"Hee hee~ Such decisiveness!"
Seeing the Happo Navy's swift withdrawal, Aeridar let out a low chuckle.
A leader who can make a snap decision without letting emotions interfere is already a competent one.
Ignoring the remnants of the fleeing Happo Navy, Aeridar immediately had the five little girls board a small wooden boat. Knowing that this Marine commander had no patience for pirates, he decided not to concern himself with the situation.
Swoosh—
Aeridar grabbed the small boat, hoisted it over his shoulders, and shot into the sky, leaving that stretch of sea behind.
On the figurehead of the massive, axe-bowed battleship, a massive, purple-haired man wearing sunglasses watched Aeridar's departing figure with indifference.
"Zephyr-sensei, that man…" Ain hesitated.
"Don't worry about him. Our only objective is to wipe out the Happo Navy," Zephyr said flatly, chewing on a leaf of tobacco.
....
"Violent Group Happo Navy's 12th Leader, Sea Pirate Boss Chinjao, Captured by the Marines."
"Master of the World Neutral Zone and One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Golden Ring Aeridar, Defeats Great Pirate Chinjao!"
"Komodo Merchant Guild Robbed! Happo Navy Severely Crippled by the Marines!"
In just a day, the news of Great Pirate Chinjao's defeat by Aeridar, his subsequent capture by the Marines, and the severe crippling of the Happo Navy spread across the world as headline news.
However, there was not a whisper about Aeridar having killed a Komodo Merchant Guild Chairman and a Chief Guard.
"Fufufufufu~ He's caused another big incident."
The Den Den Mushi opened its mouth, projecting Doflamingo's distinctive laugh.
"Cut the boring talk. You didn't call just to say that, did you?" Aeridar said, listlessly swirling the red wine in his glass inside a luxurious room at Rainbase.
Beside him, Crocodile, smoking a cigar, was feeding his pets, two Bananawani.
"Hey hey... Don't be such a buzzkill," Doflamingo completely disregarded Aeridar's remark and continued on his own, "I know you took out a Komodo Merchant Guild Chairman and a Chief Guard, and even rescued five Kuja children while you were at it. Fufufufufu~"
"What? Did they come looking for you?" Aeridar took a sip of red wine and asked casually.
"Not at all. But I know the remaining few guys from the Komodo Merchant Guild are scared to death, worried that you'll decide to take them out next. Fuffuffufu~" Doflamingo laughed with malicious delight.
Yesterday, the Happo Navy failed to reclaim Chinjao and decisively retreated, but Zephyr's Pirate Assault Squad pursued them closely, managing to sink two more of their remaining four battleships before finally stopping the chase.
Meanwhile, the remaining four Chairmans of the Komodo Merchant Guild learned that Dadanis Parodi had offended Aeridar over the Kuja slave issue and was killed. This news left them terrified, fearing they would also be uprooted.
Later, Zephyr simply released the entire ship of slaves. Upon hearing the news, Sengoku not only didn't cause trouble for Aeridar but also sent the agreed-upon Seastone to the Sabaody Archipelago for the members of the Chris Pirates's branch to receive, effectively condoning Aeridar's actions.
"Boring," Aeridar curled his lip, then asked, "How did that matter turn out?"
"Of course, there's no problem. Given your status and the profits you offered, the 'God of Fortune,' Lu Feld is practically overjoyed," Doflamingo said scornfully. "In fact, you didn't even need to offer such huge profits; he would have meekly handed the person over."
"My status? Lu Feld, the head of the underground loan shark industry, and I have no dealings, so why the need to save face for me?" Aeridar was a little confused. Although he was well-known in the Underworld and was a sovereign King, Lu Feld was no slouch and was also a King of his domain. He could understand the prestige of a Yonko, but why did he himself command such a tremendous deterrent force?
"So you didn't even realize it yourself. That explains why you carved out such a massive profit for Feld!" Doflamingo suddenly understood, then laughed, "What is this? Is it like, 'The intentional bloom won't flower, but the casual shade tree flourishes'? Fufufufufu~"
Honestly, Doflamingo was a little jealous. He had debuted around the age of ten or eleven, struggled painstakingly for nearly thirty years, and only now held his current status. Yet this man, young and not even thirty, had a strength and status superior to his own. This feeling, even Doflamingo found hard to stomach.
Of course, Doflamingo could still bear it. After all, Shanks the Red-Haired was two years younger than him but was firmly seated on the Yonko throne. Even Kaido the Beast, whom Doflamingo feared, had been forced to retreat multiple times when facing Shanks.
Crocodile, feeding his pet, couldn't help but glance at Aeridar after hearing Doflamingo's voice on the Den Den Mushi.
It turned out that Aeridar, the Master of the World Neutral Zone, held the title of "King" in the Underworld. Early on, he had used Doflamingo's network to sell large quantities of high-grade weapons and various precious luxury goods, especially the SS drug.
Ninety-nine percent of the SS drug that flowed into the Underworld was traded under the moniker of the King. With this hard currency, Aeridar not only amassed vast wealth but also expanded his connections, causing his influence to swell uncontrollably, like an inflating balloon.
Monster-level strength!
Unmatched military power!
Wealth that rivals the world's!
Unique products!
The "God of Fortune" Lu Feld? The head of the underground loan shark industry? That meant nothing. There were too many people in that line of work.
Aeridar was the sole provider of the SS drug. If he wanted to deal with Lu Feld, Aeridar wouldn't even need to act personally; he'd only need to spread the word, and countless giants and Kings of the Underworld would rush to subjugate Lu Feld, all in an effort to curry favor with Aeridar.
Of course, Aeridar himself was unaware of these things, as few people were authorized to negotiate business with him directly. Most of the time, Millie and Arlan were responsible.
This was due to the influence of his previous life, where Aeridar believed his own strength was the true guarantee and the only way to deter others. So, under normal circumstances, he rarely managed the business, focusing instead on training himself and continuously increasing his personal power.
However, the fact that Aeridar's faction and business grew rapidly despite his minimal involvement proved that his approach was correct.
Admiring Aeridar's strength, countless people wanted to join his banner.
Fearing Aeridar's strength, countless people's first thought was cooperation and appeasement, not offense.
"Oh~ Is that so? It looks like the power under my command is growing extremely fast!" Aeridar raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his voice.