Before the stunned eyes of the Marines, the once-"invincible" Captain Morgan had been brought down just like that.
In the surrounding streets, residents of Shells Town, who had long suffered under Morgan's tyranny, began to cheer. Their voices, once silenced by fear, now rang out in celebration.
But not everyone shared in their joy.
Helmeppo, Morgan's spoiled son, stood frozen in fear beside his pet white wolf. His hands trembled.
His father's authority his protection was gone.
Crushed in an instant.
"Once we capture Kuro of a Hundred Plans," Victor declared from the deck of the royal battleship, "I'll personally report the conspiracy between Morgan and Klock to Marineford."
"Lieutenant Commander," Victor called sharply, pointing toward the uniformed man below, "I order you to restore order at Branch 153 immediately."
"And the news that the Four Leaf Kingdom has merged into the Goa Empire… that news will arrive here soon."
Lieutenant Commander Lipal, standing amidst the shocked Marines, stiffened at the command.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
He snapped into a salute, his voice firm.
Though nervous under the king's piercing gaze, a part of him felt relieved.
He had long resented Morgan's violent leadership, but with his lower rank, he'd never dared resist. Now, with Morgan gone and a new ruler rising, there was hope for reform.
As for Helmeppo, Victor didn't even spare him a glance.
The Goa King wasn't interested in petty scraps.
Without bothering to disembark, Victor gave the order and the three royal battleships set sail once again.
Their next destination: Syrup Village.
The place where Kuro of a Hundred Plans had gone to hide.
Meanwhile, the six battleships Victor had stationed in the Four Leaf Kingdom continued spreading the news of the annexation, reaching all corners of the archipelago including Shells Town.
At the same time, conservative nobles from Goa Kingdom eager to claim their share of the empire's glory had begun setting sail to take over administration of the former Four Leaf territories.
Victor had promised they'd have a stake in the new Goa Empire.
Now, it was time for them to act.
"Tsk tsk… didn't think that sneaky bastard Kuro of a Hundred Plans was still alive."
Eric, ever the sharp-tongued mercenary, smirked to himself. He knew the East Blue's pirate underworld like the back of his hand especially those so-called "great pirates" with bounties over 10 million Berries.
Fighting alongside Victor legally bringing down a corrupt Marine like Morgan was far more satisfying than any job he'd done under Admiral Nelson Roy.
It felt cleaner. More righteous. And much, much more fun.
Van Auger, standing silently on deck, studied Victor again.
This man didn't act like a king.
He acted like a warlord like a pirate emperor, claiming land and crushing opposition without hesitation.
So this was it.
Goa Empire.
Was this… Victor Shaw's true ambition?
Van Auger could feel it this man wasn't done yet.
There was something more to Victor Shaw.
At the moment, the king was calmly lifting a pair of gold-plated dumbbells, silently cultivating his body aboard the battleship.
For dealing with small fries like rogue captains or petty pirates, the mercenaries were more than sufficient.
Why should Victor waste his own energy?
He was paying them generously, after all if they couldn't earn their keep, the money would be better spent elsewhere.
Though, once he had these Bounty Hunters truly under his control, he might not need to pay them as mercenaries at all.
Instead, their contracts could be… converted.
Into royal salaries, titles, and honors.
This campaign wasn't about prolonged warfare. Victor's strategy was all about speed.
The Marine branches and island kingdoms in East Blue were notoriously slow when it came to information.
By the time Marineford or the World Government realized what was happening, the Goa Empire would already be a fully upgraded, expanded empire.
A few missing royal families and some conquered territories?
It would all be a done deal.
And the World Government?
They wouldn't care.
As always as long as the celestial tribute was paid they would stay silent.
…
Syrup Village, in the Moonlight Kingdom, was their next stop.
Not far from it lay Orange Town, part of the neighboring Accordion Kingdom.
Both kingdoms were scattered archipelagos, made up of dozens of small islands.
Take the Konomi Kingdom as an example: it had 30 to 40 islands, dotted with villages and a few prosperous towns.
But over twenty of those island settlements had already been occupied by Arlong and his pirate gang.
In this world, that was the norm archipelago kingdoms with isolated villages and no centralized protection.
Once Victor dealt with Moonlight Kingdom, it would be time to turn toward Accordion Kingdom.
He even wondered idly if Buggy the Clown was still operating somewhere in that sea zone.
…
Eric cast a glance at Victor from across the deck.
Watching a king train like that focused, relentless, with sweat beading on his brow it made Eric uneasy.
This guy wasn't just playing at being king.
He meant it.
A strange pressure hung over him an aura that made it hard to breathe.
Eric clenched his jaw.
He decided, then and there, that once this mission was done, he'd leave.
He wanted nothing to do with this pretty-boy monarch.
No matter how much gold Victor offered, Eric would not become one of those bounty hunters who joined the Goa Royal Guard.
