I, Kizaru, only came to the chat group after I became invincible

Chapter 462 The Founders of the New Order

The elders' faces grew even more somber.

“At first, he merely demonstrated his power in Stone Valley Town, and quickly gained a large following,” Alva sighed. “People were awestruck by his power and believed him to be a messenger of the gods.”

"And then?" Chopper asked nervously.

“Then he began to expand his power,” Cassius said angrily. “He proclaimed himself the new god of power, demanding that the people of Stone Valley worship only him. Those who refused to obey were punished by him with dark power.”

"That's too much!" Luffy said angrily.

“What’s even worse is yet to come,” Elena continued. “A year ago, he completely took control of Stone Valley Town, expelling all the elders and opponents. Stone Valley Town is now entirely his territory.”

"Didn't you stop him?" Zoro asked.

“We tried,” Alva said bitterly. “We sent our elite guard to try and arrest him.”

"And then?" Franky pressed.

"The entire army was wiped out," Karen said gravely. "Thirty elite warriors, not one of them could defeat him. His dark power was too great; it could devour any attack and even plunge its inhabitants into eternal darkness."

"Has anyone died because of this?" Robin asked worriedly.

“No,” Cassius shook his head. “Damon, though brutal, didn’t go so far as to indiscriminately kill innocent people. He simply blinded those warriors permanently and then released them.”

"Blindness?" Chopper exclaimed.

“Yes,” Elena said sadly. “Those warriors are now living in the medical facility; their eyes have been swallowed by darkness, and they can no longer see the light.”

"That's the terrifying aspect of Devil Fruit abilities," Borsalino said slowly. "If used improperly, they can cause enormous damage."

“Since then, we haven’t dared to act rashly,” Alva admitted. “Damon occupies Stone Valley, while we control Lavala City and Dawn Town. A delicate balance is maintained between the two.”

“But this balance has now been broken, hasn’t it?” Borsalino keenly observed.

“That’s right.” Cassius nodded. “Just last night, we received news that Damon has begun his march on Dawntown. He’s with a large following, and it seems he intends to take over Dawntown.”

“If Dawntown falls into his hands as well,” Elena said worriedly, “then two-thirds of Lavala Island will be under his control.”

"So you've come to us to discuss this," Robin understood. "You hope we can help."

“We know this request is abrupt,” Alva said sincerely. “You have just arrived in Lavala and should be our guests. But the situation is so critical that we have no other choice.”

“Furthermore,” Elena added, “we’ve witnessed your strength. Yesterday, Karen said that each of you possesses extraordinary combat abilities. Perhaps you two could stand against Damon’s dark forces.”

The Straw Hat Pirates looked at each other.

“I want to confirm a few things first,” Borsalino said. “What is Damon’s goal? Is it merely to occupy the island?”

“Not only that,” Karen said. “According to our intelligence, he claims to be establishing a new order, with himself as the supreme ruler, and all the Lavaras to be subject to him.”

“Typical dictatorship thinking,” Sanji sneered.

“And he’s also researching some dangerous things,” Cassius said in a low voice. “Our spies report that he’s trying to develop a larger-scale dark power, and even wants to alter the distribution of pumice across the entire island.”

"Change the distribution of crystals?" Franky was shocked. "That would affect the island's balance!"

“That’s right,” Alva said seriously. “If he succeeds, the entire island of Lavala could spiral out of control, either crashing or flying into higher, more dangerous areas.”

“This madman,” Zoro gritted his teeth.

Luffy had been listening quietly, but suddenly he stood up.

“I’ve made up my mind,” he said seriously. “We’re going to meet this Damon.”

"Luffy?" Nami asked, somewhat surprised.

"I can't stand guys who bully the weak!" Luffy's tone was firm. "And he even wants to destroy this island! This is everyone's home!"

“That’s right.” Zoro stood up, his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Since he’s a Devil Fruit user, we can’t just stand by and do nothing.”

“I’m going too.” Sanji lit a cigarette. “We can’t let these scoundrels get away with anything.”

“Count me in!” Franky raised his fist. “As a shipwright, protecting everyone’s home is my top priority!”

“I want to help too!” Chopper said bravely.

“Now that everyone has made their decision,” Nami sighed, then smiled. “I can’t fall behind.”

“Of course we’ll go,” Robin said gently. “It’s the right thing to do.”

“Me too.” Brooke bowed gracefully. “Although I have no eyes, I cannot let those blind warriors sacrifice themselves in vain.”

“And me? Needless to say.” Borsalino said slowly. “Dealing with Devil Fruit users is my specialty.”

As the elders watched the newcomers express their opinions one by one, their eyes shone with emotion and hope.

"Thank you all," Alva said, her voice trembling slightly. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Luffy grinned. "We didn't go for you guys; it's because that Damon is just too awful!"

“Although Luffy’s words were harsh, that’s really what he meant,” Nami explained helplessly. “We can’t stand people who bully the weak.”

“Furthermore,” Borsalino added, “we’re also very curious about how that Devil Fruit got here. Knowing this from Damon would be very valuable to us.”

"So when do we set off?" Zoro asked.

“The sooner the better,” Karen said. “According to the latest news, Damon’s team is expected to arrive in Dawntown this afternoon. We must get there before them.”

"How far is Dawn Town from here?" Franky asked.

“About twenty kilometers,” Karen replied. “If we were using a flying vehicle, we could get there in an hour.”

"Let's set off right now!" Luffy couldn't wait.

“Wait.” Alva stood up. “Before you leave, I have something for you.”

He gestured to his attendant to bring a wooden box. Inside, upon opening, were several exquisite pieces of light stone equipment.

“These are our best light flight gear,” Alva said. “Wearing them, you can move freely in the air. This will be very useful when dealing with Damon.”

