Raleigh was walking on the smog-covered streets of the Eryoku Kingdom, the collar of his Justice cloak turned up against the acrid wind.
Today, he planned to go through the motions of "patrolling" the territory.
This little theater would give confidence to both the World Government officials and the nervous nobles of Eryoku.
It was all part of the service.
"Extra! Extra! The World Destroyer, Byrnndi World, appears in the North Blue!"
A newsboy's shrill voice cut through the industrial clatter, instantly catching Raleigh's attention.
"Hey, kid," Raleigh called out, tossing a coin. "Give me a newspaper."
After paying, Raleigh took the paper and sat on a dusty roadside bench to read, ignoring the curious stares of passersby.
The headline screamed in bold ink.
[WORLD DESTROYER SIGHTED! NORTH BLUE IN PANIC!]
"Byrnndi World," Raleigh muttered, scanning the article. "A complete madman."
There was nothing this pirate wouldn't dare to do.
He was famous for attacking everyone—Marines, pirates, civilians, even Celestial Dragons—without hesitation.
Moreover, he possessed a quite remarkable Devil Fruit: the More-More Fruit (Moa Moa no Mi).
Raleigh had coveted this fruit for a long time in his previous life's fandom discussions and had once considered becoming its master himself.
"But what is Byrnndi World doing here?" Raleigh mused. "In the North Blue? This is backwater compared to the New World."
The newspaper didn't provide much concrete information, only speculating that World was "looking for something" or someone who could build him a giant ship.
Raleigh stroked his chin.
"This guy... might have some use after all."
He must have returned from the New World defeated.
World's ability allows him to amplify objects he touches—their size and speed—up to a hundred times.
Whether it's bullets, cannonballs, or even his own speed, everything can be multiplied according to World's will.
A simple pistol bullet, with its speed and size increased a hundredfold, becomes a cannonball that can sink a warship in a single shot.
A cannonball from a ship's artillery, multiplied by a hundred... possesses enough kinetic energy to obliterate a small island.
However, from what Raleigh recalled, this guy was quite the troublemaker.
He's fought the Roger Pirates, clashed with Golden Lion Shiki, and had several battles with Whitebeard.
Though he likely lost against those monsters, the fact that he was still alive and causing trouble spoke volumes about his durability.
Raleigh thought for a moment, then pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket.
He dialed a familiar number.
Brrr brrr... Brrr brrr.
.....
Far away in the Grand Line, a tall figure in a crimson suit had just punched a pirate in front of him into a splatter of gore.
Magma churned around his arm, evaporating the blood on his body with a hiss of steam.
One hand reached into his suit jacket to answer the snail, while the other—now a molten fist of rock—casually melted the face of a charging swordsman.
"Moshi moshi. Raleigh," the deep voice rumbled. "What do you need?"
This was none other than Vice Admiral Sakazuki, who had left the North Blue to take up his post in the meat-grinder of the Grand Line.
He was currently dealing with a "pest control" issue.
"Moshi moshi, Sakazuki-san," Raleigh said cheerfully. "I have something I want to ask you."
"What is it?" Sakazuki asked. "Meigo!"
SQUELCH.
Sakazuki backhanded a pirate who tried to sneak attack him, turning the man instantly into ashes and steam.
"Are you fighting pirates right now?" Raleigh asked, hearing the screams. "I can call back later."
Sakazuki glanced at the few dozen remaining pirates before him, who were now dropping their weapons in terror.
He smirked contemptuously.
"It's fine. Just a bunch of small fry. I don't need both hands to deal with trash like this."
Hearing Sakazuki's confident response, Raleigh got straight to the point.
"A big fish has recently appeared in the North Blue—the World Destroyer, Byrnndi World. I don't know why he's come here, so I wanted to ask you for information about his recent movements in the Grand Line."
After listening, Sakazuki frowned.
He hadn't paid particular attention to World recently, but he could find out.
Waving his hand, he summoned his deputy, who was finishing off a pirate nearby.
After a quick inquiry, he reported back to Raleigh.
"I don't have clear intel on his current location," Sakazuki said, "but according to captured pirate testimonies... someone witnessed World fighting Whitebeard for several days. He probably got beaten badly."
Regarding Whitebeard, Sakazuki's eyes narrowed.
He very much wished to claim that head.
Promotions were too difficult to come by these days; the New World was a stalemate of monsters.
"I suspect," Sakazuki continued, analyzing the situation like a predator, "he was defeated by Whitebeard and isn't satisfied. He's likely returned to the North Blue looking for a weapon. His ability combined with heavy ordinance is quite terrifying."