He'd return to the freedom of mercenary life.
That was the only way he could breathe.
Van Auger, however, was more thoughtful.
He had a feeling if Victor didn't allow him to leave, he probably couldn't.
In that case, he'd have to adapt.
He'd join Victor's command, climb high within the Goa Empire's ranks, and maybe even use it as a springboard to restore his family's fallen name.
Bounty hunting, piracy those ambitions might have to wait.
After all, what Victor was doing now wasn't so different from the infamous pirate kingdoms of the New World.
But Van Auger was different from Eric.
He had a surname he had heritage.
He saw the bigger picture.
Most pirates, most mercenaries they didn't even have surnames.
Victor, too, had a vision far beyond ordinary kings or pirates.
One day later…
When Victor Shaw's three battleships arrived in the waters near Syrup Village, the main forces of the Goa Empire had already completed the full occupation of the Four Leaf Kingdom, officially incorporating it into their growing territory.
With their task finished, the rest of the expedition fleet set course for the Moonlight Kingdom, preparing to rendezvous with Victor.
They all understood now
Their king's appetite wasn't limited to a single kingdom.
"Your Majesty Victor," Van Auger reported from the crow's nest, adjusting his long-range scope. "There's a pirate ship up ahead flying the flag of the Black Cat Pirates."
Victor opened one eye but didn't stop his training.
So Kuro of a Hundred Plans was really still alive, after all.
Why else would his crew be hanging around these waters?
"Take them down," Victor said flatly, not even pausing in his dumbbell routine.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The Royal Guard leapt into action, skillfully maneuvering the three battleships to encircle the pirate vessel.
Eric grinned, already preparing to take down the wanted criminals aboard the ship and collect their bounties.
Meanwhile, aboard the Black Cat Pirates' ship the sleek black vessel known as the Hundred Plans Black Cat
First Mate Jango, along with Siam and Butchie, spotted the incoming ships through their spyglass.
At first, they panicked.
"Marines?!" Jango shrieked, eyes bulging.
But upon closer inspection, they realized the flags were different. These weren't Marine warships they belonged to a kingdom.
Still, three battleships were nothing to scoff at.
Even if they weren't Marines, they clearly meant business.
"Run! Run now!!"
They turned hard to starboard, attempting to flee.
But they had underestimated the Goa Empire's fleet these were new-generation battleships, upgraded and reinforced to rival even Marine vessels.
It didn't take long.
The Black Cat Pirates were quickly surrounded.
"Let's begin," Eric said coldly, leaping forward.
Van Auger raised his rifle, calmly taking aim.
"Fire the cannons! Quickly!!" Jango shrieked.
The pirates opened fire in a frenzy, launching cannonballs and gunfire at the encroaching fleet.
And then
"Don't damage my ship…"
Victor's quiet voice echoed across the deck.
A faint shimmer filled the air.
And before the stunned eyes of the pirates, every cannonball disappeared mid-air vanished into thin space.
The Black Cat Pirates froze.
Their jaws dropped.
Cold sweat poured down their backs.
"W-what was that?!"
Even Eric and Van Auger were stunned.
Victor had banished the entire volley cannonballs and bullets alike, erasing them from reality without moving a finger.
Eric's own Wind Blade, which he had just released toward the pirate ship, also vanished.
Right before his eyes.
Gone.
Eric stared blankly.
So this was the true power of the King of Goa.
He had once believed they were on the same level.
But now…
Now he realized how wrong he had been.
If Victor Shaw could even banish his prized Wind Blades, then
He wasn't just stronger.
He was in a completely different league.
That moment confirmed it.
Eric's strongest technique his Wind Blade meant nothing in the eyes of Victor Shaw.
It vanished like smoke before reaching its target.
That realization cast a shadow in Eric's eyes, a flicker of discouragement creeping in.
Victor had only briefly revealed a fraction of his power but it was enough.
He could see the shift in Eric and Van Auger's expressions with perfect clarity.
Good, he thought, his lips curling slightly.
These two… will work like oxen and horses under my command from now on.
Leaving?
Forget it.
If they ever dared think about running, Victor wasn't short on options Sea Prism Stone collars, explosive slave collars whatever it took to keep them in line.
He was a King, after all. A tyrannical King.
And wasn't it normal for tyrants to keep a few slaves under their rule?
Once bound by his will, earning back their freedom wouldn't be easy.
A few years as low-level laborers would just be the beginning.
…
Under the combined assault of Eric and Van Auger, the remaining Black Cat Pirates stood no chance.
Jango, Siam, and Butchie were all swiftly taken down slashed, shot, and beaten into submission.
Their resistance was pitiful.
Surrounded by three state-of-the-art Goa Empire battleships, the small-time pirate crew had no hope of escape.
Their weapons, attacks, even their will to fight had been crushed.