"Zehahaha! If we pull this off, becoming the Pirate King is just around the corner!"
With the leader’s declaration, the crew clinked their mugs, then chugged down their drinks in one go.
"Hah~! Captain Teach! You truly are brilliant! To become a Shichibukai so easily—the whole world is under your control!"
Burgess set down his mug, his face dripping with flattery as he kissed up to Blackbeard.
The guy was a pure bootlicker.
But loyal to a fault.
Blackbeard’s grin widened at the praise.
This guy didn’t just flatter—he knew exactly how to flatter.
It hit Blackbeard right in the sweet spot.
"Zehahahaha! Don’t worry! Once I get my hands on that old man Whitebeard’s power, I’ll have strength beyond imagination! Becoming a Yonko and then the Pirate King will be a piece of cake!"
"And when that happens, you lot will be the right and left hands of the Pirate King! Zehahaha!"
Blackbeard painted a grand picture.
If he pulled it off, he really could make life sweet for everyone.
But for now, it was all just talk...
Not a single berry to show for it yet.
"Captain, I heard some guy completely healed Whitebeard. Won’t that mess with your plans?"
Laffitte, the pale-faced man leaning on his cane, asked with a furrowed brow.
A peak-form Whitebeard? Even the Marines might not be able to take him down.
His concern wasn’t baseless.
"And that guy is no pushover himself. If he tries to save Ace..."
Van Augur, cradling his sniper rifle with his usual stone-faced expression, chimed in.
Blackbeard’s face darkened at the morale-killing words, but he quickly shot back, "No need to worry! As long as we find some strong allies in Impel Down, none of that will matter."
"And as for that brat—if I get my hands on him, I’ll skin him alive, drain his blood, and rip out his heart!"
"That brat’s nothing but a meddling nuisance!"
Mentioning Vir, Blackbeard’s face twisted with rage.
Everything had been going so smoothly.
But because of Vir’s interference, things were now unpredictable.
The crew didn’t fully buy Blackbeard’s claim that strong allies would fix everything, but they held their tongues. They’d chosen to follow him, and the situation wasn’t exactly bad. Contradicting him now wouldn’t be wise.
Soon, the crew, well-fed and drunk, set sail toward Impel Down...
What Blackbeard didn’t know was that everything he’d just said might soon come back to haunt him...
In the seas around Amazon Lily.
A ship pulled by two massive sea serpents glided forward.
On the deck, the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, stood at the bow with her pet snake, Salome, gazing into the distance.
Around Salome’s neck hung a spherical object...
On a nearby Marine warship, Vice Admiral Momonga frowned.
The Empress, who had ignored them completely before, had now agreed to the summons.
His gut told him it was a trap.
But she’d agreed with conditions.
Her condition? A visit to Impel Down.
To see the man who started it all: Ace.
Without hesitation, Momonga dialed up Sengoku.
The call connected quickly.
After a brief explanation, he awaited Sengoku’s orders.
Meanwhile, at Marineford.
A small meeting was underway, attended only by a few: Aokiji, Akainu, Vice Admiral Tsuru, Zephyr, and Sengoku.
Sengoku set the Den Den Mushi aside for a moment.
Turning to the group, he asked, "What do you think?"
No one knew what the others thought.
But Aokiji? He said he was fine just sitting there.
"Feels fishy, but if Momonga says it’s just her..."
"If it’s only that woman, her request isn’t unreasonable." Tsuru said first.
Her words were clearly wary of Vir.
There was no hard proof he was on Amazon Lily, but the possibility couldn’t be ignored.
"What’s there to fear? Garp may be a pain, but his strength is undeniable, right? With him there, you think anyone is bold enough to break into Impel Down?" Akainu scoffed.
Sengoku nodded, finding Akainu’s point solid.
Garp’s strength was more than enough to crush any schemes.
And Hancock herself was no weakling.
Having her on their side would definitely ease the pressure.
In times like these, they couldn’t afford to turn down any firepower.
Sengoku picked up the Den Den Mushi, about to speak, when a familiar voice crackled through.
"Kowai ne~ This Pirate Empress sure lives up to her name~ Quite the beauty, she is~"
Kizaru’s sleazy voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
Sengoku’s face lit up.
The guy wasn’t slacking for once.
He’d moved at full speed.
"It’s just her alone~ Shouldn’t be an issue~" Kizaru’s voice added.
"Alright! Agree to her terms. Momonga, get moving. Kizaru, do a thorough sweep and report back."
At the bow of Hancock’s ship, the giant serpent carried her and Salome onto the Marine vessel.
Kizaru’s beady eyes scanned everything intently.
His Observation Haki flared, probing Hancock and the snake for anything unusual.
But after a long moment, he found nothing.
Reluctantly, he let them pass.
Hancock said nothing the whole time, her brow furrowed, her disdain plain as day.
Soon, only Kizaru remained.
The warship sailed off.
Vir and his group were settled in a spacious cabin.
As soon as they entered, Vir unleashed his Observation Haki, shielding the room from prying eyes.
This trick could block anyone with weaker Haki from seeing inside.
And with his mental strength, even an Admiral couldn’t pierce it.
It was the same trick he’d used to hide Luffy in the basketball.
That’s why Kizaru hadn’t noticed a thing.
With a thought, Vir shifted back from his snake form to his human one.
Lounging on a sofa, he sank into thought.
This trip? He’d already picked his targets.
By his estimate, he had time to heal three at most.
Blackbeard was another.
Would be Douglas Bullet.
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