Flower Capital.
Under the guidance of Momonga and Strawberry, the four Emperors of the Underworld arrived at a spacious, brightly lit conference room.
"The four of you, please wait here."
Momonga glanced at the seated quartet, tossed out this remark and then promptly turned to leave with Strawberry.
As the conference room door closed, the space was immediately plunged into deathly silence.
Stussy was the most at ease.
No sooner had she sat down than she pulled out a box of women's cigarettes, lit one and took a leisurely puff.
Seeing this, Lu feld hesitated for a moment before picking up the cigar he hadn't finished smoking on the way.
Ultimately, he flicked open his lighter, took a deep drag and exhaled slowly.
"Glug, glug—"
Giberson wasn't about to be outdone either, raising a bottle of liquor and downing it in one go.
Morgans neither drank nor smoked.
Instead, out of habit, he picked up his camera and walked to the window, taking in the bustling, revitalized streets of Flower Capital below.
The changes in Wano Country had left them all with an indescribable psychological impact.
They couldn't fathom how a nation once exploited by Kurozumi Orochi and severely polluted by the factories built under Kaido's rule had, within just a few days of the Marines' arrival, burst forth with such vibrant vitality.
What shocked them most was that the Flower capital had been officially reorganized into a city under the orders of the Fleet Admiral, with the former Warlord Crocodile appointed as its first mayor.
"It's truly unbelievable!"
After a long silence, Giberson having polished off his bottle, stood up and joined Morgans by the window, gazing outside.
"Who would've thought that Crocodile, once a notorious pirate, would not only become the Fleet Admiral's trusted right-hand man but also govern Wano with such efficiency? How did I never realize this man had such capabilities?"
"Crocodile definitely doesn't have that kind of ability!"
Lu feld, still puffing on his cigar, stepped between them and declared with conviction.
"This must all be the Fleet Admiral pulling the strings behind the scenes. Though, it's clear he's deliberately propping Crocodile up."
"Now, now, let's not jump to conclusions, Lu feld."
Stussy, seated elegantly at the conference table with her legs crossed, spun her chair to face the three.
She parted her red lips and said, "Crocodile wasn't placed in this position by Fleet Admiral Orion solely because he wanted to support him. He was chosen because he possesses the ability to be supported!"
"Among the former Warlords, only two had experience governing a nation—Boa Hancock, Empress of Amazon Lily, and Donquixote Doflamingo, King of Dressrosa."
"The former won her people's loyalty through beauty alone. Even if she made grave mistakes, her subjects would overlook them because of her looks. Realistically speaking, Hancock has no true talent for governance."
"As for Doflamingo, we all know how he became King of Dressrosa. After seizing power by force, his rule was built on the principle that fear is the foundation of control!"
"Jinbei once served as a royal guard in the Ryugu Kingdom. While he could manage a Marine base, he certainly lacks the ability to govern an entire nation."
"Then there's Mihawk, the lone swordsman who prefers solitude. Entrusting him with the task of overseeing and managing a country as vast as Wano? I doubt—"
He would rather choose to go to Impel Down.
As for Moria, needless to say, before being recruited by Orion, he had become disheartened after his failed challenge against Kaido resulted in the deaths of all his crew.
He hid himself away on Thriller Bark, spending his days among zombies and at least for now, was incapable of shouldering any major responsibilities!
"There's no need for me to elaborate further. Crocodile becoming the first mayor of Wano Country is because he possesses the necessary capabilities. In terms of pure strategy, ideological awareness, and political acumen, none of the Warlords can surpass him. To be precise, even in the entire Grand Line, his abilities in this regard are in a league of their own!"
Hearing this, the three standing by the window nodded in agreement.
Soon after, Lu feld turned and sat down opposite Stussy, sharing information he had obtained through his channels.
"I don't know if you've heard, but before appointing Crocodile, Fleet Admiral Orion had already promoted Doflamingo to Vice Leader of the God's Knights, and he has now taken up residence in Mariejois!"
"Looking back, Doflamingo once desperately tried to return to Mariejois to reclaim his status as a Celestial Dragon, only to be scorned by his fellow Celestial Dragons and expelled from the Holy Land in humiliation. Who would have thought that by following the Fleet Admiral, he would ascend to such heights overnight."
Morgans wasn't surprised, narrowing his eyes slightly as he said, "From this, it's not hard to see that this Fleet Admiral not only possesses a ruthless and decisive iron will but also knows how to utilize talent effectively."
"Truly admirable!" Giberson chimed in. "When I saw the Warlords bowing one after another to Fleet Admiral Orion during the broadcast, I wondered how he would fully subdue these once-lawless pirates of the sea. I even made my own judgment, thinking Crocodile and Doflamingo were the least likely to submit sincerely. Yet, they were the first to be entrusted with important roles!"
Lu feld's eyes lit up as he tentatively suggested, "So, can I take this to mean that if we approach the Fleet Admiral with sufficient sincerity and pledge our loyalty, this trip to Wano Country might not be the end of our lives but rather a new beginning?"
Hearing this, Morgans and Giberson almost simultaneously turned their gazes toward Lu feld.
Just then, the tightly shut conference room door was pushed open.
Before the four seated underworld emperors could react, a figure strode confidently into the room.
Acting on instinct, all four rose to greet the newcomer.
Lu feld, in an attempt to flatter, even mimicked the posture of the Marine soldiers he had seen on the way, straightening his body and raising his hand in salute.
But when he saw who had entered, he froze awkwardly, unsure whether to lower his saluting hand.
Because the person who walked into the conference room wasn't Fleet Admiral Orion—it was Crocodile, the first mayor of Wano Country.
With his slicked-back hair, draped in a coat and puffing on a cigar, Crocodile glanced at the four before swaggering to the head of the conference table and taking a seat.
Then, with what he likely thought was a cordial smile, he politely greeted them.
"Good afternoon, you underworld scum!"
???
Question marks practically materialized above their heads.
Scum?
A former notorious pirate was calling them scum?
What made it even harder to swallow was that Crocodile had said it so politely!
Observing the reactions of the four individuals, Crocodile nearly failed to suppress a triumphant smirk at the corner of his mouth.
He recalled how, back when they had all gathered at Marineford due to the Warlord summons, Fleet Admiral Orion had greeted them in much the same tone and manner.
At the time, though the words had grated on their ears, they had no choice but to endure it.
Now the tables had turned.
As the representative of Fleet Admiral Orion, he finally got to experience the pleasure of holding the upper hand.
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