Inside the bar, Uta stared at Sephiroth's back, confused. "The Demon King of Song...?" Her brow furrowed.
"Elegia, the kingdom of music. The Demon King of Song..." Shakky put out her cigarette in the ashtray, her face thoughtful. "I remember hearing a similar fairy tale. A legend of a Demon King associated with the Kingdom of Song."
"So... was that brother lying to me?" Uta asked.
"Not necessarily. I don't think he was lying. Anyway, that kid is quite reliable," Shakky said with a chuckle.
"Who is he?" Uta asked curiously.
"His identity is a little sensitive. Unless he tells you himself, I won't say," Shakky said.
"Hmph!" Uta pouted, then finished her juice in one gulp.
Meanwhile, Shanks took a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from the freezer, sat down next to Rayleigh, and poured a drink.
"Shanks, where have you been traveling? Any interesting experiences?" Rayleigh asked.
"When I was in the West Blue, I went to a country called the Kingdom of Malino that was overthrown by the Revolutionary Army. There, they formed a People's Representative Assembly to decide national affairs. It was very interesting," Shanks replied. After his adventures with Roger, he was more interested in exploring the Four Blues to make friends and recruit crew.
Rayleigh finished his whiskey. "Shanks, aren't you going to try the Grand Line? The New World is in chaos, Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido are fighting fiercely. They are now known as the Sea Emperors," he asked casually.
Shanks pressed down on his hat and laughed. "Hahaha! Indeed! I often hear rumors about them. But... the Sea Emperors or whatever... I prefer to wander freely on the sea!"
First Half of the Grand Line, Baldo Kingdom.
Three years ago, this country was just a poor kingdom with limited resources and was often a victim of pirates. However, everything changed three years ago when Princess Stella returned, took over the throne, and became Queen. With investment support from the Umbrella Corporation, the country began to rise.
They built a Sea Train to connect the three main islands, imported minerals from Saint-Falt Island, and grains from Hannabal Island for trade with Saint-Pobla Island. Factories sprung up, commercial buildings, casinos, and other structures rose high. The Umbrella Corporation monopolized the armaments industry, special alloys, and Den Den Mushi, which brought in great wealth. Their army now consisted of 10,000 professional soldiers equipped with advanced weapons.
Baldo Kingdom, East End Business District.
Sephiroth, carrying a chest, walked in a black hooded robe. He saw the royal soldiers on patrol, fully armed. Pedestrians were used to the sight. He saw many buildings being demolished and constructed, signaling an economic boom. Tezolo is truly sharp, he thought. He used Umbrella's unique resources as an entry point, turning this poor agrarian country into an industrial and commercial nation.
He walked to a secluded alley. Sensing the position of his Bat clone, he locked onto the magnificent palace area in the center of Baldo Island. Using his sword, he opened a Spatial Door and appeared in a beautiful room filled with gold ornaments.
Tezolo, Stella, Jin, and Husky were already waiting for him.
"Boss!" they greeted in unison.
"Alright," Sephiroth nodded, then sat on the sofa. He placed the chest on the table. Jin looked different from three years ago. He had become a fat man more than four meters tall. With his ability, he could easily gain or lose weight.
Jin had created various special alloys, making him a target for many parties. To protect him, Sephiroth had appointed Husky as his personal bodyguard. For the past three years, Jin had also modified Husky's body using special alloys, turning him into a semi-mechanical creature with extraordinary combat power.
Sitting cross-legged, Sephiroth took a sip of black tea from Stella. "What about the research materials I asked for?"
"Here," Jin replied, pressing his stomach, opening a small door there, and pulling out a stack of documents. He placed them in front of Sephiroth.
"Next, have the researchers in the biology lab try to study animal cloning. Once you have results, send me the detailed experiment data," Sephiroth commanded. He didn't check the documents, as he would return to the lab to study them at his leisure.
Sephiroth opened his chest, put the documents inside, then took out a colorful fruit with a spiral pattern and a white spray bottle. "Jin, help me fuse these two things."
"Huh!?... What fruit is this, Boss?" Tezolo asked curiously.
"That's a Paramecia-type Iro-Iro no Mi. For its specific ability, we'll know once Jin fuses it," Sephiroth replied. He knew that the power of a Devil Fruit would reach its maximum potential if it was used by a living being, not just an inanimate object.
In the palace reception room, Jin took the fruit and the bottle. His body swelled, and two iron gates appeared on his stomach. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed both objects.
Bang! Bang!
Black smoke billowed from the chimney on his head. The two iron gates on his stomach opened, revealing the modified white spray bottle.
Sephiroth took the bottle, shook it, and sprayed it on his body. BAH!
His body slowly faded, leaving only a shadowy trace on the sofa. "Is that invisibility?" Stella was shocked.
"Haki can sense it! It's a bit bland," Tezolo muttered, his eyes red. He had mastered two-color Haki after three years of training.
"It is bland," Sephiroth said, canceling the effect. "The Iro-Iro no Mi is superior to the Suke-Suke no Mi because it can not only make things transparent but also change their color. Invisibility isn't very useful, what I need is its camouflage effect."
As his power grew, he realized his army's composition was becoming more complicated. Many of his personnel were spies. Therefore, he needed a more reliable method of disguise.
"Boss, Joker came looking for you. He said the Yuki-Yuki and Ishi-Ishi Fruits should have been his," Tezolo said hesitantly.
"Oh? What did he want?" Sephiroth asked, his eyes narrowing.
"He said that the past is the past, and it's better if we continue to cooperate. But he openly asked about Princess Scarlet's status," Tezolo replied.
Sephiroth frowned. He remembered Doflamingo's plan to take over Dressrosa. "So how did you answer him?"
"I immediately warned him. If he dared to touch the Scarlet Kingdom and Dressrosa, the big boss of Umbrella wouldn't let him get away with it. He just laughed. Then he asked to meet you."
"Hmph! I'm not interested in meeting him. Just send him a message of refusal," Sephiroth flatly refused. "Listen, Tezolo, Stella. The Marines are currently conducting an investigation. I'm worried that Sengoku might find something, so I'm going to reduce my activities on the Marine side. We need to change our strategy. Our company must build cooperative relationships with other World Government countries. If we tie our interests to more countries, even the Marines won't be able to attack us openly," he explained.
Tezolo slapped his thigh. "Boss, your idea is brilliant! If we have enough allies, we can even influence decisions at the Reverie!"
Sephiroth nodded. "Speaking of the Reverie, I hope you can work hard to qualify for the next one."
"Rest assured, Boss! From the beginning, I've been planning for the Baldo Kingdom to achieve that goal!" Tezolo patted his chest confidently.
Sephiroth nodded. He planned to make the Umbrella Corporation a shadow kingdom in the future, with no fixed territory, with bases in the Baldo Kingdom, Dressrosa, Skypiea, Bika Island, and Hydra Island. By hiding their power in various countries, they would not be detected by the World Government.
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