"Edward Weevil, the so-called Whitebeard Jr., has officially accepted the title of Shichibukai!"
"Kozuki Momonosuke has publicly declared war on Kurozumi Orochi, seeking to reclaim his rightful position as daimyo of Wano!"
At Dressrosa, inside what was once Doflamingo's grand palace—
Roya sat, holding the newspaper with both headlines in full view, silently falling into deep thought.
Weevil and Momonosuke—these two individuals were quite different from how he remembered them.
At first, Roya had assumed it was all a butterfly effect, the result of having saved Whitebeard and Ace.
But now… it didn't seem that simple.
With Whitebeard's personality, how could he possibly tolerate his "son" submitting to the World Government by accepting the title of Shichibukai?
And as for Momonosuke—even if his claim to daimyo status was legitimate, and even if he'd gathered a group of well-meaning supporters fed up with Wano's current state—how could that possibly justify challenging Kaido directly?
"When something's off, there's always a hidden hand behind it."
Roya dropped the newspaper and was about to contact Lucci, instructing him to intensify intelligence gathering on both fronts—
When Law walked in, his expression filled with excitement. He bowed deeply and said:
"My lord! We've successfully taken full control of all of Doflamingo's underground dealings!"
"In his name, we've sent invitations to every supplier and distributor. Three days from now, a summit will be held here in the palace."
"When the time comes, we'll be able to wipe out all of these parasites in one stroke!"
Roya nodded. "You all can handle that yourselves."
"Doflamingo won't be causing trouble again—not when he's been reduced to a mere energy core in Squard's blade."
Law grinned. "Can't wait to see the looks on those smug faces when they find out that their 'true master' has been turned into the power source of a sword."
With another bow, Law turned and left, brimming with resolve.
Roya picked the newspaper back up and tapped a few times on the full-page photo of Whitebeard Jr.
In that moment, he made up his mind.
In a flash, he vanished from the palace.
---
"Sir, Blackbeard has been successfully captured and handed over to Dr. Vegapunk."
"At this rate, it won't be long before Dr. Vegapunk unlocks the secrets of Roya's energy."
Lucci lifted his gaze slightly, glancing at the Five Elders to read their expressions.
His tone remained calm and devoid of emotion as he continued:
"Additionally, according to intel from Dressrosa, Roya has gone out to sea alone, riding a small skiff. Based on his heading, he seems to be heading toward the Moby Dick."
"I believe… this may be a fleeting but golden opportunity to eliminate him."
The great hall fell into an eerie silence. Lucci could feel five overwhelming auras suddenly focus on him like blades.
He immediately lowered his eyes, calmed his breath, and stood perfectly still.
After a long pause, the Elder with the flat black hat finally spoke:
"Do you believe CP0's current forces, combined with Prototype No. 1, can kill Roya?"
The mention of "Prototype No. 1" made Lucci's heart pound violently—Roya had been right all along.
He did everything he could to maintain composure and prevent the Five Elders from detecting any internal reaction.
Then he responded decisively:
"It's impossible! But… if we're willing to pay the price, we might be able to obtain a sample of Roya's genes."
The bald, beardless Elder let out a cold snort.
"Pay the price? You mean to sacrifice CP0's elite forces along with Prototype No. 1?"
Lucci smiled without reservation.
"Exactly. I will remain hidden in the shadows and strike when the moment is right."
The long-bearded Elder sighed softly.
"Your plan is very tempting."
> "Unfortunately, we've greatly underestimated Roya's strength. We've already lost too many of our top fighters and cannot afford another major loss."
The bald Elder, however, suddenly voiced agreement:
"But if we can obtain a genetic sample from Roya… and reverse-engineer his energy core—then any losses will have been worth it."
The blond Elder interjected.
"Everyone, you're being too hasty."
At his words, the other four elders were visibly shaken and immediately fell silent.
Lucci cursed inwardly at the lost opportunity. With a bow, he quietly withdrew from the hall.
Once he was gone, the Elder with the black hat asked:
"What do you all think of Lucci?"
The curly-haired Elder replied:
"He's willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to achieve his goals. That makes him a qualified head of CP."
The long-bearded Elder nodded.
"I see potential in him. He might even be able to take one of our places one day."
The bald Elder said:
"His personal combat strength is lacking, but with some enhancements, that can be fixed."
The blond Elder was silent for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice:
"But have you truly seen through him?"
The man with the black hat smiled.
"Whether we have or not, does it matter? Anyone seeking to approach the true core of this world… must pass through Lord Imu."
"And once he's stood before Lord Imu—if he's truly intelligent—he'll know exactly which side to choose."
The Five Elders all nodded, the topic closed.
Across the vast ocean, Roya suddenly opened his eyes.
A blinding brilliance burst from his gaze like never before.
"Prototype No. 1... Genes... Energy core…"
"Vegapunk…"
"Imu…"
The small skiff beneath his feet suddenly accelerated dramatically—so fast that his figure and the boat itself blurred into streaks.
Like a bolt of thunder, he streaked across the surface of the sea.
Before long, he reached the waters where the main fleet of the Whitebeard Pirates was anchored.
One large battleship and three smaller vessels, all of identical make, were tethered together, floating with the waves.
Even from afar, Roya could sense a tense, unpleasant atmosphere aboard.
One particularly strong and violent aura was suppressing more than a dozen weaker ones, leaving them completely unable to resist.
Roya's heart sank.
Among the chaotic, clashing presences, Whitebeard's aura was nowhere to be found.
The strongest presence—though similar to Whitebeard's—was fundamentally different.
Edward Weevil.
Whitebeard's presence had vanished, yet the presence of Whitebeard Jr. had skyrocketed.
What that implied sent chills down even Roya's spine.
As the fleet drew near, Roya soared into the air and shot toward the Moby Dick like a comet.
From midair, he saw Weevil swinging Whitebeard's old naginata—Murakumogiri—directly at Marco's head!
Marco seemed to be in a heated argument with him, red-faced from the quarrel, and hadn't expected Weevil to lash out so suddenly.
Caught off guard, Marco hastily transformed into his phoenix form and retreated as fast as he could to escape the strike.
The onlookers watched with bloodshot eyes, trembling with fury—but because of Weevil's "identity," none dared lay a hand on him.
"How dare you!"
Roya's sharp voice cut through the air like lightning.
With a swift twist of his waist, he pointed the tip of his toe toward the blade of Murakumogiri—
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