Hive Island.
The base of Ian the Skyfire, one of the Four Emperors.
According to recent rumors circulating in the New World, Ian had a fierce battle with Kaido in Wano not long ago—and after that, he left the country with a third of the Beasts Pirates.
Now, there were truly four Emperors ruling the seas.
That's what people were saying.
But of course, no one dared to speak of it publicly. The authority of an Emperor was not something the common man could challenge.
Hive Island hadn't suffered from the upheaval—if anything, more pirates had gathered there than ever before.
After all, if the rumors were true, then the young Emperor was really starting his own empire from scratch. And that made this the perfect opportunity to pledge loyalty early.
Naturally, Ian had no interest in these pirates flocking to his island.
It wasn't that he didn't need people—there just wasn't a single one among them worth recruiting. They were all small fry. Why bother?
In fact, the opposite was becoming true. As Ian's grip on the Hive Island sea zone tightened, these freeloading pirates were starting to become a real headache.
Everyone knew—pirates produced nothing.
Unlike the major pirates who could collect protection fees at will, these small-time scoundrels made their money through looting. They were pure agents of chaos.
That was the annoying part.
Yes, Ian might be one of the most powerful pirates in the world—but he hated pirates.
You know the old saying?
"Bad men wish the world were full of good men."
That's why they say rivals in the same trade are enemies. No one hates a pirate more than another pirate.
It was about time to clean up the riffraff on this island.
Inside the top-floor office of the Skull Tower, Ian lay back in his wide office chair, deep in thought.
The pirates who had settled on Hachinosu (Hive) Island and turned to business were a different matter, but those who used the island as a temporary base and lived by plundering—those pirates couldn't be allowed to stay.
The problem was, those very pirates made up the majority of the island's population.
It would be easy to get rid of them. If Enel took action, the whole thing could be over in just a few hours.
But once they're gone, who would fill the gap in population?
Should he bring in immigrants?
Just as Ian was lost in thought, a sudden explosion rang out from the port.
"Huh?"
Ian raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Had the Navy attacked?
His Observation Haki swept over the port in an instant, and his expression turned strange.
"People like this really are everywhere, huh."
At the port—
A pirate ship barged in, recklessly crashing through.
Before it even came to a complete stop, a group of pirates had already leapt ashore.
Leading them was a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, wearing the stereotypical captain's coat and a horned hat. One hand gripped a sword, the other a gun. He looked like he was cosplaying as Roger himself.
"Ian the Skyfire! Get out here, you bastard!"
The man laughed loudly. "Just a damn brat, pretending to be some kind of emperor!"
"Once I kill you, I'll be the master of this island!"
For a moment, the whole of Hachinosu Island went silent.
Countless eyes turned to the group of pirates on the dock.
Then the whispers began.
"Who is this lunatic?"
"Never seen him before. Some unknown wannabe?"
"I know him! That's the raider Xis, with a bounty of 116 million Berries! He's been active in Paradise! What's he doing in the New World now?"
"116 million?"
For a moment, the pirates fell into silence.
Lord Ian's bounty is three billion.
How dare this guy?
"Ian the Skyfire! Get your ass out here!!"
The infamous pirate Xis, with a bounty over a hundred million, charged into Hive Island with his crew, shouting wildly.
"Heh heh, you guys planning to lay a hand on Boss Ian?"
A massive shadow suddenly loomed over Xis.
Xis froze in place, then looked up in surprise. His pupils shrank instantly.
A creature, looking like a cross between a man and a lion, crouched beside him. It had a mane around its neck and was covered in dense brown fur.
Its appearance was already shocking enough.
But what was even more terrifying was its size.
Even crouching, it was like a small mountain!
"A g-gi—"
The muscles on Xis's face were trembling. "A giant!!"
"Heh heh heh," The giant, Emon, grinned. "Hey there, pirates!"
A massive battle axe came crashing down from above. The infamous pirate Xis, with a bounty of over a hundred million, didn't even get a chance to say another word before he was smashed into pulp by the axe.
The pirates under Xis, who had been yelling just moments ago, froze in terror.
All their ambition, all their grand plans—cleared from their minds in the wake of that one strike.
After a brief silence, the pirates turned and ran, screaming.
"Heh heh! Like I'd let you run away!"
Emon swung his giant axe with force, cleaving several fleeing pirates in half.
Then he stood up and, with a few steps, caught up to the rest. In just a few more swings, he turned every last one of them into pulp.
Near the port, the pirates who witnessed everything were struck speechless.
The power unleashed by a giant with a Devil Fruit ability was simply terrifying.
And on this island, there were thirty giants just like him!
Inside his office, Ian wore an undiminished smile.
In a sea like this, full of fools who didn't know their limits, there was never any shortage.
You think just because you're an emperor, I should be afraid of you?
Too many reckless fools think like that.
Such thinking is simply absurd.
I've made up my mind.
Whether they know what they're doing or not, they all need to be dealt with.
Once all the factories around Hive Island are built, I'll throw all the pirates on the island in there as laborers.
Call it re-education through labor, or forced labor—whatever.
At least they'll be contributing something to the world.
As for the population gap left on Hive Island, we'll just repopulate it with immigrants.
Buru buru buru...
The Den Den Mushi suddenly rang. Ian was a bit surprised. Could it be that guy, Dragon, had already made it to Totto Land and begun his move?
Ian picked up the receiver. "It's me."
"Hahaha! Ian! I've got great news for you!"
On the other end, Morgans' chuckling voice came through.
"Oh?"
Ian raised an eyebrow. "Is it about the Devil Fruit search I asked you for?"
"Hahahaha! That's why you're Lord Ian! You nailed it in one guess!"
Morgans said with a cheeky laugh, "In two weeks, several big names from the underworld are hosting a joint auction on Siliya Island! They say there'll be quite a few Devil Fruits up for grabs!"
"An auction?"
Ian repeated the word, confirming with Morgans.
"Yup," Morgans replied. "It's practically a tradition. Happens every year. All kinds of goods that can't be sold openly end up at these auctions."
An auction, huh...
A classic plotline.
Old-school male-targeted stories can't do without an auction arc, just like the 3D Zone can't exist without Jerusalem.
Ian honestly didn't expect he'd find himself caught up in such a textbook scenario.
However, it didn't really seem necessary to go there at all.
After all, with his current status in the underworld, even if he casually sent one of his officers, those so-called underground kingpins would treat them like their own fathers.
Even if they were plundered and exploited, would they even dare to complain?
Underground kingpins?
Hmph, it sounds impressive, but if you think about it, anyone who could thrive in the world above—why would they willingly crawl underground?
They're just a bunch of losers.
**********
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