CHAPTER 178 — Terms of Power
The Den Den Mushi sat in the center of the table.
Its small snail body shifted slightly as it breathed. The face formed on its shell showed Sengoku's expression clearly. Even through the strange shape of the creature, the tension was obvious.
His jaw was tight.
His brows were drawn down.
For a moment, he didn't shout. He didn't slam his hand down. He simply looked at Tony through the snail's eyes and forced himself to calm down.
When he spoke, his voice was controlled.
"What do you want?"
The words were simple, but the anger behind them had not disappeared. It was only being held back.
Tony tilted his head slightly.
"What do you mean?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
His tone was relaxed. A little too relaxed.
He leaned back in his chair as if they were discussing something small, something ordinary. There was no pressure in his voice, no sign of urgency.
On the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's expression cracked.
"You kidnapped a Celestial Dragon!" he roared. "You took control of the G-4 Marine Branch! And now you tell me you don't know what I mean?!"
The snail's face exaggerated his anger. Its mouth stretched wide. Its eyes bulged. Even without seeing Sengoku in person, everyone in the room could feel the heat of his fury.
Naruto blinked, then looked at Tony.
Tony snapped his fingers lightly.
"Ohhh," he said. "I see. I'm sorry. I forgot."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Naruto burst out laughing.
Mindy couldn't help it either. She laughed openly.
Saeko covered her mouth slightly, but a quiet chuckle escaped her.
Even Diana allowed a faint smile.
Only Tanya remained silent.
She stood a little to the side of the table, watching carefully.
She didn't understand the full situation. She didn't know what a Celestial Dragon truly meant in this world. She didn't know what G-4 represented. But she understood tone. She understood negotiation. She understood pressure.
And right now, Tony was applying it deliberately.
On the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's face was red.
"You think this is funny?" he demanded.
Tony leaned forward slightly.
"No," he said calmly. "Now that we're clear, let's talk."
The room quieted again.
Tony's voice shifted. It was still calm, but now it carried intent.
"For the Celestial Dragon," he said, "we want an exchange."
Sengoku didn't respond.
Tony continued.
"Four good Paramecia," he said. "Three Logia."
He paused just long enough for it to sink in.
"Seven Devil Fruits in total."
The room went still.
No one spoke.
Even Naruto didn't move.
Through the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's face changed. The anger didn't vanish, but shock replaced part of it.
That number was not small.
Devil Fruits were rare.
Logia fruits were even rarer.
Tony had not asked for all Logia. That would have been too much. He knew that. He had read the documents. He understood their value.
He was pushing hard, but not so hard that it sounded completely impossible.
"No," Sengoku said immediately. "That is too much."
His tone was firm.
He did not need to ask the World Government. He already knew their stance. Even for a Celestial Dragon, that price was extreme.
Tony folded his hands on the table.
"Sengoku-san," he said lightly, "you don't have much of a choice."
Sengoku's eyes narrowed.
"You misunderstand," Sengoku replied. "Even if you kill the Celestial Dragon, you gain nothing."
His voice was steady again.
"We can hide it," he said. "News can be controlled. The damage can be limited."
He wasn't bluffing.
The death of a Celestial Dragon was serious. But information could be buried. The public could be misled. The system would continue.
Tony shook his head slowly.
"No, no," he said. "That's thinking too small."
He leaned back again, casual.
"I can connect to the screens," he continued. "Sabaody. Other locations. Places that already watched Marineford."
He let the words settle.
Tony said. "Let everyone watch. Let them see as we kill him."
Silence fell across the room.
Naruto stopped smiling completely.
Mindy's expression sharpened.
Saeko's eyes narrowed slightly.
Tanya Degurechaff watched Sengoku's face carefully through the Den Den Mushi.
On the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's face changed again.
This time, it wasn't anger.
It was calculation.
Even if Tony was bluffing… even if there was only a small chance it was possible…
He could not risk it.
A public execution.
A Celestial Dragon killed live.
That was not something that could be erased.
Sengoku raised a hand slightly, as if calming himself.
"Wait," he said.
The Den Den Mushi went silent.
The call ended.
Tony looked at it for a second, then hung it up fully.
"He'll report it," Tony said calmly. "Now they decide."
