With Taku still pinned beneath his foot, Capone Bege casually puffed on his cigar. He pulled out a Den Den Mushi and contacted Riki, instructing him to bring the Sky God back around.
Riki also reported to Bege that the Bisacchi family had indeed launched an assault on the Sky God. Fortunately, he had made it back in the nick of time and successfully repelled their attack.
The Sky God had sustained some damage, but nothing too severe; it was still capable of flight.
The colossal form of the Sky God rose from the sea, soaring into the air, and within a short while, it appeared above the summit of King Punch Mountain.
Meanwhile, Bege's men returned, hauling chest after chest of treasure. They had completely emptied the Bisacchi family's vault. Bege, a wide grin on his face, directed the transfer of each treasure chest into his internal castle.
Seph Alletha, along with his own crew, had rounded up every last officer and member of the Bisacchi family. Lisen and Louis were among the captives.
"Can you release Taku now?" Seph Alletha demanded, his expression growing even darker as he looked up at the Sky God hovering above. He knew that any chance of detaining Bege this time was gone; his only concern now was Taku's safe return.
After stowing all the Bisacchi family members inside his internal castle, Bege threw back his head and roared with laughter.
"Men, aboard! Prepare to depart!"
His crewmen scrambled quickly onto the Sky God. Bege, dragging Taku by the scruff of his neck, swaggered onto the deck.
"Leave Taku behind!" Seph Alletha bellowed up at Bege.
"What's your hurry?" Bege replied nonchalantly, scratching his ear. "I said I'd return him, and I will. Just let him see us off for a bit first."
The Sky God began to ascend, then shot off into the sky.
Seph Alletha beat his demonic wings furiously, giving chase, tailing the Sky God as it flew away from Black Fist Island.
"Thanks for the grand send-off! You can have the kid back now!" Bege shouted down to Seph Alletha with a laugh. His right arm suddenly bulged with power, and with a mighty heave, he flung Taku through the air. Taku shot off like a cannonball in a completely different direction.
Seph Alletha's face turned an extremely grim shade. He whirled around instantly, streaking after the airborne Taku.
They were over the open sea now; if Taku were to hit the water, he would undoubtedly be done for.
"Hahahahaha..." Bege watched Seph Alletha's rapidly retreating figure and couldn't help but let out a wild, unrestrained laugh. The Sky God picked up speed. By the time Seph Alletha managed to catch Taku and turned to look back, the Sky God was already a distant speck in the sky, far beyond his reach.
"Bastard! Damn you! Capone Bege, I swear I will grind your bones to dust!" Seph Alletha, consumed by an almost unbearable rage, let out a series of heaven-shaking roars, each one laced with pure, unadulterated killing intent.
This time, the Bisacchi family's attempt to "steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to lure it" had backfired spectacularly. Not only were the vast majority of their family officers now prisoners, but their entire fortune, accumulated over decades, had fallen into Bege's hands.
Bege, it could be said, had made a massive haul in one fell swoop!
What Bege didn't know was that Taku, having lost an eye, would become even more twisted and ferocious. He directed his hatred not only at Bege but also at the Bisacchi family. Even Black Fist Island itself became entangled in his wrath. Taku went on a brutal rampage across the island, indiscriminately slaughtering nearly five thousand innocent people before the Marines finally arrived and put a stop to his inhumane massacre.
This incident also caused a complete and irreparable rift between the Fire Tank Pirates and the Fear Pirates. Faced with a reigning hegemon of the New World, Bege knew he wasn't yet strong enough to issue a direct challenge. Therefore, upon returning to Skypiea, he immediately adjusted his original strategic plans. He decided his forces would adopt a much more low-profile approach to development, biding their time and accumulating sufficient strength before re-emerging onto the world stage.
Skypiea, Upper Yard, God's Shrine.
Upon his return, Bege immediately convened a meeting of all his top officers. Due to the immense size of Little Oars Jr., Dorry, and Brogy, the meeting was held outdoors.
The mid-to-high-ranking officers were all gathered. Enel and Wiper, representing the "second generation" of Bege's men, also attended the meeting, taking seats at the very back.
"Moria has already briefed you on the situation, so I won't elaborate further," Bege began, his expression extremely serious. "Our Fire Tank Pirates do not yet possess the strength to shake a New World hegemon. Therefore, for the foreseeable future, we will fully implement the 'lying low' plan. All members of our pirate crew will undergo rigorous training here on Skypiea. Unless there are truly exceptional circumstances, no one is to descend from the island. The day we possess the strength to challenge the Fear Pirates will be the day the Fire Tank Pirates once again reign supreme over the seas."
