West Blue – Capone Bege's Stronghold
Capone "Gang" Bege sat in his grand hall, smoking a fat cigar, eyes narrowed at the latest newspaper.
"Fire Fist Ace challenged Whitebeard… and lost," he muttered.
"Now he's the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Heh."
One of his men stepped forward.
"Godfather… when do we head for the Grand Line?"
Bege exhaled smoke slowly.
"Not yet. But soon… the era is shifting."
"And this 'new age' won't happen without me."
He stood, fierce ambition burning in his eyes.
"I'll unite the West Blue's gangs. Crush every rival."
"Then the world will hear my name again."
"Brothers—are you ready?!"
A roar of celebration answered him.
But then—BOOM!
The mansion split cleanly in half.
A shockwave rippled through the building as a slash tore it apart.
Bege's cigar dropped from his mouth.
"What bastard did that?!"
Three silhouettes emerged from the smoke.
"Who sent you?" Bege barked.
"You want money? I'll pay triple."
Leo Wong stepped forward.
"Capone Bege. I'm Leo Wong."
"I came to recruit you into my pirate crew."
Bege's face darkened.
"Join you? Don't insult me."
"I'm no one's underling."
"Men! Kill them!"
Dozens of mafiosos charged.
Lafitte tensed, ready to strike.
But Leo raised a single hand.
In an instant, a suffocating pressure burst from his body.
Conqueror's Haki.
The town trembled.
The air rippled with invisible waves.
Dozens of men dropped like flies, eyes rolled back, unconscious in seconds.
Saori stood calmly.
Lafitte flinched.
Bege fell to one knee. His face pale, breath ragged.
"W-What… kind of monster are you…?"
Leo didn't answer. He simply stepped forward, eyes locked on the fallen godfather.
"You have two choices: Rise with me… or fall before me."
Bege gasped, his breath uneven, legs trembling slightly as he stood upright again.
"What… what kind of power was that just now?"
He exhaled slowly, cigar trembling between his fingers.
"It felt like… like a mountain crashing down on my chest…"
Just now, Leo Wong had only released a fraction of his Conqueror's Haki.
If he had let it fully erupt, every single person in that hall—Bege included—would have dropped dead or unconscious in an instant.
This oppressive aura was not aimed at the masses—it was aimed directly at Capone Bege.
The rest were simply unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire.
And yet, Bege had withstood it. For that alone, Leo was… mildly impressed.
Leo's tone remained calm but carried the weight of the sea.
"That, Bege, is Conqueror's Haki. The will of kings."
"Only one in a million possess it. Now… what's your answer?"
Bege's pupils shrank.
"Conqueror's… Haki?"
His entire perception of Leo shifted.
That level of aura was something he'd only heard about—legends like Whitebeard, Roger, Shanks, and Kaido.
And now this young man stood before him, bearing that same monstrous pressure.
Capone Bege suddenly realized—if he gave the wrong answer here, he might not live to give another.
He straightened up, wiped the sweat from his brow, and lit a fresh cigar.
"You're serious about this, huh?"
Leo said nothing, only stared.
"Fine… I'll join."
Bege paused, then added with cold firmness:
"But I'm bringing all my men with me. I don't abandon my own."
Leo narrowed his eyes, then nodded slightly.
"They're your backbone. Understood. But if they stand in my way, I'll crush them too."
Bege clenched his jaw but said nothing.
In his mind, he was already planning…
"I'll play along. For now. But someday… when the time is right…"
Leo smiled faintly.
He could see it written all over Bege's face. And yet, he welcomed it.
"Let the ambitious come. I'll break them one by one."