The blood-red aura swirling around Capone Bege rapidly dissipated. He scanned the arena, long since reduced to a wasteland of rubble, his gaze eventually landing on Bisacchi Bourne.
Their eyes met. Bourne's expression was exceptionally grim.
Bege, however, broke into a grin. He strolled leisurely towards Bisacchi Bourne, a fresh cigar clamped between his teeth. "Patriarch Bisacchi," he drawled, a smirk playing on his lips, "looks like I won this championship match. That Devil Fruit should be mine now, eh?"
Bisacchi Bourne's face darkened even further.
"What's wrong? Surely Patriarch Bourne isn't thinking of going back on his word? That just won't do." Bege's eyes narrowed, and a surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him once more. At that precise moment, Gecko Moria and the others materialized behind Bege, their presence amplifying his already incomparably domineering aura.
Bisacchi Bourne's expression flickered between anger and resignation. In the end, he had no choice but to concede. "The Bisacchi family always honors its commitments," he said through clenched teeth. "I hereby declare you the final champion."
He tossed the case in his hand towards Bege. Bege caught it deftly, flipped it open, and upon seeing the Devil Fruit nestled inside, couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh.
With a casual flick, he tossed the case into his internal castle, then added, "I also placed a five hundred million Berry wager with your Bisacchi family – betting on myself to win. Looks like I'm in for another windfall."
Bisacchi Bourne's face, if possible, grew even darker. "Rest assured," he bit out with a cold snort, "it's a trivial sum. I'll have someone deliver your winnings shortly."
"Patriarch Bourne truly lives up to his name as the leader of the Bisacchi family! Such magnanimity!" Bege chuckled. "In that case, I'll eagerly await the good news. Don't keep me waiting too long, now." With that, he turned and, followed by Moria and his men, sauntered out of the ruined arena.
"Damn him!" An intense killing intent flared in Bisacchi Bourne's eyes.
"Lisen and Louis are gravely injured, but their lives aren't in danger," Holyfield reported, appearing at Bisacchi Bourne's side.
Holyfield stared at the retreating figures of Bege and his crew, his own eyes filled with a burning desire for retribution.
"Should we… eliminate them?"
Bisacchi Bourne shook his head. "No. This Capone Bege is too powerful. With Lisen and Louis critically wounded, and you and Mike Phyton also injured, our chances against the Fire Tank Pirates are slim at best."
"Are we just going to let them walk away with the Devil Fruit? After everything we went through to get our hands on it?" Holyfield and Mike Phyton both wore expressions of profound unwillingness.
Bisacchi Bourne felt the same bitter reluctance.
"Patriarch Bourne seems quite troubled," a voice interjected. Taku approached, a wicked grin plastered across his face. "If we, the Fear Pirates, were to lend our strength, I wonder if you'd have the nerve to make a move against the Fire Tank Pirates then?"
A sharp glint sparked in Bisacchi Bourne's eyes. He lowered his voice. "Master Taku, this isn't the place for such discussions. Would you honor me with your presence at my estate tonight?"
"Excellent!" Taku roared with laughter before departing.
Bege and his crew made a swift exit. As soon as they were clear, Bege's imposing aura deflated. His face turned pale; unleashing "Beast King" four consecutive times had severely depleted his stamina and mental energy. The confident front he'd maintained before Bisacchi Bourne had been nothing more than a bluff.
Instead of returning to the city on Black Fist Island, they made their way directly back to their ship, the Sky God. Bege took some time to recuperate, and after about an hour and a half, a measure of his strength and spirit had returned.
Within the confines of his internal castle, Bege's top officers had assembled. Little Oars Jr. was among them, his colossal frame having been significantly shrunk by Bege, now standing only a head taller than Moria.
The officers' gazes were fixated on the Devil Fruit resting on the table. Those who hadn't yet consumed a Devil Fruit, particularly Sam, stared with an almost desperate fervor, practically pressing his face against it.
The only one entirely uninterested was Weevil. He knew this particular fruit wasn't destined for him, so he felt no desire for it, contentedly tearing into a large hunk of meat.
Bege, of course, had noted everyone's reactions. Unfortunately for most of them, he had already chosen a recipient for this prize.
