On the warship's deck, Slekemind stood beside Borsalino, his tone carrying a trace of irritation.
"I already told you I took care of that guy. Why do you still need to check? What's there to see in a corpse?"
At the mast on the deck, Yasopp and Lucky Roux were shackled in place, clearly under arrest.
Borsalino held a nail clipper, trimming his nails in the sea breeze as he spoke in his usual drawn-out tone.
"How scary… you pirates."
"Tsk…" Slekemind clicked his tongue in annoyance but didn't bother continuing the exchange.
Before long, Momonga emerged from the shattered cabin of the Red Force. With a single Geppo, he landed on the warship and looked at Slekemind.
"I've confirmed it. Red-Haired Shanks can be declared dead."
"Hmph." Slekemind let out a cold snort, then said, "Even if you Marines were present, I'm the one who killed that bastard. So the reward better not be short."
"Understood," Momonga nodded. "I'll make it clear to the Admiral. Our Admiral is known across the seas for keeping his word. Since you've worked with him before, you should know that as well. His promises don't change. Is there anything you want our Admiral to help you with? You can make a request now."
Slekemind raised an eyebrow, a hint of satisfaction flashing across his face before he quickly suppressed it. He kept a stiff expression and said firmly,
"Nothing I need right now. Just make sure he remembers he owes me a favor. That's enough. I'm leaving."
"Safe travels," Momonga replied with a nod.
Slekemind casually tossed the straw hat to Momonga, then leapt onto his ship, which had already arrived, and departed without another word.
...
After Slekemind left, Borsalino pointed toward the restrained Yasopp and Lucky Roux.
"What are you planning to do with those two?"
"Send them to the Calm Belt to mine," Momonga almost answered instinctively. But as he opened his mouth, he remembered that Borsalino probably wasn't aware of that arrangement. He quickly changed his tune.
"After I finish my own business, I'll escort them back to G-12."
Borsalino nodded casually, then asked,
"By the way, what are you going to Punk Hazard for?"
Momonga scratched the back of his head, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Don't you have that Devil Fruit materialization transmission technology over there? The one that lets objects consume Devil Fruits… I want that."
"Hm?" Borsalino tilted his head in confusion.
"What do you need it for?"
"I'm a Baku Baku no Mi user now," Momonga replied.
"Do you know much about that ability?"
"Baku Baku no Mi!?" Borsalino was taken aback, then his expression shifted as he realized something.
"You want to use that technology to achieve multiple Devil Fruit abilities?"
"Hahaha, exactly!" Momonga laughed proudly.
"Well? Pretty brilliant idea, right?"
"It's certainly… an interesting thought," Borsalino said, nodding in mild admiration.
...
By using Devil Fruit materialization transmission technology, the strange and varied abilities of certain Devil Fruits could be transferred onto objects, whether gemstones or daggers, making them easy for Momonga to carry around.
When the time came, he could instantly consume these objects imbued with Devil Fruit power using the Baku Baku no Mi, thereby gaining multiple Devil Fruit abilities at once.
Thinking it through, Borsalino couldn't help but feel that Momonga might truly be on the verge of a major rise.
"You can call yourself Treasure Mouse from now on…" Borsalino teased.
Soon after, under Borsalino's direction, the warship began to change course, heading toward Punk Hazard.
After exchanging a few more words with Borsalino, Momonga pulled a Den Den Mushi from his pocket.
"I need to report this situation to my Admiral."
He made no effort to avoid Borsalino as he dialed the Den Den Mushi.
...
At the same time, along a sea route in the New World leading toward Dressrosa, another warship was sailing steadily onward.
Ortoren sat at the edge of the deck, a fishing rod in hand, his eyes locked firmly on the surface of the sea.
Faintly, he seemed to spot a large fish about to bite his hook. Just as an unconscious smile of anticipation rose on his face, the Den Den Mushi on his person suddenly began chirping loudly.
That noise appeared to startle the fish he had "seen," whether real or imagined. The shadow vanished in an instant.
Ortoren's expression changed drastically, and he nearly snapped the fishing rod in half.
"Damn it!" he cursed. "If this is Dragon calling, I'll wipe out the Revolutionary Army!"
