Soft white light filtered through the windows of the King's bedchamber, spilling onto the guards standing outside and coaxing relaxed smiles onto their faces. After a few moments, the radiance gradually faded.
Inside the room, Aomori withdrew his palm. "Your Majesty, do you feel any better?"
"Mhm, I feel much better. My thanks, Aomori." King Cobra tossed aside his blankets, stepped out of bed, and began stretching his limbs.
"Father, be careful." Vivi stepped forward to steady him by the shoulder.
"No need for that, no need at all. I feel quite sturdy."
After walking a few laps around the room, King Cobra took a couple of breaths and sat back on the edge of the bed. "Aomori, you are not only a man of peerless wit and courage, but you also possess such miraculous medical skills. You are truly a genius of the ages. Might I ask who your mentor was, or if you still have kin at home?"
Aomori gave a subtle smile. "I have no family left. I've drifted through the world since I was a child; these skills were all self-taught."
"Self-taught?" King Cobra said in surprise. "I still underestimated you. With your talent, if you joined the Marines, you'd likely become an Admiral within two years."
"An Admiral? I have little interest in such a title."
"Oh? Then what is it you value?"
"I find Alabasta quite pleasant. I'd like to ask Your Majesty for a position so that I might stay and live here for a while."
"Really?!" Before King Cobra could even react, Vivi let out an excited cry.
"Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you?" Aomori teased.
"Ahem." King Cobra coughed twice to break their locked gaze. He nodded. "You saved every soul in this kingdom; such a simple request is hardly an issue. How about this: since you excel in both civil and martial matters, you shall hold two posts. You will serve as both Minister and General. What do you say?"
"It is an honor to be held in such high regard by Your Majesty. I accept the appointment."
"No, the honor belongs to Vivi and me. With your help, Alabasta will surely flourish again soon." King Cobra stood up and shook Aomori's hand firmly.
"I will do my best."
"Excellent. Igaram will brief you on the specific duties."
"Understood. Thank you, Your Majesty."
"I'll go help out too!" Vivi said with a smile as she followed Aomori out of the bedchamber.
Watching their retreating backs, King Cobra sighed. "Ah, Vivi has grown up. She's almost at the age to marry. Aomori seems like a fine man; I'll let things develop naturally between them."
…
Aomori was not only granted two official titles but was also rewarded with a private estate and a vast hoard of treasures. He finally had a base of operations in the world of One Piece.
With this, half of his objectives in Alabasta were complete. Next was locating the ancient weapon, Pluton.
Inside his new manor, Aomori gathered all his Pokémon to issue instructions.
"Ditto, for the time being, you'll transform into me and handle the official duties."
"Eh?" Ditto looked dumbfounded. "But... what about Princess Vivi? I'm not sure I can fool her."
"She'll have her own matters to attend to; she won't be bothering you."
"Uh, really?" Ditto expressed its doubt.
"Just don't do anything reckless. Also, regarding the rainmaking, take Absol with you. You won't be able to boss Mewtwo around."
"..."
Aomori turned to Mewtwo. "You stay here and help me research Devil Fruits."
He had discovered a few Devil Fruits in Crocodile's vault, but they were fairly mediocre. He decided to let Mewtwo experiment on them to see if its superior intellect could uncover something new. Mewtwo nodded silently.
"Darkrai and Rayquaza will come with me. Pidgeot, you stay by Vivi's side."
After settling his pets, Aomori left Alubarna and returned to Rainbase.
…
"Sir Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, has been arrested for his heinous crimes of attempting to kidnap the King and overthrow Alabasta..."
A massive crowd gathered before the official bulletin, erupting into an uproar as they read the notice.
"Crocodile-sama... he was actually that kind of person?"
"Bah! What 'sama'? He's been deceiving us this whole time!"
The footage Aomori had captured of Crocodile was already circulating widely among the populace. Even Crocodile's most loyal supporters were forced to accept the truth of his betrayal, turning from fans into vocal critics overnight.
