On the other side, Ortoren used the excuse of returning to Marineford to recuperate and didn't linger in the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
In reality, he was sitting comfortably inside Shakky's Rip-Off Bar on the Sabaody Archipelago.
And it wasn't just him—the four main culprits behind the Mary Geoise arson were all gathered here.
"Injuries this severe? Did you really need to push yourself that hard?" Dragon looked at Ortoren's bandaged body in surprise.
It was just acting. How did you end up like this? Anyone who didn't know better would think you really fought Shiki to the death.
Ortoren lifted his glass, took a long swig, and sighed in satisfaction. "If I don't push myself, how am I supposed to get promoted to Admiral?"
"So you're basically set, huh?" Rayleigh asked with a small laugh.
"There might've been a few bumps before, but now that the Commander-in-Chief died in this incident, my promotion couldn't be more certain," Ortoren replied without hesitation.
If the Commander had survived, there would've been a long chain of procedures afterward—him stepping up to take the blame, resigning, and so on.
Now none of that was necessary. With the Commander gone, everything simplified into a memorial ceremony.
And if even this wasn't enough for Ortoren to become an Admiral, then the Navy might as well give up and start its own faction in the New World.
"You're right. I really didn't expect you'd take down the Commander-in-Chief. That's ruthless," Dragon sighed.
That part definitely wasn't in the plan.
"I didn't want to, but he just popped out of nowhere. If I didn't kill him, once he calmed down and started thinking things through, he'd definitely become a problem for all of us." Ortoren let out a helpless sigh.
Among the four of them, the happiest right now was Tiger, the underworld boss. Not only had he burned Mary Geoise and killed a bunch of noble lords to vent his anger, he'd also saved countless people from Fish-Man Island. He was genuinely in high spirits.
"This cooperation has been a pleasure. If any of you need Tiger's help in the future, just say the word. As long as I can do it, I won't refuse!" Tiger raised his glass.
"Spoken like a true boss. Fish-Man Island is a treasure trove—who knows, we might actually work together again someday," Ortoren laughed as he raised his own glass.
Dragon then said, "Tiger, you should really consider the proposal I mentioned earlier. If you ever feel interested, contact me anytime. The Revolutionary Army would be more than happy to welcome someone like you."
"I'll give it serious thought. I admit, your Revolutionary Army's ideals do interest me," Tiger said with a smile.
After clinking glasses, he stood up. "I need to return to Fish-Man Island to take charge. We rescued a lot of our people—they need to be settled. I hate to leave, but duty comes first. We'll meet again if fate allows."
The others didn't try to stop him. After saying their goodbyes, Tiger left with his usual swagger.
Once Tiger was gone, Dragon stretched his shoulders. "After all this time and all the chaos we caused, the World Government definitely won't let the Revolutionary Army off the hook. And I still need to arrange things for the slaves we freed. I've got a lot to handle, so I'll head out too."
"Speaking of which, you must've robbed quite a lot up there at Mary Geoise, right? Must've been a big haul…" Ortoren raised an eyebrow and shot Dragon a grin.
"You're not trying to get a cut, are you? The Revolutionary Army is practically eating dirt already. Once it's in my belly, don't expect me to spit it back out." Dragon was in a good mood, even joking around.
Ortoren burst out laughing. "I'm not shameless enough to eye my ally's pockets. But if you've got artifacts or artwork that are hard to move, you might want to consider my channels."
"Alright. I'll come to you later." Dragon wasn't the type to ignore favors. Ortoren really helped him strike it rich this time, so letting him skim a bit later was only fair.
Those items were hard for the Revolutionary Army to sell, but Ortoren's connections were terrifyingly good. He could liquidate them instantly. Using his channels was safe and reliable. Sure, Ortoren would take his cut, but like they say—if you're out here in the underworld, you've got to honor your relationships.
After Dragon left, only Rayleigh and Ortoren remained.
After exchanging a glance, Ortoren said, "What are you looking at? Time to settle the bill, isn't it?"
Rayleigh rolled his eyes. "You used us to maneuver your way into becoming an Admiral, and now you want to settle accounts with me?"
"Just answer the question—did you get the person out or not? Business runs on integrity!" Ortoren shot back, completely unfazed.
Rayleigh chuckled, then pulled a Dark World exchange note from his coat and handed it over. "Here. Five hundred billion Belly. We're square now."
"Rayleigh the big spender," Ortoren said happily as he flicked the voucher before tucking it away. "If you ever need my help again, just bring the money. Even if you want Celestial Dragon heads, I can figure out a way to twist a few off for you…"
He had barely finished talking when Shakky walked in from the back with the three Boa sisters. Before anyone else could speak, Hancock stared straight at Ortoren and asked in all seriousness, "How much would it cost to twist off a Celestial Dragon's head!?"
"Huh? You're actually serious?" Ortoren looked at Hancock in surprise.
This was his first time seeing her. Though still young and a bit disheveled, she already had hints of the beauty she would one day be famed for.
Seeing Ortoren's surprised expression, Hancock quickly steadied herself. She didn't pursue the topic further but bowed deeply. "Thank you for your help, Benn-sama. We three sisters will never forget your kindness. If you ever need anything, we will face any danger for you, even if it means death."
Rayleigh couldn't help chiming in, "Hold on now—we paid five hundred billion Belly for his help. Hancock, you don't really need to…"
"Hahahahaha!" Ortoren burst out laughing and nodded. "That's right. Rayleigh and Madam Shakky paid me for the job. No need to call it a favor."
Of course he planned to let them owe him one, but he wasn't going to make it look that blatant. When it was time to act magnanimous, he acted magnanimous.
As he spoke, Ortoren stood up and patted Hancock on the shoulder. "This world belongs to the strong. If you want the heads of the Celestial Dragons, then work to become stronger. When you're strong enough, what seems like wishful thinking now may very well be something you can achieve yourself."
Hancock's eyes flashed with determination. Yet with Ortoren standing so close, a shy thought crept in—she hadn't bathed yet. Did she smell bad?
After offering her a few more words of comfort, Ortoren stretched and said, "Alright, since everything's wrapped up, I'll stop bothering you. I'll head out first. Let's work together again if the chance comes."
With that, he waved casually to Rayleigh and the others and walked out.
Once Ortoren stepped outside, Hancock's face immediately blossomed into a deep blush. She covered her cheeks and whispered, "S-So handsome~"
Rayleigh watched this and instantly felt something was off. "That guy is a Marine—and definitely a troublesome one. Don't get any strange ideas, Hancock!"
But clearly, Hancock wasn't listening at all.
On Amazon Lily, strength was beauty.
And in Hancock's eyes, anyone bold enough to orchestrate such a colossal incident—turning Mary Geoise upside down—and who was also about to become an Admiral… Benn Ortoren was undeniably the strongest man.
Which meant he was also the most beautiful and handsome man.
...
Meanwhile, Ortoren arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago port, where Issho was already waiting for him.
"Do you smell it?" Issho suddenly asked.
"Smell what?" Ortoren replied, puzzled.
"This fresh air. It feels as if one of the world's great evils has been scorched clean by the flames of hell… even the air seems lighter now," Issho said with a warm smile.
Hearing that, Ortoren came back to his senses and laughed. "You're right. Now that you mention it, the world does feel a little nicer…"
After a short pause, Ortoren placed a hand on Issho's shoulder and said earnestly, "One day, we'll change this rotten world—and make it something… beautiful."
"It's because I believe you can change it that I follow you," Issho replied with a gentle nod.
...