Allen walked toward Iceburg's office. It was his last day in the Water Capital, and he was going to say goodbye to the mayor of his newest territory.
When he reached the entrance, a man dressed in blue with slicked-back blond hair was standing there.
"Hello, Paul?"
"Allen Walker..." the man said warily. "My name is Paulie."
Allen smiled in amusement, making Paulie feel even more pressured.
"Paulie, I don't know why you're afraid of me, but I think I've already proven we're on the same side. After all, all of Water 7 is my territory now, heh. Don't believe all those rumors about me being a demon or whatever else the Marines and the World Government made up," Allen said.
Paulie thought for a moment before taking a breath and shaking his head. The tension in his body clearly eased after hearing those words.
"You're right. I'm sorry, Walker-san," he said before stepping aside. "Iceburg-san is waiting for you inside."
Allen walked past Paulie and patted him on the shoulder.
Iceburg's office was quiet. The only person there was the blue-haired man. When Allen entered, Iceburg greeted him and offered him a seat. Once they were seated, Iceburg's new secretary entered carrying two cups of coffee for them.
"Iceburg, just because Kalifa was a government agent doesn't mean you should be suspicious of every woman," Allen laughed.
Iceburg's new secretary was a man who seemed frightened of Allen and lacked professionalism. As soon as he finished serving the coffee, he bowed and quickly left the room.
"It's temporary..." Iceburg said, taking a sip of his coffee. He then set it down on the table and looked at Allen. "You're leaving already?"
"I have to," Allen replied casually and confidently.
Iceburg looked at Allen. Before, his attitude could have been mistaken for that of an arrogant young man confident in his own strength. But now he knew that the young man was actually acting humbly, considering the power he possessed.
Allen was capable of destroying all of Water 7, taking whatever he wanted, and doing anything he pleased. Yet he hadn't done that. He had treated Iceburg courteously and had even negotiated with him to save Water 7. In the end, he had even allowed Iceburg to decide for himself whether or not he wanted to join him.
"Thank you," Iceburg said, lowering his head.
Allen didn't reject the gesture. Instead, he smiled in approval, because from now on Water 7 was officially listed as one of his territories, alongside the Kingdom of Alabasta, the Sky Islands, Cactus, Conomi, and Gecko.
"So, Iceburg, is there something you wanted to tell me?" Allen asked.
Since yesterday, the man had kept asking when Allen would leave. Not because he wanted him gone, but because he clearly had something he wished to say.
Iceburg wore a thoughtful expression before pulling several old-looking sheets of paper from his clothes.
"These are the blueprints for Pluton, the Ancient Weapon," he said.
[What?!]
Allen was shocked to see them. His knowledge of the Ancient Weapons was limited, but according to Robin, they were terrifying enough to destroy entire kingdoms—weapons countless people would kill to obtain.
Once he calmed down, Allen looked at Iceburg seriously.
"You're risking your life."
The only reason Iceburg was still alive was that no one in CP9 had ever confirmed the location of those blueprints. Now they were in his possession.
"It doesn't matter anymore," Iceburg said.
Allen chuckled.
"Aren't you afraid I'll take them from you?"
To Allen's surprise, Iceburg smiled and held them out toward him.
"That was my intention... Take them."
"...!"
Seeing Allen's surprise, the man laughed, though his expression soon turned gloomy.
"So many people have died protecting these weapons. No matter what purpose they're used for, they're incredibly dangerous. Yet neither Master Tom, Franky, nor I could bring ourselves to get rid of them until now. Perhaps they'll serve a better purpose in your hands—"
Before Iceburg could finish speaking, Allen fired a blast of flames and burned the blueprints while they were still in Iceburg's hand.
"Wha-!"
"Iceburg," Allen said, unconsciously releasing his Haki, causing cracks to spread across the room. "I don't need them!"
Iceburg watched the ashes fall before standing up.
"Why?! Weren't you going to fight the World Government?! We're not talking about a rival pirate crew! They're the combined military force of countless kingdoms! We don't know what hidden powers they possess or how truly dangerous they are!"
Allen remained silent for a while before answering.
"I know... but I don't know... I feel like the world has been trapped for centuries, that we're simply moving forward under the will of a relic that shouldn't exist anymore." Allen stood up. "I'm just a young man living in the present and looking toward the future. I don't want ancient civilizations, gods, demons, relics of the past, and all those things deciding our future... It's better this way."
Allen walked toward the door.
"What kind of King of the World would I be if I allowed my future to be shaped by a past that was buried long ago..."
The office door closed, leaving Iceburg in silence. But only for a moment before he laughed.
