From the moment Shirahoshi was kidnapped, Rowen immediately sent Law and Fujitora to find Franky. With an unspoken agreement between both sides, Franky handed over the blueprints to them.
Perhaps part of his decision was purely to protect the Straw Hats, but even more so, it couldn't be separated from his clear insight into the current world situation. He knew that handing the blueprints over to the men behind those two was not a foolish decision.
After all, to put it bluntly, constructing the Ancient Weapon Pluton, a machine 17,000 meters long and 50% larger than the massive "Golden City" Gran Tesoro destroyed in the previous battle, wasn't something any random power could achieve.
If a typical power-hungry warlord got hold of it, who knows how many disasters they'd cause, or how many civilians they'd exploit just to build it?
Among all the powers in the world, the only ones with both the strength and restraint to prevent such tragedies were Gold Emperor and Soryu (Azure Dragon) Rowen working together.
After over a year of construction, Pluton was finally completed!
…
Grand Line – Century City
Located between the fourth and fifth sea routes, the extravagant entertainment hub Century City required a special Eternal Log Pose to reach. Today, it welcomed many distinguished guests.
"I must say... your approach is very bold."
Looking at the bustling streets filled with people, Akainu's expression remained stiff as he let out a faint snort.
Due to Pluton's enormous size, it was impossible to keep it hidden. So Fujitora and Tesoro publicly claimed it was a new entertainment megaship built through joint financing. With the precedent set by the Golden City, outsiders merely marveled at the duo's wealth; no one linked it to an Ancient Weapon.
And so…
They used this to their advantage.
"After Tesoro's death, investors became pessimistic. Even though Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) took over his assets, they believed the Marines and the Gold Emperor were two very different breeds... Now that the ship is complete, it's time to let them see it for themselves, and restore their confidence in investing."
"We'll still need them down the line."
At this, Fujitora smiled, his cloudy eyes twinkling.
"Of course. Publicly, all they know is that the main body is completed, but the facilities onboard are 'incomplete' and 'not ready for use'... But we both know, this is a battleship, and doesn't need all those luxury add-ons."
"That's called investment fraud, Fujitora!"
Standing confidently at the railing, Momousagi looked down at the sea of people below and took a deep breath.
"Many of them are long-time patrons of the Golden City, royalty and nobles from Allied and non-Allied kingdoms, as well as powers from across the sea... Swindling their money will have consequences. Even the World Government would have to think twice."
Taking someone's money is like killing their parents. With that much investment lost, it's obvious these people won't take it lying down.
So shouldn't you be more worried about me committing commercial fraud? What kind of justice is this, from a Marine?!
Fujitora twitched at the corner of his mouth and explained:
"We've set a cap on how much they can invest. Only those on the list are allowed to invest large amounts. Everyone else is limited, nothing too damaging... Of course, internally this is classified, and none of them know the others' terms."
"List?"
Akainu looked curiously at Rowen. "What list?"
"People who pose a threat to us, like certain covert pirate coalitions and uncooperative black market merchants…"
Rowen smiled faintly.
"Their investments are massive, over three-quarters of the total, hoping to go all in for one big score. But because of that, they no longer have the capital to resist us!"
At this, Rowen let out a dramatic sigh.
"The stock market is risky, entering the game requires caution!"
Akainu, Momousagi: "..."
As expected of Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) Rowen!
He is Ruthless!
Since ancient times, money has moved hearts. If this giant ship was really a mobile luxury entertainment city like Golden City once was, then with the original destroyed, it would have brought enormous yearly profits to all who invested.
And with such opportunity right in front of them, given the greedy, impulsive nature of pirates and black market merchants, they naturally dove in to feast like wolves, hoping to make a killing.
To seize this opportunity, they spared no cost, throwing in everything they had.
But in the end...
All they did was prove with their own blood and tears that in the melting pot of capital, retail investors are just long-haired sheep waiting to be sheared.
"Besides, I'm still a Shichibukai, after all. I can legally plunder!" At this point, Fujitora chuckled self-deprecatingly. "It's just that instead of plundering by force, I switched to plundering through trade."
"Oh right, if too much time passes, they might start to grow suspicious. When that happens, Century City could run into some serious trouble… There isn't a single one of them who truly deserves to die, so Fleet Admiral Akainu, I'll have to ask for your help when the time comes."
At that, Akainu looked up at him, thought for a moment, then replied:
"You don't need to ask. I'll do what needs to be done. But only on one condition , they cannot be criminals."
"If they are… You already know what I'll do, Fujitora Issho."
"Of course!"
Hearing Akainu's personal promise, Fujitora let out a sigh of relief and solemnly pledged: "If anyone breaks the law, I will personally deliver them to Marine Headquarters to face justice!"
"Hmph. It'd better stay that way!"
With the two reaching an agreement, Rowen clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention and said:
"Alright, since we've discussed everything that needed to be discussed, let's head out. As Fleet Admiral, it's really not a good look for you to be away from Headquarters for too long without making a public appearance."
Noticing the twitch at the corner of Akainu's eye, Rowen swiftly turned away and asked: "Vice Admiral Momousagi, where's our Inspection Force?"
"They should be arriving any moment… Oh, look, there they are."
A commotion arose at the port entrance. Led by a tall and imposing woman, a group of female soldiers pushed through the bustling crowd and marched straight toward the central district of Century City.
Anyone who saw them could tell that they weren't here for fun.
"Alright, go and take command. Remember: find faults even if there are none. If there are no problems, create problems."
Hearing this, Momousagi grinned wickedly and cast a sly glance at Fujitora.
"Don't worry. Being unreasonable... is a woman's specialty!"
Rowen, Akainu, Fujitora: "..."
((--)--)-_-)
Holy Land – Mary Geoise
The long-mustached Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) set down the report in his hand and glanced at his fellow Elders.
"So in the end, he managed to fool us after all?"
The report described how Century City's mega-ship test voyage had concluded successfully. Even though Fleet Admiral Akainu had been present, the way Fujitora cleanly and efficiently handled everything left the Marines with no evidence and no gains.
In response, the Mediterranean Gorōsei shrugged.
"It can't be helped. We know Fujitora's style well. He's globally known as a benevolent hero. If no flaws could be found, then that's to be expected. We can't just label someone a criminal because they built a big ship."
He let out a sigh.
"But now that Tesoro and the Golden City are gone, and Fujitora has built Century City in their place... we may have underestimated the power of capital in the past."
"Fortunately, the one behind Fujitora is Rowen. The one who inherited Tesoro's assets is also Rowen. That brat may resent us and act against the World Government, but he has always stood on our side, and is a supporter of the regime."
"After all, he is a noble of honor, recognized by that adult (the Im-like figure). His fate is tied to the government, if it prospers, he prospers; if it falls, he falls. With his intelligence, he would never cross the line."
"Indeed."
Seeing how the others quickly brushed the matter aside, the long-mustached Gorōsei frowned silently.
Is it really that simple?
Why do I still feel this gnawing sense of unease?
At that moment, the blond, gold-bearded Gorōsei holding a wine glass looked toward him and asked:
"By the way, have we found any trace of the Sea King?"
"Not yet."
Maybe that's what's bothering me so much…
The long-mustached Elder shook his head and answered:
"I've already sent CP0 to expand the search range for a third time, but we still haven't found a single trace of Shirahoshi."
"I thought so… Looks like we'll have to start with the data Aokiji left behind. Let's hope there's something useful."
Thinking of Aokiji, who still lay unconscious and in critical condition… and the terrifying power behind the Sea King that injured him…
The Five Elder Stars fell silent once more.
(End of Chapter)
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