"Figarland Garling..." Blackbeard Teach showed a strange smile, "Isn't this the Celestial Dragon? How did you end up dealing with pirates like us?"
"If you had spoken to me like this a few years earlier, you'd already be dead." Garling turned around, his trademark sunglasses gone, revealing hawk-like eyes that fixed tightly on Blackbeard.
"But now, I have no interest in killing you... It's better to let you create some value for me."
"These don't sound like words someone who once slaughtered freely in God Valley would say."
"That man was already killed by Michael at Enies Lobby five years ago," Garling finally revealed a faint smile.
"What stands before you now is merely a ghost."
"A ghost who can procure this much Dyna stone?"
Blackbeard's lips twisted into a smirk.
If he believed this old bastard's nonsense, he wouldn't be Blackbeard.
A ghost?
This was clearly a monster whose eyes burned with nothing but hatred.
Just as he said, Michael had killed "the original him" five years ago—so now...
He probably dreamed of nothing but Michael's death.
So much so that he'd even collaborate with pirates the Celestial Dragons have always despised!
"No need for you to concern yourselves with that... Just use this Bomb Rock to blow up either the Revolutionary Army or Michael," Garling paused before adding, "Preferably Michael himself..."
"Zehahaha! You really do hate him, don't you?" Blackbeard Teach laughed.
Truthfully, among those secretly preparing to move against Michael, Blackbeard himself had no real conflict with the man.
No clashes of interest, no ideological opposition...
At most, he'd fought Weevil once.
But heavens bear witness—he hadn't even won that fight!
It was Kaido who had beaten Weevil unconscious and thrown him into the dungeon.
Still...
He was more than happy to participate in this story of toppling a legend...
It would undoubtedly elevate his infamy to new heights.
"Oh, and here's some good news for you..."
"My informants report that Michael has arrived in Wano Country—accompanied by a girl named Yamato."
Garling turned back, eyebrows slightly raised.
"Kaido... congratulations. All three of your targets have gathered in one place. Isn't this the perfect opportunity to settle everything at once?"
With that, he leapt off the cliff, vanishing before Kaido and Blackbeard's eyes.
Kaido made no move to stop him.
Instead, he gazed up at the bright moon, lost in thought.
He knew this was Figarland Garling's attempt at provocation.
But...
It was hard not to take the bait.
Kaido's obsession with Michael had even surpassed his original fixation—
That the world was unbearably dull, and he wanted to ignite 'the greatest war the world has ever seen.'
But now...
He would never feel boredom again.
Not only had Michael driven him out of Wano Country with a single letter, but he'd also stolen away his daughter and two of his adopted children!
Sending that damned overpowered angel to hell wasn't just an obsession—it had become his greatest pleasure in life!
"Revealing Michael's whereabouts to you now... what exactly is his game? Zehahaha! So hard to guess!"
"Teach, if you keep speaking to me in that tone, I won't hesitate to test the stone's power on you first."
"You have such a foul temper, Kaido."
...
"You want my country to fully support the Revolutionary Army?"
"Not just supply them with weapons and equipment, but also teach their craftsmen how to forge seastone?"
"And every swordsman capable of achieving the 'Iron-Cutting' level must stand ready to join the battlefield against the World Government?" Kozuki Oden repeated the conditions proposed by Michael, then raised his head with a somewhat strained smile.
"This... is truly asking the impossible."
"It's not asking the impossible, but rather helping you," Michael sighed and explained.
"At this stage, the Marines have sufficient combat strength and don't lack the military power of your Wano Country... Yet because of that thing hidden beneath your land, the World Government will never let you go—it's only a matter of time."
"Moreover, isn't your dream to open the country's borders?"
"Opening the borders means unsealing Pluton..."
"You are destined to stand completely opposed to the World Government, in a fight to the death. So why not secure strong allies during this pre-war period?"
"From this perspective, don't my conditions seem much less harsh?"
Michael's tone remained calm and steady throughout, without any fluctuations.
Yet every word struck deep into Kozuki Oden's heart.
The current Kozuki Oden was no longer the naive young lord who believed everything he was told.
As a non-affiliated nation of the World Government that had stood firm in the New World for so long, he had developed some political sensitivity.
Based on his own assessment of the situation, what Michael described was highly likely to happen.
The World Government's covetousness toward Wano had become glaringly obvious over the past five years.
Especially in the last two years—almost every month, the World Government sent invitations for Wano to join as an affiliated nation.
And they came with many additional conditions.
Such as granting Wano direct pricing authority over seastone sold worldwide.
Or the Five Elders' joint proposal: if Kozuki Oden agreed to make Wano a World Government affiliate and assist in releasing the lost Pluton...
They would recommend the Kozuki family's entry into Pangaea Castle as a new Celestial Dragon family.
Yet despite this, Kozuki Oden still refused to yield.
He had no intention of becoming meat on someone else's chopping block.
But... Michael's motives remained unclear to him.
Though these conditions seemed harsh for Wano, in reality, there were no hidden traps that would overturn the country's foundations...
On the contrary, the Revolutionary Army's reputation, bolstered by their presence across the four seas, was firmly that of the "good guys" from the perspective of non-affiliated nations like his.
Not to mention Michael himself.
Even after being stripped of his Marine rank, Michael remained an object of admiration for the majority of Marines and civilians.
"This... I'll need some time to consider."
"Then take your time. I didn't expect an immediate answer."
Michael stood up, looking at Kozuki Oden's tall and imposing figure.
"I believe you won't regret this."