"Just as I thought. Isn't that right, Franky?"
Outside the window, standing on the balcony, a man with blue hair and massive arms smiled. The man was Cutty Flam, now known as Franky, Tom's apprentice alongside Iceburg and the one who had protected Pluton's blueprints for many years.
"He's a real man! SUPER!" Franky shouted as he struck a pose.
....
On his way back, Allen attracted the townspeople's attention, but in a positive way.
"Good morning, Allen-san!" a woman at a fish stand called out.
"Morning, ma'am!" Allen replied.
"Thank you, white-haired kid!" said a man selling apples.
"Haha, call me kid one more time, and I'll send you to the Calm Belt," Allen said, shaking his head.
It seemed Water 7 was a world turned upside down. While Doll and Gion were met with cold stares, he, despite being a pirate, received praise and gratitude from the people. But that only happened here.
When Allen returned to the Black Pearl, the girls welcomed him. They seemed busy taking inventory of various supplies and making sure they had everything needed for the journey. One of them, however, looked pale.
It was Vivi.
She ran toward Allen carrying a newspaper and several wanted posters.
"Allen, the new wanted posters are here!" Vivi exclaimed.
Allen laughed before grabbing her by the waist and spinning her through the air. Vivi instantly went from frightened to embarrassed after receiving the famous princess lift.
"Kyah! What are you doing?!"
Allen pulled Vivi closer and smiled warmly.
"I just thought you'd look like a princess if I did that."
Vivi blushed even deeper, like a tomato. She wasn't the only one. The rest of the women couldn't help but feel embarrassed to varying degrees by such a shameless display.
Allen set Vivi back down. She took two steps back while pouting at him.
"I am a princess!" she said.
"I know," Allen chuckled.
It was difficult for him to explain, but he'd noticed something strange ever since this stage of his life had begun—the stage where he started interacting with women. The men of this world simply didn't seem very capable when it came to them.
The fact that someone who had literally never had a girlfriend thought that said a lot.
(A/N: It's no surprise. Shonen seems to have an allergy to romance, which is why by the end of most series the couples—or at least most of them—feel forced, whether it's Naruto and Hinata or Renji and Rukia, etc.)
Of course, Allen found the situation quite convenient, since it allowed him to keep all the beauties for himself, even if he hadn't consciously realized it or even thought about it.
"So then, Princess, why don't you show us?" Allen smiled.
Vivi, still blushing and pouting, handed him the posters.
Allen took them while the rest of the girls gathered around.
"Oh..." Allen smiled.
....
A few days earlier, the world had been thrown into shock.
While everyone was focused on the possible war between the strongest man in the world and the Marines, an incident of monumental proportions had occurred.
Allen Walker...
That name had dominated the headlines over the past few months. One achievement after another. One victory after another.
Allen and his crew had stolen all the spotlight from the new generation. This brought both positive and negative reactions.
On one side were the pirates who admired him and were grateful for his existence, because with Allen attracting all the attention and following his own route, they could grow quietly without being relentlessly pursued by the Marines.
Among them was the rookie Trafalgar Law, who had a bounty of 200 million on his head and ambitions in the New World. Allen's existence allowed him to stay much more unnoticed.
On the other side were those who hated him. Those rookies who wanted to increase their fame—and therefore their bounties—despised Allen because he had essentially erased them from the map.
Among that second group was Captain Kid, a rookie with a bounty of 300 million who, if Allen didn't exist, would have held the highest bounty among the newcomers.
As for the Seven Warlords, Blackbeard unexpectedly belonged to the group grateful for Allen's existence, since Allen had eliminated Crocodile, allowing him to move forward with his own plans. Doflamingo also appreciated him because he loved chaos in the world.
Among those who despised him was Boa Hancock, who apparently harbored a special dislike and rivalry toward Allen for no apparent reason. Perhaps she felt threatened by his appearance. There was also Gecko Moria, who despised Allen, though he lived hidden away from the world and knew very little about Allen's achievements... perhaps that would become his greatest mistake.
As for the Emperors, Big Mom was literally drooling over Allen. The woman seemed eager to add him to her long list of husbands. Meanwhile, Red-Haired Shanks appeared to want to decapitate Allen for no apparent reason.
Every single one of them had an opinion about Allen, yet something changed a few days ago.
Something was different...
Until now, Allen's feats, accomplishments, and growth had been meteoric but still acceptable. He was undoubtedly the center of attention, but his existence wasn't impossible. Everyone still understood him. Everyone still accepted him.
Even the Marines...
Even the Holy Knights...
Even the Five Elders...
Even Imu...