"Mmhmm. Thank you, Sakazuki-san. Give them hell."
"Always."
After hanging up, Raleigh sat on the bench, deep in thought.
He understood now.
A strong pirate like World wouldn't come here for sightseeing.
The weapons available in the Grand Line simply couldn't meet his requirements for revenge against Whitebeard.
But the North Blue... the North Blue was the industrial heart of the world.
It was abundant in both weapons and, crucially, mineral resources.
"Armament... and Mineral Resources." Raleigh's eyes lit up.
He had grasped the crucial point.
He just needed a thread to tie it all together.
....
Meanwhile, in an obscure small village in the North Blue.
What was once a picturesque, quiet village had now turned into a living hell.
Smoke rose from burning houses. Bodies lay scattered in the streets.
A group of pirates was feasting on meat and wine at the village center, celebrating their slaughter.
The leader, a burly man, wore a horned helmet with one broken horn, and his strikingly green beard stood out prominently.
Byrnndi World.
At the moment, he was devouring large chunks of roasted meat, tearing it off the bone with savage force.
A huge beer barrel was placed beside him.
Perhaps growing tired of the meat, he casually grabbed the beer barrel—which looked like a cup in his hand—and downed it in one go.
BELCH.
After setting down the empty barrel, his face flushed red from the alcohol, he laughed heartily at his approaching companion.
"Nairu! How are the mineral resources on this island?"
A still-charming, purple-haired woman walked over.
Beneath her white doctor's cloak, she wore a purplish-red cheongsam, and her ample breast swayed with each step.
This was Nairu, the ship's doctor of World Pirate crew.
"Well, Captain," Nairu sighed, adjusting her small glasses. "The mineral resources on this island aren't very abundant. I've just checked all the reserves. They're only enough to produce about one-third of the giant cannon you want."
Hearing Nairu's words, Byrnndi World grew angry.
He smashed his fist into the table, shattering it.
The reason he had returned to the North Blue was simple: he had lost.
In his straightforward, not-so-bright mind, he believed the reason he couldn't defeat Whitebeard wasn't a difference in Haki or strength, but simply that his fruit abilities hadn't been utilized to their fullest potential.
If he could create an unprecedented Giant Cannon and enhance it with the More-More Fruit—multiplying its size and power by 100—he could blow Whitebeard's ship, and Whitebeard himself, out of the water with a single shot.
"Sigh," World growled. "Without the giant cannon, we'll just be bullied again when we return to the New World. I hate losing!"
Before arriving in the New World, World's catchphrase was, 'Annihilate everything that stands in my way.' And he had lived by it.
But the New World... it was a different beast.
Roger, Shiki, Whitebeard.
They were walls he couldn't break.
"I need that cannon," World muttered. "I need to blast them all to hell!"
"Ahem... World," a weak voice coughed from beside him. "If we can't find enough resources... it's alright. We don't have to fight for the top spot." Byojack, World's older brother and the brain of the crew, sat huddled in a chair, hooked up to an IV drip.
His health was poor, his body frail.
"Shut up, Byojack!" World shouted, though not unkindly. "Believe me, brother! I can definitely create a massive cannon that will blast everything blocking our path to pieces!"
He turned to Nairu. "Have we contacted the Underworld factions in the North Blue? What did they say?"
Nairu checked her clipboard. "We've reached out to many weapon-trafficking Mafia families. Most said they can't produce what we need—the caliber is too high. The only one with the technical capability is a Mafia family called the Donquixote Family." She frowned.
"But they refused us. They said they're currently rushing to produce a large batch of standardized weapons. Apparently, they've landed a major contract and are fully booked."
"The Donquixote Family, huh?" World stood up, towering over them.
"Fully booked? I don't care. Find out their location. We'll go directly and have them make it for us. And if they can't produce it... we'll wipe them out and take their factory." He spoke with complete indifference.
In his mind, everyone in the North Blue was nothing but an ant.
....
At the Donquixote Family's Base.
"Karasu-san, this is the final batch of weapons. Would you like to inspect them?" Trebol, snot dripping from his nose, accompanied the giant revolutionary, Karasu, during the final inspection.
This was the last batch.
Initially, Trebol had thought Karasu's demands weren't large, but after accepting the order, he realized it consumed a massive amount of mineral resources.
If Dragon hadn't promptly sent someone with those two chests of treasure from Raleigh, Trebol would have doubted they could afford it.
But now... this deal was extremely worthwhile.
The sheer volume made it a goldmine.
"Thanks to our Young Master's foresight," Trebol muttered to himself, "otherwise we would have missed out on this."
