The voice of Marcus Mars, one of the Gorosei, carried through the Transponder Snail, calm and unshaken.
"You can live in Mary Geoise for a while and choose a wife you like as your companion. But as a member of the Celestial Dragons, you will no longer associate with those filthy pirates. You will instead join the God's Knights."
Shirogai raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
"So you never intended for me to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
Marcus Mars replied bluntly, "No. To the outside world, the World Government will announce you as a Shichibukai, but in truth, you will belong entirely to the Celestial Dragons."
Shirogai chuckled darkly, his tone amused. "Heh, this is quite interesting."
The Gorosei had never expected resistance. After all, countless people across the seas dreamed of becoming Celestial Dragons, to live in luxury and wield untouchable privileges. Yet here was Shirogai, untempted.
"The second condition," Marcus Mars continued coldly, "is that you kill everyone on that island. Leave no one alive except for Admiral Kizaru."
Shirogai's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And the reason?"
"That is not for you to ask."
Shirogai smirked and tilted his head. "Pleasure chatting, but goodbye."
He moved to toss the Transponder Snail back to Kizaru when another voice cut in.
Jaygarcia Saturn spoke, his tone as calm as a knife's edge.
"We spent some time investigating the identities of your crewmates."
"Oh?" Shirogai's voice remained steady, his smile never faltering. "And what exactly does that mean?"
Saturn listed them without hesitation.
"The captain from Windmill Village, Goa Kingdom, East Blue. The navigator from Orange Town. The swordsman from Shimotsuki Village. The cook raised in the floating restaurant, Baratie. The sniper from Syrup Village. The doctor from Drum Kingdom."
The message was clear. Threats aimed at the Straw Hats' origins.
Shirogai lowered his head, lips curling into a cold grin.
"Heh… I see what you mean."
The Gorosei took his apparent acceptance as a victory. To them, no matter how dangerous a lion was, it was worthless compared to a dog that obeyed.
"The power of the World Government is beyond your imagination," Izanbaron V. Nasujuro added, chuckling. "Plunderer Shirogai, agree to these two simple terms. Becoming one of the Celestial Dragons will be a meteoric rise for you."
Shirogai's eyes glinted dangerously as he looked straight at Kizaru. His grin widened into something sinister.
"Then I hope you're ready for war. Gorosei… I'll take Admiral Kizaru's head first."
Kizaru's lazy expression twisted in alarm.
"Oh dear, this is troublesome."
But it was already too late. A suffocating aura erupted around Shirogai, shadows writhing and pressing down on the tavern. The unconscious pirates lying nearby trembled as a dark wave of whispers poured out of them, reaching for Kizaru.
"Wha—" Kizaru's mind faltered for two seconds, poisoned by the eerie moans echoing inside his head.
By the time he regained his focus, Shirogai was already upon him.
"Stay right where you are, Kizaru. Haoshoku Infusion!"
Crack! Crack!
Pitch-black Haki surged from Shirogai's body, the air itself snapping under the pressure. His right hand pulsed with jet-black lightning as Haoshoku Haki coated his strike, shaking the entire tavern apart.
The overwhelming shockwave swept across the island. Every soul on Jaya collapsed in terror, fainting under the suffocating dread.
Flop… flop…
Kizaru froze under the crushing weight. Shirogai's voice dropped cold.
"Divine Restraint."
The ground cracked as black light devoured the Admiral's footing, forcing his legs into the earth.
"This old man really is unlucky…" Kizaru muttered bitterly, his grin strained as he released his own Armament Haki in a desperate attempt to resist. But his body was steadily sinking, his chest nearly pressed into the ground.
"Shirogai," Kizaru managed to wheeze, "can't we… discuss this again?"
"Wait." Saturn's calm voice echoed through the Transponder Snail.
"Give us a tube of your blood. That is all we require."
The pressure around the tavern didn't falter.
"Shirogai the Plunderer," Saturn pressed on. "One tube of your blood, and you will be granted the official title of Shichibukai. Beyond that, the World Government is willing to grant you any condition you desire."
At last, the crushing aura paused.
Whoosh!
The instant the Haki receded, Kizaru flashed into light and retreated far, unwilling to risk staying within Shirogai's range. His usual languid demeanor was gone, replaced with wariness.
Shirogai turned toward the trembling Transponder Snail. His tone was ice.
"Gorosei… never force me to lose my playful mood. If you do, I'll march into Mary Geoise myself and tear it apart."
Crackling arcs of Haoshoku still hissed around him, yet his eyes closed as if disinterested.
The ability of his Whisper-Whisper Fruit surged to its awakened limit.
[Whisper-Whisper Fruit – Demon-Modified Fifth Form Awakened.]
Dark entities twisted and spread unseen, crawling into the depths of human hearts, multiplying endlessly, devouring stray thoughts as fuel. In seconds, countless clones of whispers echoed through minds across the seas, searching for their prey.
Voices overlapped inside Shirogai's skull—
"What should I eat today…"
"This damned weather…"
"Vice Admiral, the Marineford report is ready…"
"The air in Mary Geoise is clear today…"
Found you.
Shirogai's bloodshot eyes snapped open, his smile razor-sharp.
"Celestial Dragons… this is my first greeting. Please be lenient."
High above the Red Line, in Mary Geoise, the Celestial Dragons were leisurely walking their slaves through the gardens. Beautiful landscapes, luxurious fountains, and naked slaves forced to crawl like pets.
Then it happened.
"I found you!"
A cold, eerie laugh pierced their minds.
"Celestial Dragons… this is my first greeting. Please be lenient."
Pop! Pop!
Celestial Dragons all across the gardens collapsed, fainting with foaming mouths. Servants and slaves screamed in panic, rushing to shake their masters awake.
"Master! Master, please wake up!"
"What's wrong?!"
"Help, he's not breathing!"
The paradise of Mary Geoise erupted into chaos.
"Bastard! What did you do?!" The Gorosei's furious voices echoed through the Transponder Snail, their calm composure gone.
Shirogai sneered, his grin vicious.
"Gorosei, I also spent a little time finding your Mary Geoise…"
His words cut like blades.
"You can threaten my companions' families. But I can threaten your Holy Land. If it's war you want, then let's hurt each other."
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