"Little Oars," Bege declared, tossing the Devil Fruit towards him, "this one I picked out especially for you. Go on, eat it." Little Oars Jr. fumbled to catch it, looking completely overwhelmed.
Sam and the others wore expressions of clear disappointment and reluctance, but no one voiced an objection. Bege's authority was absolute; even if they were unwilling, they had to endure it.
Little Oars Jr. looked flustered. "Bege, I… I've only just joined. I haven't contributed anything yet. This… this isn't right."
Bege chuckled. "Little Oars, my expectations for you are far greater than you can imagine. I also have high hopes for the Giant Warrior Pirates you'll one day command. That's why you must become stronger. This Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle Fruit is an exceptionally good match for your Ancient Giant bloodline. I'm confident that with its power, you'll grow immensely stronger, perhaps even surpassing Moria and the others in the future to become the Fire Tank Pirates' absolute top-tier fighting force."
The other officers were visibly stunned by Bege's declaration. Moria, Modi, and Riki exchanged surprised glances.
Moria, Modi, and Riki were, without a doubt, the highest echelon of combat power in the Fire Tank Pirates. Previously, Bege had only ever suggested that Enel possessed the potential to surpass them. To now propose Little Oars Jr. as another candidate for that ultimate position was nothing short of shocking.
"Little Oars, you have to trust me on this," Bege said with another laugh.
Ever since he'd first heard of the Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle Fruit, he had earmarked it for Little Oars Jr.
Little Oars Jr.'s Ancient Giant lineage blessed him with strength and a physical constitution even more formidable than that of regular giants. Augmenting that with an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit would elevate his power and resilience to truly astounding levels.
In the original tales, King the Conflagration, the lead All-Star of the Beasts Pirates under Kaido – one of their great Headliners – possessed the Ancient Zoan Pteranodon Fruit and wielded power capable of clashing with the Four Emperors.
Bege envisioned Little Oars Jr. becoming a similar pillar of strength for the Fire Tank Pirates, a true Headliner like King.
Bege had absolute faith in Little Oars Jr. Given time, he was certain Oars could attain a level of power comparable to, or even exceeding, that of King the Conflagration.
"Since you believe in me, Bege, then it would be truly out of line for me to refuse," Little Oars Jr. said, his expression turning solemn and determined. "I swear I won't disappoint your expectations." Before the assembled crew, he tossed the Devil Fruit into his mouth and swallowed it whole.
"Kishishishishi… So, another rival enters the fray, eh? How very interesting," Moria cackled, a spark of fighting spirit igniting in his eyes.
"An Ancient Zoan, and a rare flight-capable one at that. Combined with Little Oars' enormous physique and incredible strength… Honestly, I'm also extremely eager to see just how powerful he'll become," Riki mused aloud.
"The rest of you, don't lose heart," Bege said, patting Sam on the head with a broad grin. "When the Fire Tank Pirates truly stand as sovereigns of the New World, Devil Fruits will be ours for the taking!"
"Yes, Godfather!" Sam nodded with conviction, and the other men joined in the laughter.
Of course, this was largely just bluster. Devil Fruits were inherently scarce, truly powerful ones even more so. With the entire world scrambling for them, acquiring one was an incredibly difficult endeavor.
Bege was merely trying to soothe the palpable disappointment and frustration among Sam and the others.
"Alright then!" Bege clapped his hands together. "To celebrate Little Oars acquiring his Devil Fruit, we feast tonight!" The officers erupted in cheers.
"Keep the celebrations moderate, though," Moria interjected pragmatically. "And no one gets too drunk. We've just relieved the Bisacchi family of their prized Devil Fruit; it's unlikely they'll take that insult lying down. We need to remain vigilant against a potential surprise attack."
"He's right," Riki agreed. "Not that we're afraid, but caution is always wise."
Bege nodded. "Very well. We'll keep the drinking light for now. Once we're back in Skypiea, everyone can drink to their heart's content."
That night, Bisacchi Bourne and Taku held a clandestine meeting on Black Fist Island. A sinister web of conspiracy, targeting Bege and the Fire Tank Pirates, began to quietly unfurl.
A grim, murderous aura permeated the encroaching darkness.