"Godfather!"
In a quiet town on an unremarkable island in the West Blue, a man wrapped in a scarf and dressed in a sharp gray suit hurried into a courtyard, lowering his voice as he spoke.
"One of our bases has been attacked. That person specifically requested to see you."
Capone Bege, chewing on a piece of half-roasted meat, didn't change expression. His eyes casually glanced at the messenger, still holding the meat in his mouth.
"Who is it? An enemy of ours?"
"No, just a single individual. Young, he says he wants your help."
"Help! Hahaha."
Capone's laughter echoed before his face darkened suddenly.
"Attacking my base while asking for my help—what does he take me for?"
Since consolidating the West Blue's underworld under his control, such incidents had been rare.
"Godfather, should we send someone to kill him?"
A young man wearing sunglasses behind him asked cautiously, noting Capone's unamused tone.
"No. If he wants to see me, bring him here."
Capone waved his hand dismissively.
"Yes, Godfather!"
The messenger nodded and hurried off. Capone's expression relaxed, as if nothing had happened, and he resumed eating.
Of course, the one who attacked Capone's outpost was none other than Don. Compared to wandering the West Blue alone, confronting a local boss like Capone was much more practical—a plan Don had devised even before arriving in the West Blue.
Naturally, this time he wasn't killing anyone. After all, how could he ask for help if he killed the person first?
Quick footsteps approached. A group of middle-aged men dressed similarly to Don hurried forward.
"The Godfather agreed, but you must meet him in person."
"Understood."
Don nodded, hoisting his sword onto his shoulder. Soon after, a small ship departed from the island.
Onboard, Don observed the crew bustling about.
Calling these people "pirates" seemed misleading; they were more like a mafia. They ran underground businesses, earned money, and expanded influence. Except for the initial establishment of the Fire Tank Pirates and eliminating rivals when Capone unified the West Blue underworld, they hardly behaved like traditional pirates. Only after entering the Grand Line did they take on the usual pirate mannerisms.
Don's abilities—his superhuman Paramecia Devil Fruit—allowed his body to become a fortress capable of holding numerous people inside. In some sense, it resembled a spatial-type fruit. But the idea of hiding people inside his body felt strange. He had no intention of doing so, even with such power.
Checking his stats, Don frowned. His physical constitution had improved from 83 to 99, but this seemed to be a ceiling. It had stayed at 99 for quite some time. Even during his brief spar with Garp aboard the warship, his peak strength had been suppressed. And he could tell that Garp hadn't even used his full power.
Though he was aware of the gap between himself and the world's top fighters, a sense of urgency arose. Simply training would no longer yield meaningful growth. To break this limit, another method was necessary.
Don recalled his battle with Koushirou. His physical progress had slowed previously, but that fight accelerated it. Was he to activate his indomitable will? Or endure a full-fledged battle?
While Don contemplated, Capone's men observed him secretly, reporting their findings.
"Young, capable of executing flying slashes—a sword master. No kills, minimal talk, purpose unclear for now."
Reports were promptly sent to Capone.
After several days, the ship reached another island. Don disembarked and followed the guide without hesitation.
Soon, he finally met Capone Bege. Slightly younger than in the original timeline but still over thirty, the two sized each other up silently.
"You want my help… and attacked my subordinates!"
Capone spoke first, attempting to seize the upper hand in the conversation.
Don smiled, taking a seat a short distance away under the watchful eyes of the others.
"Find someone for me—worth seventy-nine million Berries. Once found, I'll pay you. The person stays with me."
At these words, Capone bit down on his cigar, glaring at Don.
"Someone worth seventy-nine million? That reminds me of someone."
"Yes, the Devil Child of Ohara, Nico Robin. I need her location. You find her, and I'll pay you."
"How do I know you even have that much money?"
Capone scrutinized Don.
"And meddling with Robin isn't simple business," he added.
"Oh?"
Don's eyes lit up.
"So you have information?"
Capone frowned, waving his hand. The surrounding subordinates quickly left, leaving only a few men behind.
"Since you're looking for her, you must know about Ohara. The World Government is still after her, with many agents infiltrating the West Blue," Capone said cautiously, eyes fixed on Don, trying to gauge his intentions.
"I know that. More than that, I know Admiral Aokiji has arrived in the West Blue regarding this matter."
Capone's expression darkened further. Though he controlled the West Blue's underworld, he dared not intervene in matters involving the World Government and a Marine Admiral.
"I just need the information. You just help me get it, and I can owe you a favor."
Don knew Capone had ambitions.
"A favor? Your favors are valuable?"
Capone chuckled, but the smile vanished immediately. Flames now swirled around Don, raising the surrounding temperature dramatically.
Don's hand shot behind him, gripping someone by the neck and lifting them.
"I understand!"
Capone spoke instantly. Don's flames vanished, and he released the person—whose neck bore a scorched ring.
A Devil Fruit user! Possibly a Logia!
Capone's expression shifted uneasily. If that was the case, the favor would indeed be valuable. The only certainty: Don was a man of his word.
END OF CHAPTER
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