Kasumigaoka Utaha's question was sharp as ever.
"If someone is truly a beautiful woman, but is known to the world as a man… could a normal guy handle that?"
Jaeger wasn't so sure.
Crocodile—no, Crockdale—was indeed stunning now. That mature gangster-lady aesthetic fit right into Jaeger's preferences.
But he couldn't shake the image of the Crocodile he'd known for over a decade. That old, scar-faced warlord smoking cigars on Baroque Works posters wasn't easy to forget.
Just imagining that face with Crockdale's curves sent a chill down his spine.
Nope.
Not today.
Maybe not ever.
Still, Jaeger didn't mind keeping Crockdale around. She could stay as a lovely ornament—his vase, so to speak. A loyal slave, but one he wouldn't touch for now or maybe never.
"This is the fate of the weak…"
Esdeath murmured, gazing solemnly at the ruins of Loguetown. What had once been a vibrant city was now barely distinguishable beneath craters, smoke, and frozen seawater shattered by divine fists.
The enemies were dead. The survivors had bowed and become slaves. The civilians were useless in a world ruled by overwhelming power. Even Doflamingo—arrogant and cunning—hadn't survived. Why would the weak expect better?
Jaeger's public execution of the Pirate King had ended in total victory. The World Economic News wasted no time in spreading the event across the globe.
Headlines flooded every paper:
"Big News! The Pirate Era Ends—A New Navy World Begins!"
"Saint Jaeger Strikes! Douglas Bullet Defeated by Unknown Female Powerhouse!"
"Pirate Stars Fall! Roger Pirates Annihilated! Doflamingo Dead! Mihawk and Crocodile Missing, Presumed Killed!"
"Tremble, Pirates! Kneel, Kings! The True Ruler of the Seas Revealed—Saint Jaeger, Celestial Dragon Descendant of the Gods!"
Under heavy pressure from the Five Elders, even Morgans had no choice but to glorify the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.
The results were immediate.
Several unaffiliated kingdoms scrambled to donate excessive sums of Heavenly Gold, begging to join the World Government and align themselves with the new divine order.
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn welcomed them with open arms and turned most of the spoils over to Jaeger, with Stussy managing his growing wealth.
Jaeger, of course, didn't care about money—but face and rules? Those mattered.
You don't have to give me tribute—but you'd better know what happens if you don't.
Just ask Shanks. Ask Dragon. Ask Bullet. Anyone who didn't show proper respect to Saint Jaeger met ruin.
In the Holy Land, the Five Elders celebrated obliviously, unaware they had brushed past death not long ago.
Far from the carnage of Loguetown, aboard a warship sailing through turbulent waters, Nico Olvia stared at the distant battlefield with heavy eyes.
"So this is the power Saint Jaeger and his elites possess…"
The ocean, the sky—reality itself had been torn open by that clash. If such a battle took place in O'Hara, the entire island would vanish in seconds. Even thinking about it made her feel like she couldn't breathe.
For a moment, Olvia was tempted to abandon archaeology altogether.
But… no.
This was her dream. The reason she lived.
She clenched her fists.
If she wanted to preserve her daughter's future—and O'Hara's legacy—she had to survive. That meant earning Jaeger's approval. Maybe even gaining strength of her own.
She remembered how Jaeger treated her… how he bullied her with a teasing smile. She was too weak to handle more than one "battle" in bed, let alone the world outside.
Maybe she needed to eat a Mythical Zoan or a powerful logia fruit. Something that would raise her durability and power. She couldn't just stand still anymore.
Meanwhile, back in the Holy Land…
"Idiot! You're squishing me!"
"Stop stealing Jaeger from me, you big-chested thug!"
"Heh! You want to cry about it, go call your mommy. What are you, twelve?"
"YOU'RE twelve! Thunder Bagua!!"
Gion and Yamato were at it again—arguing, pushing, fighting—both vying for Jaeger's attention.
Despite Gion's adult charm and intelligence, Yamato wasn't one to back down. When pushed, she'd swing her mace without hesitation.
After being sent flying one too many times, Gion finally learned to tread carefully. Instead, she began focusing her jealousy on someone else.
If she couldn't overpower Yamato, maybe she could outshine her with a better Devil Fruit…
Unbeknownst to her, there were two problems:
Yamato's bloodline, being Kaido's daughter, gave her incredible potential. Combine that with Jaeger's favoritism, and her base strength was already superior.
The Mythical Zoan she consumed wasn't just any fruit—it was fused with the power of a heretic god. Her strength was in a whole different league.
Even if Gion got a perfect fruit enhanced by Luo Hao… catching up might still be impossible.
Elsewhere, Akainu wasn't interested in the women's squabbles. His eyes were locked on Kaido, who had been granted more and more favor thanks to Yamato's charm.
So even beasts like Kaido can ride their daughter's coattails to power?
"Tch… I need a daughter too."
He became dead-set on arranging a blind date. If a single daughter could open the gates to heaven, he needed one ASAP.
Still, there were more pressing issues. With Jaeger's permission, Akainu returned to Marineford—taking Moria with him—and began organizing purges.
Pirates who had grown too bold after Roger's death? They were first on his list. And Kizaru, his lazy but powerful Vice Admiral, was about to be reassigned under Akainu's personal command.
The Grand Line and New World would soon run red with pirate blood.
Back in Wano…
"She hits me… She yells at me… But she still saved me back then…"
Kaido grumbled as he returned to his homeland via a portal Jaeger opened. He was joined by the transformed Hawkeye and Crockdale, who were now Jaeger's newest disciples.