The room slowly relaxed.
Tanya finally spoke.
"I want to ask something," she said.
Everyone turned toward her.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
Her tone wasn't critical. It was honest. Direct.
Saeko answered.
"In this world," she said, "there are nobles at the very top. They're called Celestial Dragons."
She crossed her arms.
"They're treated as untouchable. Above the law. Above normal people."
"We're using one," Saeko continued, "to extort treasures."
Tanya nodded slightly.
She had heard the phrase "Devil Fruit" earlier.
"Devil Fruit?" she asked.
Saeko looked at her.
"Yes," she said. "Devil Fruits are treasures in this world. If you eat one, you gain a supernatural power."
"Different fruits give different abilities," Mindy added.
Tanya thought about the name.
"Since it's called a Devil Fruit," she said slowly, "there should be a side effect."
Mindy nodded.
"There is. It's cursed by the sea of this world. If you eat one, you lose the ability to swim. The sea rejects you."
Tanya's eyes sharpened slightly.
"The sea of this world?" she repeated.
She thought quickly.
"If the curse belongs to the sea of this world," she said carefully, "does that mean in other worlds… the weakness may not apply?"
The room went quiet again.
Tony let out a low whistle.
"You're quite smart, little girl."
Tanya's expression stiffened immediately.
"I am Tanya von Degurechaff," she said clearly. "Commander of the Imperial 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion."
Her voice was firm.
"I would appreciate being addressed properly."
The room reacted.
Naruto's eyes widened first.
"Wait, commander?" he said. "That's a high rank, right?!"
Tanya nodded once.
"Yes."
Naruto leaned forward.
"So you're in charge of other soldiers?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
"A battalion," she answered simply.
Naruto Uzumaki blinked. He had no idea how many people were in a battalion… but he was still amazed.
It sounded big.
"Woah…"
Mindy looked at her differently now.
Saeko studied her with new respect.
Tony leaned back in his chair, quietly reassessing her.
Only Gaius remained mostly unchanged, but even he gave Tanya a brief glance, acknowledging her in his own silent way.
He sat at the end of the table, large armored form unmoving.
Documents rested in his hand in front of him. The pages turned quickly as he read at high speed, absorbing information about this world.
Even with the thick fingers of the power fist, he handled the papers carefully. The gauntlet was large and heavy, but it could still move with surprising control.
Occasionally, he glanced toward them.
But he did not interrupt.
Tanya noticed.
From the corner of her eye, she kept track of him.
Forty-first millennium.
Still at war.
She did not ask questions about it yet.
After some time passed, the Den Den Mushi rang again.
The sound cut through the room sharply.
Tony picked it up immediately.
Sengoku's face appeared once more.
This time, he looked tired.
Not angry.
Resolved.
"We will accept your conditions," Sengoku said.
The words were heavy.
"But you will not broadcast anything. If you do…" His eyes hardened. "You will be hunted to the ends of the earth."
There was no shouting.
No rage.
Just a clear statement.
Tony held his gaze.
"That won't be necessary," Tony said calmly. "As long as the deal goes smoothly."
Silence stretched for a second longer.
Then the call ended.
The Den Den Mushi went still.
Naruto let out a breath.
"So we actually did it?"
Tony placed the snail back down.
"Yes," he said. "Now we wait for delivery."
Tanya Degurechaff stood quietly, thinking.
Seven supernatural artifacts.
Powers that carried no weakness if brought into another world.
Her thoughts were already moving ahead.
This multiversal chat.
This group.
This system of missions and exchanges.
It wasn't simple.
It didn't feel random.
It felt structured.
And structure meant it could be understood.
Understood meant it could be used.
Opportunity, if handled correctly, meant survival.
Her goal had always been simple.
A safe life.
Comfort.
Stability.
She glanced once more at Gaius.
The forty-first millennium. Still at war.
So even in the distant future, humanity had not escaped conflict.
Perhaps peace was rare in any world.
If that was true…
Then safety would never come from hope alone.
It would come from preparation.
From advantage.
From leverage.
And here, in this room, leverage was being exchanged openly.
Information. Power. Alliances.
Tanya folded her hands neatly behind her back again.
She said nothing.
But she was thinking very carefully.
~~~
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