Observing the impassioned crowds from a window, Nico Robin mused on the fickleness of the world. She turned around, her expression shifting as she spoke to the powerful man before her.
"Chairman, I have settled your identity. You are now Mr. 0. Do we need to announce your status to the others?"
"There's no need. Let them continue as they are. However, shift the focus of our operations from assassination to intelligence gathering. I want an information network on every island in the Grand Line." Aomori sat on the sofa, gently swirling a glass of red wine.
"Understood."
"Robin, you should also begin delegating your current tasks. Staying here is a waste of your time," Aomori added. "Our primary goal is still to find the Poneglyphs. We cannot lose sight of the fundamentals."
"Mhm." Robin nodded, then asked, "But who should I hand my work over to? Princess Vivi?"
"Exactly," Aomori replied. "Vivi once infiltrated Baroque Works and knows how this secret organization operates. She is upright and intelligent; she will manage it well. I also plan to recruit her into the Hero Association as our third member."
"It seems the Chairman has a very high opinion of her. I look forward to meeting this Princess." Robin's lips curved into a slight smile.
"We can go see her right now," Aomori said decisively, extending his right hand.
"No. I need to get properly dressed first."
"?"
…
"So boring..."
At night, Vivi stood on her balcony in her nightgown, staring listlessly at the stars. She had always possessed a restless spirit. After sailing the seas and experiencing the vibrant world outside, she had grown to love a life of free adventure even more.
However, as a princess, she understood her responsibilities. Alabasta had endured so much; it needed her help to rebuild. She was bound here.
At least Father and Aomori are here... Vivi thought, resting her chin in her hands. Speaking of Aomori, I haven't seen him all day. I wonder if his work is going smoothly.
Just as she was imagining Aomori at work, she heard a familiar call from behind her.
"Vivi..."
Vivi turned around in shock to find Aomori standing there. Her heart began to race. Why is he coming to my bedroom so late? Could it be the legendary... night raid?!
But before her smile could fully bloom, she saw a tall woman standing behind him. Her mood immediately plummeted like a roller coaster. Vivi expertly donned a polite, aristocratic smile. "Aomori, sneaking into a princess's bedchamber at night is hardly the act of a hero."
"My apologies. I was anxious to see you, so I didn't give it much thought," Aomori said with an apologetic grin.
"Hmph. There was plenty of time during the day. That's just an excuse."
Seeing Vivi's reaction, Robin smiled and stepped forward. "Chairman, let me handle this."
"Fine."
Aomori retreated into the bedroom, leaving the two women to talk on the balcony. He didn't know what they discussed, but a while later, they appeared before him arm-in-arm like sisters.
"Aomori, Robin-nee told me everything. Are you really entrusting such an important task to me?" Vivi asked, her tone tinged with a hint of self-doubt.
Though he didn't know exactly what Robin had said, Aomori reacted quickly. "Of course. I believe in you!"
"Alright then. I'll work hard! I won't let you down!" Vivi nodded emphatically.
"So, you agree to join the Hero Association and become a hero?"
"I do."
"Welcome aboard." Aomori took Vivi's hand and shook it gently.
With this, the Hero Association in the One Piece world had reached a total of three members. The day to restore the glory of heroes was fast approaching!
…
"Chairman, aren't you curious about what I told Vivi?"
"I imagine you spoke of your tragic past and your noble ideals to gain her sympathy. Having almost lost her own home, she likely felt a deep resonance with your story."
"..." Robin shook her head. "You are a terrifying man."
"You're saying that too soon," Aomori replied casually. "We've arrived."
They were standing before a smooth, nondescript wall.
"This is the Royal Tomb of Alabasta?"
"Mhm. It's also where a Poneglyph is kept." Aomori took Robin's hand. "Let's go inside."
With a flash, they teleported into the tomb.
