Amazon Lily – Tenshukaku (Heavenly Keep)
Sanders stood by the window and hung up the Den Den Mushi.
He stubbed out his cigarette and tucked the transponder snail into his chest.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Hancock asked lazily as she reclined on the sofa.
Her beautiful eyes gazed at Sanders with warmth and affection.
"Nothing major," Sanders replied with a smile.
"Because Marco and King went to Dressrosa, the Marines are stirring up a fuss, redeploying troops all over the New World."
Since news birds didn't come to Amazon Lily, and Hancock had been staying in the
Tenshukaku with Sanders instead of going to sea, she hadn't heard about recent events.
"Seems like your power keeps growing," Hancock said, raising a delicate brow.
Just a minor move and you stir up both the Marines and the World Government."
Sanders plopped down on the sofa and pulled Hancock into his arms.
"Well of course—just look at whose man I am."
"You're leaving soon, right, Lord Sanders?"
"Yeah. I'm heading out tomorrow. Still lots of things to deal with."
"Then when are we going to plan our wedding?"
Hancock suddenly changed the topic.
Sanders froze slightly, caught off guard.
His gaze shifted, then he lifted her hand—the one wearing a pure gold ring.
As his fingers gently stroked it, he spoke in a low voice:
"Time… no longer means anything to us."
"We should focus on our mission first."
Though he didn't give her a direct answer, and Hancock felt a tinge of disappointment, she still felt sweet inside as she looked at the ring— a ring that granted eternal youth and longevity.
She wrapped both arms around his neck, and whispered softly in his ear:
"Time is short… so let's do something meaningful, Emperor of the Sea."
"At your command, Empress of Amazon Lily!"
Sanders waved his hand, freezing the doors shut, then swept Hancock into his arms.
Outside the Tenshukaku
Feeling the sudden drop in temperature, Marigold and Sandersonia looked toward the icy doors.
They exchanged a glance, shrugged, and silently walked away.
Onigashima – Wano Country
King the Wildfire returned to Onigashima after his trip to Dressrosa.
As soon as he arrived, the pirates on the island stirred in excitement.
"Lord King is back!"
"Did he manage to form an alliance with the Thunder God Pirates?"
"If we can unite with them, the whole New World will be ours!"
Everyone was talking about the now-famous meeting of the Three Great Pirate Crews.
Word had spread even faster than King's ship.
"Teaming up with the Thunder God Pirates is possible— but forget about the Whitebeard Pirates."
"We just had a fight with them. A lot of our people were killed by their hands."
"Didn't the paper say that Lord King and Phoenix Marco almost started fighting the moment they met?"
"Yeah, no chance it's the Whitebeard Pirates."
"If it weren't for the blind swordsman, half of Dressrosa would've been wiped out!"
Most of the Beasts Pirates supported the idea of allying with the Thunder God Pirates.
After all, Sanders had defeated Whitebeard—proof enough of his might.
And the pirates who joined Kaido's crew were all warmongers at heart.
Like their captain, they craved war and chaos.
As King disembarked and walked toward the main base, every pirate he passed bowed in greeting.
But not one dared ask about the result of his visit.
In the Beasts Pirates, King had never been known for being gentle.
He was notorious for his cruelty, often punishing subordinates harshly.
Elsewhere on the street, a small group silently watched the scene unfold.
Leading them was none other than Crocodile, recently joined member of the Beasts Pirates.
"Boss," one of his men asked quietly,
"If the Beasts Pirates team up with the Thunder God Pirates… what should we do?"
MR. 3 leaned close to Crocodile and whispered his concern.
They had a major grudge against the Thunder God Pirates.
After all, it was Sanders who personally destroyed Baroque Works.
And the betrayer, Miss All Sunday—Nico Robin, was now one of Sanders' core crew members.
If the Beasts Pirates and Thunder God Pirates really formed an alliance, what would happen to them?
"Hmph!"
Crocodile exhaled a puff of smoke expressionlessly.
"Doesn't matter. We'll do what we have to."
"And besides… it's not certain that they'll actually form an alliance."
Truthfully, Crocodile didn't know what King the Wildfire had gone to Dressrosa for.
As a newcomer to the Beasts Pirates, even with his background and strength, he hadn't entered the inner circle yet.
"You figure out why King went to Dressrosa?"
Crocodile asked.
"No, sir."
MR. 3 answered nervously.
"We've just joined, and we're not strong enough yet. The senior members don't really talk to us."
"Boss, even though we joined with another purpose…"
"…I think we really do need to gain a strong position in the Beasts Pirates."
"That'll help us later down the line."
MR. 1 added his thoughts seriously.
"So in other words, we still haven't found any clue about that thing either?"
"Don't rush."
Crocodile exhaled a smoke ring, showing no sign of impatience.
"If we could chew on sand for years in Alabasta, spending a few more years looking for that thing is worth it."
"But you're right about one thing…"
"I do need to rise higher within the crew. That doesn't conflict with our goal—
in fact, it'll only help."
Crocodile's eyes flickered as he stared at King's back.
"What do you all think about turning the 'Three Calamities' into Four Calamities?"
"Sandstorms are a kind of disaster too, aren't they?"
"You can totally do it, Boss!"
MR. 3 quickly chimed in with a flattering smile.
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