The Strongest Lunarian in One Piece

"Did they agree?"

In the Totto Land Kingdom, within the grand palace on Cake Island, El, seated on the throne, narrowed his eyes and gave a faint smile as he received a call from Sea Tiger Jien.

"Then come back," he instructed calmly.

"El onii-chan, is it really necessary to invite the Roger Pirates?" asked the tall and imposing Linlin, seated nearby. Her tone was puzzled as she continued, "Their strength doesn't seem that impressive, does it?"

"Don't underestimate them," El replied, his expression composed but with a glint of amusement.

He explained, "Individually, their strength might not stand out, but their teamwork is seamless. And their core trio—Gold, Silver, and Bronze—combined make for formidable combat power.

"Besides," he added, his tone turning more serious, "no matter how much we look down on the World Government, we must acknowledge one fact: right now, we're walking a tightrope. It's a delicate situation that leaves no room for carelessness."

At present, the pressure on the Fallen Angel Pirates was immense. Even though El had prepared measures to counter the World Government, he was pragmatic enough to plan for every eventuality. Ensuring the survival of the Totto Land Kingdom was his top priority.

"If we fail, we retreat and focus on taking over Wano Country, right?"

Linlin shoved a handful of pastries into her mouth, speaking through her chewing, "That place has been isolated for years. Even the CP agents can't infiltrate easily. It's a good fallback option!"

Given the World Government's deep resources and overwhelming strength, the Fallen Angel Pirates had already mapped out their contingency plan.

If they couldn't repel the World Government's assault, they would immediately abandon the Totto Land Kingdom, retreat to regroup, and launch a takeover of Wano Country. With its natural defenses and history of isolation, it was an ideal stronghold. From there, they could bide their time, amass resources, and return to reclaim their honor.

Even if they succeeded in defending Totto Land, their ultimate plan would still involve targeting the resource-rich Wano Country, known for its abundant supply of Seastone. The difference would lie in their approach—either gradual infiltration or outright conquest.

"The Roger Pirates are manageable, but that Rocks guy is a different story," Linlin remarked, recalling El's earlier battle with Rocks D. Xebec.

With a serious expression, she added, "He's cunning, and his strength is terrifying. There's something unsettling about his abilities, too—it's hard not to be wary."

Despite her disdain for most opponents, Linlin couldn't ignore the threat Rocks posed. His overwhelming strength and eerie powers had left even her, a natural-born monster, feeling a rare sense of unease.

"I did underestimate him a little," El admitted with a nod, his tone laced with admiration.

"The Dark-Dark Fruit truly is a remarkable ability," he continued. "Doubling pain as its cost… That's not something many could endure."

Though El had suspected Rocks' abilities beforehand, experiencing the reality of the Logia Dark-Dark Fruit firsthand had left him shaken. The sheer intensity of the power, combined with its fearsome potential, was enough to make even him tread cautiously.

Of course, El was merely surprised, not overly wary.

After all, his power wasn't solely reliant on his Devil Fruit abilities. Even without utilizing the Mythical Zoan: Quetzalcoatl form, El's natural Lunarian abilities couldn't easily be countered by the Dark-Dark Fruit. Not to mention, he was a natural-born monster—immensely strong, impervious to most weapons, and possessing a physique beyond ordinary comprehension. His formidable mastery of swordsmanship and martial arts was far from ornamental.

"At least he was smart enough to hand over a Devil Fruit as compensation. Otherwise, this matter wouldn't have been settled so easily!"

Linlin snorted and sneered. The Totto Land Kingdom wasn't a place anyone could provoke at will. If not for the fact that Rocks and his men hadn't caused serious harm beyond superficial injuries, a single unknown Devil Fruit wouldn't have been enough to buy their way out.

"El-sama, we've just received news…"

At that moment, Sally entered the room and reported, "Lillian and her team have captured Kurozumi Semimaru and Kurozumi Higurashi. Their combat strength is rather average, but they were incredibly cautious. If not for the unique powers of Lillian's Glare-Glare Fruit, which easily saw through the disguises of the Imitation Fruit, our personnel might have been deceived!"

"Oh?" El raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly. "You've finally caught those two, have you?"

For years, he had instructed the Hell Trading Company to covertly search for their whereabouts. Initially, the plan was to "cooperate" with the Kurozumi Clan to use them in taking control of Wano Country. But now that Ryan had acquired the Munch-Munch Fruit, allowing the recovery of other abilities, his plans had naturally evolved.

"Without the Swap-Swap Fruit, catching them would've taken much more effort…" Sally chuckled. "Semimaru's Barrier-Barrier Fruit offers 'invincible' defense, after all."

The Swap-Swap Fruit, previously taken from a captured CP0 operative, had been gifted by El to a former member of the Dream House.

"Where are they being held?"

El rose to his feet and looked at Sally. "Don't deal with them just yet… I want to extract some secrets from them myself."

It was highly likely that over the years, Higurashi, using the Imitation Fruit, had infiltrated various factions and stolen Devil Fruits and treasures. It wouldn't be surprising if Semimaru's Barrier-Barrier Fruit had been acquired in this way.

While treasure was secondary, Devil Fruits couldn't be missed.

"They're still in transit, heading through one of our maze-like routes…" Sally grinned. "Conveniently, they happened to wander into our hunting grounds not far from the Totto Land Kingdom!"

"Notify Barry and Ryan to return at once," El ordered, sneering. "Let's recover those two Devil Fruits first. Especially the Barrier-Barrier Fruit—it'll come in handy soon enough. Who knows, it might even give the World Government a massive surprise!"

El knew very well how formidable the Barrier-Barrier Fruit's defense could be. With the right wielder—someone powerful and immune to Conqueror's Haki disruptions—the fruit could provide near-impenetrable protection. Even the Five Elders would struggle to break through such defenses.

"The Imitation Fruit will be useful too!" Sally added with a smile.

While the Imitation Fruit lacked offensive or defensive capabilities, its strategic value was immeasurable. It was a perfect support tool, seemingly tailor-made for espionage. Going forward, she planned to select one of the most promising former Dream House members to cultivate as a top-tier agent.

"I'll leave the choice of who receives the Imitation Fruit to you, then," El said with a smile.

With the acquisition of the Imitation Fruit and Barrier-Barrier Fruit, the Fallen Angel Pirates had gained yet another edge.

"I won't let you down!" Sally replied confidently.

~~~

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