New World, Clifford Kingdom, Palace Entertainment City.
"19,996, 19,997, 19,998, 19,999..."
In Training Ground No. 1, a shirtless Aeridar was lifting a ten-meter-tall square metal block, repeating the lifting motion. Sweat poured down his bare upper body, and white steam radiated from him.
Across from Aeridar, Oliver sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, seemingly meditating. Two katanas lay on his legs, as his current level was no longer one that could be improved by simply developing his swordsmanship or training his body.
Tap, tap, tap... tap, tap, tap...
Soon after, a series of crisp sounds of high heels tapping on the ground rang out, getting closer and closer.
A man and a woman soon entered the training ground. The man was over three meters tall, with a burly build, a scar on his face, and was dressed in a black suit. The woman was tall and slender, wearing a red pantsuit and red high heels. Her long black hair reached her waist, and she was holding a document.
"Yo~ Mina, Gorbo, what's up?" Aeridar asked, turning his head but not stopping his lifting.
"Can't we come if there's nothing going on?" Mina rolled her eyes at Aeridar and said with a hint of resentment, "Is it only that woman from the Kuja Pirates that you care about?"
"Cough, cough~ Of course not!" Aeridar choked on his breath, his face a little awkward, but he didn't stop his movements.
"Oh really?" Mina scoffed, complaining, "You've been back for over a month, and all you do is train here or talk on the Den Den Mushi with that woman. You've pushed all your work onto us."
"Cough, cough, cough, cough~ Get to the point, get to the point!" Aeridar's old face flushed red, and he quickly said.
Just as Mina said, Aeridar had been back for over a month. Every day, all he did was train his body and develop his Devil Fruit abilities in the training ground. The rest of the time, he ate, drank, and spent his time talking with Hancock on the Den Den Mushi.
In fact, it was Hancock who called him every day. She would talk for so long that she wouldn't want to hang up. If it weren't for Gloriosa pulling her away, she probably would've already come to him.
Meanwhile, Calamodus, that glutton, was also left to roam free on Alvis Island. The only things it needed were the food and drinks supplied by Dalt and the others, and to cooperate with Dalt's experiments. Of course, Dalt wasn't really using Calamodus as an experimental subject. At most, he'd draw a few drops of blood or snip off a few hairs.
As the two bickered, Gorbo looked up at the sky as if counting the clouds, and Oliver remained seated motionlessly, the only sign that he was listening was the barely repressed smile on his face.
"Hmph~" Seeing Aeridar give in, Mina let out an arrogant huff. She then held up the documents in her hand and said seriously, "An invitation from Tesoro has been sent. There will be a big auction on July 28th, with a special final item."
Thud!
Aeridar gently placed the huge metal block on the ground, a mischievous grin on his face. "A 'special' final item... A Devil Fruit? A Supreme Grade Blade? Heh, heh~ Interesting, interesting."
"Also, last night, the Garfield Pirates robbed our cargo. This time, the loss was the heaviest, with the value of the goods exceeding 500 million Berries," Mina said calmly.
"The Garfield Pirates... Tch. This is the fourth time, isn't it?" Aeridar frowned, annoyed. "They say things don't go past three. Caesar has also been clashing with Doffy recently. Is he looking for death?"
To provoke two Warlords of the Sea in a row, does that guy really think he's so great?
"It's perfect timing since Oliver and the Captain are here. Let me take some people to cause some trouble," Gorbo said, a bloodthirsty smile on his face.
"The Donquixote Family and the Garfield Pirates are each supporting a different country in a war on Aznat Island. It's supposedly to compete for sales rights in that area," Mina explained. "The Donquixote Family has sent the Spade Army and the Diamond Army, along with thousands of subordinates. As for the Garfield Pirates, five of their top officers, each in charge of an island, have been seen. Their first mate also arrived at Aznat Island three days ago."
"Heh, heh, heh, heh... They've gathered almost half of their main forces. What are they trying to do? Are they going to raze the two kingdoms on Aznat Island to the ground? Or are they trying to decide who reigns supreme in the Underworld?" Aeridar laughed maniacally.
In the Underworld, Doflamingo and Caesar were old rivals. Doflamingo, with his codename Joker, was a middleman in the Underworld, selling everything from illegal weapons to other forbidden goods. If you could think of it, he could probably get it for you.
Meanwhile, Caesar was a big arms dealer in the Underworld. His products were of high quality and very popular. Due to the nature of their sales routes, he and Doflamingo had cooperated a few times, though they had never met in person. Unfortunately, none of those collaborations ended well.
After that, Caesar managed to solve his arms sales route problem and tried to encroach on Joker's position as a middleman. Doflamingo, naturally, wasn't having it and began to suppress Caesar's arms business, which led to the two becoming enemies.
A few years ago, Doflamingo helped the World Government out of a tight spot, and that was when he and Caesar first met. They fought fiercely, but neither could do anything to the other. It was after that fight that their conflict shifted from business suppression in the Underworld to open clashes.
Over the years, they have clashed seven or eight times. Some were direct confrontations between their two pirate crews, while others were proxy wars where they supported rival pirate crews or kingdoms. In any case, the conflict was escalating.
"Have Gorbo and Dimitri lead the Second and Third Divisions. Also, get the Triangle Pirates and the Paperman Pirates to move out as well. Tell Ward that his former enemy has joined the Garfield Pirates, so now is his chance for revenge."
Aeridar rested his hand on the ten-meter-tall metal block beside him and said sinisterly, "Since we're going to play, let's play a bigger game. First, take out the Garfield Pirates's forces on Aznat Island, and then we'll get that bastard, Garfield Caesar. How can he get away with stealing my stuff without paying the price? Hehehe~"
"This is going to be a big game. I'm getting a little excited. I wonder if the Garfield Pirates have any skilled swordsmen?" Oliver suddenly opened his eyes, and a crimson flash gleamed in his gaze.
"Yes! Just as I hoped!" Gorbo's excitement grew, and the scar on his face twisted as he smiled.
"In that case, I'll contact Doflamingo." Mina said calmly, holding her documents properly.
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