior appeared beside Jozu and formed an ice blade in his right hand, stabbing it straight through Jozu's body.
"No!" Marco let out a heart-wrenching roar, but he was powerless. Dark-red energy surged from Elior's hand through the ice blade, forcibly stripping away the powers of the Twinkle-Twinkle Fruit. Moments later, Elior killed Marco as well and stripped him of the Phoenix ability. Elior planned to give the Phoenix power to one of his women while Jozu's ability would be distributed to his subordinates.
"Boy… did you just steal their abilities?" Kaido was shocked, finally understanding the nature of that dark-red energy.
"Didn't I just say that? Kaido, are you asking even though you already know the answer?" Elior glanced at him indifferently. "There's nothing else to do here. I'm leaving." He turned away, reminding them to clean the blood off the ground.
That afternoon, Nami was escorted back. Overwhelmed with fear, she was handed over to Robin. "Enlighten her," Elior commanded. To him, a beauty like Nami was just a tool or a plaything, as her combat ability was weak. To his surprise, Shiryu had also captured Perona. Elior admired Shiryu's initiative, as Perona's ability was extremely powerful, even if she herself was unreliable.
Time passed quickly. On the fourth day, Vegapunk called again, his voice trembling.
"That monster… has descended from Mary Geoise."