In the New World, on Hallsta Island, the sun was blazing. The city of Pollock, with a population of thousands, was a hub for agriculture and fishing. The city was under the rule of the Prodence Kingdom, whose current king was Elizabello II.
It should be mentioned that Elizabello II needed an hour of warm-up to unleash his full-power "King Punch." This devastating punch was able to punch through an enemy fortress in a single hit, and the king claimed even a Sea Emperor would die instantly if hit. Because of this terrifying power, he was known as the "Natural Destroyer Weapon" and the "Warrior King" who constantly waged war to expand his territory.
Therefore, the G-5 patrol area included the waters of the Prodence Kingdom. However, because this kingdom controlled too many islands, one Marine branch couldn't handle it. As a result, G-2, G-14, and G-1 were also responsible for the defense of the region.
Sephiroth checked the navigation chart. He found the G-5 base was very close to Atvor Sea. Its special geographical location put it between three pillars of power: the Whitebeard Pirates, the Kaido Pirates, and the World Government.
Because Dressrosa was now under the influence of the Whitebeard Pirates, G-5 no longer needed to patrol those waters. After all, the Whitebeard Pirates were clearly a greater deterrent to ordinary pirates than the rogue Marines of G-5.
This situation made the G-5 soldiers able to laze around. They could stay on Hallsta Island without needing to go out to catch pirates or work. Given that the G-5 soldiers often ignored orders, it seemed they couldn't be expected to work hard anyway!
After understanding the general situation, Sephiroth left the base and took a stroll in the city of Pollock. The sea breeze blew, hitting the scattered houses and buildings. Wearing a white Justice cape, he attracted some strange and unhealthy attention. Some pedestrians even pointed at him, whispering.
This was all thanks to the reputation of the undisciplined G-5 soldiers. They often fought, made trouble, and unintentionally injured civilians while fighting with pirates. Over time, the image of the Marines was almost no different from pirates in the eyes of the residents, except that they didn't burn, kill, or loot.
Sephiroth glanced at the residents who were avoiding him like a venomous snake, and he whispered softly, "This... is a very strange feeling..."
He kept walking until he stopped in front of a white, two-and-a-half-story villa. Taking a key out of his pocket, he opened the iron gate and walked in.
In the front yard, there was a ten-meter-long and five-meter-wide swimming pool. The walls of the villa were planted with flowers and trees, making the whole place filled with a fragrant aroma. A month ago, this villa belonged to someone else. However, Sephiroth decided to buy it. The villa that might only be worth 50 million Berry, he offered 300 million Berry directly. The original owner, afraid that Sephiroth would go back on his word, immediately signed the contract and moved out.
For convenience, Sephiroth replaced all the furniture and renovated it, like expanding the bathroom. The villa was finished two days ago, and he came to check it out. If there were no problems, he was ready to move in.
After passing through the front yard, he opened the tall, white wooden door. A spacious living room greeted him. In the middle of it, there was an open garden with flowers, rockery, and running water, and even a small pond for fish. Surrounded by glass doors and windows, this garden allowed him to enjoy the scenery on the first and second floors.
The first floor was mostly the living room, kitchen, bathroom, storage room, and a study. While the second floor was the master bedroom and other rooms. After a walk around and making sure everything was to his request, Sephiroth took out a butcher knife from his waist, and opened the door to space.
In a three-story villa on Sabaody Archipelago's Area 41, Perona was kneeling on the living room sofa, holding a teddy bear. She stared at the projector screen from an Image Shell, which was playing a supernatural horror movie.
This was the latest video player developed by Umbrella Company, a company owned by Sephiroth. The videos in it were movies taken by the film company under the Umbrella umbrella. In just a few months, the product had garnered a lot of praise. Thanks to a special technology, videos could not be copied by individuals, protecting the copyright of the films.
This technology made Umbrella rake in a lot of profits by selling movie videos. The company also became very profitable besides weapons, branching out into various sectors. According to the estimate of Tezzolo—his subordinate—Umbrella now controlled about 10% of the Berry in the world. They hoped to control 25% in a decade. Both on the surface and in the underworld, the Umbrella Company had become a huge business empire, and as long as it didn't conflict with the Marines, the World Government, or the Sea Emperors, there was no risk of it collapsing.
Sephiroth approached Perona, touched her long, pink hair, and asked, "Perona, we're moving. Have you packed?"
"Ah?!... I'm sorry, I forgot," Perona replied in a spoiled voice. "Sephiroth~! Can you help me pack?"
Sephiroth could only shake his head. He always felt that he had made Perona spoiled. He could only hope that after Iska and Kuina came, Perona would change a little.