Time slipped by in peaceful, fulfilling routine. In the blink of an eye, several months had passed.
Kael's power was like an iceberg. What floated above the surface was only a tiny, insignificant tip, while the vast bulk hidden beneath the waves expanded in an orderly fashion, spreading and infiltrating into every corner of the world.
Tesoro had changed. He'd become more restrained, and far more dangerous.
He fully unleashed that terrifying talent for business. No longer satisfied with simply piling up money, he began communicating actively with Caron, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, using the power of capital to quietly seize control of the economic lifelines of many kingdoms, laying a solid financial foundation for Kael's empire.
Crocodile, after the initial shock and confusion, gradually found his place as well.
He set aside the pride he once carried as a would-be overlord. As a senior executive, he reorganized Baroque Works' intelligence network and merged it into Moria's system.
When two schemers who lived and breathed plots came together, they produced a strange kind of chemistry.
The intelligence web they built jointly was so efficient and so well hidden that even Kael found himself surprised.
Crocodile realized that compared to chasing some hazy Ancient Weapon all by himself, standing on the shoulders of a giant like Kael made it easier to see what the world really looked like.
Doflamingo remained the "Joker" who prowled the darkness.
He enjoyed the convenience that came with being one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, while crazily expanding his underworld business, continuously funneling the most crucial intel and profits straight to Kael.
He was like a poisonous thorn lodged in the World Government's heart, ready to strike a lethal blow the moment Kael gave the order.
Mihawk was still Mihawk. His days were nothing but sword training, and the occasional spar with Kael.
Yet the aura of his blade became ever more calm and pure. Like a divine weapon resting in a scabbard, he showed no edge in ordinary times, but once drawn, he would cleave through anything.
Robin became Kael's true right hand.
No longer just a secretary who brewed tea and organized documents, she began working as a strategist, helping Kael analyze the global situation, sift through historical texts, and pull the thread leading to the ultimate truth from an ocean of chaotic information.
As for the underground shipyard, the Ark's retrofit was nearing completion.
With Uncle Tom, the legendary shipwright, and Enel, the infinite energy source, an unimaginable aerial fortress was about to be born.
And Kael himself returned to his unshakable lazy fish mode.
Every day, his greatest joy was lying on a beach chair, drinking chilled fruit juice, reading the newspaper, and enjoying the peace he had personally built.
That detached, leisurely feeling intoxicated him.
Just as he was savoring this rare moment of post-enlightenment calm, Caron's steady footsteps approached from afar.
"Lord Kael."
"Hm? What now?" Kael lazily opened one eye.
"Enel… he's fighting Crocodile in the back hills. They're competing for a patch of land." Caron's steel jaw moved slightly, his tone as flat as if he were commenting on how nice the weather was.
"Huh?" Kael froze. "Why?"
"Enel says the feng shui there is good and the sunlight is perfect. It's the best location to build the Supreme God statue. Crocodile plans to build a sandpit there for daily training."
Kael: "…"
He could feel his temples starting to throb again.
These two problem children, could they give him one day of peace?
A religious fanatic who wouldn't shut up about gods, and a scheming sand crocodile, throwing hands over land ownership?
If word got out, where was his dignity as an "underworld emperor" supposed to go?
"I'll go take a look."
Kael sighed and hauled himself out of the lounge chair.
Being the boss didn't just mean grand strategy. It also meant mediating neighborhood disputes between subordinates. Exhausting.
When he reached the back hills, the scene was a disaster.
On one side, countless walls and blades of sand formed a desert zone over half the clearing.
On the other, violent lightning wove into a crackling electric net that spat terrifying sounds nonstop.
Crocodile stood at the center of a sandstorm, cigar in his mouth, face dark.
Enel floated in midair with his arms crossed, wearing the arrogant look of a man thinking, how dare you mortals fight me over land.
"Sand crocodile! I'll warn you one last time! This land bathed in holy sunlight belongs to the Supreme God! Don't even think about defiling it with your filthy sand!"
"Hmph. Lunatic." Crocodile sneered. "You want it? Take it if you can."
"Die!"
Lightning flashed in Enel's eyes. A thick pillar of lightning slammed down from the sky, aiming straight for Crocodile's head.
"Sandstorm!"
Crocodile didn't flinch. A massive sand tornado erupted upward, meeting the lightning head-on.
The clash exploded with staggering force.
The villa's others were all disturbed and came running out to watch.
Mihawk hugged Yoru, leaning against the doorframe like it had nothing to do with him.
Moria let out his "kishishishi" auntie cackle, finding it even more entertaining than a stage show.
Robin held an umbrella, observing their fighting styles with interest.
"Enough!"
Just as the two prepared to launch a second round, Kael's voice rang out.
It wasn't loud, yet it reached every ear clearly, carrying an authority that brooked no argument.
Enel and Crocodile froze at the same time.
"Supreme God!" Enel immediately dismissed his lightning and flew to Kael like a kid tattling to a parent. "Look! That sand crocodile is trying to steal Your holy land!"
Crocodile also dispersed the sandstorm. He glanced at Kael, saying nothing, but his expression clearly screamed, this lunatic started it.
Kael looked at the wrecked backyard and felt his head split in two.
He pointed at the clearing, then at the two of them.
"You're fighting over a plot of land. Are you children?"
"Boss, it was him…" Crocodile tried to explain.
"I don't care who threw the first punch." Kael cut him off. "Starting today, I'm personally supervising both of your training."
A perfectly wholesome smile appeared on his face.
"You two aren't quite strong enough to impress me. I promise, I'll keep you so busy you won't even have time to argue."
For some reason, the moment Enel and Crocodile saw Kael's smile, they both shuddered.
A very bad feeling crawled up their spines.