One Piece: One Punch Man

After the meeting between the Marines and the World Government concluded, the decision to abolish the Seven Warlords of the Sea system spread rapidly across the seas. 

Countless people celebrated this news with great joy. 

The Seven Warlords granted the legal right to plunder, which made ordinary citizens the primary victims of the system—helpless and unable to voice their grievances. 

Thus, this decision became a highly anticipated moment for many. 

With the system abolished, they no longer needed to fear the tyranny of the Seven Warlords. For them, no news could be better than this.

However, individuals like Dragon, seasoned political leaders, viewed the outcome from a different perspective. 

On the surface, the meeting seemed to be a discussion between the Marines and the World Government about the Warlord system. 

But in essence, it symbolized the Marines' first resolute stance against the World Government. 

As the saying goes, where there's a first time, there will be a second, a third, and more. 

In the future, if irreconcilable differences arise between the Marines and the World Government, would the Marines remain under the World Government's control?

While such a possibility seemed distant, it was not entirely out of the question. 

The events of this meeting hinted at the potential for significant changes in the relationship between the two entities.

After the meeting, the Marine admirals and vice admirals, burdened with their respective responsibilities, hurriedly returned to their posts across the seas. 

Byakuya and Issho, after visiting Zephyr, prepared to head back to the G-5 Branch. 

Yet, Byakuya was unaware that after the Marine leadership had dispersed, Reini, the representative of the World Government, didn't immediately return to Mary Geoise. 

Instead, he visited Marine Headquarters' prison for a private conversation with Doflamingo, awaiting transport to Impel Down.

Since the conversation involved only Reini and Doflamingo, no one knew what transpired between them. 

However, as Reini emerged from the holding cell, his expression grew noticeably darker, indicating that Doflamingo's words had left a significant impression. 

Inside the cell, Doflamingo, watching Reini leave, smirked ominously, his eyes glinting with intrigue. 

He muttered to himself, "Byakuya, the Marines, the World Government... this is getting more and more interesting." 

"Just wait—when chaos engulfs the seas, that's when I'll leave Impel Down."

After returning to the New World, Byakuya instructed Issho to head back to the G-5 Branch while he took care of some personal matters. 

Without questioning, Issho nodded in acknowledgement and sailed back aboard the ship. 

Meanwhile, Byakuya flew toward Skypiea, suddenly recalling a matter upon returning to the New World. 

During the Dressrosa operation, Lucci had captured three Revolutionary Army members. 

The matter had slipped Byakuya's mind while he was busy, leaving the three detained on Skypiea for about three weeks.

Now that things had settled, it was time to deal with the situation—they couldn't just stay there indefinitely.

In a modest house on Skypiea, the three Revolutionary Army captives were held. 

Even though none of them were Devil Fruit users, the Night organization had spared no expense, restraining them with Seastone handcuffs and stationing a guard at the door every three days to prevent any escape attempts. 

Their meals were handled by locals hired by Lucci, who had refrained from killing them only because of Byakuya's explicit orders to keep them alive for an unspecified purpose.

In their confinement, the three had seen no one other than the locals providing their meals during the past three weeks. 

This isolation made them suspect that the Night organization might have forgotten their existence. 

Otherwise, how long were they expected to remain in this limbo?

A long sigh broke through the room's silence, followed by a regretful, youthful voice. 

"If I had known they weren't part of the Donquixote Family, I wouldn't have attacked them. Now look at where we've ended up." 

"Worse, the leader probably doesn't even know about our situation." 

"If he thinks we've fallen into the hands of the Marines, things will only get messier."

"Don't blame yourself, Sabo," said a blonde girl beside him, attempting to console him. 

"It was dark thaNightht, and the Night operatives were wearing black cloaks. It was impossible to distinguish them in the chaos."

"Koala, Sabo, now's not the time to lose hope," interjected the third captive, a silver-haired fish-man with a composed demeanour. 

"Master Hack", Koala asked, "what do you think the Night organization intends to do with us?" 

"They haven't killed us, interrogated us, or let us go. What's their plan?"

A seasoned Revolutionary Army veteran, Hawk seemed far more composed than Sabo and Koala. 

"No matter their intentions, as long as it doesn't concern the Revolutionary Army, it's not our concern."

Sabo and Koala nodded in understanding. They knew, no matter what, they couldn't afford to leak any information about the Revolutionary Army. 

Even though the Night organization wasn't explicitly aligned with the World Government or the Marines, caution was paramount. 

Over the years, the Revolutionary Army's growth had been hard-earned, and a single mistake could lead to catastrophic consequences, inviting the World Government's fiercest crackdown. 

Such a loss was unimaginable. As their thoughts wandered, a door creaking open startled them. 

This was unusual—it wasn't mealtime. The only possibility was that someone from the Night organization had come for them. 

They had hoped for this moment yet couldn't suppress their anxiety about what would happen next.

As light poured in through the doorway, they caught sight of the visitor, and their breath hitched. 

