"Well then, strive to complete your missions, strive to grow stronger. I hope you can all become powerful pillars of the village soon." Hui spoke, nodding to the ten individuals before departing.
What these ten individuals would do next was up to them.
As for Hui, his next task was to gather Devil Fruits. He believed that if he could thoroughly research the Devil Fruits, the entire Sage Shinobi Nation would experience a tremendous leap in power.
Devil Fruits, seemingly abundant with users encountered everywhere, were actually rare in this world.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be worth so much money. Searching for them one by one would be quite the extreme undertaking, requiring immense time and effort.
Therefore, Hui had other plans.
No matter the world, wealth and valuable resources always ended up in the hands of a select few. Devil Fruits, difficult for ordinary people to obtain, were not so hard to come by for behemoths like powerful pirates and the World Government's Marines.
Thus, Hui decided to plunder.
He wouldn't bother with excuses; he would simply take them by force. The only hesitation he had was deciding which faction to target first.
This hesitation lasted only a second or two.
Hui had made up his mind. He would set his sights on Mary Geoise, the Celestial Dragons' sanctuary. His path was set: whoever he encountered, he would rob!
Such was how you become domineering!
Acting on his decision, Hui set off. Of course, he wouldn't travel directly through the Calm Belt. He wasn't foolish. How many ships, Marine bases, or World Government affiliated countries could he possibly encounter in the Calm Belt?
Therefore, he ventured out only after distancing himself from the Calm Belt.
The sea was currently in a state of great turmoil. During the year and a half since Hui had returned to the Sage Shinobi Nation, the legendary Pirate King, the world-renowned Gol D. Roger, had died.
He was executed by the Marines in Loguetown in the East Blue.
He hadn't been captured; he had surrendered himself. His life was nearing its end; even without execution, he wouldn't have lived much longer. So, he turned himself in.
Interestingly, just moments before his execution, an unknown brave soul asked where his treasure was hidden. This question momentarily stunned Roger. Then he laughed.
"You want my treasure? If you want it, you can have it all. Go look for it! I left everything I gathered together in one place!" Roger shouted these words to the crowd.
And with that, a Great Age began. Countless pirates, vying for the "One Piece," began establishing their dominance, engaging in fierce battles and wars, ultimately ushering in the "Great Pirate Era"!
It had been about a year since Roger's death, and the world was reaching a boiling point. Thus, it wasn't long before Hui encountered a pirate ship.
He descended from the sky, hovering in front of the ship, and addressed the dumbfounded crew below: "It's robbery time. Hand over all the Devil Fruits on board, and you'll be spared."
Hui's voice jolted the pirates back to reality. They exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of how to react.
"Who the hell are you, daring to rob our Xavi Pirates?!" A reckless and audacious pirate yelled. Used to running rampant on the sea, his first instinct was to lash out in anger.
However, his outburst made Captain Xavi's face drain of color.
He recognized Hui. He recognized the "God" who had vanished for over a year.
"I've only been gone for a little over a year, and I'm already forgotten by the world? It seems I need to etch my existence deeper into this world's memory." MochizukiHui sighed.
A golden light erupted from his body, instantly piercing the forehead of the outspoken pirate.
The flash of gold made Xavi tremble. He dropped to his knees.
"G-G-G-God! I'll get you the Devil Fruit right away!" Xavi stammered, scrambling to his feet, his heart pounding with terror.
He had no choice.
Who is this individual audacious enough give himself the title of "God"?
He was the one who, over a year ago at Sabaody Archipelago, had publicly auctioned off Celestial Dragons, extorted them, and single-handedly obliterated former Fleet Admiral Kong and a former One of the Five Elders. He was the "Vilest Man in History," with an astronomical 8 billion Berry bounty placed on his head by both the World Government and the Marines.
Indeed, after the previous incident, Hui's bounty had skyrocketed. From 990 million, it had soared to 8 billion, more than an eightfold increase! His bounty was now the highest in the world, surpassing even that of the late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. And his title? He was now called the "Vilest Man in History."
There was no helping it. The impact of Hui's previous actions had been immense, shaking the world and planting a seed in the hearts of everyone: the idea that Celestial Dragons were also just people.
This seed caused the World Government endless headaches and filled them with hatred for Hui. Because that seed quickly sprouted.
Inspired by Hui's actions against the Celestial Dragons, the infamous pirate "Golden Lion" Shiki had also taken action.
Although he didn't auction them off, he killed a Celestial Dragon in the South Blue in front of numerous witnesses.
This act infuriated the World Government. They dispatched a formidable force, including Marine heroes like Garp and Sengoku, to besiege Shiki and bring him to justice. A terrifying war ensued, resulting in Shiki narrowly escaping with the loss of his legs. His newly expanded pirate crew, however, was completely annihilated, leaving no survivors.
This battle demonstrated that the World Government was not to be trifled with; challenging the Celestial Dragons was an extremely dangerous decision.
"God" had succeeded, and in a much more extreme manner, because of his unfathomable power, a power that the World Government deeply feared.
With this understanding firmly established, many abandoned their ambitions against the Celestial Dragons.
Of course, not everyone relinquished their desires for their targets, but they dared not act rashly for now. Given the opportunity, they would undoubtedly strike against the Celestial Dragons.
Xavi scrambled to retrieve his only Devil Fruit, presenting it to Hui on his knees with both hands. True to his word, Hui departed after taking the Devil Fruit.
Only after his departure did the remaining pirates on the ship dare to speak.
"Damn! It was the Vilest Man in History! No wonder he looked so familiar!"
"It was God! He's back after a year and a half!"
"It feels like something terrifying is about to happen on the seas again!"
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