"With this, only Doflamingo remains on my list."
Law's face was splattered with blood, so much so that even his most prized white northern-style hat was stained a deep crimson. Before him lay several mangled corpses, and judging by their attire, they were undoubtedly high-ranking officials of the World Government.
After several rounds of grueling interrogation, he had finally uncovered exactly who issued the orders during the Amber Lead Syndrome incident in the White Town all those years ago.
Law had at last fulfilled a desire held for over a decade, ensuring these men met their end with the maximum amount of agony possible. Now, only one target remained: Donquixote Doflamingo, the man who murdered his benefactor, Rosinante.
This, however, would be a challenge.
The Donquixote Alliance, formed by Doflamingo, Tesoro, and Treasure within the world's largest entertainment city, Gran Tesoro, represented perhaps the most formidable force in the New World outside of the Yonko. Without the Immortal Pirates as a direct shield, and with many within his own circle opposing such a move, achieving success would be extremely difficult.
"Bartolomeo, Bonney... are you two going to continue with the campaign against the Donquixote Alliance?"
Law raised his eyes to look at the two "allies" he had recruited earlier.
"Hah?"
Bartolomeo and his men were currently lugging over a dozen half-dead Celestial Dragons. Hearing Law's question, he answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course. No matter how much of a screw-up I am, I don't go back on my word once I've given it."
Bonney had finished toying with a group of government officials by turning them into toddlers before slaughtering them. She pondered Law's words for a moment before replying, "Fine, but you have to provide all my meals for the duration."
Law permitted himself a small smirk. Excellent. This meant a significant boost to their fighting strength; now, it was just a matter of finding the right opportunity.
There aren't many left who dare to cross the Donquixote Alliance. The only ones I might be able to use...
Law thought of the Supernovas led by Captain Kid, and the Straw Hat crew he had encountered back at Fish-Man Island. He plotted darkly in his mind: Those guys might just be useful.
…
Disembarking alongside the Golden Hair Pirates, Morgans, the president of the World Economy Newspaper, and his subordinates took one look at the shattered palace and gasped in collective horror.
"The Government, which stood atop the world for eight hundred years without falling, was actually brought down this quickly..."
It was nothing like what he had imagined. Morgans had expected an earth-shattering war that would eclipse even the Summit War in sheer brutality.
Instead, he found the reality far more one-sided. Alucard alone had silenced the Government. Commander-in-Chief Kong and the government forces had fled like beaten dogs, leaving the Celestial Dragons and officials behind like discarded trash.
"Captain."
Ivalis had already reached Alucard, with Hancock standing regally to his right.
Ivalis grabbed Morgans by his wing and tossed his bulky frame in front of Alucard. "This guy is our best candidate. President of the World Economy Newspaper, 'Big News' Morgans. His word will ensure this news spreads across the globe at maximum speed."
Morgans, sprawled on the ground, didn't dare utter a word of complaint. He didn't even have the courage to lift his head toward Alucard, keeping his eyes fixed on the tips of the man's boots.
"You know how to write this?" Alucard asked leisurely.
"Yes... yes, of course," Morgans stammered. He waved his subordinates over and personally took a camera. "By tomorrow morning, I can have this 'Big News' circulating the entire world."
With that, Morgans snapped a photo of Alucard. The backdrop was the ruin of the Holy Palace, and Alucard sat on the steps directly in front of it, his face a mask of utter disdain.
"Alucard-sama~~!"
Bartolomeo walked up stuttering, he and his subordinate Gambia carrying over a dozen half-dead Celestial Dragons. His speech was a garbled mess of nerves. "T-t-this... these are some of the pigs this humble one caught for you while they were trying to escape. P-p-please... accept them..."
Seeing the once-invincible Celestial Dragons handled like livestock by pirates made the hearts of the news staff skip a beat once more.
What is this world going to become?
"What does a little merit like that count for?"
Cavendish pushed forward, looking at the camera-wielding Morgans with excitement. "Hey! You're 'Big News' Morgans, right? Quick, take a few shots of me! If I make it into the world's most-read economic newspaper, I'll become a superstar instantly! Aha, ahahahaha!"
Morgans stared blankly for several seconds. Constrained by the situation, he took a few symbolic photos of Cavendish while thinking to himself: I'm deleting these worthless pictures as soon as I get back...
Morgans proceeded to take several more shots: photos of the Barto Club handling Celestial Dragons like stray dogs; photos of Trafalgar Law, still unsatiated, hacking away at government officials; and photos of the Iron Arm Pirates and Black Thorn Pirates hauling priceless artifacts out of the palace as if they were moving furniture...
Should I start sucking up to him now?
As Morgans captured these world-shaking images, he was already weighing his future options.
The Gorosei were dead, the Celestial Dragons were annihilated, and the Government existed in name only. Though Kong and other top-tier combatants had escaped, they wouldn't be able to stir up much of a wave.
Originally, his biggest backer was the Government, followed by the BIG MOM Pirates and Germa 66. Now, he felt that jumping ship might be the smarter play.
————
TN: Imu doesn't exists in this fic. There is also no mention of Imu in these 700+ chapters when I checked my files.
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]