All the officers listened with equally solemn expressions, fully understanding the gravity of the situation.
"Next, I will announce the arrangements for this period."
"Longbill, Calsedon," Bege addressed the two Skypieans, "you will coordinate with the Cloud Artisans to thoroughly re-inspect all high-speed sky roads. I want you to find every possible way to completely cut them off. Additionally, have the replicated soldiers maintain close surveillance over the White-White Sea and the White Sea to prevent anyone from entering Skypiea via the Knock Up Stream."
"We understand!" the two men replied in unison, rising to their feet with resolute affirmation.
"Ben Kosa," Bege turned to his chief scientist, "your task will be somewhat more demanding. You need to accelerate your efforts in fusing more monsters. These creatures will serve as training opponents for our crew members."
Ben Kosa was seated in the position of honor at Bege's left hand, a clear indication of the high regard in which Bege held him.
Ben Kosa stood, a confident air about him. "As long as I am provided with sufficient biological material, I can quickly create fusion monsters of various levels and strengths."
Bege nodded, satisfied. "Rest assured on that point. I will ensure you are supplied with enough fierce beasts as soon as possible."
"Brook," Bege then addressed the skeletal musician, "you will fully cooperate with Ben Kosa's fusion experiments." Brook's Yellow Springs Fruit dealt with aspects of the soul, and Bege surmised that this could be invaluable in helping Ben Kosa resolve the complex issue of multiple souls coexisting within a single fused biological entity.
"You can count on me, Captain," Brook replied, fully aware of the importance of his assignment, his tone serious and determined.
"As for the rest of our combat personnel," Bege's gaze swept over Moria, Riki, and the others. Each met his look with unwavering resolve in their eyes.
"Your mission is simple: train as if your lives depend on it. Strive to become stronger every single day. In the future, I intend to have numerous divisions under my command. Who among you rises to become a captain will depend entirely on your own strength."
"The captain of the First Division will undoubtedly be me!" Moria declared with a booming laugh, his voice brimming with confidence.
"Moria, don't start celebrating too prematurely," Riki interjected provocatively. "The captaincy of the First Division isn't necessarily decided yet."
"The First Division captaincy... I want it." A voice like muffled thunder suddenly rumbled. It was Little Oars Jr.
An intense fighting spirit flared in the eyes of both Moria and Riki. Little Oars Jr.'s astonishing natural strength, combined with the Ancient Zoan Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle Fruit he had just acquired, unquestionably made him a powerful contender for the position of First Division captain.
"I will be the First Division captain!" A brilliant flash of lightning suddenly appeared, landing in the center of the gathering and resolving into the form of Enel. He stood with his hands on his hips, arcs of lightning crackling around his body, the air thrumming with the sound of thunder. His youthful face was a mask of utter confidence.
BOOM!
Enel was sent flying, transforming into a ball of lightning that crashed into a massive nearby rock, shattering it into smithereens. The lightning then reformed into Enel, who rubbed his head, yelping, "Oww, oww, oww!"
Moria glared fiercely at Enel. "You little brat! You're not yet qualified to compete with us for the position of First Division captain!"
Enel retorted indignantly, "I possess the most powerful Logia-type Devil Fruit, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit! Godfather himself said I have the potential of an Admiral! I'm destined to be the second strongest in the Fire Tank Pirates in the future, so why can't I be a First Division captain?"
"So, this is the Rumble-Rumble Fruit user Moria was talking about, the man with the highest potential under Godfather Bege," Little Oars Jr. remarked, staring at Enel with wide, curious eyes.
"The Rumble-Rumble Fruit may be hailed as the ultimate Devil Fruit, but my Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle Fruit isn't to be underestimated either!" Little Oars Jr. declared, his expression extremely determined. "If I develop its powers fully, I might not necessarily be weaker than him. I will not yield the captaincy of the First Division!"
"You little brat, are you looking for another beating?" Moria growled, clenching his iron fists, which made ominous cracking sounds. This was enough to scare Enel into quickly transforming into a bolt of lightning and zipping over to Bege's side, looking up at him with an aggrieved expression.
Bege threw back his head and roared with laughter.
"Wanting to be the First Division captain depends entirely on strength, Enel. Defeat them, and the position is yours."
Enel instantly became cocky again. He pointed a finger at all the other contenders. "Did you all hear that? I will defeat every single one of you!"
"You want to defeat us, brat? You've still got a long way to go," Moria snorted disdainfully.
"You all can fight over the First Division captaincy," Modi, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, suddenly spoke up. "I want the position of Vice-Captain of the Fire Tank Pirates."
"Modi, you're so cunning!"
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