"First, congratulations to all of you for being able to come here."
Null clapped his hands lightly, smiling with calm authority as he looked over the group before him.
"Being able to join Vespera will be the most fortunate moment in your lives."
Clap, clap, clap…
Among the seven gathered figures, only three joined in the applause without hesitation — Pegasus, Sirius and Echo.
The others remained motionless. Earth (Crocodile) stood with his arms folded and sneered, Tide observed in silence, Serpent watched coldly, and Sky appeared lost in thought.
It was clear that not every member of Shirogai's secret organization was entirely convinced by him.
Pegasus, Gan Fall, the former ruler of Skypiea — immediately took note of this. His sharp intuition as a former "God" made him an excellent judge of men and motives.
He sensed it at once. Though each person here respected Shirogai, that respect did not yet equal unity.
So that's why he invited me, Gan Fall thought quietly. He wants me to observe, to keep watch over these people for him.
His gaze drifted toward Echo, standing a few platforms away. That one seems particularly loyal.
---
"Wuwuwu, my lord! The most fortunate thing in my life was meeting you back in Little Garden!"
Echo — formerly Mr. 3, real name Galdino — was nearly trembling with emotion. His eyes shone with admiration as he looked toward Shirogai standing on the crimson platform at the center.
Perhaps one day, my name will be known across the seas… even the Four Emperors will take notice of me!
Galdino, once a self-proclaimed artist and tactician with grand ambitions, had always viewed himself as a man of refined taste and intellect. But his life had changed completely after meeting Shirogai.
On Little Garden, Shirogai had given him a final order before their separation:
> "Mr. 3, find an ordinary island. Live as an ordinary person. Learn how the world truly works. Only then will you break free from your arrogance and self-deception."
At first, Galdino hadn't understood. But after witnessing Shirogai's mastery in manipulating the power of the Wax-Wax Fruit, he had become completely devoted to him.
Even after leaving Shirogai's influence, Galdino obeyed that final command. He found a small fishing island with barely a thousand inhabitants and began to live as one of them.
There, he abandoned the use of his Devil Fruit abilities entirely. He relied only on his frail human strength, joining the fishermen every day. Because of the sea's curse upon Devil Fruit users, he nearly drowned countless times, only to be pulled from the water by his fellow fishermen.
Over time, the man who once looked down on "commoners" began to change. The smell of salt and fish that once disgusted him became a scent of honest labor.
He watched men and women rise before dawn, risk storms and uncertain waters, and toil endlessly — just to earn enough Berries to feed their families.
Galdino also witnessed how most of those Berries were taken as tax by the local mayor, tribute to the Celestial Dragons — the so-called "Heavenly Gold."
For the first time, he began to understand.
These people endure more suffering than any pirate or noble ever could… yet they never stop working.
Without his Devil Fruit powers, he joined them in their struggles — casting nets, wrestling fish, enduring wind and rain, and fighting exhaustion every single day.
In the sleepless nights that followed, he began to question everything he once believed:
Was my candle art truly art? Were my schemes ever real? Or were they just hollow tricks — beautiful illusions built on arrogance and fantasy?
He finally understood what Shirogai had meant.
The art he once boasted about was meaningless vanity. His schemes, once so proud and flamboyant, had no true substance.
True cunning, he realized, didn't need to shine. It was like survival itself — instinctive, quiet, and practical.
Just like those fishermen who appeared honest and humble — yet when pirates came to raid them, they would lure the intruders into reefs they knew like the back of their hands.
Schemes and strategy existed everywhere in life.
To use them well, one doesn't flaunt them. One breathes them.
Watching those fishermen collect treasure from a shattered pirate ship, Galdino smiled faintly.
Arrogance only brings downfall. Even a Devil Fruit user can die to unarmed men who simply know the sea better.
This revelation transformed the way he used his Wax-Wax Fruit. His attacks became simpler, colder, deadlier — not meant for show, but for results.
The Wax-Wax Fruit, when developed with precision, was terrifying. Galdino had once nearly defeated Luffy and Zoro on Little Garden with it. But back then, his obsession with style made him weak.
Now, under Shirogai's unseen guidance, he finally understood subtlety — and power born from restraint.
His Devil Fruit had evolved from flashy theatrics to silent assassination.
---
"Mr.3 seems very pleased to see me," Shirogai murmured, half-smiling. "I didn't expect to have my own fanatic."
His voice echoed through the mindscape. Here, in this spiritual domain, no thought could escape his perception.
"Your change truly surprised me," he added, smiling faintly.
The moment Galdino heard his words, he nearly trembled with joy. His admiration for Shirogai only deepened.
In truth, Shirogai hadn't intended to bring Galdino into Vespera. The man's strength wasn't extraordinary, and his influence was limited. But there was something different about him now — something genuine.
Within a single month, Galdino had undergone a complete transformation. Gone was the refined, conceited Mr. 3. His hair was a mess, his body reeked of salt and fish, and yet his eyes held a quiet resolve.
Through the Whisper-Whisper Fruit, Shirogai had even learned that Galdino had secretly protected that fishing village from pirate raids — destroying several small crews entirely on his own.
It was that act that changed everything.
Beneath the filth and simplicity, Shirogai saw the spark of something rare — the rebirth of a man who had faced his weakness and conquered it.
He now possessed what Shirogai valued: clarity, loyalty, and understanding.
Shirogai smiled to himself. Perhaps he truly deserves a chance.
A chance to rise again.
A chance to become known throughout the seas as a strategist equal to Sengoku of the Marines.
From this day forward, the Sky Islands would have their own military genius — the first Air Force Marshal of Skypiea, known as:
"Puppet Strategist Galdino."
Master of the Wax-Wax Fruit, wielder of countless
puppet clones. No one could ever be certain if they were speaking to the real Galdino… or merely his wax double.
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