Sengoku clasped his fingers together in front of his chest, thumbs gently tapping against each other.
"If even you failed to assassinate him," he said coldly,
"then I fear there's no one left in this world capable of taking his life through assassination."
A flicker of pride flashed in Lucci's eyes. He nodded vigorously in agreement, then said excitedly:
"Exactly. That's why, on my way back, I racked my brain and finally came up with a way to deal with him!"
"It's simple: praise him to death!"
"...What?"
Sengoku's tense posture finally eased as he leaned back slightly.
Lucci continued:
"Yes. With his level of Observation Haki, there's no gap we can exploit from within the Whitebeard Pirates."
"So instead of looking for flaws, we isolate him."
"A wild stallion banished from the herd—no matter how fierce—is still just a horse."
"Without the protection of Whitebeard's crew, he'll be easy to kill."
After hearing Lucci's plan, Sengoku sighed softly.
"Compared to you, Spandam really is a complete idiot."
"From now on, you will act as my personal advisor, solely responsible for this mission: drive a wedge into the Whitebeard Pirates from within by exalting Roya to dangerous heights."
Lucci stood up and saluted sharply, then left the room with a spring in his step.
Sengoku waited until he was gone, then picked up the Den Den Mushi and dialed a secret number.
"Lucci's mission failed. It's time to activate our embedded agents."
"I'll also assign a Shichibukai to assist."
---
Not long after, a barrage of shocking headlines exploded across the world via the newspapers, landing in the hands of pirate crews everywhere:
"Whitebeard Pirates annihilate 32 Marine warships in single battle!"
"Vice Admirals Bastille and Dalmatian demoted to Rear Admirals!"
"Roya, Vice Emperor of Whitebeard Pirates—bounty skyrockets to 1 billion berries!"
"Morgans: Roya, the Fifth Emperor of the Sea—well deserved!"
---
Aboard the Moby Dick, Whitebeard spread the newspaper in front of Roya with a hearty laugh.
"One billion bounty—looks like the Marines finally wised up!"
Roya shrugged.
"Not bad. I needed a higher bounty to unlock a certain achievement anyway."
Whitebeard stroked his beard with a grin.
"With this title of 'Fifth Emperor of the Sea,' I'm not sure you can still be called my Vice Emperor."
Roya laughed.
"Then maybe you should officially retire."
Whitebeard burst into laughter.
"If Sengoku found out this whole thing was orchestrated by you, I wonder if he'd keel over on the spot."
"I have a feeling the next leg of our journey is going to be… lively."
Roya gazed out the window, a subtle smile on his face.
"Lively? Oh, trust me—once I start peeling back the curtain, you'll be shocked at the extent of the World Government and Navy's control over the Grand Line."
Whitebeard's expression gradually turned solemn.
"Truth is, I've had my suspicions for a long time."
"But I never wanted to believe it. That our so-called freedom to sail and resist... was nothing more than someone else's game."
"I only hope I live to see the Grand Line truly liberated—by your hand."
Roya turned to meet Whitebeard's gaze and smiled calmly.
"In that case, you might as well stop training Life Return."
"Eat well, drink more, and enjoy life while you can."
His tone, his expression—it radiated unwavering confidence.
Whitebeard visibly relaxed again and let out a booming laugh.
"Don't worry! I'll whip those little brats into shape even harder!"
He grabbed a bottle of booze, tilted it back, and strolled away drinking.
Roya watched him leave, shaking his head with a chuckle.
Then he turned his attention to more practical matters.
"Time to distribute the 1,000 stat points I just earned."
"My temporal-distortion attacks inside the Observation Haki domain are powerful, but they're too esoteric."
"I need some visually impactful, devastating signature moves to enhance my intimidation factor."
"Let's go with 500 points into Martial Arts, and 500 into Weapon Mastery."
"That might not be overwhelmingly high, but when combined with my Observation Haki domain... the results will be more than exponential."
"No matter who I face, I'll first analyze and dissect their technique within the domain—then instantly replicate it with superior skill."
> "Taiji Transfer: Use the enemy's own moves against them. Strike later, hit first. Perfect."
---
Meanwhile, news of Roya's bounty reaching 1 billion berries and his rise to Fifth Emperor was making waves throughout the pirate world.
On a small coffin-shaped boat, Dracule Mihawk sat dressed in his dark crimson formalwear, fingers tracing the hilt of the massive blade on his back.
He gazed into the distance over the sea.
"A man who has perfected Observation Haki to the point of being untouchable, huh...?"
"If I can break through that indestructible shield, then I'll truly be the sharpest blade alive."
"It's been a long time since I've felt this kind of anticipation."
A rare smile crept onto Mihawk's face.
Without any visible motion, the coffin boat began accelerating, slicing across the sea toward the Moby Dick's location.
---
In the Sabaody Archipelago, Eustass Kid gripped the freshly printed bounty poster, a maniacal grin twisting across his face.
"His very first public appearance, and his bounty jumped from 1 berry to a billion?"
"This Roya guy… doesn't seem ordinary at all."
"What do you think, Killer?"
Killer responded with a muffled voice,
"Everyone knows Whitebeard is preparing to attack Marineford. Now's not the time to stir trouble."
Before Kid could respond, a new voice cut into the conversation.
"How could it be called trouble?"
It was X Drake, the fourth-ranked Supernova, inviting himself into the conversation.
Drake casually stroked the X-shaped scar on his chin and grinned.
"We're not here to cause chaos—we're here to form an alliance with Whitebeard and strike at Navy HQ together."
"Besides, the journey's been boring. Sparring with this new Vice Emperor sounds like a fun little warm-up."
Kid's hesitation vanished. He burst into laughter.
"You're right! Sparring's no big deal."
"In fact, I say we do it ten times a day—just to make it interesting!"
Drake laughed along.
And then—
"Sounds like fun. Mind if I join in?"
A lazy but arrogant voice sounded behind them. Wearing his signature white-and-black spotted hat, Trafalgar Law had arrived.
Drake remained noncommittal, but Kid's expression turned cold in an instant.
Crossing his arms, he sneered.
"You weren't so friendly the last time you flipped me off."
Law chuckled softly.
"You really hold a grudge, huh?"
"If I treated you that way, it only means—"
"I no longer considered you a worthy opponent."
"But now, Whitebeard's new Vice Emperor… the Fifth Emperor of the Sea... he might just be my real rival."
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