The headquarters of the Sky Island Alliance, Initial Sky Island.
Outside the Air Force Marshal's office, Dunn, the 'Mad Lion' and Air Force Guard Captain, pleaded anxiously, "Marshal, you can't just barge in like that! Last time, because you barged in, I got fined…"
"Enough of this nonsense!"
Boom!
The door was violently pushed open, its hinges flying off and slamming into the wall.
"Damn it! This life is unbearable!"
A muscular man in a deep blue Air Force uniform stormed in, his greatcoat billowing behind him like a dark storm cloud.
"Phew, the cost to repair this door will be deducted from your salary."
Air Force Marshal Galdino, unperturbed, sipped his tea calmly, as though accustomed to such dramatic entrances.
"What's wrong now? Why so angry, General Bullet?"
With a loud thump, Sky Demon General Bullet, formerly imprisoned in Impel Down's sixth level and nicknamed 'Devil Child,' now one of the Air Force's five Great Generals, slammed his fist onto the desk.
Crack!
The desk's glass cracked instantly and the freshly brewed tea spilled.
"You ask why I'm angry?!"
Bullet glared at Galdino, known among many as the cunning strategist, grinding his teeth.
"Marshal, we agreed that all pirates in the seas around our allied nations this week would be dealt with by the Sky Demon Corps, right? Why did that sand bastard from the Atonement Corps steal our mission again?"
"My tea…"
Galdino, used to Bullet's explosive temper, calmly watched the spilled tea, his mouth twitching.
"What do you mean? Last time, over the Afu Barry Alliance Nation, you punched all the clouds above their land away and ruined their Cloud Festival."
"That was because weak pirates were trying to loot the nation's wealth with their airships! What was wrong with me obliterating those pirates with one punch?"
"Killing plundering pirates isn't wrong in itself."
Galdino pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and replied calmly.
"But we had to have the Environmental Division's cloud ships spend hours redeploying clouds over Afu Barry. That's why the king canceled his complaint against you."
"Even so, that sand bastard shouldn't have stolen our job!"
Bullet's glare was like a storm cloud ready to burst.
Galdino, unfazed, put down his empty teacup and pulled a folded paper from his drawer, his eyes gleaming with calculated calm.
"Calm down. Actually, this time the job of guarding the allied nations was assigned to Admiral Crocodile, because there's another assignment for you."
"Another task? What is it?"
Bullet unfolded the paper with interest. As he scanned it, his eyes lit up.
"Oh? The World Government is inviting high-ranking officials of our Air Force Alliance to a summit at their headquarters, Mary Geoise?"
"Hmph, the World Government is probably doing this on purpose. They must think we wouldn't dare go to Mary Geoise! If we don't show up, they'll tout it in newspapers worldwide, saying the Sky Island Alliance fears the World Government!"
Galdino smiled.
"I refuse to let them have it their way. How about it, interested in joining me to brave that dragon's den?"
"Of course!"
Bullet grinned fiercely, black-purple malice in his eyes.
"Hmph! The World Government fools actually invited us into their territory. They must be planning to surround us and kill everyone who attends!"
"Assume the worst about your enemies, then raise that worst case by three, and that's probably what we'll face."
Galdino nodded, amused.
"It is no wonder the World Government is anxious. Victory belongs to him who wins the hearts of the people. The world is already with the Sky Island Alliance, and the World Government's days will only get harder."
"This summit is a rare opportunity. I've wanted to personally rile those self-righteous Celestial Dragons!"
Bullet crumpled the paper into a ball, then crushed it into dust with his palm.
"Marshal, when do we leave?"
Galdino thought a moment.
"This first summit is scheduled one month from now. I plan to depart from the sky three days before the meeting."
"Understood! If they show any hostile intent, I will flatten that so-called Holy Land, Mary Geoise!"
Bullet's eyes shimmered with destructive hunger.
"Don't forget Air Force regulations. We don't fire first, but we also don't give the enemy a chance for a second shot."
Galdino warned him, his tone firm, clearly concerned about Bullet's explosive nature.
"Allied Alliance members must attend as well. Not too many, or the Alliance will be leaderless if something goes wrong, and not too few, or the World Government will mock us for being afraid."
"Oh, and does Null know about this?"
Bullet paused.
"You should call him Lord Null."
Galdino corrected him with dead seriousness, then smiled slightly.
"Lord Null is in seclusion on another island. He must not be disturbed unless there is a true emergency. This summit alone does not justify waking him."
"Oh, whatever!"
Bullet didn't seem to take the meeting seriously at all. As he walked out, he glanced back disdainfully.
"Stop mimicking Lord Null's sneaky smile. It makes my hands itch to punch someone right now!"
…
Galdino's mouth twitched. Speechlessly, he watched Bullet leave.
"The cost of the table and that door will be deducted from your salary!"
"Hmph!"
Bullet's disdainful snort echoed from outside.
"Uh…"
A sheepish head poked through the doorway.
Dunn, the 'Fierce Lion' and Air Force Guard Captain — the same one subdued by Shirogai and brought to Sky Island — awkwardly pointed at the destroyed wall.
"Marshal, should I reinstall this door?"
"No need. You won't pay for the door, but the wall repair fee will be deducted from your pay."
Galdino said calmly as his hair burned, releasing a sticky white wax that instantly formed a new door fitted perfectly into the frame.
"Alright…"
Dunn's embarrassed voice came through the new door.
"These generals…"
He sighed bitterly.
"Each one is harder to deal with than the last…"
…
Meanwhile, Galdino stood alone in his office, gazing at the drifting sea of clouds through the window. Warships slowly traversed the cloud sea beyond.
Without Lord Null by my side, this trip to the World Government headquarters… I still feel a little uneasy.
…
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Masked thugs wearing bizarre Red Heart 10 masks fired Bullets in unison, each shot aimed precisely at the figure standing atop a building.
Zzz, zzz…
Their Bullets passed through the man, who wore only a pair of pants, and did no harm whatsoever.
"Shot with so many Bullets, yet he's unhurt!"
"He can ignore Bullet damage!"
The Red Heart 10 thugs were stunned.
"Fools! Quickly switch to Sea-Stone Bullets! The enemy is a lightning man who ate the Lightning Fruit!"
A woman in a Red Heart Q mask coldly ordered.
That idiot Red Heart A! He actually confessed all the organization's secrets to the Admiral while drunk!
She feared deep down.
If the Master found out, they would be abandoned and die instantly!
Admiral Silver Snake, who knew everything, must die here!
Zzz!
Silver lightning flashed, and the figure vanished without warning.
"He's gone! Where did he go!"
After the Red Heart 10 switched to Sea-Stone Bullets and frantically searched, a figure suddenly appeared beside the shapely 'Red Heart Q'.
"Oh my, what a voluptuous older sister."
Admiral Silver Snake, bare-chested, wrapped his arms around Red Heart Q's waist, feeling her up with a lecherous grin.
"Look at these poor clothes, they're about to burst off you, sister!"
---