What followed was nothing short of annihilation.
The two mafia families who had stood in Liam Ross's way were crushed without mercy.
Just as he had ordered, no one of rank or authority was spared. No amount of pleading or tears could soften the cold executioners that Capone Bege commanded. They carried out his will with clinical precision blades flashing, flintlocks roaring, cruel smiles twisting their faces as the high-born crime lords fell one after another.
When the massacre ended, only silence remained.
Liam didn't bother himself with the fate of the surviving underlings. Whether they lived, fled, or submitted, it was of no consequence to him. He left those decisions to Capone Bege.
In this world, he understood one absolute truth numbers didn't make power.
Only strength did.
When one's might reached a certain level, even a thousand men with swords were nothing more than kindling before a single skill unleashed.
Once the dust settled, Chinjao approached, inviting Liam to visit the Flower Kingdom as a guest. He didn't mention the matter of allegiance at all.
Liam smiled knowingly. True strength came with pride, and men like Chinjao couldn't be tamed overnight. He would give the old pirate time to think.
The time limit was simple once Liam had completely unified the West Blue under his control. If by then Chinjao still refused, well... mercy would not be an option.
As the saying went, a throne has room for only one ruler to sleep upon it.
Later that night, in the Mafia City, Capone Bege welcomed Liam into his fortress with the highest honors. The grand hall brimmed with the smell of smoke and wine, the air thick with the tension of newfound power.
There, Liam met Robin.
"Hey, kid," Liam said softly, ruffling her hair as he smiled behind his mask. "Getting used to living here?"
The girl nodded, her black hair gleaming under the lamplight. She was dressed in a fine gown now, her cheeks no longer pale from hunger. Her wide, gemlike eyes sparkled as she clutched a worn notebook her mother's last keepsake.
"Mhm," she murmured, her smile shy but genuine.
To her, Liam wasn't just a savior he was the last friend she had left in this cruel world.
After a rich banquet, Liam leaned back in his chair and turned his sharp gaze toward Capone Bege.
"For the next while," he said evenly, "you'll take charge of consolidating the entire underworld of the West Blue. Once it's done, I'll tell you what comes next."
Capone nodded solemnly. "Understood."
Then Liam looked at his clone, the other version of himself known as Monk D. Lofei. "I'm assigning you a task. Go to the Flower Kingdom. Gain control of the royal power from the shadows. I don't care how you do it I only care about results."
The clone crossed his arms, pretending to hesitate. "If I get discovered, my strength still isn't enough to handle Chinjao."
Liam's lips curled into a cold smile. "If he still refuses to join us when that time comes, then he's no longer of any use. You know what to do."
The meeting concluded, and Liam slipped away into the night alone.
As he passed through a quiet town, he performed his nightly check-in with the system.
"Congratulations, host. You have received one Intermediate Experience Card."
Without hesitation, Liam applied it to his swordsmanship.
By the time he returned to his flagship, the moon was high and silver over the waves. He stretched lazily on his bed, muttering to himself, "Finally got the West Blue under control. Next up... the unification of the Four Seas."
The plan was clear in his mind.
Capone Bege would continue to expand his influence, weaving together the gray networks of all four seas, becoming the recognized Godfather of the world's underworld.
And Liam, quietly hidden within the Navy Headquarters, would pull the strings from afar spreading his roots deep, building an empire that thrived in darkness.
Give it twenty years, he thought, and there would be no force left that could rival him.
When the time came for the great war at the top the clash that would shake the world he would emerge from the shadows, claiming the spotlight and the awe of all.
Just the thought of it sent a thrill coursing through his veins.
"Right," he said suddenly, sitting up. "That mysterious chest I haven't opened it yet."
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned it from his system inventory. The ornate chest floated before him, its surface gleaming with violet light.
"Would you like to open the Mysterious Chest now?" the system chimed.
He chuckled. "No need for incense and prayer. Let's open it."
"Open!"
The chest vibrated in the air, light bursting from the seams. Chains clattered, snapping one by one as the lid slowly lifted.
A brilliant golden glow filled the room.
Floating above the box was a card radiant, shimmering, divine.
"A golden card again?" Liam blinked, surprise flashing across his face before a wide grin spread. The last golden card had given him the ability to merge with a second Devil Fruit.
"So what will this one be?" he murmured, excitement bubbling in his chest.
"Ding... Congratulations, host. You have obtained a Skill Upgrade Card."
"Would you like to use it now?"
Liam held his breath. "System, explain what this does exactly."
"By using the Skill Upgrade Card," the mechanical voice replied, "the host may select one existing skill to increase by one full level."
Liam's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me…"
A level-up without spending experience points?
That was massive.
His mastery of Armament and Observation Haki, as well as his Earth-Earth Fruit, were already near the top tier. To push any of them to the "Ultimate" rank required at least ten thousand experience points. At his current rate of progress, that could take years.
But with this card, he could skip all that in an instant.
"Wait," he muttered thoughtfully. "What if I save it until one of my skills reaches the peak then use the card to push it straight into the supreme level?"
He hesitated, deep in thought, before opening his skill panel. The long list of abilities glimmered before him.
His eyes lingered over three particular ones: Invisibility, Insight, and Disguise.
"System," he asked, "these three can't be improved with experience points, can they? Does that mean I need Skill Upgrade Cards to enhance them?"
"Yes," came the concise reply.
Liam rubbed his chin. "Figures. Not every ability can be brute-forced with grinding."
He smirked. Cards like these were rare there was no guarantee he'd draw another anytime soon.
"Can my Perfect Invisibility still be upgraded?"
"No. The Perfect Invisibility skill is already at its maximum rank within this world."
He nodded slowly, then turned his focus to the remaining two Insight and Disguise.
Disguise at its current level was enough for now. But Insight… that was something else.
The system had mentioned before that once Insight reached the Advanced level, it could detect even the subtle flaws in a Marine Admiral's defense an invaluable edge in battle.
Considering the caliber of enemies he was now facing, that advantage could be the difference between victory and death.
Decision made.
"System," he commanded, "use the Skill Upgrade Card on Insight."
The golden card dissolved into light and vanished.
A pleasant chime echoed in his mind.
"Congratulations, host. Your Insight skill has been upgraded from Intermediate to Advanced."
Liam opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in them. For a moment, the world itself seemed clearer the shadows deeper, the air alive with hidden threads of intent.
He smiled faintly.
"The more I see," he murmured, "the less anyone can hide."
And somewhere deep inside, the undercurrent of his grand design stirred once more
the empire of the unseen, inching closer to its inevitable rise.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Already captivated by Liam Ross's rise through the seas? Share what thrilled you your words and reviews keep his legend alive! Every 300 Power Stones will unlock a bonus chapter, pushing Liam's journey toward domination even faster!
Liam Ross's adventure has only just begun, and his reign across the seas is far from over. Stay aboard with World Shaker of the New World, and sail beyond the horizon together!
[email protected]/_sey
Change @ to a