"The marriage alliance..."
Big Mom muttered the words, her towering rage subsiding slightly. In four days, the wedding between the Big Mom Pirates and the Vinsmoke Family of the North Blue would take place. The Vinsmokes were already en route to Totto Land. Once Sanji Vinsmoke and Charlotte Pudding were wed, the scientific might of the Germa Kingdom would be hers for the taking. The overall strength of her pirate crew would leap to a whole new tier.
With this thought, Big Mom waved a dismissive hand, the deep furrows in her brow smoothing out. Sensing her shift in mood, her three personal Homies—Zeus, Prometheus, and Napoleon—retracted their menacing auras, reverting to their usual forms.
"Katakuri," Big Mom's voice was low and icy. "Once the wedding is concluded, go to Fish-Man Island immediately and investigate. Whoever killed Perospero will pay. Dearly." Her anger wasn't just about the death of her son; it was the sheer, blatant disrespect of striking against her family.
"Understood, Mama," Katakuri responded firmly, a flash of crimson bloodlust in his eyes.
Somewhere in the New World.
A fleet of a dozen snail ships sailed peacefully across a calm sea. This was the Germa Kingdom of the North Blue—a nation unique in the world for having no fixed territory. The entire kingdom was composed of these massive, snail-shaped vessels. Usually, they operated separately. When combined, they formed the mobile fortress-state of Germa.
On the top floor of one particular palace, a woman with long, pink hair and clad in a white combat suit sipped coffee quietly. She was the eldest daughter of the Vinsmoke Family, Princess Reiju.
On the table before her lay several bounty posters. All of them featured the same man: Leo.
"Leo..." she murmured, putting down her cup and picking up one of the posters, her gaze distant. "Will you come to the New World?"
She had started paying attention to this man from the moment he killed Crocodile. As more and more earth-shattering news reports followed, her interest had only deepened. What was she expecting? Everyone knew of Leo's... proclivities. Part of Reiju hoped that one day she would encounter him, that he would take her by force, giving her a legitimate reason to leave Germa and join his crew.
It wasn't self-deprecation. She was simply exhausted by her cold, bloodless family—more accurately, by her cold, bloodless father, Vinsmoke Judge. A man who would genetically modify his own children and force procedures on his wife to achieve his goals. From a young age, Judge had subjected them to lineage factor modifications. Reiju's three younger brothers had been turned into emotionless tools, obeying orders without question. She was the fortunate one; while she couldn't openly defy Judge, she had retained her emotions and conscience.
For years, Reiju had played her part in the Germa charade. She was tired. With Leo's power, even if he did take her, surely not even Judge would dare to protest.
A self-mocking smile touched her lips. Wishful thinking. The sea is vast. What are the odds of running into him?
"Reiju!"
A tall, stern-faced man with a metallic helmet strode over. Seeing him, Reiju's fingers tightened imperceptibly on the bounty poster, her expression instantly hardening into its usual mask of cool indifference.
"Father. What is it?" she asked flatly.
The man was Vinsmoke Judge, the true power behind the family. He frowned, displeased. "That worthless failure, Sanji, is throwing another tantrum. Go talk some sense into him." Without waiting for a reply, he snorted and turned away. If Sanji didn't still have some use, he wouldn't have spent a fortune extracting the fool from the depths of Impel Down. Might as well make use of the trash.
Reiju's fist clenched slightly beneath the table, a wave of profound悲哀 (sorrow) washing over her. Not long ago, upon learning Sanji had been imprisoned, Judge had paid a hefty price to retrieve him. One should never doubt the capabilities of the Germa Kingdom. Though it ruled no territory, it was recognized as an independent nation by the World Government and had the right to participate in the Reverie. Its influence was substantial.
To climb onto Big Mom's powerful branch, to gain the strength of an Emperor's crew and realize his dream of reunifying the North Blue under the Vinsmoke banner, Judge had chosen this political marriage. Big Mom, of course, had her own agenda, coveting Germa's technological weapons and clone soldiers. Once the families were joined, everything Germa had would be within her grasp. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement for the leaders.
A purely political marriage was thus arranged.
Groom: Vinsmoke Sanji.
Bride: Charlotte Pudding.
From beginning to end, no one cared whether either of them was willing. Their feelings were irrelevant.