Still grumbling, he pulled out the Den Den Mushi and glanced down. It was Momonga.
"Lucky you, Dragon…" Ortoren muttered.
Then, clearly annoyed, he answered the call.
"Momonga? Do you have any idea what I lost because of your call? I lost a super-sized fish with a body comparable to a Sea King!!! The honor of the Fishing King of the New World has been stained by you!"
Momonga was far too familiar with Ortoren to be bothered by his anger. He couldn't help but retort.
"Has your condition gotten worse again? You're already hallucinating about catching fish? I'm on my way to Punk Hazard. Want me to ask Dr. Vegapunk if he's developed medicine for your mental illness?"
"Wow, you're pretty bold," Ortoren said with mock heartbreak. "I'm an Admiral, your superior. Is that really how you talk to me? Do you even want to get promoted and make a fortune anymore?"
"Promoted to what?" Momonga shot back without hesitation. "I'm already a Vice Admiral. The next rank is Admiral, and there's no open seat for me."
"Uh…" Ortoren was momentarily speechless.
That actually made a lot of sense.
Before Ortoren could respond, Momonga continued.
"And I heard from Gion that you didn't catch a single fish at the fishing tournament. How do you still have the nerve to call yourself the Fishing King of the New World?"
Ortoren's face reddened as he stubbornly argued back.
"That tournament had insider manipulation. It wasn't fair. You didn't mention it, and I'd almost forgotten. I'll issue an order later to ban that place from ever hosting another fishing tournament and arrest all those judges! Besides, you're too shallow. You don't become Fishing King just by catching a big fish. You become Fishing King by earning recognition. Go ask around the New World. Who dares say I, Ortoren, can't catch fish?"
After trading a few more jabs, Momonga finally steered the conversation back to business.
"The Red-Haired matter is over," he said.
Ortoren paused for a moment before asking,
"Did he escape the New World, or was he taken out?"
"He was killed," Momonga replied calmly. "In the Galgild Sea. The one who acted was Shichibukai Slekemind. I was there myself. I boarded the Red Force and confirmed it. Red-Haired Shanks completely lost all signs of life, and the Vivre Card I had for him burned away entirely."
Holding the Den Den Mushi in one hand and his fishing rod in the other, Ortoren stared at the sea. After a brief silence, he spoke with a hint of reflection.
"Is that so? I thought his luck would hold out and let him escape the New World. Looks like he just didn't have that fate."
Luck mattered too. And judging by how things stood now, Ortoren's luck was clearly better than Shanks'.
That said, Ortoren felt no real sorrow for Shanks. After a brief pause, he asked,
"Did that Slekemind guy make any requests?"
"No," Momonga chuckled. "He just said to keep it in mind and not forget."
"Hahahahaha…" Ortoren burst out laughing.
"So that kid wants to board my ship too, huh? Still, since he proved himself by cutting down Red-Haired, giving him a chance isn't out of the question."
After Ortoren finished laughing, Momonga continued,
"Oh, right. I also got the straw hat Shanks always carried with him. I heard it's a relic of Pirate King Roger. Thinking about it, it's got some collector's value. Want to keep it?"
Ortoren rolled his eyes.
"No need. That straw hat—when you have the time, deliver it to Garp-san for me."
Collect it? He already had Roger's sword, Roger's beautiful wife, and Roger's precious son. What was a beat-up straw hat worth collecting?
Better to give it to Garp-san. He and Roger were close enough that holding onto the hat might stir memories of their glorious past.
"Garp-san?"
Momonga was puzzled by the request, but he nodded anyway.
"Understood. After I finish up at Punk Hazard, I'll head to Headquarters. If I run into Garp-san, I'll give him the straw hat."
After a brief pause, Momonga added with a smile,
"You know, this hat's surprisingly sturdy. It's even sprouted something."
"Huh?" Ortoren sounded surprised, then said, "Interesting. Alright, since the Red-Haired matter is settled, spread the news in the underworld and send a notice to Headquarters. Red-Haired's bounty can be revoked. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up. I've got a feeling I'm definitely catching a big fish today."
...
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