"Great!" Luffy excitedly picked up a piece of equipment. The equipment was a vest-style design, inlaid with carefully cut pumice stones. It also had a control device to adjust the buoyancy.

“It’s very easy to use,” Karen demonstrated. “This button controls ascent, and this one controls descent. Once you’re skilled enough, you can fly through the air like a bird.”

"That's so cool!" Franky immediately began studying the equipment's construction. "This design is ingenious!"

Everyone donned the Light Stone Gear and tried it out under Karen's guidance. Soon, except for Devil Fruit users like Luffy who weren't quite used to it, everyone else had basically mastered how to use it.

"Luffy, you might need to be extra careful," Borsalino warned. "The weakness of Devil Fruit users is Seastone. Although the crystal isn't Seastone, it's still a special mineral and might have some impact on their abilities."

"It's okay!" Luffy said confidently. "I can defeat him without flying!"

“There’s one more thing,” Elder Elena said solemnly. “Damon’s dark power is extremely dangerous. Once consumed by his darkness, one will be trapped in eternal darkness. You must be careful.”

“What are the characteristics of his abilities?” Robin asked. “The more details the better.”

“According to survivors of previous battles,” Karen recalled, “Damon can create vast areas of darkness within which all light is absorbed. He can also move freely in the darkness, even passing through objects.”

"It sounds like the power of the Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit," Borsalino analyzed. "If it really is that fruit, it's certainly troublesome."

"The Dark-Dark Fruit?" Nami looked at him in confusion.

“A very rare and powerful Devil Fruit,” Borsalino explained. “It possesses the power of darkness and can absorb everything, including light and other abilities.”

"That powerful?" Chopper asked worriedly.

“It’s powerful, but not invincible,” Zoro said. “Every ability has a weakness.”

“That’s right.” Borsalino nodded. “And even with the Dark-Dark Fruit, the user’s body is still human. As long as you can hit the original body, you can defeat him.”

"So what is our strategy?" Sanji asked.

“First, go to Dawntown and protect its residents,” Borsalino devised the plan. “Then find an opportunity to speak with Damon and see if a peaceful resolution can be reached.”

"A peaceful resolution?" Luffy frowned. "Can such bad guys be resolved peacefully?"

“At least give it a try,” Borsalino said. “If he’s willing to stop the expansion and abandon the dangerous plan, that would be best.”

“But what if he doesn’t want to?” Sauron asked.

“Then we’ll have to resort to force.” Borsalino’s tone turned serious. “But remember, our goal is to stop him, not kill him.”

"Understood." Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Karen, are you coming along too?” Robin asked.

“I will bring a squad of elite warriors with me,” Karen said. “Their main responsibility is protecting the residents of Dawntown; the fighting is your responsibility.”

"Alright!" Luffy clenched his fist excitedly. "Let's go!"

Outside the council chamber, more than a dozen aircraft were already prepared. These aircraft were larger than those seen yesterday and could carry more people.

The Straw Hat Pirates split into several flying vehicles, and Karen and his warriors also boarded one. As the engines started, the huge wings of the flying vehicles began to flap, and the entire group slowly took off.

"Let's go! Head to Dawn Town!" Karen ordered.

The aircraft lined up in the air and flew towards the other side of the island. From the air, the entire island of Lavala could be seen. The scenery on this side of the island was also beautiful, with mountains, forests, and fields.

“Look over there,” Karen pointed ahead. “That’s Dawn Town.”

Nestled in the valley, a small town comes into view. Its architectural style is similar to Lavala, but it's much smaller. Smoke hangs in the air above the town, indicating that the residents are engaged in their daily activities.

“It looks peaceful,” Nami said.

“But that won’t happen soon,” Karen said gravely. “Look over there.”

He pointed in another direction. On the distant horizon, a huge black cloud could be seen moving. The cloud was irregularly shaped, sometimes expanding and sometimes contracting, looking extremely unnatural.

“That’s Damon’s dark power,” Karen said. “He shrouds his forces in darkness.”

"What a vast expanse of darkness!" Chopper exclaimed in surprise. "It looks hundreds of meters wide!"

“Damon has been honing his abilities for the past three years,” Karen said. “Now he’s at least ten times stronger than he was three years ago.”

“This is indeed troublesome,” Borsalino said, squinting as he observed the dark cloud. “But it’s not without its challenges.”

"What method?" Luffy asked eagerly.

"We'll talk about it when we get there." Borsalino smiled mysteriously.

The aircraft accelerated and soon arrived over Dawn Town. They landed in the town square, immediately attracting a large crowd of residents.

“Vice Captain Karen!” An older man ran up to them. “You’ve finally arrived!”

"Mayor, how is the situation?" Karen asked.

“Damon’s group appeared to the east an hour ago,” the mayor said anxiously. “They’re advancing slowly, and it looks like they’re trying to surround the whole town.”

"Are the residents all ready?" Karen asked.

“We have followed your instructions and placed the women and children in underground shelters,” the mayor replied. “But the men in town all want to stay and fight.”

“Tell them not to act rashly,” Karen said sternly. “Damon’s power is beyond the reach of ordinary people.”

"These people are..." The mayor looked at the Straw Hat Pirates.

“They are friends from the lower realm,” Karen explained. “They are also powerful individuals with special abilities. They will help us fight against Damon.”

"From the lower realm?" The town mayor looked at them in shock.

“There’s no time for a detailed explanation,” Karen said. “Let’s prepare for battle first.”

Just then, the sky suddenly darkened. Everyone looked up and saw that the huge black cloud had moved to the edge of the town.

A deep and authoritative voice came from the dark clouds:

"People of Dawntown, listen! I am Damon Darkstone, the founder of the New Order, the Lord of Darkness!"

(End of this chapter)