Thinking of Sanji's bleak future, Reiju's heart ached. This was the tragedy of being born a Vinsmoke. You had no right to choose; you were only subject to the choices made for you. To achieve his goals, Vinsmoke Judge would pay any price, even sacrificing his own sons. Or rather... he had long since stopped considering Sanji a son.
"Sanji..." Reiju sighed with deep resignation and slowly stood up.
Another part of the New World. A scenic beach.
Under a large parasol, a stunningly beautiful woman wearing sunglasses lounged with her legs crossed, sipping juice leisurely.
"A political marriage between the Big Mom Pirates and the Germa Kingdom? How intriguing," she mused, her voice carrying a tantalizing, almost fox-like allure. This was one of the Underground Emperors, the Queen of the Pleasure District, Stussy. Of course, that was merely her public face. Behind that mask lay many more layers of secrets.
"It's time to make an appearance," Stussy said with an enigmatic smile, glancing at the invitation beside her.
The New World, near Fish-Man Island.
Leo, unable to withstand Shirahoshi's pleading, had spent one final day on the island before departing. The farewell between Shirahoshi and her family—Neptune and her three brothers—had been deeply emotional. Shirahoshi cried until she was a beautiful, weeping mess, her tears enough to soften the hardest heart. Neptune made Leo promise again and again to take good care of his daughter. Shirahoshi had never left the island and was painfully naive and kind-hearted. The old king worried endlessly. Especially with the number of enemies Leo had made, her life would be fraught with danger.
After offering every assurance he could, Leo finally managed to bid farewell. With Neptune watching from the palace, Leo and his expanded crew left the Ryugu Palace.
Returning to their preset coordinates near Sabaody, Leo summoned their ship. With all the women aboard, they soared to an altitude of 10,000 meters and officially entered the airspace of the New World.
10,000 Meters High.
The massive luxury ship cruised at a steady pace. Inside, Shirahoshi, the newest member, was fascinated by everything. Nami, Vivi, and the others gave her a tour, showing her their home. At every new sight, Shirahoshi would stop and ask endless questions with childlike wonder, earning her patient explanations and adoring looks from the other women.
Outside the main ship, not far away, floated a small, cozy cottage made of white clouds, keeping pace with the larger vessel.
Inside this cloud cottage, Leo, Shakky, and Keimi were as unclothed as the cloud walls surrounding them. After Shakky and Keimi joined the crew, Sally and others had taken it upon themselves to educate the newcomers on the... customs of the Leo Pirates. Lesson one: how to attend to the Captain.
Shakky could only sigh in resignation. She'd braced herself for this when she made her choice, but she hadn't expected it to happen quite so swiftly. Keimi's blush had yet to fade from her cheeks. Fortunately, neither were inexperienced teenagers. While they hadn't engaged in certain activities, they were aware of them.
During the first hour of the flight, Leo, like a curious researcher, had used observation, scent, and touch to meticulously study the anatomical structure of mermaids. His conclusion: aside from the lower fish tail, mermaids were quite similar to humans in other areas.
Having satisfied his scientific curiosity, Leo dispersed the dampened sections of cloud and reformed them into pristine walls. Under his meaningful gaze, Shakky and Keimi, their faces still flushed, coiled their tails beneath them and began their... duties for the day. The two women shared a look, then lowered their heads in unison, their movements initially timid and experimental.
As he enjoyed their attentions, Leo retrieved a slip of paper from his system warehouse. It contained the contact details for Morgans, procured from a World Economic Journal reporter back on Sabaody. Now in the New World, it was finally time to use it.
He took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed the number.
World Economic Journal Headquarters. The President's Office.
Morgans was leisurely enjoying a cup of tea, smooth music playing from a gramophone nearby. Life couldn't be better. The newspaper issue he published on the Summit War had sold out across the world. That single edition had earned him billions—the equivalent of his news agency's entire annual revenue. How could he not be happy?
"Ah... I wonder where Leo is now, and what world-shaking event he'll cause next," Morgans mused aloud, shaking his head. "If only I could track his movements..."
Whenever Leo appeared, a storm of bloodshed followed. They'd been lucky before, with reporters everywhere, but there was no guarantee they'd always get the first scoop. And in the news business, the first scoop was always the most valuable.
Brrr-ring! Brrr-ring!
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on his desk began ringing urgently.
