[Warhammer 40K Pick Event Starts Tomorrow!!]
[2 New Fanfics For You To Vote! The Vote Is Free In Patreon!]
[Also You Can Comment A +1 In The Fanfic You Want To Be Picked Up!! They Also Count!]
[The Winner Will Be Picked Up Based On: Reviews/Power Stones/Vote/Comments]
===
"Tiger-nii, want me to take care of that guy?"
Arlong, unable to hide the killing intent all over him, leaned in toward Tiger and asked in a low voice.
"No." Tiger rejected him outright. "Wang Zhi isn't someone we can afford to provoke right now.
As much as I hate to say it, Fish-Man Island still can't do without Wang Zhi's protection. We can't afford to offend the Hive Pirates yet."
"So we're just going to swallow this humiliation?"
Jinbe was indignant. "Tiger-nii, that guy's tone was way too arrogant, daring to talk to you like that."
"Enough. Is picking fights with the heavens themselves really what we're aiming for?
For small things like this, just let them go.
Come on, let's go get a drink."
Tiger really didn't take it to heart. He slung an arm around each of his two little brothers and headed toward the largest bar in the backstreets.
As for Was, who had already left the Fish-Man District backstreets, he happened to spot two strange-looking humans at the Mermaid Café.
They had pure white wings on their backs, white flattened military caps on their heads, and matching white uniforms. Lightning motifs were clearly printed all over those uniforms.
Was's curiosity was instantly piqued. He hadn't expected humans like this to exist. Recently, Boss Wang Zhi had been searching for all kinds of unusual human races, saying he needed them for some sort of research. And this, right now, looked like the perfect opportunity.
Without the slightest hesitation, Was fired off "Candle Prison," aiming it at the two winged humans. In an instant, a cage formed from wax shot from his hands and swiftly enclosed them.
At the same time, Was's men were busy as well. The moment the wax cage took shape, they put on gas masks and tossed in some strange powdered drug.
"Who are you people? We are gods…"
Before they could finish the sentence, one of Was's subordinates had already moved with practiced ease, hoisting one "god" over his shoulder and carrying him straight toward their pirate ship.
Was, meanwhile, lost all interest in staying on Fish-Man Island any longer. Compared to protection tribute, what really mattered was protecting Wang Zhi's interests.
Why?
Because lately, Boss Wang Zhi had been paying particular attention to this. Anyone who could find and bring back "special humans" from outside would be showered with treasure and rewards.
Time waited for no one. Was had originally intended to give Neptune one full day.
Now that something urgent had come up, he no longer planned to give Neptune that chance.
To his credit, Neptune really did have the makings of a king. When the left minister tracked down Was's whereabouts, Neptune immediately ordered the Neptune Army to bring the protection tribute straight to Was.
With more pressing matters on his mind, Was didn't waste time haggling with Neptune.
As for the matter with Otohime, he would just find another excuse next time. After saying his goodbyes to Neptune, he hurried back toward the New World.
Mermaid Cove.
Doflamingo had come alone, sitting atop a coral outcrop, quietly admiring the mermaid girls as they danced.
He had to admit, there was a reason kings were so fond of watching beauties dance, and why those scenes in fantasy stories could be so captivating.
He could only imagine what it would be like to have an entire troupe of beauties dancing in front of him. Doflamingo was seriously starting to think that, in the future, maybe he should form his own music-and-dance troupe. Not for anything else, but purely so he could experience for himself what it meant when "the king no longer attends morning court."
Unfortunately, before Doflamingo had enjoyed much of a break, Vergo came running over in a hurry with a member of the Divine Guard Unit, shattering his moment of leisure.
The Divine Guard soldier blurted out as soon as he arrived:
"Lord God, bad news! Malco and Dilosco have been taken!"
"Oh?" Doflamingo's face darkened. "Who's got the guts to pull something like that?"
Seeing Doflamingo's expression turn sour, Vergo immediately reported everything he had learned.
"Young Master, before coming here, Pica and I went to investigate the scene at the Mermaid Café. Word is, it was done by someone who can create wax.
According to Neptune, Was left the island not too long ago."
No wonder Vergo had a talent for intelligence work. He knew exactly what Doflamingo needed: don't come to the boss with problems, come with answers. He had even brought a Divine Guard soldier along for eyewitness description. What leader wouldn't like a subordinate like that?
Once Doflamingo understood the situation, there was no way he was going to just let it slide. For the Hive Pirates of Hive Island to dare lay a hand on his people was getting a bit too arrogant.
As it happened, the Donquixote Pirates were still lacking a foothold in the New World. In that case, they might as well set their sights on Hive Island.
As for the Dressrosa of the future, it simply wasn't the right time to make a move on that yet.
Because of that, Doflamingo had no intention of handling it alone. Whatever the motive behind it, trading the lives of two men who might already be lost for a war he was certain he could win (in his own estimation) seemed like a very fair bargain.
He ordered Vergo to notify all crew members to assemble. Doflamingo planned to take the Flamingo ahead to waters near Hive Island in the New World and wait for the others to rendezvous there.
Vergo moved fast. In less than ten minutes, everyone had gathered aboard the Flamingo.
Doflamingo then had Pica establish contact with Trebol and Diamante, and ordered five hundred fighters drawn from each of their North Blue bases, plus three hundred fighters from Sky Island, to head for Hive Island in the New World and join up.
The price of provoking the Donquixote Pirates:
War.
An unstoppable war.
Under the eager, respectful gaze of Prince Neptune, the Flamingo sailed off toward the New World.
The New World.
While the eyes of the entire New World were focused on the turf war erupting over the territories of the former Flying Pirates, a large flamingo-shaped ship, guided by its Log Pose, entered the first island of the New World: Raijin Island.
Raijin Island.
As the name implied, the island was shrouded year-round in nonstop thunderstorms. Every hour saw roughly 280 lightning strikes, and the island experienced thunder and lightning on up to 160 days of the year.
From the outside, Raijin Island looked like a nightmare for any would-be lander. Huge bolts of blue lightning linked sky to earth; thunder boomed at random, and the slightest misstep might get a person blasted into a smoking heap.
But where there were disadvantages, there were also advantages. In such a harsh natural environment, if someone managed to develop it properly, and given its position as one of the entry islands to the New World, it wasn't hard to imagine how huge its future potential could be.
It was similar to Jaya. Ever since Doflamingo sent Trebol to station himself on Jaya, the island had begun to flourish.
Various shops, casinos, and brothels sprang up in abundance. Combined with the rapid rise of Doflamingo's reputation after he became a pirate, and Trebol's deliberate publicity, Jaya had not only become a place every adventurer had to visit at least once, but also drew in a massive number of pirates.
More people usually meant bigger profits. So all the shops and bases Doflamingo had asked Trebol to set up on Jaya early on had finally begun to show their worth.
In a short time, Jaya had turned into a bustling island and even gained several large towns, chief among them the most prosperous: Dream Town.
Thus, when the Flamingo anchored near Raijin Island, Doflamingo immediately sensed that the lightning on the island was not purely natural.
It was artificial, and seemed strongly connected to the Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit).
Doflamingo guessed that, eight times out of ten, a previous user of the Goro Goro no Mi had awakened their Fruit and fought someone on this island, and that battle had permanently altered the local environment.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 500 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]