Originally, the family had held a grudge against Raleigh.
Now? Raleigh was their favorite customer.
"That's fine," Karasu squeaked, looking over the crates of high-quality rifles and explosives. "I trust your quality completely. Load everything onto the ship. I'll return today."
Karasu no longer considered himself the leader; he was Dragon's lieutenant now.
He wanted to get these weapons back to the miners.
"Pleasure doing business! I hope we can work together again, Karasu!" Trebol beamed, moving in for a slimy embrace.
Karasu, noticing the mucus, subtly stepped back.
"Ahem. Trebol, I'll take my leave now." He practically fled with his volunteers.
Only after the ship was fully loaded and sailing away did Karasu relax.
"That guy is just too disgusting," he shuddered.
But then he looked at the crates. 'Good heavens. Such excellent weapons. The Donquixote Family's standards are higher than anything else in the North Blue.'
The success rate of weapons produced here was over 93%.
It was an almost impossible achievement, likely due to Doflamingo's perfectionism.
With these weapons, fighting the King's Guard wasn't a dream anymore.
It was a plan.
'Dragon-san, just wait and see—we'll accomplish great things!'
....
Back at the Marine Base.
"We've found it! We've found it, Raleigh-san!" Cleveland burst into the office, waving a stack of papers.
"Byrnndi World has plundered several villages. His bounty has risen to 410 million Belly! His fleet has expanded to several thousand pirates!"
"Our intelligence agents infiltrated his crew," Cleveland panted. "World is frantically seizing Fine Iron resources. Rumor has it he intends to build an unprecedented giant submarine and... an unparalleled cannon."
Raleigh picked up the report, scrutinizing it carefully.
'Hiss! So that's his plan.'
The idea was unique—the amplifying ability of the More-More Fruit combined with a super-cannon. It would essentially be a man-made Ancient Weapon.
And this... this worked to Raleigh's advantage perfectly.
Because when it came to Fine Iron resources in the North Blue, no country could match the reserves of the Kingdom of Eruyorobu.
"Cleveland," Raleigh said, a wicked smile forming. "Spread the word."
"Sir?"
"Spread a rumor through the underworld channels. Tell them: The Kingdom of Eryoku possesses a massive deposit of refined Fine Iron ore, sitting in the royal warehouses, soon to be transported to the New World by the World Government."
"Make sure that information reaches Byrnndi World's ears by tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir!"
Raleigh sat back, satisfied.
So, the third condition for Dragon's revolution—the external distraction—was about to fall into place.
In the eyes of the World Government, Byrnndi World was a nightmare.
He attacked everyone.
He had once sunk an entire Marine fleet just because they were in his way.
If he attacked Eryoku for the iron... the World Government would panic.
They would send everything they had to stop him.
And while they were busy with the World Destroyer... Dragon could make his move.
Raleigh pulled out his Den Den Mushi and dialed without looking.
Buru buru... Clatch.
"Moshi moshi~ What are you up to, brother?"
"Is that you Raleigh?" Borsalino asked.
He was currently lying on a sun lounger aboard his own warship, relaxing.
"The North Blue hasn't been very peaceful lately. I've been invited to provide protection for some nobles. What's going on?"
"I've received some intel," Raleigh said, his voice serious. "That Byrnndi World fellow... he has set his sights on the Fine Iron that the World Government is transporting from the Kingdom of Eryoku. I can't handle a 400-million-berry monster alone. You need to come."
"Byrnndi World?" Borsalino's expression turned grave instantly.
"The World Destroyer? He's a complete madman."
"How did you know he plans to attack?"
"A Marine intelligence agent infiltrated their crew," Raleigh lied smoothly. "He learned World intends to construct a super-weapon. He needs the iron. And he knows the shipment is here."
"How terrifying," Borsalino sighed. "If he gets that iron and builds that cannon... the World Government will be furious. It would be a disaster."
"Alright," Borsalino said, sitting up. "I'll make a trip to the Eryoku Kingdom. We can't let a mad dog like that get such a weapon."
After ending the call, Raleigh smiled.
He had devised a simple, brutal plan: When Byrnndi World attacks the "World Government shipment" (which was really just the King's hoard), the uprising in Eryoku would detonate simultaneously.
The World Government would prioritize dealing with the World Destroyer to save face.
And as long as he and his brother Borsalino could successfully defeat Byrnndi World... they would get the glory, Dragon would get his revolution, and Raleigh would get his 40% cut.
"Perfect," Raleigh whispered.
"Let the show begin."
---------
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