Location: Skies above the Sorbet Kingdom
"W-Warships?!"
Aokiji's heart nearly skipped a beat the moment he heard Storm's voice on the Den Den Mushi.
"Vongola Storm! What lawless thing have you done now?"
Storm paused. "Now? Admiral Aokiji, you wound me. As a member of SWORD, I have always been dedicated to my job and law-abiding!"
Dedicated? Maybe.
Law-abiding? Absolutely not.
Aokiji rubbed his forehead, a headache forming instantly. If Storm hadn't joined the special forces unit SWORD early on, Aokiji would have personally thrown him into Impel Down by now.
"Fine," Aokiji sighed. "Skip the excuses. What happened with the warships?"
"Well..." Storm explained briefly. "I was flying over the South Blue..."
"South Blue?!" Aokiji interrupted. "You were supposed to be near the Calm Belt! How did you get to the South Blue?"
"I just... kept flying and somehow ended up here?" Storm shrugged, and the Den Den Mushi mimicked his helpless expression. "I'm desperate too, you know."
Aokiji felt a brain freeze coming on.
He had forgotten the report from Impel Down: Subject Vongola Storm possesses the ability to create clay dragons capable of flight.
'This guy can fly,' Aokiji thought, rubbing his temples. 'Flying is a cheat code.'
"Anyway," Storm continued, "I found three G-Class Marine Warships here. They were being used by a tyrant named King Bekori to massacre his own people. I couldn't just watch my colleagues die, could I?"
"The Sorbet Kingdom..." Aokiji mused. "I've heard rumors. A revolution happened there recently."
"Yes. The new King is Bartholomew Kuma."
"Kuma..." Aokiji's tone dropped. "The 'Tyrant.' Also known as a Commander in the Revolutionary Army. A user of the Paw-Paw Fruit."
"So, you fought one of Dragon's top men?"
"And won," Storm added cheerfully. "I have the ships. And the crew. Over two thousand Marines saved from certain death."
"Good work," Aokiji relaxed slightly. "I'll send a fleet to retrieve them."
"Great!" Storm clapped. "Now, let's talk about the price."
"...Price?"
Aokiji froze. "What do you mean, price?"
"I mean money!" Storm laughed. "You don't expect me to give them back for free, do you, Admiral? These are billions of Berries worth of hardware! And two thousand trained soldiers? Do you know how much training costs?"
"Are you a Marine or a Pirate?!" Aokiji shouted, losing his cool.
"Vongola Storm! You are a member of the Navy! How can you hold your own ships for ransom?!"
"If we don't talk money, what do we talk about? Justice? Ideals?" Storm scoffed. "Admiral, I need to eat! I'm deep undercover here! I need funding!"
"Tell you what, for the sake of our camaraderie, I'll give you a discount. One billion Berries for two ships and the crew."
Aokiji went silent. The ideal of "Lazy Justice" was being tested by the reality of "Greedy Subordinates."
"I... I need to report this to Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
"No problem!" Storm agreed. "By the way, I'm keeping one ship for myself."
"Why?"
"To solidify my cover!" Storm said matter-of-factly. "The Navy can issue a bounty for me. 'Traitor Vongola Storm steals a warship.' It will make my pirate identity ironclad!"
Aokiji was silent for a long time.
"Storm," he said slowly. "You've been planning to go rogue for a while, haven't you?"
"Huh?"
"If you want to be a pirate so badly... just try not to make too much of a mess. You brat."
Clatch.
Aokiji hung up.
Storm stared at the receiver, bewildered. "What's his problem? We made a deal."
Storm pocketed the snail and directed the dragon to land.
Location: Sorbet Kingdom Coast
The moment Storm landed, he saw a massive, paw-shaped crater in the sand near Kuma and Bulldog.
It was the signature mark of a Pad Ho (Pressure Cannon).
In the center of the crater, there was nothing but red mist. No body. Just stains.
King Bekori was gone.
It seemed the "Tyrant" had finally lived up to his name. Kuma had executed the man who burned his country.
Nearby, Kid and Killer were directing the clay golems to unload the ships. Crates of food, water, and rum were piled high on the beach.
"Boss! We cleared the hold!" Kid shouted. "But this food won't last long in the heat."
"It's alright."
Storm looked at the starving villagers peeking out from behind the trees. He looked at Bonney, who was drooling at the sight of the crates.
"Let's hold a feast!" Storm grinned. "Invite everyone! Tonight, we eat like Kings!"
While the celebration began, Storm opened his system interface. He looked at the [Diamond Trophy: Bartholomew Kuma] he had acquired earlier.
He selected it.
[Consume Trophy: Upgrade Stamina]
A surge of energy flooded his body. His muscles knit tighter, his lungs expanded, and his heart beat with the slow, powerful rhythm of a monster.
[Attribute Updated]
[Stamina: ★★★★★★★ (7-Stars)]
Storm flexed his hand. He finally had the endurance to match his firepower.
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