"Viola, you and Drake go and seize the Donquixote Family's assets."
From now on, Bellamy would need a lot of money for many things.
"Yes, my lord."
Over the years, Viola had grown accustomed to her role. The pride of a princess was long gone from her. She accepted Bellamy's command with complete obedience.
A smart woman.
Her pragmatism made Bellamy see her in a new light. An ordinary pirate, after defeating the Donquixote Family, would surely have taken over this territory and become its new ruler. But Bellamy was different. He had no interest in Dressrosa. Occupying a territory would not only be of no benefit to him but would also significantly hold him back.
Since he didn't want it, and the toy soldiers—the supporters of the Riku royal family—had been restored, the country would inevitably return to Riku rule. But no matter what, he was the one who had conquered it. The next ruler of this country would have to get his permission first. If they weren't obedient enough, or were too ambitious, Bellamy would certainly not hand over his spoils of war so easily.
Viola was a good choice. She was smart, obedient, and most importantly, she knew how to adapt to the situation.
After the chaos is quelled, I'll have a proper talk with her.
His crew was currently lacking a formal intelligence agency. Viola's abilities and status made her a perfect fit to manage it. Secretly ruling Dressrosa while establishing a reliable intelligence network—that was Bellamy's plan for Viola.
As for Mansherry, she didn't have to do anything. Just eat well and drink well every day. When he needed her, she would make her appearance.
Under Bellamy's will, the chaos in Dressrosa was quickly suppressed. The strength of Ross, Franky, and Heracles was more than enough to eliminate any pirates who dared to cause trouble. Mia and Muret led the Heart Pirates, rescuing people throughout the city. Law and Drake, under the banner of the Riku royal family, began to rally the scattered soldiers and restore order.
Once the chaos had subsided, Bellamy took out a special Den Den Mushi and made a call.
"Morgans, it's me."
"I want to see Golden Lion. Arrange it for me as soon as possible."
In this world, there was only one person who could easily find the Golden Lion. That was the president of the World Economic Journal, Morgans, user of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Seagull. With his ability, Morgans had tamed every seagull in the world. In the sky, no one could escape his eyes. To find the Golden Lion, Morgans was the man to call.
"Sir Bellamy meeting with the Golden Lion? That's big news!"
On the other end of the line, Morgans looked at the latest intelligence report in his hand and clicked his tongue in amazement. Doflamingo had been beaten to death by Bellamy. This guy was really something else.
No one knew the fearsome reputation of the "Heavenly Yaksha" better than Morgans. After killing Doflamingo, this god of slaughter hadn't stopped; he immediately wanted to meet with the Golden Lion. What on earth was he planning?
Morgans had long since dug up all of Bellamy's background and information. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anything useful. And recently, more and more people had started buying information on Bellamy. One could only imagine the uproar in the underworld when the news of Doflamingo's death at his hands got out. If he were to sell the news that Bellamy was seeking a meeting with the Golden Lion, who knows what kind of turmoil it would cause in the world.
But Morgans didn't dare. He could provoke anyone, but he would not provoke Bellamy. Countless intelligence reports indicated that Bellamy was a complete and utter madman. With someone like that, you either kill them in one go, or you don't provoke them at all. Otherwise, you would be the one to suffer in the end. One only had to look at Doflamingo's fate to understand. After provoking Bellamy, his important industries in various places were smashed one after another. In the end, he even lost his life.
Looking back, the "Golden Emperor" had made a wise choice in seeking peace with him back then. Otherwise, he would probably be having a massive headache right now.
"Morgans, I don't want anyone to know about this. Do you understand?"
"Understood, of course."
Although there was no subordinate relationship between them, Morgans was completely docile in front of Bellamy. He couldn't help it. The World Economic Journal was a massive enterprise with industries scattered all over the world. If Bellamy went on a rampage, Morgans wasn't sure he could handle it.
"Rest assured, Sir Bellamy. No one will get this information for at least six months."
Six months was the longest period Morgans could promise. Any longer, and the news would leak out for various reasons, even if not from him. Bellamy naturally understood the situation, and upon hearing his promise, he didn't press further.
"Then it's settled. Send your own people to Dressrosa to collect the payment."
"I will contact the Golden Lion immediately. I believe that great pirate will be very interested in this meeting."
Morgans was certain that the Golden Lion would not refuse Bellamy's request. He knew Shiki all too well. Morgans had come of age during the era when the Golden Lion ruled the seas. He had not only seen the legendary pirate many times but had also spoken with him at length. Shiki's personality and ambition meant that he would never refuse a request for a meeting from a powerful individual.
Moreover, from Bellamy's tone, it was clear that he was likely plotting something with the Golden Lion. What Bellamy was plotting, even Morgans couldn't guess. But his instincts as a top-tier information broker were telling him that a massive storm was brewing.
Is the balance of power on these seas finally about to change?
Every time the old and new powers reshuffled, many people died. Morgans had been able to maintain his position in the underworld for so many years because he was smart enough to never pick the wrong side when it was time to choose. There used to be many top-tier information brokers in the underworld like him. But after so many years, only he was still alive and well. The others... their names had long been forgotten by the world.
After hanging up on Bellamy, Morgans sat alone on his sofa, lost in thought for a long time. Finally, he softly spoke three names.
"Fire Fist Ace, Mad Dog Bellamy, and Straw Hat Luffy!"
"The tides of the era have begun to surge, and the legendary child of destiny has set sail wearing that straw hat."
"Where is this world ultimately headed?"