"Sigh, I told you long ago that you aren't a match for Roger yet."
On the waters of the New World, a massive Azure Dragon soared, carrying over a hundred people on its back.
The fleet Shiki had brought was completely destroyed in this battle, and not even one-tenth of his pirates remained. Even Shiki himself had fallen at Roger's hands! Had Beltz not flown him away at the last moment, he would have likely perished in the Merah Sea.
One could only say that this wasn't the "Strong World" movie timeline. He hadn't been able to corner Roger with a massive fleet like his movie counterpart. Beltz had realized this long ago. After all, the figure known as Zephyr didn't even exist in the Navy here! Zephyr was a movie character—a Navy Admiral—who simply didn't exist in the formal history. Naturally, Shiki's combat prowess couldn't be as "broken" as it was in the films. Even with Beltz altering history to strengthen Shiki, he still fell short of Roger.
However...
"Don't lose heart," Beltz continued, regardless of whether Shiki was listening. "Victory and defeat are common in war. Besides, with me here, even if you lost this time, you can win it back next time."
"Who... do you think I am?"
Shiki lay on Beltz's draconic back, staring at the sky. Though he had lost consciousness when Roger defeated him, he had woken up shortly after leaving the battlefield. After a moment of silence following Beltz's words, he finally responded.
"You think I can't handle a loss? You underestimate me. Roger... I'll take the loss this time. But next time... I'll win it back!"
"It's good that you still have your fighting spirit." Hearing this, Beltz felt a bit relieved. He had been genuinely worried that Shiki might be crushed by the defeat. Fortunately, Shiki was a user of top-tier Conqueror's Haki; he wasn't fragile enough to break after a single loss.
"But for now, you should recuperate. Don't show your face in public for a while," Beltz added.
Shiki's eyes flickered. "It seems the mess you made this time wasn't small either."
Beltz replied, "I killed Kong."
"..."
Shiki's lips pulled into a smirk. "You brat... you really have the guts."
Who was Kong? The Fleet Admiral of the Navy! The World Government was the strongest organization on earth, and the Fleet Admiral was the head of its most powerful force. Since ancient times, no matter how strong a pirate was, they fled from the Navy. Pirates like Rocks and Shiki who dared to fight back were extremely rare—which is why they were branded as "vicious."
But while fighting back was one thing, Beltz was on another level. He had charged straight into Marine Headquarters and taken out the Fleet Admiral! This feat was easily on par with Rocks, who once charged into the Holy Land Mary Geoise and killed an Admiral. Whether killing an Admiral in the Holy Land or a Fleet Admiral at Headquarters was more "wicked" in the eyes of the Government was debatable, but one thing was certain: no other pirate could compare to these two.
Shiki realized that while he had been defeated by Roger, his ally had accomplished something even the Roger Pirates couldn't do. However, the World Government would never let them go. Just like with Rocks, Beltz would be a thorn in their side. If they weren't fools, they would surely deduce the connection between Shiki and Beltz. In their eyes, this likely looked like the rise of a new "Rocks Pirates."
This was why Beltz suggested laying low. In truth, Beltz had intended for Shiki to lose the Merah Naval Battle. Shiki had too many subordinates; with numbers came flaws. Those unnecessary "small fries" could be recruited anytime, so it was better to trim the fat and keep only the core members. Shiki's defeat also served to lull the World Government into thinking his threat had diminished.
"We'll recuperate in Wano for a while," Shiki said softly.
Wano was a perfect choice. Eight hundred years of isolation meant outsiders knew nothing of its inner workings. With its natural defenses, anyone other than a flyer like Shiki would find it nearly impossible to enter. To this day, the world didn't even know Shiki was based there. By hiding in Wano, they would be safe from both the Government and rival pirates.
Beltz dropped Shiki off at Hachinosu. Once there, Shiki could no longer maintain his facade and fell back into a coma. He had only stayed awake on the dragon's back through sheer willpower, knowing the sea wasn't safe.
After settling Shiki and the remaining soldiers, Beltz returned to his own Onigashima. There, he finally released the five test subjects from his shadow. They emerged looking at Beltz with eyes full of worship. They were already grateful for the rescue, but after witnessing his immense power—the wind, the fire, and the Haki—during the battle, they were completely awestruck.
"You'll stay here for now. Once Shiki wakes up, I'll arrange a permanent place for you," Beltz said. "Alber, I might need to borrow a vial of your blood."
Alber's expression soured instantly. Having been treated like a lab rat by the World Government, he had hoped Beltz was giving him freedom, only to find him interested in his lineage as well.
"Don't be nervous. I'm not like them," Beltz said, shaking his head. "I only need one vial."
With the data he had stolen from the Government labs and a fresh sample from Alber, Vegapunk should have everything he needed. Alber's expression softened slightly, though his trauma remained. He finally nodded. "Fine. You saved us. Our lives belong to you anyway."
"I don't need your lives." Beltz drew the blood and told them to rest, noting that there were others their age on the island.
"Rukia, you're just in time. I've brought more people," Beltz said as Rukia approached.
Seeing five more children, she twitched. "Last time it was three, this time five. How many are you bringing next time?" She felt like she was running a daycare, despite being a "child" of a hundred-plus years herself!
"Don't worry, Shiki will take over their training soon. He'll be very interested in raising the new generation."
Beltz then took the blood into the laboratory and entered the Schatten Bereich. Vegapunk's main body was waiting for him at the entrance.
"Looking at your face, I take it you succeeded?" Vegapunk asked. "You found a Lunarian survivor?"
"Yes. Here is his blood sample and the research data from the Government labs," Beltz said, handing over the materials. Vegapunk, excited, sprinted into the depths of the lab. With these materials, Beltz's two major clones could finally be constructed.
As the sun set, the next day's newspaper arrived. As expected, it was sensational. It reported Beltz's "assassination" of Fleet Admiral Kong, claiming he used poison, sneak attacks, and various "vile methods" to achieve success. It branded Beltz as a member of Shiki's crew, condemning Shiki as a cunning and heartless mastermind.
The news also covered the Merah Naval Battle. Although the Flying Pirate Fleet lost, Shiki's bounty had actually increased due to his association with Beltz!
Shiki's New Bounty: 3,867,000,000 Berries.
This was high for the era, as bounties tended to accumulate over time. Beltz's bounty saw a staggering jump:
Beltz's New Bounty: 2,600,000,000 Berries (up from 360,000,000).
The World Government knew the truth—Beltz had killed Kong in a head-to-head fight. Furthermore, the Five Elders suspected Beltz had ties to the Great Kingdom.
The world was in an uproar. A double-front war? Attacking the Navy and fighting Roger at the same time? Was this dragon truly Shiki's Vice-Captain? People wondered if Shiki was trying to become the next Rocks, and who exactly this "Azure Dragon" was—a man whose every appearance sparked a global incident.