Three Kingdoms, One Captain
The New World's winds carried Heaven's Embrace over restless seas, the ship's golden runes shimmering under the midday sun. From the helm, Bell-mère adjusted the heading, her cigarette bobbing in her mouth.
"Next stop: Sorbet Kingdom," she said, scanning the chart. "After that, we've got Ventross and Rosevale on the list."
Vegito lounged in the captain's chair, sipping from a coconut. "Three kingdoms, three chances to recruit new allies. Or, at least, to recruit their most beautiful leaders."
Kuina rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."
Robin smirked. "He's not wrong. Politics is easier when there's attraction involved."
Sorbet Kingdom – A Warm Welcome
The capital of Sorbet was a pastel port city surrounded by sugarcane fields and soft rolling hills. The Queen, a poised and statuesque woman named Amara, met them on the palace steps.
"Captain Vegito," she said with a smile that didn't quite hide her curiosity. "Your reputation arrives faster than you do."
"And yet," Vegito said with a bow that was half-serious, "it's still not as beautiful as the real thing."
Bell-mère muttered, "He's already turning it on."
The negotiations were smooth — Sorbet gained protection and trade rights, Vegito gained an ally and an open port. Amara's final handshake lingered just a fraction too long.
Ventross – The Frozen Jewel
The next leg brought them north to Ventross, a mountainous kingdom with glacial peaks and sapphire-blue lakes. Queen Serenya, draped in white furs, met them at a cliffside fortress.
Her eyes swept over Vegito's tail before meeting his gaze. "We have little patience for flattery here, Captain. Only results."
"Good," Vegito replied. "Flattery takes too long."
The Ventross council tried to test him with a mock battle. Vegito ended it in three seconds, holding the last challenger upside-down by his boots.
Serenya's icy expression thawed just enough to show the hint of a smirk. "Perhaps we can work together after all."
Rosevale – The Garden of Intrigue
Rosevale was a labyrinth of vineyards, fountains, and silk-draped balconies. Its ruler, Duchess Liora, was a political master — and one of the most overtly flirtatious women Vegito had met since Hancock.
"You make the seas tremble, Captain," she said, sipping wine. "And yet, you stand here like a man with no worries."
"I have worries," Vegito replied, leaning casually against the balcony. "Like whether this wine will pair well with dinner later."
By the time the deal was signed, Rosevale's vineyards were pledged to the Alliance, and Liora had slipped him a sealed note that simply read: Next time, come alone.
The Ambush
Leaving Rosevale, the crew's course took them through open New World waters — and straight into a waiting Marine fleet.
From the horizon, ten warships appeared in tight formation. Vegito could already feel the presence of three Vice Admirals and an Admiral-level power signature among them.
Bell-mère lit another cigarette. "Looks like they've learned to send a crowd."
"They'll need more," Vegito said, standing.
The Marines' Grand Speech
A booming voice echoed over the waves. "Vegito! By order of Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, you are under arrest for—"
Vegito vanished. One instant he was on deck, the next he was standing on the Admiral's flagship, holding the Marine megaphone.
"—being too handsome? Oh, wait, sorry, you were still talking."
The Vice Admiral who'd been mid-sentence blinked in shock before Vegito gently set the megaphone on his head like a hat.
One-Sided Battle
The sea erupted with cannon fire. Vegito casually batted the shells back toward the fleet, each one landing precisely in the water beside a warship, drenching but not sinking them.
"Not here to kill you," he called out, "just here to send a message."
A Vice Admiral charged with a full Busoshoku Haki strike. Vegito sidestepped and flicked him in the chest — sending him flying into the sky until he vanished from sight.
The Admiral — a stoic, silver-haired man known as Ryokuma — finally stepped forward. "You are destabilizing the world order."
"Yeah," Vegito said with a grin. "It was ugly. I'm redecorating."
With one wave of his hand, every Marine weapon on the fleet crumpled into harmless scrap. Then Vegito hopped back to Heaven's Embrace.
A New Level of Infamy
As the Marine fleet limped away, Bell-mère blew out a stream of smoke. "You know they're going to twist this to make you look like a monster, right?"
"Good," Vegito said. "Fear's useful."
Robin tilted her head. "And the Alliance?"
"Already stronger than before," Vegito replied. "Three new kingdoms, one less Marine fleet, and the message is clear — the New World's under new management."
News Shockwaves
Marineford: Sakazuki's teeth ground audibly. "Double our forces in the New World. I don't care what it takes."
Revolutionary HQ: Dragon smiled faintly. "He's moving faster than even I expected."
Pangaea Castle: Imu's voice was cold. "If he reaches Raftel before us, the balance shatters forever. Prepare contingency protocols."
The Captain's Quarters
That night, Vegito stood at the large map table in his quarters, the candlelight catching the gleam of the Poneglyph rubbings they'd gathered so far.
He whispered to himself, "Almost there."
Behind him, Bell-mère leaned in the doorway. "Plotting world domination or just the next dinner menu?"
Vegito smirked. "Why not both?"
[World State Updated]
Embrace Alliance: Sorbet, Ventross, Rosevale formally joined.
Marine Threat: Elevated to "Maximum Containment Priority."
Public Perception: Vegito seen as both liberator and uncontrollable threat.
Next Destination: A sudden detour to an uncharted island — and the unexpected return of someone Vegito thought he'd never see again.