Next Bonus, 100!!
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The Empress
Strategic Operations Room.
Jin, Crocodile, Law, Kuma, and Issho were in a meeting.
"The fallout from the Dressrosa incident is starting to die down," Crocodile said, reporting the latest intelligence. "Although there are still some people protesting in front of the Marine bases in various kingdoms, and the kings of the member nations have all expressed their shock, anger, and humiliation at the actions of the World Government, the Celestial Dragons, and the Marines... it's not making any real waves."
Jin wasn't surprised. "Those people... they don't have the guts to do anything real. They're just angry that the World Government betrayed them. They'll claim their precious pride has been wounded. Then, they'll fantasize about some unrealistic countermeasure—demanding a reduction in the Heavenly Tribute, a share of military power, access to advanced technology. But anyone with eyes can see they don't have the power to back it up. So it all comes to nothing. Or, they'll redirect their anger, using hatred for pirates to shift the focus of public opinion."
"Their strength is not enough to challenge the World Government," Issho added.
"It's more than that," Jin said. "The more important thing is that they have always been colonized by the World Government. The world as it is now... all the member nations are like vassal states. Don't think that the World Government's constant oppression of countries like Dressrosa will have any long-term negative consequences. If a country, an island, can't escape that colonial mentality, it will never have the spirit to resist. As long as that deep-seated sense of inferiority exists in the hearts of the people, they will never admit to the disasters and oppression the World Government has brought upon them. They'll develop a kind of Stockholm syndrome, choosing to quickly forget the brutality of the Buster Call. And they'll unleash the humiliation they've suppressed on those who have treated them with kindness, and from them, they will regain a false sense of superiority."
"That is why the nations of the world are acting in such absurd ways. They're arrogant, sensitive, self-deprecating..."
"Faced with the Celestial Dragons shooting their children, raping their wives... many people, like the higher-ups in the Marines, choose to look the other way, maintaining a false 'justice'."
"Don't expect too much from them. If a war breaks out, these very people who are being oppressed now... will most likely become the staunchest supporters of the World Government. They'll hope to prove their loyalty by defeating us."
Jin knew Issho's character. He wasn't a "yes-man" like Sakazuki. So he had to be clear, to avoid any misunderstandings.
"What we're doing... this isn't a dinner party. We are trying to overthrow a world order that has stood for eight hundred years. There will be bloodshed. There will be sacrifice. We cannot afford to have any naive illusions."
Under Jin's gaze, the others all nodded, their expressions grim.
Jin changed the subject. "What's the status of our recruitment efforts?"
"It's complete," Issho replied. "We need to be careful about screening our intelligence personnel. The Bounty Hunters Guild needs to start expanding into the South and North Blues, and into the New World, to gradually broaden our intelligence channels."
After that, Jin laid out the next phase of their plans for the others.
The meeting ended, and they all teleported away.
Jin sat in his chair, lost in thought for a moment.
Blackbeard, that wolf in sheep's clothing, had defeated Ochoku and Ace with the unexpected power of the Dark-Dark Fruit. The Summit War was imminent.
In the original story, after the war, the new Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki, had moved Marine Headquarters to the New World, which had drastically reduced the Marine presence in Paradise.
But with Jin as a variable, would the Five Elders still agree to the move?
Rather than hoping for that, it was better to be proactive.
"The Summit War... there are two points of interest. Impel Down, and Marineford."
"Impel Down is full of pirates, fugitives, powerful individuals... a good place to recruit. Besides the soul crystals, there are a lot of strong fighters and Devil Fruits in there."
"Marineford... if Whitebeard can take out 100,000 elite Marines, it will shake the entire world. It would be best if he could take out an Admiral. If not... then Garp and Sengoku would be a good consolation prize."
Whitebeard's crew alone probably couldn't pull it off. But with Jin's planning, it was possible.
Jin had been waiting for the Summit War. He was going to intervene, to profit from it. He wasn't going to just sit by and watch.
After carefully planning his next move, Jin glanced at the time, stood up, and left.
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Creeeak!
The door of a dark prison cell opened.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the silence.
Here, a large number of soldiers and officers captured from Dressrosa were being held. Jin wasn't a man who killed without reason. As long as they weren't completely irredeemable, he was willing to give them a second chance.
The prisoners were all in chains, held in a dark, completely silent space. The psychological pressure was immense. Every second was an eternity.
Jin walked to a particular cell. This one was different. It had a light, a bed, and even some toys.
It was the cell of Sugar, the user of the Hobby-Hobby Fruit.
Her sister, Monet, was also there.
When Loki and Law had launched their attack on Dressrosa, Monet, who had been working as a double agent, had been captured.
Jin's appearance startled them. Monet immediately moved to protect Sugar, her eyes wary.
"Have you made your decision?" Jin asked. "Doflamingo has fallen. Are you going to resist to the end, or are you going to work for me?"
Monet was fiercely loyal to Doflamingo. If it were just her, she would have chosen to die.
But Sugar was here. And Sugar didn't want to die. The darkness and silence had terrified her.
At Sugar's pleading, Monet sighed and surrendered.
"I'm giving you this chance because Sugar was just following Doflamingo's orders. She's done nothing else wrong. And the same goes for you. Besides... you're a very capable woman. I have high hopes for you."
Monet blushed. She was a sucker for praise.
Aside from the two of them, Trebol, Diamante, Pica, Lao G, Gladius, and Giolla had all refused to surrender and had been killed. They were Doflamingo's oldest followers, completely devoted to him.
And they had provided Jin with four Devil Fruits.
The Paramecia Sticky-Sticky Fruit.
The Paramecia Ripple-Ripple Fruit.
The Paramecia Pop-Pop Fruit.
And the Paramecia Art-Art Fruit.
Of the remaining officers, Señor Pink had surrendered after Jin had promised to cure his comatose wife.
Baby 5 had also surrendered. She was the first to do so. Not because she wasn't loyal, but because she had an overwhelming need to be needed. She couldn't refuse anyone who asked for her help, which was why she was always being taken advantage of. It was a simple matter for Jin to manipulate her.
Because they were new recruits, Jin only gave them the title of "Crewman," with "Level 5" clearance.
As for Caesar Clown from Punk Hazard... after Jin had taken control of Shiki and seized the island, Caesar had naturally fallen into his hands. He had no loyalty to Doflamingo. He had surrendered without even being threatened.
However, Kaido, in an attempt to get Caesar back, had attacked Punk Hazard and had fought a major battle with Loki on the island. With Shiki backing him up, Loki had fought Kaido to a standstill, and Kaido had eventually retreated.
Jin knew why Kaido was so desperate. Caesar's artificial Devil Fruits were crucial to the development of his "Beasts Army." It was one of Kaido's core interests.
And so, to keep Kaido in check, to prevent him from turning to Vegapunk and, by extension, the World Government, Jin had Shiki contact him and propose a partnership to continue providing him with artificial Devil Fruits.
And it wasn't just Kaido. The network of relationships Doflamingo had built with Charlotte Linlin...
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