Wayne gently patted Vivian on the head and said,
"Don't worry. You'll never have to live under that kind of oppression again. From now on, those so-called nobles won't dare exploit you."
"Big Brother Wayne will come visit you often!"
Vivian nodded, half-understanding. She and the others could sense that Wayne had his own responsibilities.
At that moment, Kizaru arrived with a group of Marines, World Government officials, and several surviving upper-echelon nobles from the Island of Slavery.
"So this is the Warlord Wayne? Looks like a decent guy… pity he's a pirate."
Wayne turned to the voice. A female Marine in a headquarters officer's uniform stood nearby. She had long pink hair and a cigarette dangling from her lips.
She looked vaguely familiar. But the subtle hint of pity in her tone made Wayne sneer.
"Not like you Navy types, huh? Let others do the dirty work and then show up to reap the rewards."
The woman flicked her cigarette away and snapped,
"Tashigi's not that kind of Marine!"
Wayne blinked, suddenly recalling who she was. A Devil Fruit user with the Kankan no Mi, the Barrier-Barrier Fruit. She was a capable Marine in the original story.
Before the tension could escalate, a government official stepped in to ease the mood.
"Lord Wayne, no need to dwell on that."
"When do you plan to leave the Island of Slavery?"
Wayne paused, then replied,
"Today, most likely."
He still had a ship to build in Water 7, and there was plenty left to do.
The official looked visibly relieved.
"In that case, Lord Wayne, here is a treaty drafted by the nobles of this nation, along with compensation for your… inconvenience. Please review it."
Wayne took the documents, raising an eyebrow. He had casually mentioned wanting compensation before, but he hadn't expected anyone to take it seriously.
He skimmed through the contents:
Compensation of 300 million Berries to Warlord Dullach D. Wayne, for being unlawfully detained in the slave prison for three hours.
Warlord Dullach D. Wayne must vacate the Island of Slavery as soon as possible and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of the nation or the World Government.
Unless formally invited, Warlord Dullach D. Wayne is prohibited from re-entering the Island of Slavery.
The final interpretation of this treaty lies solely with the Island of Slavery. Any breach shall bear consequences accordingly.
Wayne frowned not because the terms were too strict, but because they were too generous.
All he had to do was leave and not come back, and he'd walk away with 300 million Berries?
There were no specified consequences for breach, either. Only the final clause about interpretation seemed a bit odd.
"Have you finished reading, Lord Wayne? If there are no issues, please sign right away," the official urged.
Wayne hesitated at the signature line. Then he chuckled at himself.
Here he was, a pirate, worrying about Navy politics. Most Marines were decent people after all.
He reached out to sign.
Then
A shiver of unease prickled at the back of his mind.
"Something's not right…"
He narrowed his eyes and mentally retraced everything that had happened since his arrival.
The Dark World's so-called ruler. Slaive. The Slavery Fruit. Nobles. Commoners.
The auction house. The auctioneer. Xivi.
Something didn't add up.
Right! What did Xivi say before he died?
"Slaive isn't what he seems."
And the Slaive Wayne killed… had gone down too easily.
There was that warning from Xivi. The strange contract that haunted him even in death.
And now, not a single noble had voiced any complaint.
The World Government was acting suspiciously fast.
And most importantly Slaive hadn't even used the Slavery Fruit to defend himself.
Was that Devil Fruit really so powerless?
Wayne's mind spun, connecting the pieces. His hand froze before signing.
Then his eyes caught a familiar figure among the crowd.
The auctioneer.
"The hell with it… time for a test!"
Wayne suddenly drew his sword, Rakshasa, and slashed forward with a sharp, narrow arc.
"Ittoryu: Horizon Line!"
The strike flew straight at the auctioneer coated in Armament Haki.
The auctioneer instinctively crossed his arms to block, revealing they were also coated in thick layers of Haki.
His eyes widened in panic.
He hadn't expected to be targeted. But his reflexes betrayed him.
Wayne grinned coldly.
"Almost fooled me… didn't you, Slaive?"
That's right.
The real Slaive wasn't the man Wayne had killed.
It was this auctioneer.
Wayne hadn't been sure before the attack. Based on the auctioneer's apparent strength, there was no way he should've been able to block that slash
Unless he was hiding something.
Now that he'd blocked it with Haki, the truth was clear.
Wayne could have been wrong. But what did it matter?
All he would've done is kill a scumbag from the underworld.
Luckily, he'd guessed right.
The auctioneer Slaive staggered back, horror written across his face.
"N-no way… how did you figure it out?"
A World Government official turned pale.
"This is bad…" he muttered under his breath.
Wayne's suspicions were confirmed. The man before him was no ordinary auctioneer he was the real king of slavery.
That impostor from before had merely been a stand-in, a puppet
no wonder he'd been such a weakling.
"Wayne, you can't attack him!"
Another voice rang out. Wayne turned. A government agent stepped forward, holding up a copy of the treaty.
"This country is now officially a member of the World Government! As its ruler, Slaive is under the Navy's protection!"
"Don't forget your position as a Warlord. If you know what's good for you, walk away. We've already compromised plenty this treaty was our greatest concession."
Wayne chuckled coldly, contempt flashing in his eyes.
"You? You're not even worth talking to."
With a flick of his mind, the treaty flew from the agent's hands into Wayne's.
The official panicked. "Admiral Kizaru, we had a deal! Slaive must not die! Those are orders from above!"
Wayne paused and looked at Kizaru.
"So, old man… you were in on this too?"
"Is this what the Navy has come to?"
Kizaru's face tightened. Clearly, this wasn't something he wanted either. But his position left him no room to defy orders.
Wayne understood.
"If the Navy can't do it…" he said, voice low and resolute, "then let a pirate handle it."
"Even if it costs me my title as a Warlord
I don't care anymore."
With that, Wayne tore the treaty in half.
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