Chapter 367: Chapter 367: Hidden Danger!
Chapter 367: Hidden Danger!
After receiving the vials of life essence from Ryuunosuke, the team vanished without a trace. They had no plans of returning this time.
Their sudden reappearance had only been due to sensing Sevian’s presence nearby—an unexpected reunion. But now, with their objectives reaffirmed and time running short, they had to prepare for the path ahead.
Ryuunosuke remained standing on the spot, surrounded by lingering tension. He glanced toward Najenda and the others.
"Everyone okay?" he asked calmly.
"We didn’t even get the chance to fight," Leona huffed, folding her arms. "The battle was over before we arrived."
There was a note of frustration in her tone. After all, she had come ready for a showdown—only for things to resolve without her drawing her weapon.
"Don’t complain," Najenda said, giving Leona a light smack on the head with a sigh. "You saw that man’s aura. We wouldn’t have had the advantage. Charging in recklessly would’ve only made things worse."
"Being pirates doesn’t mean we pick fights without thinking. The sea won’t always play in our favor."
Ryuunosuke nodded silently. Najenda was right. The overconfidence he sensed lately was starting to show itself more and more among the crew.
And that was dangerous.
Ever since their triumph over the World Government’s forces, a subtle shift had crept into the Dragon Hunter Pirates. Their victories—and Ryuunosuke’s increasing strength—had given them momentum, yes. But it had also bred arrogance.
A mentality was spreading: that no matter who their enemy was, the Dragon Hunter Pirates would always come out on top.
That assumption, Ryuunosuke knew, could get them killed.
"Captain," Najenda said, voice laced with concern. "We need to address this now. If something major hits us while everyone’s still walking around with that mindset... they won’t even know what hit them."
Ryuunosuke raised an eyebrow. "Is it that serious?"
"To you, things might seem fine," Najenda explained. "You’re focused on the big picture. But as someone who watches over the inner workings of the crew... I can tell you it’s already affecting discipline. Just listen to what Leona said. That attitude isn’t rare anymore. It’s becoming the norm."
As she spoke, several others shifted uncomfortably. Tatsumi stepped forward, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Honestly, I thought I could kill a few enemies myself," he admitted. "Didn’t even stop to consider who we were dealing with."
"Same," Akame added, expression unreadable. "I assumed we had the upper hand. Thought we could overwhelm them."
Several others nodded in agreement, clearly embarrassed. These weren’t rookies—they were officers of the Dragon Hunter Pirates. If even they had fallen into this mindset... then what about the rest?
It was a dangerous slope. Confidence without awareness led only to ruin.
Ryuunosuke crossed his arms, silent for a moment, then gave a single nod.
"All right. Najenda, prepare a mission order. Relay it to all the captains of the Logistics divisions."
"Inside is intel on targeted assignments. It’s time to shake off the complacency."
Not long after, messages were transmitted across the sea to the far-flung units of the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
---
On Jack’s Island...
Hawkins read the message in confusion, his usual calm demeanor faltering slightly.
"Attack the team that ambushed Urz?" he muttered.
Something about this order felt off, but he followed it without question.
---
Elsewhere...
Doflamingo received a different order.
Each team had been given a designated threat to handle—enemies who had stirred chaos or challenged the balance. Some were old foes. Others were new threats.
For now, the Night Raid division and Conrad’s team were exempt—they were already handling internal complications from recent events.
---
Meanwhile, on a remote, fog-shrouded island...
"You idiot!" Wade snapped, glaring at Sevian. "Do you even think before you act? Do you even know what kind of person Roy is?"
"If the Dragon Hunter Pirates were that easy to wipe out, do you think Roy would let them wander freely?"
Sevian stood stiffly, trying to muster a response. But Wade wasn’t done.
"You wasted Silver Moon’s ability for nothing, and now we’ve got chains around our hearts and vows we can’t break."
"Was it worth it?"
"How was I supposed to know they’d be that strong?" Sevian barked back, clearly still defensive. "It wasn’t just the captain—everyone was a monster!"
"In all the years we’ve roamed the sea, when have you seen this many freaks gathered on one ship?"
"Even the so-called Pirate King, Roger, wasn’t surrounded by this much power..."
His voice trailed off as he realized the weight of what he had just admitted. Everyone was now staring at him in silence.
Sevian swallowed hard.
No matter what he said now, the truth was clear: his impulsive action had exposed their movements—and alerted the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
"You really don’t get it," came a cold voice.
A figure sitting quietly nearby finally spoke. It was the old man who had remained silent until now—his presence alone made the air feel heavier.
"I expected Kshia to be the first to make trouble," the old man continued. "But no, it was you. Used like a pawn by Roy. Again."
"And don’t forget—Roy isn’t the only one watching. They’re still out there."
"We’ve stayed in the shadows for a reason, Sevian. Do you really think there’s no one left on the sea capable of killing us?"
Sevian lowered his head. "Boss Jeff... I—"
SLAP!
The room echoed with the sharp crack of a slap.
Jeff’s palm struck Sevian hard across the face, sending him stumbling.
"Do you still have something to say?" Jeff’s voice was quiet but dangerous.
Even Kshia, the group’s fiery-tempered little princess, had instinctively backed away. Wade too had already taken several steps back.
They all knew Jeff’s fury wasn’t something you wanted to be near.
Sevian fell to his knees, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"I was wrong!" he shouted quickly. "Boss, I—I was wrong!"
He didn’t dare lift his head. He didn’t even wipe the blood from his lips. One wrong move and Jeff could erase him without blinking.
Jeff didn’t speak again. Instead, he turned away and vanished into the mist.
His final words echoed like a judgment bell.
"Find "Him". He’s been in that place long enough. Time he came out to stretch his legs."
Only once Jeff had disappeared did the tension lift.
Sevian stood slowly, wiping the blood away at last. But his eyes burned—not with remorse, but quiet resentment.
Still, he said nothing. He simply turned and left, swallowed by the forest shadows.
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