With Kahn flying at full speed, it took him less than an hour to reach the skies above the "Grandine New World."
The people outside the Golden City building noticed that the bright, sunny day suddenly turned cloudy. A massive shadow blotted out the sun, covering the entire Golden City.
Looking up, they saw the source of the shadow: a colossal blue sky dragon, nearly 200 meters long with wings spanning over 100 meters.
Witnessing the world's strongest creature up close, countless people with weaker nerves felt their legs shaking violently. Many even collapsed to the ground in fear, their faces pale with terror.
Those who had never seen Cross Kahn in action had only heard from the news that he had destroyed an island in the Sabaody Archipelago, fought evenly with the current Marine Fleet Admiral, and defeated Kaido, the former Emperor of the Sea. Even those who weren't initially afraid of Kahn became cautious upon arriving in Golden City.
In the presence of the world's strongest creature, even a dragon slayer would feel despair.
Of course, the only ones who were truly terrified were the 17-year-olds who had just entered the New World or newcomers visiting Golden City for the first time.
As for the veterans, they were as amazed as always before returning to their usual calm.
If the giant dragon had been Kaido's azure dragon form, these people would've been nervous, perhaps even scared. After all, Kaido had been defeated by Cross Kahn, and his arrival could mean an attack on Golden City as revenge.
But since it was Dragon, there was no need for fear.
Although the "Grandine New World" had seen several rulers, the true master of Golden City remained the one who rarely visited, staying most of the time on Amazon Lily—"The World's Strongest Creature," Cross Kahn.
After arriving in the skies above the "Grantigne New World," Kahn swiftly reverted from his dragon form to his human form, disappearing from sight in an instant.
When he reappeared, he was already in the villa behind the Gold Hotel amidst the rockery and gardens.
"Master, this is the Logia Dark-Dark Fruit."
Sonia had been waiting for Kahn at the villa. As soon as he appeared, she immediately handed him the treasure chest she had been guarding.
Kahn opened the chest, revealing the Devil Fruit inside. A slight smirk formed on his face. "Now, the power to control the future is in our hands."
In truth, Kahn wanted to say that the Cross family now held the key to the inevitable chaos that was coming.
With the Paramecia Op-Op Fruit, the dream of creating the perfect fruit was no longer impossible.
And with the Logia Dark-Dark Fruit, the masterpiece of the Cross family would undoubtedly surpass even the Seraphim created by Vegapunk.
After closing the chest, Kahn looked up at Sonia, who towered over him, and smiled. "Sonia, you'll need to keep working hard for a little while. You can return home after the family creates the new clone."
"It's fine. I'd rather stay here and help Master relieve your stress than be at home," Sonia said softly, her tone full of care.
And she meant it. At home, Sonia often felt lost, unsure of what to do other than helping Robin occasionally.
Because her two elder sisters—one with incredible strategic skills and the other a fierce warrior—are truly outstanding, they can handle any situation effortlessly. Following their lead would only make Sonia dependent on them.
That's why, rather than staying with Robin and Hancock, Sonia prefers to remain in "Grandine Paradise" and the "Grandinie New World," where she's responsible for protecting these two island ships. Along the way, she also mentors Margaret, who is expected to become the captain of the new generation of Kuja Pirates when she grows up.
For Sonia, this work, which helps Kahn shoulder a lot of responsibilities, brings a deep sense of accomplishment. She doesn't feel as special or attractive as her sisters, but this role makes her feel valued. She actually enjoys it.
Kahn, born with the ability to read hearts through his Observation Haki, easily sensed Sonia's inner thoughts. He was slightly surprised by what he saw but smiled and said, "Thank you, Sonia."
Sonia nodded with a warm smile, feeling appreciated.
After chatting with her for a bit and listening to her report, Kahn said, "If those undercover agents aren't causing too much trouble, just ignore them. But if they cross the line, lock them up. When you pass through the Kingdom of Dressrosa, contact Monet to deal with them—either make them disappear from this world or take their hearts."
Kahn wanted to free up his time, so he considered having Monet assist Sonia in managing the undercover agents from various forces. However, a sudden idea made him reconsider.
Since the "Cross Family" headquarters had already moved to Wano Country, they rarely visited the "Grandinie New World" or Golden City, except for vacations. The city was now merely a tool for making money for the family, and there wasn't much of value left for spies to gather.
The undercover agents couldn't access any significant information, and thinking they could become a high-ranking member of the "Cross Family" like Bacala was nothing more than a daydream.
After discussing a few more things with Sonia, Kahn said his goodbyes and left the villa. He used his telekinetic power to lift off the ground and then transformed into his massive dragon form, heading back to Amazon Lily.
In less than an hour, Kahn returned to the island. Upon arrival, he summoned Carina, who was training to become a warrior of the Kuja Pirates and handed her the Logia Dark-Dark Fruit.
Yes, Kahn had decided that Carina would be the one to eat the Dark-Dark Fruit.
In Kahn's view, the Dark-Dark Fruit had two primary strengths. The first is its ability to nullify an opponent's Devil Fruit powers by touching them. The second is its ability to guarantee that, after a Devil Fruit user dies, the power will transfer to the nearest fruit with a 100% chance—this is how Blackbeard was able to steal other users' abilities for his own crew.
Unless one becomes a dual-fruit user like Blackbeard, a person with the Dark-Dark Fruit is best suited for a support role.
And Carina was Kahn's new trump card for the Cross family.
Alongside her, Kahn had high hopes for both Monet and Robin. Robin had been a Devil Fruit user since she was young, and her potential had already reached its limits. But Monet, who now wielded the Op-Op Fruit, and Carina, who would eat the Dark-Dark Fruit, were central to determining the future strength of the "Cross Family."
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