Without exception, they all accepted him. He was part of the world. A genius. A young monster. A man destined to stand among the strongest in the world... but not yet.
He was still young. He still knew nothing about the world. He still hadn't reached the summit of strength. He still didn't understand the power of an Admiral, an Emperor, a Holy Knight, or even each member of the Five Elders.
For century after century, even before Gol D. Roger, even before Edward Newgate, even before Monkey D. Garp, even before Rocks D. Xebec, every generation had possessed people standing at its peak.
Every century had its own monsters, its own kings, its own emperors, its own heroes. As the years passed, those figures were replaced by new ones.
Even Garp, Whitebeard, and Roger would one day be replaced by this generation, and they too would eventually fall.
There had only ever been one being who wasn't bound by those rules, who did not succumb to time itself, and that was the King of the World, Nerona Imu.
That was common sense...
That was the law of the world...
But this time, someone who did not follow those rules—someone who ignored that common sense—had appeared.
It was strange. It happened so quickly, almost like the blink of an eye. It felt so unreal that everyone who learned of the news simply couldn't comprehend it.
A few days ago, the pillars of the world, the pillars of piracy, the future pillars, and those striving to change the world all held the very same newspaper and read news so surreal that they didn't even know how to react.
— Age of the Sea Circle, Mid-March, 1522. Water Capital, Water 7.
— Allen Walker has defeated the Buster Call, along with 560 elite Marines, and defeated Vice Admiral Onigumo, Vice Admiral Doberman, Vice Admiral Yamakaji, Vice Admiral Strawberry, and Vice Admiral Momonga.
— His crew has destroyed CP9 and killed its leader, Spandam.
— Allen Walker has kidnapped Vice Admiral Gion and Vice Admiral Doll.
— All of this happened in less than half an hour, and he didn't suffer a single injury...
There was no laughter, no excitement, no discussion. Those who read the newspaper seemed to lose the ability to think because the news simply made no sense. Half of them doubted its credibility and dismissed it as a lie.
However, on this day, one week after that incident, a new newspaper reached every corner of the world.
This time, it came with undeniable proof.
Wanted posters...
Nefertari Vivi "The Corrupted Princess"
Wanted Dead or Alive.
Bounty: 100,000,000
-
Conis "The Fallen Angel"
Wanted Dead or Alive.
Bounty: 20,000,000
-
Hina "The Fallen Captain"
Wanted Dead or Alive.
Bounty: 130,000,000
-
Tashigi "The Fallen Lieutenant"
Wanted Dead or Alive.
Bounty: 45,000,000
-
Kaya "The Devil's Doctor"
Wanted Dead or Alive.
Bounty: 90,000,000
-
Mikita "The Devil's Lover"
Wanted Dead or Alive.
Bounty: 120,000,000
-
Nojiko "The Devil's Sharpshooter"
Wanted Dead or Alive.
Bounty: 110,000,000
-
Every one of their bounties had increased dramatically. Even Hina and Tashigi had received wanted posters. As for the titles, it was obvious they were trying to portray the crew as something demonic and terrifying. However, the real surprise came with the last few bounties.
Robin "The Devil's Sister"
Wanted Dead or Alive.
Bounty: 250,000,000
-
Robin smiled when she saw it. She seemed happy that her relationship with Allen had been acknowledged.
Nami "The Thieving Queen"
Wanted Dead or Alive.
Bounty: 300,000,000
-
Unexpectedly, Nami wasn't frightened. Instead, her eyes sparkled with dollar signs as she wondered how she could trick the Marines into giving her that money.
Uta "The Diva of Ruin"
Wanted Dead or Alive.
Bounty: 600,000,000
-
Uta smiled with satisfaction when she saw her bounty. Her thoughts were simple. 'Are you seeing this, Shanks? I'm not a little girl anymore.'
Seeing the crew happy about their bounties, Gion, Doll, and Kalifa wore slightly pale expressions.
These girls were no longer rookies. Together, they were a crew worth nearly two billion!
"Captain, how much is your bounty?" Uta asked with a grin.
All the girls looked toward Allen. He was holding his own poster. His expression was calm, his eyes tranquil, without the slightest hint of surprise.
Hearing Uta's question, he smiled before showing it to everyone.
Allen Walker "The False King of the World"
Wanted: Dead
Bounty: 2,390,000,000
"Looks like the Marines really want me dead, haha," Allen laughed, pointing out that his poster read "Wanted: Dead."
WHAAAT?!!!
The girls' cries of disbelief echoed throughout all of Water 7.
====
A/N: If Big Mom hadn't aged so badly, maybe Allen would give it some thought, but now it's just creepy.
Patreon.com/_Aizen