Morgans picked up, his tone casual. "This is Morga—"
"L-LEO?!"
Before he could finish, the snail's features morphed into a perfect likeness of Leo's face. Morgans' voice shot up an octave in sheer excitement. If he weren't flightless, he might have flapped his wings right out of the office.
"I... I'm not seeing things, am I? You... you're really Leo?! Why... how..." He craned his neck, staring at the snail, practically incoherent.
"Morgans."
That familiar voice. Morgans' eyes rolled back, and he nearly toppled over backward in his chair. It was him!
"Morgans, if you don't pull yourself together, I'm hanging up," the snail conveyed Leo's displeased tone.
Back on the soft cloud bed, Leo frowned slightly. Then his gaze fell upon Shakky and Keimi, their faces red from exertion, and his expression softened. Beautiful women truly were the best remedy for annoyance.
"L-Lord Leo! What can I do for you?" Morgans asked, having swallowed a quick-acting heart pill to calm himself. His voice was now a model of professional composure. Leo was the eye of the storm sweeping the seas, peerless in both power and notoriety. For the sake of both his business and his safety, Morgans knew he had to stay on this man's good side, or at the very least, not become an enemy.
"I want to propose a partnership," Leo stated, not beating around the bush.
"A partnership?" Morgans' mind raced, his tone becoming cautious. "What kind of partnership did you have in mind, Lord Leo?"
"From now on," Leo continued, "any significant news regarding the Four Emperors, the Revolutionary Army, the Marines, or the World Government—I want to know immediately."
BOOM!
The words hit Morgans like a thunderclap. The forces Leo named essentially controlled the entire world. What did he plan to do with that information? A terrifying possibility formed in Morgans' mind.
Gulp. He swallowed hard.
On his end, Leo closed his eyes, waiting patiently. As one of the Underground Emperors, Morgans' primary trade was information. While some of the deepest secrets might elude him, most major developments were within his grasp. Since the Marines and the World Government wanted him dead, he saw no reason to hold back. Given the right opportunity, he would strike back with thunderous force.
Mmm~ Meanwhile, Shakky was finding her rhythm, her skilled ministrations bringing Leo to the edge of a particularly soft barrier.
"Lord Leo," Morgans ventured cautiously, "if I were to provide such intelligence... what would be in it for me?" He was a businessman, after all. A partnership required mutual benefit.
"Don't worry. You won't be working for free," Leo replied, his voice steady despite the distraction. "You give me information. In return, I'll provide you with... explosive news."
Morgans' eyes lit up. If anyone else had said that, he might have been skeptical. But coming from Leo? He had no doubts. His guess was right—Leo was planning moves against these titanic powers. The Four Emperors, the Revolutionaries, the Marines, the World Government... any turmoil involving them meant headlines, and headlines meant pure, white profit!
His hesitation vanished. "Lord Leo, you have a deal," Morgans declared, slapping a wing on his desk. "From now on, anything regarding them, I'll—"
Hiss—!
A sharp intake of breath from the other end of the line cut him off.
On the cloud bed, Leo's brow furrowed slightly as he looked down. Shakky was gazing up at him, a mischievous, challenging glint in her eyes as she gently scraped her teeth.
Feeling playful, are we? Leo thought, a predatory smirk curling his lips.
Rokushiki Secret Technique: Life Return!
MAXIMUM OUTPUT!
Under the suddenly alarmed gazes of Shakky and Keimi, a certain part of Leo began to grow, thickening and lengthening at a visible, alarming rate.
Gulp. Both mermaids paled, identical expressions of panic dawning on their faces. Shakky, the instigator, shot Leo a desperate, pleading look. I'm sorry! I was wrong!
Leo remained unmoved.
"Lord Leo? Is everything alright on your end?" Morgans' confused voice came through the snail.
"Fine. Continue," Leo replied, his voice deceptively calm. The command was for both Morgans and the two women before him.
Morgans, suspecting nothing, lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Well, Lord Leo, I happen to have a piece of information for you right now. Consider it a... welcome gift for our new partnership."
"Go on."
"In four days, in Totto Land, the Big Mom Pirates are holding a marriage alliance with the Vinsmoke Family. We've received an invitation."
"A marriage alliance?"
"Indeed."
"I see. We'll talk later." The line went dead.
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T/N :
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