After a fierce internal struggle, Issho finally let out a sigh.
"Many thanks for your regard, sir, but for the time being, I have no intention of becoming an outlaw."
In his traditional mindset, pirates were still synonymous with chaos and evil—something not so easily overturned overnight.
"I never said I was a pirate," Tenma replied calmly. "Nor did I force you to join my territory."
Issho froze, turning his head in confusion toward Tenma.
At that moment, a small green Den Den Mushi fluttered lightly into the air in front of him.
"You can talk to this person," Tenma said. "You'll find that there are others in this world who share your ideals."
After tossing Dragon's contact information to Issho, Tenma wasted no time. His body rose straight into the air, vanishing into the night sky.
As long as Issho connected with the Revolutionary Army, even if he never joined Wano, he would still become a major force in overthrowing the World Government someday.
This strategy—if I can't use you, then I'll have you cause trouble for my enemies instead—was something Tenma had mastered to perfection.
Later events proved that this move was absolutely the right one.
When Dragon learned of Issho's existence, he was so excited that he dropped everything at hand and personally went to visit him overnight.
Meanwhile, on another front, Bartholomew Kuma—the "Tyrant" and a high-ranking officer of the Revolutionary Army—received an olive branch from the World Government.
Time flew by, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
In the latter half of Year 1511 of the Sea Circle Calendar, the World Government once again dropped a bombshell.
It was the announcement naming the replacements for the vacant seats among the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Knight of the Sea" Jinbe, "Heavenly Yaksha" Donquixote Doflamingo, and "Tyrant" Bartholomew Kuma—all three names were listed prominently.
Each of them was a heavyweight.
Jinbe had the former Sun Pirates behind him, his reputation long established.
Doflamingo was even more infamous—repeatedly escaping from Vice Admiral Tsuru's pursuit, with a bounty exceeding three hundred million, and rumored to have recently latched onto Tenma's coattails.
As for Kuma, the Tyrant who ruled the Sorbet Kingdom with "orderly efficiency," his brutal combat power was notorious.
With the Seven Warlords once again in place, the turbulent seas seemed to regain a thin veneer of calm.
At the same time, the government's global military draft continued at full throttle.
But for the true big shots of the New World, there were now only two matters worth paying attention to:
first, the movements of Wano;
second, the upcoming Fire Festival.
This time, Tenma had sent out invitations far and wide.
After all, the Sky Kingdom had been completely reborn—not only absorbing the Totto Land archipelago, but also integrating Sky Island technology, transforming it into a miraculous aerial garden.
Just the leaked photographs alone were enough to send the world's elites flocking in droves.
In the New World, Pleasure Street—the gathering place of desire.
Inside its most luxurious castle, the Queen of Pleasure Street, Stussy, lounged lazily on a soft couch.
She was painting her nails a deep crimson, every movement elegant and unhurried, each glance brimming with soul-stealing allure.
Seated across from her was a strange man dressed entirely in white, wearing a white mask.
"Did you even listen to what I said?" the man demanded, irritation evident in his voice. "This is a direct order from above!"
Stussy blew gently on her nails and replied indifferently, "Why the rush? When have I ever botched a mission from above?"
She knew perfectly well that "above" referred to those lofty Celestial Dragons.
The CP0 agent nodded and threw out an enticing offer.
"As long as you can handle Tenma, they promise to make you a true shield of the Celestial Dragons."
The classic carrot-and-stick approach.
He knew that although this colleague of his operated in places of pleasure, her body had always remained untouched. If the mission weren't of paramount importance, the higher-ups would never have been willing to play this card.
After the agent left, the smile vanished instantly from Stussy's face.
She stared at the extravagant crystal chandelier on the ceiling, her gaze hollow.
Brainwashed and trained by the government since childhood, she had seen darkness her entire life and had never wavered in her belief of sacrificing herself for the Celestial Dragons.
She had always intended to offer this unblemished body as her tribute upon becoming the "strongest shield."
Yet the irony was cruel—
to obtain that very position, she now had to sell the thing she treasured most.
Less than a month remained before the Fire Festival.
Every major power was racking their brains to prepare gifts.
Only Stussy didn't need to—because she herself was the best gift of all.
Far away in the North Blue, others were also stirring.
That was the Germa Kingdom, which had once conquered the entire North Blue through sheer military might.
Though it had since fallen into ruin, reduced to a landless "Evil Army" wandering the seas aboard stitched-together ships, King Vinsmoke Judge had never let his ambition to restore Germa's glory fade.
He keenly sensed an opportunity—to latch onto Tenma's colossal ship of the new era.
But lacking a direct invitation to the festival, he chose a more roundabout approach.
North Blue, Barrenche Island.
This was the main base of the Donquixote Family.
Judge's objective was clear: since Doflamingo had become a Warlord and maintained an ambiguous relationship with Tenma, he was the perfect springboard into the New World.
A deal revolving around power, desire, and ambition was quietly beginning to unfold over these icy seas.
But before any of that could truly begin, the most critical matter was inevitably focusing all attention on the upcoming Fire Festival.
That was precisely why they had deliberately returned from the New World to their East Blue stronghold.
Compared to the chaotic madness of the New World, one could still scrape together better treasures on their own turf.
Piles of gold and silver, or famed blades sharp enough to cut iron—
in Tenma's eyes, these were no different from roadside stones, utterly beneath notice.
When Doflamingo personally reviewed the gift list, he crossed out all such vulgar items without hesitation.
In previous years, failing to obtain extra Devil Fruits, he had no choice but to send jewel-encrusted scepters as stopgaps.
But this time was completely different.
This wasn't just a celebration of a new nation—it was to congratulate Tenma on ascending the throne of World's Strongest.
If the gift were too shabby, it would be nothing less than slapping his own face.
The problem made Doflamingo's head ache, his brows furrowing deeply. To cling tightly to Tenma's massive leg, he had poured endless effort into maintaining this superior–subordinate relationship.
After several years of attending the Fire Festival, Doflamingo had thoroughly figured out Tenma's tastes when it came to gifts.
Out of all the treasures he had ever presented, the ones that truly earned Tenma's sincere approval could be counted on one hand—
only two items, at most.
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