"This ability is far too convenient." Robin lightly sniffed the air. "It seems there are ventilation shafts; the air isn't stale."
Naturally, Aomori wouldn't have brought her in otherwise. "Come on. The Poneglyph is at the end."
Ignoring the sarcophagi and burial goods along the way, they reached a massive, square stone slab. Robin took a deep breath and stepped forward to touch the stone. "Yes... this is a genuine Poneglyph."
"What does it say?"
"Let me see." Robin looked at the ancient script and began translating. "In the year 239 of the Age of Heaven, Kahira conquered Alabasta... It records the history of Alabasta, and information regarding the legendary Ancient Weapon, Pluton."
"Does it mention Pluton's location?" Aomori asked.
Nico Robin turned her head and looked at Aomori. After a brief silence, she shook her head. "No. It only describes its construction and its power. It states that Pluton is a massive ship capable of sinking an island with a single shot."
"Is that so?" Aomori remained indifferent. He took a few photos with his Portable Camcorder and asked, "Do you need to keep reading?"
"No need. I've memorized it all."
"Then let's head back."
After returning Robin to Rainbase, Aomori instructed her to gradually transfer her duties to Vivi in the capital and then departed alone.
Robin's expression back there clearly showed she didn't want to reveal Pluton's location. Avoiding a direct confrontation like that, she really is a slippery one. I suppose I'll have to find it myself.
Alabasta was a large island, and with Aomori's speed, it wouldn't take long to traverse every region. However, if Pluton were buried deep underground, it might exceed the range of his Mind's Eye.
Forget it. It feels like more trouble than it's worth. Better to win Robin over with my charm and have her tell me voluntarily. Aomori abandoned the idea of a brute-force search; after all, Pluton wasn't something he absolutely had to have.
"So, what should I do next?" He pondered for a moment before vanishing into the night.
…
"I'm going to kill you!"
In an underground secret chamber, a haggard Crocodile swung his Desert Spada at the detestable man before him, only for the sand blade to be effortlessly shattered by a fist.
"Don't be so agitated. It's not good to hurt yourself," Aomori said, shaking his slightly numbed hand.
Over the past few days, a bored Aomori had been visiting the imprisoned Crocodile. He would remove his Seastone handcuffs and engage in "friendly" sparring sessions. He took great pleasure in testing methods to deal with Logia users by beating Crocodile repeatedly.
Crocodile, conversely, was in a foul mood. He knew the other man was using him as a lab rat, but he had no choice but to comply. Aomori genuinely fought to kill; if Crocodile didn't fight back, he would simply die. Any attempt to escape only resulted in being cuffed back in Seastone and dragged back for another beating.
He couldn't win, and he couldn't escape. Crocodile even contemplated death.
Endure... you must endure and wait for an opportunity. He could only hypnotize himself with these words every day.
"What's wrong? You look pale. Out of energy? How about we eat first and continue later?" Aomori asked "solicitously."
Hypocrite. One day, I will kill you! In Crocodile's mind, Aomori had replaced Kaido as the person he most wanted to defeat.
"Fine. More rice," Crocodile answered.
A moment later, food was delivered. Aomori ate as well, but while Aomori had a plate of meat with a little rice, Crocodile had a plate of rice with a little meat.
Bastard, just you wait! Crocodile swallowed his pride along with his pork cutlet bowl, savoring this rare moment of peace.
After finishing, Crocodile let out a full burp. "Aomori, there is no deep-seated grudge between us. Why turn this into a life-or-death struggle? I am willing to cooperate with you, just like Nico Robin. What do you say?"
"Just like Nico Robin?" Aomori looked him up and down. Suddenly, curiosity struck him, and he asked the question that a million One Piece fans had pondered: "I heard you used to be a woman and were turned into this by a certain okama. Is it true?"
Crocodile's face flushed red and white as he screamed a single word:
"GET OUT!"
————
NOTE: This fic has been completely translated. If you want to read the whole story head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]