Kaido and Blackbeard did not directly kill Weevil.
After throwing him into the dungeon on Raijin Island and placing him under strict guard, Blackbeard followed beside Kaido and arrived in a massive hall.
Here, before a huge round table, several people were already seated.
"Zehahahaha, looks like all of you are even more excited than I am!" Blackbeard looked at the people around the table and said with a grin.
"King of Hachinosu, Ochoku… King of Lizards Hanafuda… we're all old acquaintances, aren't we?"
"Who's an old acquaintance with you?" Ochoku snorted coldly, arms crossed, his dangerous gaze repeatedly landing on Blackbeard.
"Kaido, don't forget—I'm cooperating with you only so I can continue living freely as a pirate on this sea... not to become some useless clown who exists only to stir up meaningless headlines."
"Ochoku… you're still the same. But you also have no choice, don't you?" Kaido sneered.
"Your Hachinosu suffered heavy losses in the clash with Shiki's new Flying Pirates… If you don't cooperate with me, those dangerous monsters in the Navy will fix their eyes on you soon enough."
Ochoku opened his mouth, but said nothing.
Because he knew Kaido wasn't wrong.
He looked glamorous on the outside, but inside he was falling apart.
If those lunatics from the SWORD Secret Special Force targeted him, he would absolutely lose his life!
The King of Lizards Hanafuda said nothing. He simply nodded at the others, then turned back to stare obsessively at the Devil Fruit in his hand.
It looked like an Ancient Zoan-type fruit, shaped like a sharp claw.
If Michael were here, he would recognize him instantly.
This man named Hanafuda was the former Shichibukai defeated by Ace in the original backstory.
"This alliance of ours shouldn't only be the few of us, right?"
Blackbeard glanced around at the atmosphere, then sat in the empty seat at the round table.
"We're going up against Michael. Of course I need more allies."
When Kaido finished speaking, several figures emerged from the shadows of the hall.
Looking up, even Blackbeard's eyes showed unmistakable shock.
"Hehshishishishi! Looks like that Michael guy has made quite a few enemies over the years!"
The one who first let out the strange laughter was a man nearly as tall as Kaido, with a bizarre spring-onion-like hairstyle.
It was none other than the Shichibukai, Gekko Moria.
"Gekko Moria? Weren't you Michael's lackey? As long as you did obediently, he'd toss you a few Belly to chew on… Oh right, Michael hasn't been in the Navy for many years. Life must've been rough for you lately, huh?"
Ochoku mocked coldly.
"To the point… where you actually came here to cooperate with your old rival and enemy?"
"Because I realized that giving me the title of Shichibukai was nothing more than Michael waiting to see whether I'd be replaced by someone stronger… So I'd rather cooperate with Kaido and kill that true… demon."
Clap clap clap clap.
A round of applause echoed.
The ones clapping were three others.
Among everyone present, they were the ones who understood today's Michael the most.
The Demon's Heir, Douglas Bullet.
The World Destroyer, Byrnndi World.
The Red the Aloof, Patrick Redfield.
They were the three monsters who once followed Shiki.
And now, they had joined Kaido's alliance of villains as partners.
It was worth mentioning that Red the Aloof no longer looked elderly.
He had no doubt regained youth thanks to Bullet and World's help, by finding the legendary Devil Fruit:
The Bat-Bat Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Vampire Model.
Though young again, he still carried the calm aura forged by decades of experience.
"How amusing. You all want to kill each other, yet because a blade named 'Michael' hangs over your heads, you can only hate each other while working together positively… Bullet, your choice was absolutely right. Where else could we find such entertaining chaos?"
Redfield said with a smile.
By now, Blackbeard had calmed down. His earlier shock had simply been excitement.
He originally had only a small connection with Kaido…
But now, it was clear—
Kaido's hatred toward Michael ran bone-deep.
After everyone sat down, Blackbeard noticed an empty seat.
"So… someone still hasn't arrived?"
Just as he asked, the Den Den Mushi on the empty seat, its eyes previously closed, suddenly awakened.
"Fufufufufu! How could an evil gathering like this possibly exclude me—Doflamingo?"
"As long as you intend to kill Michael… then we are the firmest of allies!"
"A traitor of the Whitebeard Pirates, a remnant of the Rocks Pirates, the Beast Pirates' kingly tyrant, the Gekko Pirates' avenger, the collector of Ancient Zoan fruits, the madman called the Demon's Heir, the savage World Destroyer…"
"And me—the purest embodiment of evil!"
"We will definitely drag down that man with angelic wings…"
"Pull him from the sky…"
"Never to rise again!"
...
"Achoo!"
Michael suddenly sneezed, then rubbed his nose.
At this moment, he was standing on the deck of the Seraphim.
At his side, besides the always-present Jack and Yamato, there was also a beautiful figure whose appearance made it impossible to tell gender at first glance.
It was the 16th division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates—Izo.
Michael looked at his face and sighed.
Michael's own appearance was already extremely perfect; among handsome men he could definitely take first place…
But he lacked Izo's androgynous charm.
"Izo, tell me—are you really a man?"
"Michael-san… I know how strong you are, but please don't tease my face anymore."
Izo smiled bitterly.
Of course he knew how much trouble his face caused him.
Back in Wano, his face had brought no end of problems.
But in the Whitebeard Pirates, no one ever mocked him.
To them, no matter how beautiful or ugly someone looked, they were all…
Family.
That was why, when Oden chose to board Roger's ship, Izo did not follow Kozuki Oden as a retainer for the first time, and instead stayed with the Whitebeard Pirates.
Until today.
"Ah, I've just never seen anyone with your kind of aura before."
Michael said as he looked toward the country floating amid the clouds and mist.
"Look, we're at your home…"
"May I ask what you came to Wano for?"
"Simple."
Michael showed a relaxed smile.
"To collect a debt."
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Fanfic is finished. 583 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg