Above Water 7, the Akatsuki Organization's headquarters on Floating Island.
More than a month had passed since the destruction of Enies Lobby, Judicial Island. After Pain returned to the headquarters with Lucci and others, he only granted Lucci official membership, while Kaku and Nero were given peripheral member status.
The ring Pain bestowed upon Lucci was the 'Three,' symbolizing the 'Akatsuki's Three Stars,' due to the limited number of core members in the organization.
Pain merely made Kaku and Nero peripheral members, tasking them with managing external affairs in the future and continuing to obey Lucci.
If the two performed meritorious deeds in future organizational actions, or if a formal member of the organization sacrificed himself, they would have a chance to become core members as replacements.
In fact, there wasn't much difference between core members and peripheral members; one was a distinction of strength, and the other was a distinction of loyalty to the organization.
Pain believed Lucci was a smart person. Since he chose to pledge allegiance to the organization, he wouldn't easily rebel, unless the Akatsuki Organization was destroyed.
Therefore, Pain granted Lucci official member status, demonstrating his trust in Lucci and hoping Lucci would cherish it.
Although Lucci didn't understand the full implications, when Pain solemnly announced the organization's declaration in person, Lucci already understood the meaning of his new status.
After Pain arranged the identities of the three, Konan distributed the organization's uniforms. Kaku and Nero, though peripheral members, also received uniforms as a sign of trust.
Pain needed Nero's Space Fruit ability. Originally, he had planned to plunder it and find someone else to consume it, but now that Nero was one of them, plundering it was naturally out of the question.
Because Nero's understanding of the Space Fruit's application and spatial theory was insufficient, his current control over the Space Fruit's ability did not meet Pain's requirements.
Therefore, during the month of returning to headquarters, Pain ordered everyone to focus on developing Nero's Space Fruit ability to facilitate the floating of the old shipyard.
Pain, meanwhile, spent this month diligently refining his Chakra volume, attempting to reach the saturation point for the amount of Chakra his body could store.
After a month of Chakra refinement, Pain felt that his Chakra volume was already one-third more than his Peak state in his previous life, but the amount his body could store remained unknown.
He also used his free time to develop the Six Paths' Devil Fruit abilities, but progress was slow. The reason was likely too little research time on Devil Fruit abilities, insufficient to support the application techniques he wished to develop.
During this month, the world, after the sensation caused by Pain's destruction of Enies Lobby, Judicial Island, had a rare return to calm.
The World Government, unable to control the movements of the Akatsuki Organization, chose to do nothing, merely hoping that someone who knew the Akatsuki Organization's movements would report them.
The Four Emperors' forces had a tacit understanding; not a single force took the lead to be the first to act, all choosing to observe and wait for changes.
Blackbeard's faction, for instance, planned to reap the benefits, waiting for the Akatsuki Organization to create the ancient weapon 'Pluton' before plundering it.
BIG MOM's island was in a frenzy because the Straw Hat Pirates had already launched an assassination plan on her island.
Kaido, admiring the Akatsuki Organization's strength, sent some envoys to Water 7 to recruit the Akatsuki Organization, but regrettably, after arriving at Water 7, the envoys searched for three days without finding any trace of the Akatsuki Organization.
This is Kuraigana Island, located in the New World, the latter half of the Grand Line.
Hawkeye's newly found small boat finally returned to Kuraigana Island after more than a month of drifting.
As the boat slowly docked, Hawkeye, who had been standing with his arms crossed, originally in a state of meditation, opened his hawk-like eyes after feeling the boat come ashore.
Hawkeye surveyed the island's environment. The familiar scenes from before he left were gone, leaving only a devastated land, mountains and forests destroyed by artillery fire everywhere, and the rotting corpses of the race that used to inhabit the island.
Hawkeye had always been a calm person, never letting emotions control his thoughts, no matter what enemy he faced.
But the scene that met Hawkeye's eyes had already caused an apocalyptic chill to emanate from his body.
Hawkeye didn't vent any anger; he simply walked slowly towards his residence, treading on the pitted ground.
Hawkeye didn't understand why the World Government would do this.
"I've already fulfilled the summons and fought with the Akatsuki Organization's leader..."
"In the end, I was defeated and retreated. The World Government would know this with a simple investigation."
"But why would the World Government still destroy my home?"
"Just because of my early departure?"
"Did my compromise only earn me the World Government's indifference?"
Hawkeye walked and pondered the World Government's intentions, finally realizing with resignation that the World Government had no profound intentions; they were simply indifferent to Hawkeye's existence and retaliated for his early departure to vent their anger.
Understanding the reason, Hawkeye's body grew even colder. Looking at his mansion, which had turned into ruins, Hawkeye finally grasped a truth.
Hawkeye's previous principle was to maintain a neutral stance—if others didn't offend him, he wouldn't offend them—only wishing to protect his small domain and seek stability.
But Akainu's actions taught Hawkeye a profound lesson.
In this world where strength is revered, no one can avoid the ravages of war while remaining neutral.
Unless one's strength is so immense that no faction dares to provoke them, but those who reach such strength probably possess a power that strikes fear into the world.
In the end, it would also lead to the apprehension of various forces, causing them to unite and encircle. To survive in such a world, one must become the rule-maker, only then can one lead this world in the direction one desires.
Hawkeye silently left his ruined home, not using any futile actions to display his anger, but anger that is never vented is the most terrifying anger.
Hawkeye once again set sail in his small boat, heading towards... Water Seven.
Water Seven. West Coast.
All surviving members of the Kuja Pirates arrived here after handling all matters on Amazon Lily. Hancock and the others had waited here for nearly a month.
After dealing with the island's affairs, Hancock had regained her composure. Recalling Konan's recruitment and the great vengeance for Amazon Lily, Hancock led the Kuja Pirates to Water Seven.
Hancock had decided to join the Akatsuki Organization, using its power to overthrow the World Government and avenge Amazon Lily.
Another personal reason was to sail with the Akatsuki Organization to find Luffy. Although it was a bit regrettable that Luffy wasn't by her side during her most sorrowful time, this did not diminish Hancock's longing for Luffy.
While waiting for the Akatsuki Organization's members to appear, Hancock and her crew also encountered several attacks from Water Seven's Marine defense team, but all were repelled by the Kuja Pirates. Hancock also insisted on guarding the West Coast, waiting for the Akatsuki Organization's members to appear.
After several failed attacks, the Marine defense team reported the situation to Marineford, but Akainu dismissed it.
In Akainu's eyes, Hancock was now a stray dog, posing no threat to the World Government. Such an existence, Akainu could eliminate at his whim.
Akainu, without Staff Officer Tsuru's help, could only act on his preferences. It was because of Akainu's disregard that a vicious incident occurred where the Marine lost an Admiral due to Hancock's presence. This is a story for later.
"Sister..."
"We've been waiting here for quite some time..."
"Could the Akatsuki Organization's people have already left...?"
Second sister Boa Sandersonia expressed her worries to Hancock.
"No... They definitely haven't left..."
"This concubine has a premonition... a great battle will still happen on this island."
Hancock's premonition was correct. Water Seven currently seemed calm, with no major incidents except for the defense team's harassing attacks on the Kuja Pirates. However, the actual situation was that various forces had already sent people to Water 7 to lie low and observe.
It was not as calm as it appeared on the surface... To be continued...
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