Setsuna had a lot to complain about, so much so that she basically recounted everything that had happened in the past week.
After Arceus and Kaido returned to Onigashima, Zunesha continued to wander around the area, and Setsuna also resumed her daily routine of clocking in. She was probably the only Mink whose commute depended on Zunesha's mood and walking pace.
"Making a deal with the World Government?"
Yamato felt that in the half a month she had been away, something big must have happened on the seas.
"You haven't read the newspapers lately, have you? It's still about those Shichibukai issues.
That line from Whitebeard led to a surge in pirates, so the World Government wanted to quickly refill the Shichibukai positions.
Originally, one of them—Blackbeard—died, and then a pirate named Buggy filled the vacancy. But later, Shichibukai Moria went missing, and was eventually declared dead, so another position opened up."
These were the changes that had taken place on the seas while Yamato was away.
Although Jinbe and the Pirate Empress slacked during the Summit War, they didn't cross the World Government's red line. Whether it was Amazon Lily or Fishman Island, under the current circumstances, they were still considered valuable allies to the Marines and the World Government, so their positions remained unchanged.
"I remember my father didn't kill Moria, right? He was pretty disappointed at the time."
"I don't know about that. Anyway, the World Government declared him dead, and his Shichibukai status was revoked."
The real reason was simple. Moria had fallen into deep despair. Back in Wano Country, Kaido had crushed his dreams.
Then during the Summit War, Kaido once again used force to show Moria that everything he had done over the years was meaningless.
Feeling hopeless about the future, Moria eventually gave in to despair. If it hadn't been for Absalom's unwavering loyalty, who knows how far Moria would've fallen.
"But what does that have to do with them attacking Zunesha?"
Zunesha was already a terrifying presence due to its sheer size. In the past, it had been bound by an order not to attack others, but the current Zunesha is a colossal monster with that restriction lifted. If it hits something, there aren't many in all the seas that could withstand it.
"That's not the main point. It's the Minks. The World Government seems to have some ideas about them, and since Lindbergh is a member of the Revolutionary Army, that's what drew those people here."
Impel Down is a strange place, it can drive people insane or lead them to enlightenment. The ones who attacked Zou Island had a goal: to obtain Shichibukai status, which still carries a lot of convenience at sea.
One of the quickest ways to become a Shichibukai is to capture a high-profile wanted criminal, proving you have enough strength and intimidation.
The World Government already had bounties on the Minks, and Lindbergh is a member of the Revolutionary Army. With all those "buffs" stacked together, it was only natural that these people targeted it.
"According to Hitsugisukan, Lindbergh and I are from the same Mink generation, but he's always been sharp, made a bunch of little inventions on his own, and even built a simple flying machine to fly off Zou Island.
When we next heard from him, he was already a commander in the Revolutionary Army, so you could say he really made a name for himself."
Zou Island doesn't restrict where tribe members go. Pekoms, who joined the Big Mom Pirates, and Lindbergh of the Revolutionary Army are both examples.
But accordingly, if you join another force, you're also responsible for the trouble you cause. That's the rule now on Zou Island.
"So… because they can't find the Revolutionary Army's base, they want to target the commander's hometown instead?"
"Exactly. If we hadn't needed to catch one alive, Zunesha would've just stomped them to death.
That Queen actually made some decent surveillance equipment. I'm already thinking of setting up a similar system on Zou Island. Oh, right, why did you come looking for me?"
"It's nothing major, I just wanted to talk to you about the strange power of diaries."
"You mean how someone went crazy worshipping someone just because they read their diary?"
"Yeah, I don't really get it. He wasn't even the strongest one on the ship, how can his diary have that kind of effect?"
"It's simple. In a diary written by yourself, the main character is always you.
Back when Meowna and Wolff secretly read my diary, they really admired me too. But once they grew up and saw more of the world, they naturally came to understand things on their own."
When it came to diary-related matters, Setsuna was incredibly experienced. After being a mom for so many years, she had developed her own parenting philosophy. From the way Yamato described it, this situation was clearly a case of failed education.
"If she had more experience, she wouldn't be like this. Just look at Meowna and Wolff, they understand what it means that there's always someone stronger out there."
"It… it's that simple?"
"Yup, it's that simple. Though, of course, it also depends on the diary's owner. If he exaggerated a lot, then the effect would be even more severe.
It's not like some Ability User cursed the diary or anything."
"I wouldn't say that's completely impossible. Her obsession is no joke."
After getting the answer she wanted, Yamato didn't continue to disturb the family and instead returned to the small Sky Island, where she and Robin began preparing the things they needed for their journey. Meanwhile, during this period, the power structure of the sea was quietly shifting.
"Doffy, we've got more business coming in. Ever since that war, both the demand for weapons and for mercenaries has multiplied several times over."
Trebol was updating Doflamingo on the latest developments. After Whitebeard kicked off the Chaotic Era, weapon sales had soared. Even nations affiliated with the World Government were secretly purchasing arms to strengthen their own military forces.
The two major mineral resources, Seastone and Drunken Iron Ores, made the weapons of Wano Country one of a kind, impossible to replicate elsewhere. As a distributor and black market broker, Doflamingo had recently made a fortune.
"Demand for Artificial Devil Fruits is also rising. This era really is tailor-made for us. But…"
"What's wrong?"
"Someone's trying to muscle in on our business. A new group has emerged on the seas recently, something called Buggy's Delivery. They're not selling weapons, but they do have a massive mercenary organization under their command.
And leading them is none other than the newly appointed Shichibukai - Buggy."
"Fuffuffuffu… Joker and Clown? That's quite the amusing rivalry."
"So, Doffy, what are you going to do?"
Trebol was waiting for Doflamingo's final decision, and Doflamingo himself was torn.
If it were an ordinary competitor, he'd just take their head. But Buggy was someone he couldn't quite figure out.
Back during the Summit War, Doflamingo had thought Buggy was weak. The fact that such a weak pirate hadn't died back then was already a miracle.
In Doflamingo's eyes, Buggy had only become a Shichibukai because of the escaped prisoners under his command.
Yet he happened to be on "brotherly" terms with Shanks, and had once been a crewmember on Roger's ship. With all those big names attached to him, even Doflamingo couldn't help but hesitate.
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