"Hahahahahaha…"
Yemu's wild laughter echoed across the entire Sabaody Archipelago through the Den Den Mushi.
Yet at this moment, no one found the pirate Yemu detestable. Instead, it was Prince Bessos who drew everyone's fury.
A kingdom secretly backing pirates. Colluding with them. Granting them the right to plunder under the guise of legitimacy.
No matter how you looked at it, it was shocking.
Gion and Strawberry finally understood what Kuzan had meant earlier.
"This is bad… Zephyr-sensei… We can't drag this out any longer. If this continues, we won't be able to answer to the World Government."
Borsalino was the calmest one present. He turned to Zephyr and said quietly,
"We have to move, Zephyr-sensei. Otherwise, things will get difficult on the World Government's side."
Zephyr's face was dark with anger, but he still nodded and asked the Marines behind him,
"How's the analysis of the poison cloud?"
"Reporting to Admiral Zephyr, we've confirmed the cloud is composed of various toxic fungi."
"Can it be neutralized?"
"We've identified the general composition, but the mixture is extremely complex. Determining the exact fungal strains will require more time."
"If we storm in now, can you produce an antidote?"
"…We strongly advise against it. Many of the toxins act extremely fast. If they spread further, the consequences could be severe…"
Zephyr frowned, then glanced at Kuzan and Borsalino.
"Looks like I'll have to rely on you two."
Even someone as powerful as Zephyr was wary of poison. His body was tough, and his Armament Haki offered exceptional defense, but toxins were different. They seeped through the skin, entered through breath, and infected through mucous membranes. They were difficult to guard against.
It wasn't that there were no options. A powerful shockwave could disperse the cloud, but no one knew what that would cause. And Zephyr was worried about harming the people inside.
He might despise the nobles within, but he still couldn't stand by and watch them die.
So there was only one viable solution: the Devil Fruit abilities of his two disciples.
Elemental transformation allowed them to ignore most physical threats.
"Guess we don't have much choice…"
But just then, the sound of a door opening came from the direction of the auction house.
Everyone turned in surprise.
A small opening had formed in the purple cloud. From it, a purple-haired man crawled out on all fours like a dog, his face filled with disbelief.
At the same time, Yemu's voice rang out from the Den Den Mushi.
"See? I'm a man of my word."
The purple-haired man's eyes bulged. Without hesitation, he stumbled toward the Marines, tears and snot running down his face.
"Save me! I'm the Prince of the Ilisia Kingdom!"
Yemu's voice continued.
"So next, as long as you manage to amuse me, I'll let you leave just like this foolish prince."
"But if the Marines or the World Government do something that makes me nervous and I accidentally hurt you… then don't blame me."
"Now then… who should I pick next?"
Immediately, a chaotic mix of voices echoed through the Den Den Mushi.
"M-me! I'm a prince too!"
"I'm a princess!"
"Father! Stop the Marines! I don't want to die!"
"If I die, our country will withdraw from the World Government!"
"My family will take revenge!"
At that moment, the hearts of every Marine present sank.
Zephyr's expression turned pitch-black.
"It seems we have no choice but to cancel the operation, Zephyr-sensei," someone said grimly. "We'd better wait for orders from the Fleet Admiral or the World Government."
…
The Grand Line, on an island called Baltigo.
Yellow sand stretched as far as the eye could see, broken only by barren wasteland. The sun hung high overhead, scorching everything beneath it.
Near the coast stood a massive building constructed from milky-white clay. Inside, Monkey D. Dragon and Emporio Ivankov watched the confrontation between the Sky Pirates, the Marines, and the World Government through a Den Den Mushi.
The Revolutionary Army was still in its early days. Among the senior officers at Dragon's side, Ivankov was the only one.
"Hee-haw! What a terrifying boy. He's manipulating people like it's second nature. At this rate, even the World Government won't dare give the order to attack so easily!"
"Mm."
Dragon nodded, his expression grave.
"It really is hard to believe. If this continues, then at least until those important Nobles are all released, the Marines and the World Government won't move recklessly. Doing so would shake the foundations of their rule."
"But how are they going to get away? The Marines have already surrounded the place, and that's not even counting the World Government's people hiding in the shadows."
Dragon stared at the projection from the Den Den Mushi and spoke calmly.
"A man like that… if he chose this path, then he's already prepared his way out. The Marines and the World Government won't be able to stop him."
That made Ivankov blink in surprise. It was rare to see Dragon speak of someone with that kind of admiration.
"Hee-haw, that's surprising, Dragon-boy. You're actually praising someone else for once. Come to think of it, you've met that boy named Yemu before, haven't you?"
"Yes. It's a memory I still find… pleasant."
Dragon didn't elaborate. Instead, he shifted to the point.
"This is also an opportunity for us. The crimes committed by the World Nobles that are being captured by the Den Den Mushi… we have to find a way to record all of it. Our first stop in the future may very well be in that country."
"Hee-haw, no problem. Leave it to me."
Dragon continued, voice steady.
"And to be honest, Captain Yemu's actions this time gave me a lot to think about. Ivankov, did you notice…"
Ivankov froze for a beat.
"Dragon-boy, what are you talking about?"
Dragon didn't answer directly. He asked instead,
"Do you think the World Government truly cares whether these Nobles live or die?"
The question immediately sent Ivankov into thought.
"Those bastards don't care about anything… except the lives of the Celestial Dragons."
"Mm."
Dragon nodded, eyes still on the Den Den Mushi's projection.
"Exactly. Aside from the descendants of the Twenty Kingdoms, these so-called World Government member nations are less 'members' and more slaves. To keep their status, they hand over enormous Heavenly Tribute every year, even if it means squeezing their own people dry."
"Given that, why wouldn't they simply order an attack? Even if everyone inside died, it wouldn't threaten the World Government's rule in the slightest. If anything, they could just blame it all on the pirates."
Ivankov looked genuinely thrown off for a moment, but only for a moment. As a Revolutionary Army officer, her mind was sharp.
He stared at the Den Den Mushi on the table, eyes narrowing.
"Is it because of the Den Den Mushi?"
Dragon nodded.
"That's part of it. More precisely… right now, at least on the Sabaody Archipelago, the Sky Pirates hold the initiative. They control what everyone sees and hears."
He paused, then continued quietly.
"And that used to be the World Government's strongest weapon."
Ivankov's lips curled.
"Sounds like we might have to find a way to get on good terms with that Morgans guy, too…"