They had expected someone from the Night organization but never imagined it would be their enigmatic leader—the one with a bounty of 3.7 billion berries—Byakuya himself.

This was no good sign. His presence indicated a significant interest in the Revolutionary Army, enough for him to handle the matter personally. 

The dark mask he wore seemed to have an almost hypnotic pull, unsettling them to their cores.

Byakuya regarded the three with his piercing gaze, his attention lingering momentarily on Sabo. 

Inwardly, he mused, The World Source just delivered itself to my doorstep. 

Finding a chair, he sat casually in front of them and said in a leisurely tone, 

"Apologies for the delay. Things have been rather uneventful lately, and I completely forgot we had some little mice locked up here."

Sabo and the others looked up at the man sitting before them. 

Although his words sounded polite, there wasn't the slightest hint of an apology in his tone. 

The contemptuous way Byakuya referred to them as "little mice" caused Sabo's fists, bound behind his back, to clench instinctively. 

Noticing Sabo's agitation, Hawk subtly nudged him with his shoulder, a silent warning to refrain from saying anything rash that might provoke Byakuya. 

After all, one had to bow their head in submission under someone else's roof.

Though Hawk's discreet action didn't escape Byakuya's sharp eyes, he chuckled softly, "Did I say something wrong?" 

"Calling you little mice is quite fitting, isn't it? You Revolutionaries scurry around, hiding from the World Government's pursuit—just like mice."

Before Sabo could react, Koala, sitting nearby, couldn't hold back and retorted with a sharp edge to her voice, 

"And isn't your Night organization always in hiding, never daring to show your true faces? What gives you the right to call us mice?"

Byakuya appeared unfazed by her words and shook his head with a faint smile. 

"The Night organization is nothing like your Revolutionary Army. The reason we don't show ourselves is that we have other identities in the open." 

"We aren't hiding—rather, it's because the World Government is too incompetent." 

"From the first time we emerged on the seas to now, they still haven't managed to uncover our location." 

"Besides, even if I handed over our headquarters' coordinates to the World Government, do you think they'd have the courage to come after us?"

His confidence was evident in every word, radiating an unshakable belief in the Night organization's strength. 

Even if the World Government knew their location, Byakuya seemed certain they could repel any assault with ease. 

Since the incident at Whole Cake Island, where Byakuya gravely injured Big Mom, the Night organization had proven itself a force beyond the World Government's control—on par with the Four Emperors. 

Even with their power on open display, the World Government dared not muster all the Marines to confront them. 

The Night organization had already demonstrated its capabilities to the world. Koala, silenced by Byakuya's words, realized the harsh truth. 

While the Revolutionary Army posed a greater ideological threat to the World Government than the pirates, their strength was still lacking. 

In terms of raw power, the Revolutionary Army, scattered across the seas, probably couldn't rival even a single Emperor's crew.

Breaking the silence, Sabo suddenly spoke. "I doubt you captured us just to hurl insults. What do you want?"

"Of course not," Byakuya replied with a smirk. "I have something far more interesting in mind."

"What exactly do you want?" Sabo pressed, his voice steady but cautious.

Byakuya gazed at Sabo's resolute expression and chuckled. 

"Catching you three in Dressrosa was purely accidental, but after seeing you, an idea came to me. Perhaps we can collaborate."

"Collaborate?" Sabo, Koala, and Haku exchanged surprised glances.

"That's right—a collaboration between the Night organization and the Revolutionary Army," Byakuya explained. 

"Your Revolutionary Army lacks top-tier combat power, something my Night organization can provide."

Sabo couldn't deny the appeal of Byakuya's words. The strength of the Night organization was beyond question. 

A partnership between the two could significantly elevate the Revolutionary Army's capabilities. However, it wasn't that simple.

Due to the Revolutionary Army's covert nature, every recruit underwent rigorous screening, and their background, experiences, and ideology were examined thoroughly to avoid infiltration by World Government spies. 

The standards for new members were stringent enough; choosing collaborators required even more scrutiny. 

If they agreed to work together and the Night organization betrayed them to the World Government, the Revolutionary Army would be utterly destroyed.

Moreover, Sabo couldn't fathom why the Night organization would want to collaborate with them. 

ThNightht had little to gain and would only attract more relentless retaliation from the World Government. 

Even if Byakuya wasn't afraid of the consequences, it didn't make sense to willingly invite such trouble.

Despite his doubts, Sabo didn't outright reject the proposal. Refusing too quickly might provoke Byakuya, putting all their lives in jeopardy. 

Instead, he hesitated and said, "This isn't a decision we can make. I need to inform our leader and let them decide."

"That's fine," Byakuya said nonchalantly. "After we finish our discussion, you're free to go."

Byakuya's straightforwardness took Sabo and the others by surprise. 

They had expected the Night organization to send only one as a messenger, keeping the other two hostages to ensure compliance. 

But Byakuya's willingness to let all three of them leave was unexpected and unsettling.

Such an unorthodox move made Sabo even more suspicious.