"Father..."
"Ah. Good boy."
Aus's collector's itch got scratched. A smile crept onto his face.
The little bean in front of him clutched a small gold necklace, eyes sparkling with pure joy.
"This item keeps the people you want to protect by your side. Forever.
Consider it a return gift for that word."
In Sanji's eyes, Aus's image swelled even larger. Like some kind of all-powerful god.
After warning them both to never tell anyone about Pure Gold, Aus left with the contract in hand.
From that day on, he had a new little fan. The World Economic Journal gained a loyal subscriber.
Turns out—
The Four Blues were too damn shallow. So shallow that Doflamingo alone, armed with Ryuo, could handle the North Blue's strongest nation—Germa 66.
By the time Aus arrived, Germa had nothing left. Even Judge knelt on one knee, blood dripping from his mouth.
His face twisted. He forced his eyes up and finally understood what kind of monster he'd pissed off.
Are all New World overlords this terrifying...?
He wanted that power. Craved it from his core.
That moment changed Judge forever. He finally understood—individual strength was the only law that mattered on these seas.
He bent the knee.
Aus didn't destroy Germa. But he left a message.
Legs crossed on Germa Kingdom's throne, he looked down at Judge kneeling before him.
"Thank your good son. He's gonna make something of himself one day.
For his sake, I'll let you live."
But there was a price. From now on, Germa Kingdom paid tribute—just like the underworld giants.
The kind you couldn't refuse.
Afterward, Judge turned Aus's words over in his mind.
Good son?
Ichiji? Niji? Yonji? All three?
Maybe their monstrous talent had changed Aus's mind.
Sanji?
Didn't even register.
Call it a working vacation. Aus and his crew drifted across the seas.
After the initial purge, the follow-up got way simpler.
Almost everyone who'd screwed up heard Aus was coming—and paid double, even triple what they owed.
Fewer targets. Then none at all.
Just drifting like that, time rolled into Sea Circle Calendar year 1502.
Big news hit the papers recently—
The quadrennial World Government Council Meeting would convene in one month.
The Navy got busy.
Navy Headquarters. Marineford.
Warships set sail by the dozens. Lower-ranking officers got dispatched worldwide as escorts for member nations.
Just like that deserter king escorting Dressrosa royals in the original timeline.
Today, Headquarters had to hammer out assignments. Distribute the workload.
Officers filed into the conference room. Not just for the World Council—regular maritime incidents needed discussion too.
Before the brass arrived, familiar faces were already talking.
The sea only had so many problems. They could guess what was coming.
"Gonna be swamped again. Barely got any leave."
"Can't be helped..."
"Hope I get somewhere close."
"Those nobles look at you like their nostrils point at the ceiling. Pisses me off..."
"Quiet. Brass incoming."
Kong, Sengoku, Tsuru, Garp, and the three monsters entered. The room went silent.
Brannew appeared right behind them.
Meeting started.
"First item. The Black Gun crew's been active worldwide. Every force that didn't pay enough got wiped clean.
For special reasons, the Navy won't move against his forces directly. But we still handle aftermath and stability. Considerable pressure."
Brannew pulled out bounty posters. Stuck one on the board—blonde punk with a wicked grin, tongue out.
"Suspected new member of Black Gun's crew. 'Flamingo' Donquixote Doflamingo.
Highly developed String-String Fruit. All three Haki types. Underworld influence.
Bounty updated to 1,534,000,000 berries. Effective immediately."
Tsuru sat in the front row, staring at that blonde punk's unrestrained laughter.
She closed her eyes. Let out the faintest sigh.
Repeated failures. Now they couldn't even try. World Government and Aus interference aside—
Doflamingo's rampage was a stain on her record.
And now arrest was forbidden. Bitter.
Brannew ran through recent wars. Hawkeye and Crocodile's names hit the board.
"Which brings us to the key figure.
New World overlord. Dark World king. Black Gun Aus.
Warp-Warp Fruit—impossible to capture or counter. World-class Haki mastery. Single-handedly injured two Emperors.
Commands underworld forces capable of overturning the entire sea.
Suspected tie for World's Strongest Swordsman.
World's Greatest Sniper.
World's Richest Man.
Threat level: world-shaking. Bounty should exceed five billion, but for special reasons remains at 4,049,000,000 berries.
We can't act against him. But we maintain surveillance to address fallout."
The poster showed a handsome young man with long hair, wreathed in lightning. Nearly every Marine glared at it with hostility.
Two stood out.
If they hadn't been provoked so many times—if they hadn't built up self-control—they'd blast that poster with fire or ice right now.
Their expressions caught Kong's eye. He sighed internally.
I know these two hate him. But there's nothing we can do...
Hope they don't lose it when I hand out assignments...
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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