Raeligh's sharp gaze followed Akane and Luffy as they sat together, devouring chunks of roasted Sea King. The two had bonded deeply over the past few months, a surprising but heartwarming friendship. Their connection wasn't the kind that could spark Boa Hancock's jealousy—it was more familial, a brother-sister camaraderie born from their shared love of one universal constant: meat.
Watching them now, I couldn't help but be amused. Akane, who had once been stoic and distant, now laughed freely. Luffy's infectious positivity had done wonders for her. The changes were undeniable—she was more open, more vibrant. These two gluttons could eat for days and still find room for more, a trait I'd found quite interesting.
"You think she's ready?" Raeligh asked, breaking my thoughts.
I glanced at him, then back at Akane. Her laughter rang out as Luffy offered her another slab of Sea King meat.
"As ready as she'll ever be. You know very well that this type of training isn't the best for her."
Raeligh folded his arms, his tone thoughtful. "She's strong, but don't you think she could use more mastery over her devil fruit?"
"She'll need to adapt," I replied, "I don't have the luxury of time right now. I already have prepared everything else. The dominos are in place. I just need to make the first move."
Raeligh tilted his head slightly, his curiosity evident. "So that's what you were doing the last two months? Preparing all this?"
"Not entirely." I leaned back, watching Akane and Luffy wrestle over the last piece of meat. "I met an old acquaintance of yours."
"Shanks?" Raeligh's eyes lit with recognition.
"Yeah," I nodded. "He was supposed to teach me something. But that guy took off just after teaching me the basics. I had to put everything together after that by myself. He's such an annoying guy."
Raeligh chuckled, "What did you want to learn from him anyways?"
"Divine Departure."
"Ho, ho, ho. Then Shanks did the right thing. Although the fundamentals might be the same, the application of that technique is vastly different from person to person."
"I suppose so," I admitted. "It took me two months to refine the form of the attack. It's not perfect, but it'll do for now."
Raeligh's expression shifted, "If you're learning that technique, you're serious about becoming a Yonko."
"Of course, I am. Becoming a Yonko gives me the freedom I need to accomplish what I have planned."
Raeligh's gaze turned thoughtful. "It's funny how the balance of power works. Once you reach Yonko status, even the World Government hesitates to provoke you outright."
I frowned, my tone grim. "I don't think that's going to be the case much longer."
Raeligh arched a brow. "Oh? Why's that?"
I paused for a moment before answering. "The World Government has the Gura Gura no Mi."
Raeligh's usually carefree demeanor vanished in an instant. He knew the devastating potential of that fruit firsthand. The power to create earthquakes capable of shattering the very seas was horrifying enough in the hands of a pirate, but in the hands of the World Government? The implications were catastrophic.
"How do you know this?" he asked sharply. "You'd need high-level spies for that kind of intel. Warlords, perhaps? Or someone working for your new organization?"
I shrugged. "Yeah, something like that."
Crocodile gave me this information just yesterday. The World Government is keeping everything in the down low. I don't know how the hell Buggy managed to find this information when even Law, my other warlord contact had no idea about this information. It seems I have severely underestimated Buggy's information gathering capabilities. His workload is going to increase in the future.
"What are you planning to do about it?"
"I don't know yet. I got this information just yesterday. The World Government is being really careful about it. The fruit is in Marie Geoise. And as far as I know, one of the elders is holding onto it. So, it's not exactly possible for me to get it right now."
"Do you know where they found it? Or better yet, do you know who's going to get it?"
"I've got no idea how they found it," I admitted. "But as for who will wield it—there's a tournament happening right now to determine that."
Raeligh scoffed. "A tournament? Sounds like entertainment for the Celestial Dragons."
"Most likely," I agreed. "Those so-called gods always find new ways to indulge their sadism."
Raeligh's jaw tightened. Like many others who had seen the World Government's darker side, he despised the Celestial Dragons. Their cruelty, their disdain for human life, their oppressive rule—it was enough to make anyone's blood boil.
"Raeligh," I said carefully, "I need another favor."
His eyes narrowed in mock exasperation. "How many favors do you need, exactly?"
"Just one more," I promised. "I need you and Shakky to come to Amazon Lily with me."
Raeligh raised a brow. "You're planning to recruit Hancock?"
"Yes."
He burst into laughter, shaking his head. "Good luck with that. Do you even know Hancock? She's not exactly the type to join a group like the Seven Sins. First, you're a man. Second, you're not Luffy. Third, and most importantly, you don't exactly have the nicest personality."
"First two I can understand. But the third reason is just rude. I'm a charming person."
"No, you're not. You're an arrogant prick who tries to manipulate everyone to do what you want. You literally guilt-tripped me into training you by invoking my dead friend's son."
"That was necessary," I replied smoothly. "If I'd had a certain Straw Hat, I wouldn't have needed to resort to such tactics."
Raeleigh wasn't surprised to see that I knew the origins of the Straw Hat.
Raeligh's lips tightened at the mention of the hat's origins, but he didn't press. "Shakky warned me you knew things you weren't supposed to. But that was… unnerving."
I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Relax. I was just joking. I know Luffy's a good kid. He's going to do incredible things someday."
Raeligh smiled faintly. "That he will."
Our conversation drifted as I watched Luffy and Akane finish their meal. Their laughter was infectious, but I couldn't ignore the weight of what was to come.
"She's gotten attached to him," Raeligh observed.
"She needed that," I admitted. "But it's time for her to face the real world. Tough love starts now."
"What are you planning?"
"Metaphorically speaking, I'm going to throw her into the jungle without the training wheels on. She'll need to survive on her own."
"That was a grim metaphor."
"Well, it's necessary. Also, don't try to divert the topic. I need your promise that you'll help me recruit Hancock. She's also going to need all the help that she needs. The warlord system is going to be dissolved very soon."
"How do you even- Nope, never mind. You're not going to give me a clear answer anyway. And regarding your favor, give me some time to think about it. I'll also need to talk to Shakky. But if we reach a decision, we'll call you."
"That's all I need." I replied, satisfied. "I'm going to take off now." I looked towards Akane and shouted, "Akane! It's time to leave. Luffy, I'll see you later."
Akane ran towards me after giving Luffy a big hug. Raeligh asked beside me,
"Who do you think will win the tournament? Do you have any favourites?"
"Not really, no. Whomever it is, I just wish that they aren't as psychotic as the elders."
"Yeah, we can only hope for that."
------------------
On top of the Red Line, a young marine with pink hair looked at the scene with horror. The whole arena was cheering like crazy. And at the middle, a tall young man with a distinct mask looked down at the opponent in front of him. His eyes contained no emotions at all as he looked at the bloodied dead body. A dead marine.
"The winner of this match is once again, the fan favorite 'Obsidian'."
Koby did not realize that this tournament would turn out to be like this. It has long since stopped being a competition to determine the best youngster. Now, the colosseum has turned into a place where anything short of a 'death match' is unacceptable.