At this moment, the clerk Chromamon, who was paralyzed on the ground and felt his lower body wet, and the Drum Kingdom's chief of staff Jess, stared at all this with their mouths open. They were covered in cold sweat and couldn't muster any strength.
"This...this power..."
"A monster..."
They had no doubt that if this punch had hit them, their bodies would have turned to pulp.
But Gnar clapped his hands with satisfaction.
"Yes, the explosive power is still good..."
Then, he ordered these two lackeys.
"Okay, you and Wapol deal with the outside affairs. This country is yours to manage. Don't let me down..."
Only then did the two of them snap out of it. Without any further thoughts, they supported the newly reformed Wapol and fled the castle in a hurry.
Watching them, Gnar's mouth curled into a smirk.
In this way, the Drum Kingdom would become his possession.
Ever since he traveled to the world of One Piece, he had contemplated occupying the Drum Kingdom and making it part of his power.
Although he didn't aspire to be a Pirate King or have any grand notions of saving the world, Gnar still valued his life greatly. How could he ensure his safety in this chaotic sea?
Only with immense power!
On the surface, the Devil Fruit he possessed, the phantom beast species, seemed sufficient for self-protection.
As long as he avoided the fight for the Pirate King, stayed clear of the protagonist group, didn't antagonize the Marines or the World Government, and remained in West Blue, he should be safe.
However, one important thing to remember was that when he traveled through time, the One Piece story wasn't complete.
Although most of the One Piece plots occurred in the Grand Line and seemed unrelated to the West Blue, who knew if Oda would introduce a boss with the power to destroy the world in future manga updates?
Just like in Naruto.
It was initially a battle between five ninja villages, but after Kaguya Hime's appearance, it turned into a war that threatened the entire world.
If that time came, even hiding in West Blue might not save him from the final battle's impact. Therefore, based on his original Devil Fruit, he had to explore and enhance his power to the fullest extent to become the ultimate survivor.
But how?
Gnar remembered a famous saying: the poor rely on upgrades, the rich rely on technology.
Let's not discuss technology for now.
Because Vegapunk, the technological genius of this world, was already a member of the Marines and the World Government.
But upgrades were different...
As a renowned medical power on the Grand Line, the Drum Kingdom, which produced Chopper and Dr. Kureha and even attracted Blackbeard's attention, held great interest for Gnar.
If he could secretly control the country's medical technology, perhaps one day he could become like Blackbeard, eating multiple Devil Fruits, and even create a clone army like the Seraphim.
After all, the medical skills and technologies in this world were not insignificant, such as blood factors and artificial Devil Fruits.
Considering the Drum Kingdom's chaotic state, as long as he avoided particularly dangerous situations, like attending a World Government meeting or facing certain powerful individuals, such as Blackbeard, a clone imbued with part of Gnar's wisdom could manage the country well.
As a king, he could rule without drawing attention.
Of course, besides clones, Gnar would also prepare other means to govern this country in the future.
However, that was for later. Now...
Looking at the huge arsenal in front of him, Gnar grinned.
His small fishing boat was indeed too small, too small for him to enjoy the blessings of his newfound power.
But he couldn't abandon the small fishing boat that had been with him for five years.
However, things were different now.
"Realm of Blood!"
Countless crimson bats emerged from Gnar's body, flying into the huge weapons arsenal, forming a blood sphere that enveloped all the weapons.
The Munch-Munch Fruit's ability activated.
As various gnawing sounds echoed, more than ten minutes later, there wasn't a single weapon left in the huge arsenal, except for two pairs of peculiar handcuffs.
"Is this seastone?"
Feeling the power that weakened Devil Fruit users, Gnar wasn't in a hurry to take the handcuffs.
Instead, he extended a pair of blood wings and flew towards the Drum Kingdom's coast with the bloody bats.
That was where Gnar's small fishing boat was docked.
Additionally, there was another huge ship from Baroque Works...
If he remembered correctly, the Baroque Works ships were steam-powered...
"Then, the major renovation of the pirate ship begins..."
In the white castle.
The palace where Zala and Robin were.
When Robin asked questions about Baroque Works, Zala naturally remained silent with a gloomy expression.
This didn't mean she still identified as Miss Doublefinger.
In fact, her mindset had subtly shifted, and she no longer wished to return to Baroque Works.
The reason she didn't speak was to avoid putting Gnar in more danger.
After all, the terror of the boss had long been imprinted in her mind.
Even though she viewed Gnar as equally powerful, she didn't think he could rival the boss.
It wasn't until Robin revealed the boss's identity, Crocodile, the great pirate from the New World, that Zala finally relented in shock.
Zala didn't know the boss's identity, but that didn't mean she couldn't guess.
Especially as MR.1's partner, she knew many secrets within Baroque Works. Connecting the dots, it was clear that the boss was the great pirate from the New World: Crocodile of Sand.
This was another reason for her fear.
Crocodile was a formidable pirate from the New World, a Logia Devil Fruit user who challenged Whitebeard, the world's strongest man, and returned alive.
Then, Robin's words revealed everything.
Because Robin told her that it was Gnar who disclosed the boss's identity and that Gnar went to Little Garden, met the two giants, and learned Haki to confront the boss.
Thus, through Zala's explanation, Robin finally gained a general understanding of Baroque Works' existence and organizational structure.
However, she also had some doubts.
"Ms. Zala, why did you capture me at Whiskey Peak? It wasn't just to exchange me for a bounty, was it?"
Zala appeared confused.
"No...of course not. Although I don't know the specific reason, the boss is clearly planning something, and Miss Robin, you are crucial to his plan..."
Robin's eyes lit up, a smile forming on her lips, as this confirmed her suspicions.
However, this also raised another question.
"If I'm so important to Crocodile's plan, why doesn't he capture me himself?"
Zala thought for a moment before replying.
"The boss was originally going to come in person but was delayed by something..."
"What was it?"
Zala shook her head.
"I don't know. I only overheard something about the Seven Warlords of the Sea. I don't know the details..."
Robin sensed that those five words held extraordinary meaning, but she couldn't guess their significance.
At that moment, Gnar returned from the outer door, covered in wind and snow, and Robin's eyes lit up...
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