Lancelot's gaze then fell upon the remaining unconscious prisoners: Moria, Absalom, and Perona—especially Perona.
Cute, adorably naive, and dressed in her gothic lolita attire... she was practically the epitome of a "legal loli."
But... Lancelot's mind was cold.
Perona had been adopted by Moria since childhood and clearly regarded him as a father, holding him in deep respect and affection.
So, if they were to be killed, they should all be killed; if they were to be spared, they should all be spared.
Otherwise, killing only Moria and Absalom while leaving Perona alive would be like planting a time bomb beside himself.
These three represented the Paramecia Shadow-Shadow Fruit, the Paramecia Transparency Fruit, and the Paramecia Ghost-Ghost Fruit.
After only a moment's hesitation, Lancelot raised his blade, his decision made.
In the face of three powerful, unique Devil Fruits, what was one woman? He might be lustful, but he was certainly not the type to lose his head over a woman and risk his future.
In his heart, aside from perhaps the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, what woman could possibly be worth three Devil Fruits?
His gaze then shifted to the three new, strangely patterned fruits he created using Cobra's method.
These fruits would be used for his most trusted subordinates.
He just needed to find a way to give them a plausible origin...
'Buru buru... Buru buru...'
Just as Lancelot was deep in thought, the Den Den Mushi rang.
"Hahaha..."
As soon as the call connected, an extremely triumphant laugh came from the other end.
"You brat, you've made your old man proud again!"
Hearing this, Lancelot's pupils slightly contracted, but he laughed in response, playing his part.
"It was just luck, old man. I happened to run into those two Warlords fighting each other. Most importantly, both were severely injured from their battle. Otherwise, with my strength, how could I possibly be a match for them?"
This was the cover story he had agreed upon with Cobra—one that would avoid revealing too much of his own power and attracting unnecessary trouble.
"Hmm, I heard..." Burns nodded, accepting the plausible, if wildly fortunate, story.
Then he laughed again. "Cobra reported the incident in full detail to the Five Elders and Marine Headquarters. You've accomplished another great feat this time—not only saving his daughter but also rescuing the entire Alabasta Kingdom from Crocodile's plot!"
"The Marines are already preparing to promote you again. That means you'll soon hold the rank of Vice Admiral! Moreover, 'killing' two Shichibukai in a row, even if they were fighting each other, has convinced the Five Elders of your strength. So, they've approved your proposal... From now on, Whiskey Peak is yours."
"However," Burns continued, his voice turning serious, "you'll have to open up the trade routes across the Four Seas yourself. You have three years. If you can't achieve the expected revenue within that time, everything will be taken back..."
"Hahaha..." Lancelot couldn't help but burst into laughter as well.
Though a Vice Admiral rank alone couldn't make him this happy (even if it came with system rewards), this... Whiskey Peak... truly delighted him.
If this place was managed well, the trade between the Four Seas and the Grand Line would essentially be monopolized by him alone.
After chatting for a while, he hung up.
Lancelot pondered: 'Who should manage Whiskey Peak?'
He still held the title of East Blue Governor-General and had to connect the Four Seas, so he couldn't stay at Whiskey Peak permanently.
'Gin...' Lancelot immediately thought of him.
He was ruthless enough, had a sharp mind, and with his existing strength and the recently acquired Sand-Sand Fruit, he already had the capability to hold down Whiskey Peak.
But... his Sand-Sand Fruit couldn't be revealed yet.
It wouldn't seem plausible until at least half a year had passed.
'Yet, aside from him... Zoro?' Lancelot immediately dismissed the thought.
'Forget it! Not to mention his strength is still lacking for a command position, just his terrible sense of direction alone is enough to give anyone a headache. He'd get lost in his own office.'
'Lina?Uh... she's my personal staff officer and adjutant.'
If she wasn't around, what would he do in his free time?
The next second, his gaze fell upon the memory of Crocodile.
In his heart, he had already made his choice.
He walked into the ship's cabin where the prisoners were held.
Mr. 2, Mr. 3, Miss Goldenweek, and Mr. 5 had long heard his footsteps and all turned to look at the door, their expressions a mixture of fear and hope.
Lancelot's eyes swept over them one by one.
Mr. 2 was a powerhouse among the four, decent enough for the first half of the Grand Line. Mr. 3 had good, tricky abilities and, in the original story, had the willpower to survive Impel Down and Marineford.
He had some potential, and most importantly, the guy had a first-rate, cunning mind.
Miss Goldenweek had a unique, reality-bending ability; with proper training, her achievements wouldn't be bad. Mr. 5... a guy who played with boogers...
'uh... forget it, he could still be useful as a thug.'
"I'll give you all a chance," Lancelot stated, his voice flat. "Want it?"
"Yes... yes... yes yes..." Mr. 2, Mr. 3, Miss Goldenweek, and Mr. 5 all nodded frantically.
During this time, they couldn't think of any reason for Lancelot to trust them.
Now that he was offering them a chance, if they didn't seize it, they'd be absolute fools.
"I want you to hold down Whiskey Peak for me. Are you willing?"
Mr. 2, Mr. 3, Miss Goldenweek, and Mr. 5 exchanged glances.
How could they disagree? They nodded frantically once again.
These past days, locked up in this cage, they had been counting every agonizing minute.
They didn't even dare imagine how much worse it would be if they ended up in Impel Down.
"Mr. 3 will lead, with the other three assisting," Lancelot commanded. "Your first task is to subdue everyone at Whiskey Peak. Wait for my return."
The four said in unison, "Yes, Rear Admiral Lancelot!"
Then, Lancelot arranged for them to take one of the pirate ships that had originally belonged to Moria's fleet, along with their new orders.
.....
In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
The Going Merry was anchored in a quiet, secluded cove, awaiting the arrival of the Marine envoy.
Lina stood at the ship's bow, tapping her foot somewhat impatiently.
"When exactly will the envoy arrive? We've been waiting here for half a month already!"
Lancelot, lounging on a deck chair, pulled her close, seating her comfortably in his lap.
He chuckled, "No rush..."
Lina was very compliant, settling against his chest, though a hint of her characteristic shyness colored her face.
"Hahaha..."
Seeing this, Lancelot couldn't help but burst into laughter.
He adored Lina precisely for this demeanor.
Though the two were already intimately familiar, she always blushed as if it were their first encounter.
Such a woman was truly rare: playful and unrestrained in moments of true intimacy, yet perpetually bashful like a young maiden in simple moments of affection.
It stirred an irresistible itch in one's heart.
A peerless treasure among mortals—she was nothing less.