Countless Marines lit up with wild joy.
If this worked, it would be a devastating blow to the Holy Spirit Empire!
Crack!
But there was no imagined spray of blood and flesh.
Oguro's figure shattered like an ice sculpture, exploding into countless icy fragments that scattered through the air.
Everyone froze.
Why did this scene feel so familiar?
"Don't tell me you forgot my ability, Aizen?"
A teasing voice suddenly rang out.
Oguro had somehow appeared in midair on the opposite side of the battlefield.
Holding his Zanpakutō, he murmured coldly,
"Shatter… Kyōka Suigetsu."
Another wave of mist instantly enveloped the battlefield.
At that moment, Oguro and Aizen Sōsuke exchanged knowing smiles.
Those who had previously avoided hypnosis and were still shaking their companions, trying to wake them up, now also went blank-eyed, muttering incoherently to themselves.
Aizen knew very well that hypnotizing everyone by himself was unrealistic.
That was why he brought Oguro into the plan.
In the days before the war, Aizen had deliberately moved around the battlefield, hypnotizing as many people as possible.
Now, ninety-nine percent of those present were under their hypnosis.
As for the remainder, Aizen had personally dealt with them.
As a super–captain-class boss, even Marine vice admirals were nothing more than ants in his eyes.
The battlefield remained a chaotic melee.
Yet Oguro and Aizen seemed almost invisible — no one paid them any attention at all.
"The plan succeeded," Oguro said seriously, "but I still need to warn you. Don't rely too much on hypnosis. This world's Observation Haki is extremely strange. Your hypnosis won't always work perfectly."
The Voice of All Things possessed by Roger and Luffy.
Katakuri's Future Sight.
Queen Otohime's empathic perception and mental interference.
Against extreme forms of Observation Haki like these, absolute hypnosis was bound to show flaws.
Aizen nodded.
"I understand. I won't control them directly. I'll only guide and subtly interfere with their thoughts and choices."
"Huh? You two… you're actually working together?"
A shocked voice suddenly rang out.
Both of them stiffened.
There was still a survivor?
Oguro turned his head — and saw a large red nose.
Buggy the Clown.
"You idiot," Aizen said coldly as he flashed forward, Kyōka Suigetsu instantly resting against Buggy's neck.
"Didn't you see our fight just now?"
Buggy nearly jumped out of his skin. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he threw both hands up in surrender.
"I—I was looking for a Den Den Mushi! I didn't watch the fight at all!"
In his hand was a half-dead Visual Transponder Snail.
It had been frozen earlier by Aokiji to stop Buggy's broadcast.
But Buggy's ambition to dominate the airwaves clearly hadn't died — he'd actually managed to dig it back out.
Realizing his flawless plan had been exposed in such a ridiculous way, Aizen's emotions became… complicated.
Oguro, on the other hand, remained calm.
Heh.
Come on.
Who was this?
Buggy-sama.
The legendary wielder of Conqueror-tier luck.
If someone else claimed they broke Aizen's plan purely by luck, Oguro wouldn't believe it.
But if it was Buggy?
Anything was possible.
Unlike Shanks, who had to personally ask everyone to "give me some face"…
Buggy didn't need to do anything — he became one of the Four Emperors purely by face alone.
"Hmph. I don't care who you are," Aizen said coldly.
"Since you weren't hypnotized, I'll just send you on your way."
His eyes flashed with killing intent. This loophole couldn't be left alive.
"Wait!"
Oguro hurriedly stopped him.
Aizen frowned. "What is it, Lord Soul King?"
Oguro smiled.
"Killing him would be a terrible waste."
"He might be weak, but when it comes to winning people over… and sheer luck, he's incredibly gifted."
Oguro pulled Aizen aside and explained Buggy's bizarre nature.
Aizen listened with a face full of disbelief.
A man this weak could really attract so many powerful followers?
What would that say about the so-called strong?
"This world is different from the Soul Society," Oguro said.
"Some people are simply favored by fate. Buggy is one of them."
After a pause, Oguro lowered his voice.
"If you don't believe me, I'll give you one chance. Strike him yourself. See if you can kill him."
"If you can't… then listen to me and keep him. With your ability, making him serve you should be trivial, right?"
Aizen fell silent for a moment — then drew his sword and slashed.
A white blade of spiritual pressure flashed silently across Buggy's neck.
Buggy felt a brief chill — and his head flew off.
"WAAAH! Who hit me?! That hurts like hell!"
Buggy screamed wildly, his head floating in midair.
Aside from the pain… he was completely fine.
"Devil Fruit?" Aizen said in surprise.
Oguro patted his shoulder.
"One chance only. Even the King of Luck can't rely on it every time."
After a brief hesitation, Aizen accepted Oguro's suggestion.
To be honest, he was also curious how far Buggy's absurd luck could go.
"From today onward," Aizen said coldly, standing before Buggy,
"you work under me. Understood?"
Buggy hurriedly reattached his head.
Meeting Aizen's icy gaze, he shuddered violently and nodded frantically.
"Yes! Yes! I'll obey everything! Absolute loyalty!"
Aizen neither confirmed nor denied it.
"You'll continue doing what you planned to do before," he said calmly.
"When you gather enough manpower, I'll help you ascend to the throne."
Buggy froze.
Wait… what?
Wasn't he supposed to be a subordinate?
Why did it suddenly turn into helping him rise to power?
"I can't act openly," Aizen explained.
"So I need a spokesperson."
"Didn't you want to become the ruler of the seas? I'll give you that chance. You work for me, we both get what we want."
"No problem! I'm totally in!"
Buggy agreed immediately, excitement written all over his face.
Wasn't his original plan to recruit powerful figures through this broadcast anyway?
Now a real monster was offering to back him — how could he refuse?
As for being someone else's lapdog?
So what?
As long as he became ruler of the seas!
He never planned on becoming King of the World anyway.
Taking orders from someone else meant nothing.
"All right, Buggy," Oguro said calmly.
"Go do what you need to do. Whitebeard won't hold much longer. It's time to prepare to welcome our guests."
Oguro's gaze turned cold as he casually glanced toward the rear of Marineford's fortress.
No one else noticed.
But he could clearly sense it —
A thick, pitch-black malice, deep as the abyss.
***
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