The Four Great Families Stir

Several days later.

Hadebein Island.

Warm sunlight streamed through the broad floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling across the conference hall's fine velvet carpet.

Dawn had only just returned to headquarters after a long journey and had not even had time to wash away the dust of travel before Stella cornered him here, demanding the details of his trip.

Leaning back in a chair specially made for him, Dawn recounted everything with an easy expression.

When he mentioned infiltrating the CP training base, causing a huge disturbance, and retreating safely, Stella merely frowned slightly without commenting much. To her, as long as Dawn had returned safely, a little danger along the way was still acceptable.

However, when Dawn casually mentioned that he had eaten a second Devil Fruit—

"What?! Are you insane?!"

Stella abruptly rose from the sofa beside him, crossing her arms over her chest as her delicate body trembled faintly with lingering fear and anger.

Her exquisite face was now covered in frost, her eyes filled with disbelief and intense worry.

"Do you know how dangerous that was?! The conflict between the powers of two Devils would make your body explode! That's common knowledge on the seas! What if something had happened...?"

Her voice carried a barely noticeable sob, and she could hardly bring herself to say the rest.

Her chest heaved violently, and the striking motion made Dawn, who had only just endured the exhaustion of travel, feel slightly dizzy.

He instinctively rubbed his temples and opened his mouth, intending to explain his special constitution. But seeing the concern in Stella's eyes, so intense it was nearly overflowing, he ultimately swallowed his words and obediently closed his mouth, putting on the appearance of someone humbly accepting a lesson.

Outside the conference hall window, Stussy and Kalifa poked their heads out and secretly peeked inside.

Not far away, Lucci wore a cold expression. With his arms crossed, he leaned against a pillar in the corridor and listened to the reprimands coming from inside before snorting disdainfully.

"Hmph. Such pointless emotional entanglements are simply a waste of time."

He turned to the long-nosed youth beside him.

"Kaku, let's go train."

"Yes."

Kaku quickly answered, and the two of them hurried away from the scene of trouble.

Inside the conference hall, Stella's barrage of criticism came like a violent storm, scolding Dawn from head to toe until her mouth went dry and her breathing became slightly ragged.

Dawn timely handed her a cup of hot water at just the right temperature, a soothing smile on his face.

"Don't worry, Stella. I know what I'm doing. Before eating that fruit, I had already learned in detail about the special nature of my constitution through some... well, fairly reliable channels. I only dared to try because I was quite confident. I wouldn't joke around with my own life."

Stella took the cup and sipped from it several times. The warm liquid slightly calmed her turbulent emotions.

She shot Dawn an annoyed glare.

"Hmph, why didn't you say that sooner?!"

You had to give me the chance. You started by tearing into me without warning. How was I supposed to get a word in? Naturally, he would never say something so emotionally clueless aloud.

A perfectly measured apology appeared on his face.

"Sorry, that was my oversight. I forgot in the moment. From now on, I definitely won't hide anything from you."

After soothing her a little, he stood and drew Stella's petite body fully into his embrace.

Stella struggled symbolically for a moment, then obediently leaned against his warm, solid chest. His familiar scent enveloped her, gradually dispelling the last trace of unease in her heart. She raised her head to look at that familiar face.

"Then... what if something dangerous like this happens again, and you still don't tell me?"

Just as Dawn was about to comfort her gently and make a few promises, the heavy door of the conference hall creaked open.

"Dawn, I've already made a preliminary inventory and classification of the supplies you brought back..."

Robin, carrying a stack of documents with tiny beads of sweat still on her forehead, had just entered to report. She had barely gotten halfway through when she saw the two embracing inside.

Her mind had long surpassed those of others her age, and who knew what scenes from books she had associated this with. Her little face instantly flushed crimson.

"I'm sorry! I... I came at the wrong time!"

She lowered her head in panic and blurted out the words at high speed, then retreated almost awkwardly, carefully closing the heavy door behind her.

Dawn looked at the closed door again and smiled helplessly. Lowering his head, he spoke to Stella, whose face was also slightly red.

"Let's go somewhere else. We'll be interrupted here."

Stella nodded lightly in agreement.

West Blue, Panlenia Island.

The sun had set and the moon had risen.

The night was deep. Moonlight like flowing water quietly fell across the island, draping it in a veil of silver. The streets, usually fairly lively, were now completely silent, not a single civilian in sight. An invisible sense of oppression hung over the place.

At the edge of the island, before a seemingly abandoned massive warehouse, layer upon layer of vicious-looking Mafia members in varied attire stood gathered.

Their waists bulged with concealed weapons. Their presence had driven away every civilian who dared venture out at night.

Inside the warehouse, unlike the grim air outside, smoke curled everywhere. The smoke from expensive cigars mingled with that of ladies' cigarettes, making the place resemble some strange fairyland.

Four of the five great powers of the West Blue underworld had gathered here to discuss only one matter—how to deal with the suddenly emerged Dawn and Hadebein Island, an important stronghold originally belonging to Boom, the King of Gunpowder, which Dawn had forcibly seized.

"That damned brat! What absurd luck! Who would've thought the World Government really wouldn't pursue the matter!"

A Longarm Tribe man with a crew cut, dressed in a black overcoat over an expensive suit, angrily slammed his palm onto the sturdy mahogany conference table with a loud bang.

Across from him, a woman with fiery red hair lounged lazily against her chair. Her curves were alluring beneath a low-cut black gown, and she exuded the unique charm of a mature woman, like a fully ripened peach.

She elegantly exhaled a stream of smoke, her face full of contempt.

"I told you long ago that those sanctimonious fools in the World Government would never openly admit to having ties with the underworld. None of you believed me, and none of you dared act. And now? Someone else picked the peaches. All I can say is... you had it coming."

"Enough, Liliana. Now that it has already happened, saying such sarcastic things is useless."

A man wearing a finely tailored dark suit of exquisite material, a monocle perched on his face, spoke up to smooth things over. His manners resembled those of an old aristocratic gentleman. After a pause, he looked toward the Longarm Tribe man.

"Vincent, calm down as well. Only by keeping cool can we come up with a way to respond."

Vincent snorted, clearly not appreciating the gesture.

"Hmph, stop pretending here, Magadino! Your Buffalo Family's arms sales account for over half of the entire West Blue! You know better than anyone what the resources on Hadebein Island mean for weapon manufacturing! I refuse to believe you aren't tempted!"

Magadino shrugged without denying it, that inscrutable gentlemanly smile still on his face.

He turned his gaze toward the other side of the conference table, toward the short man who had remained silent since the meeting began. He wore a burgundy suit and had a cigar clenched between his teeth.

"Becky, as I recall, you also have a considerable demand for gunpowder and weapons. What do you think?"

"Should we continue probing Hadebein Island, or... launch a joint all-out assault directly?"

TO BE CONTINUED