Though they were originally headed to the Holy Land, both had requested guidance in swordsmanship and Haki. Jaeger, ever efficient, dumped the task on Kaido and sent them to Wano.
Their trial?
Defeat Kaido and his top man, King the Wildfire.
Only then would they be considered worthy of standing among generals.
What? Kaido with a mace can't teach a swordsman?
Luffy was a rubber boy before, then he became a god. Don't underestimate Kaido, man.
Finally, there was the matter of the three chat group girls who'd accompanied Jaeger.
The mission had ended—but they chose not to return home.
"The multiverse is too scary. I feel safest by Mr. Jaeger's side~"
Karuizawa Kei clung to his arm without shame.
Everyone in the chat called her shameless. She didn't care. With her Lightning Noble Phantasm, she could now overpower even Yamato during "private sparring." That earned her extra attention in Jaeger's room.
Jaeger, meanwhile, was unlocking a new realm of experience:
From Flügel, to dragons, to paper, to thunder—his journey into depravity had truly begun.
Unlike Kei, Esdeath and Scathach were proud warriors.
They didn't compete for Jaeger's attention like the others. They craved something else: war. Glory. Power.
This world had plenty of it and as long as Jaeger remained at the top, they'd be satisfied continuing their conquest.
"I want another fight with that ice bastard—Aokiji."
Esdeath's tone was cold and unwavering as she looked Jaeger in the eye. "I heard Aizen modified him. He's stronger now, right?"
Her reasoning was simple. Crocodile, despite having a Logia-type fruit, was far too weak. She could kill him in a single strike—hardly a challenge.
But Aokiji, the former admiral who shared her ice-based abilities and had reportedly been enhanced by Aizen, was a different story entirely.
He was perfect.
Jaeger didn't hesitate. Esdeath may not have been as clingy or emotionally attached as Utaha, but she was undeniably useful—and their ambiguous tension wasn't unpleasant either.
After a brief contact with CP0, Jaeger got a location.
New World, Greenland.
After defecting, Aokiji had become a hunted man.
Navy pursuers. Pirate assassins. Bounty hunters.
Even after Jaeger took his leg and ear, Aokiji survived. Now enhanced by Aizen's Hollow and Shinigami experiments, he had climbed back up—his strength greater than ever. His bounty? 3 billion Beli.
A legend.
A ghost.
A top-tier force of this new era.
Aokiji stared at the latest World Economic News in silence.
Page after page hailed Jaeger's exploits. His victory at Loguetown. The death of the Pirate King. The submission of Crocodile and Mihawk. Even Bullet, the unstoppable monster, had been crushed.
Jaeger was still at the top.
And him? Just a fugitive. A traitor. A ghost story.
Civilians shunned him. Former allies cursed his name. Children fled when they saw him.
No one remembered the justice he once stood for.
He clenched the paper, crumpling it in his hand.
"So this is what justice gets you…"
With Garp and Sengoku gone, and only Sora, Zefa, and Tsuru holding the crumbling navy together, even that institution was fading.
Jaeger's control grew tighter by the day. The marines now looked more like his private army than a force for peace.
More and more, Aokiji found himself wondering:
Should I even keep pretending I'm a hero?
Or should I become the villain they already think I am?
RIIIP—
A sharp sound tore through the silence. His instincts kicked in instantly. Despite missing an ear, his other senses had sharpened to survive.
He stood, forming an icy leg beneath him, and turned toward the source.
The air itself... split open like a scroll.
From that tear stepped a woman in a pristine white military uniform. Her heels clicked on the frozen earth. Long blue hair fluttered in the wind, and an air of dominance rolled off her like a tide.
She was beautiful enough to make any man stop breathing.
But Aokiji's eyes burned red with hatred.
"Esdeath…" he growled. "So Jaeger finally sent his dog to finish the job?"
The temperature plummeted.
Ice, laced with spiritual energy, exploded from Aokiji's body—vastly colder and heavier than before.
His voice dripped with venom:
"Are you here to arrest me? Or kill me outright? Either way, don't think you'll walk away. I'm not the same man you saw before."
Esdeath didn't flinch. Her eyes glimmered with excitement.
So this is what he's become. Excellent.
"You talk a lot for someone trying to mask his fear," she sneered. "And Jaeger? Don't flatter yourself. He wouldn't waste a second fighting someone beneath him."
She raised her hand, cold mist trailing from her fingertips.
"If I die here, it only proves I was trash. But if you die here, you'll become a nice little gift for Jaeger."
Aokiji's teeth clenched.
"Gift? You arrogant witch. I'll freeze you where you stand and then I'll go after that self-proclaimed god!"
His body shook with rage and frost. Justice no longer mattered. All that was left was survival, vengeance, and power.
Two icy auras erupted.
A thread of frost met a thread of frost—then collided.
BOOM.
The air didn't shake like an explosion. It didn't burn. It froze.
A silent cataclysm.
In an instant, the entire island of Greenland—its forests, buildings, and tens of thousands of innocent people—was turned to solid ice. No screams. No time to run. Just silence.
A frozen graveyard.
Esdeath stood her ground, brushing a strand of hair from her face as she smirked.
"You've definitely changed."
She cracked her knuckles.
"That's exactly the kind of man I enjoy killing."
Her eyes narrowed, and a thrill ran through her veins.
"Let's see if your strength is enough to make Jaeger notice you again. Come, Aokiji—let's end this properly."
•••
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