A Smile and Aramaki

"Fufufufu, so who among you is going to make contact with this Emperor of the Goa Empire?"

Doflamingo laughed nonchalantly, quietly moving away from Trebol, who was flicking snot everywhere.

When war broke out between the Flower Kingdom and the Mulberry Kingdom in the West Blue, the Donquixote Family had secretly intervened, providing underground arms to the Mulberry Kingdom and making a fortune in the process.

If they could now develop an aggressive, imperial-level major client in the East Blue, they would surely earn a significant amount of money every year.

"I'll go to the East Blue!"

"I've heard the Goa Empire is the most beautiful nation in the East Blue, even the Celestial Dragons have praised it. I want to see how it compares to our Dressrosa!"

"Of course, most importantly, I want to see the war between the Goa Empire and Germa 66!"

Diamante was the first to volunteer, his face full of excitement.

He would represent the allied nation of Dressrosa, the underground emperor Joker, and the Shichibukai Donquixote Family to make contact with that King of Exile.

If he could negotiate an arms deal, that would be even better.

Even if he couldn't, he would still get to watch a battle between Judge and Wang Shi.

"Hearing you say that, I want to go to the East Blue too!"

Lao G and Machvise spoke up immediately; as members who had joined the Donquixote Family early on, they knew just how tyrannical the North Blue's overlord, Germa 66, truly was.

By the time members like Gladius, Baby 5, and Buffalo joined, the Donquixote Family was already thriving and preparing to advance into the Grand Line.

"Young Master, I want to go to the East Blue for a vacation too!"

Hearing the name of the most beautiful nation in the East Blue, the weapon-maid Baby 5 immediately had stars in her eyes.

She could take this opportunity while on a mission to go sightseeing in the Goa Empire.

Perhaps she would even find her 'true love' there.

Without the Young Master's interference, her fiancés certainly wouldn't drop dead for no reason.

The large man Buffalo also had eyes filled with longing; like a child, he wanted to go and play as well.

"..."

Doflamingo's face darkened. These guys were all just thinking about watching the show and going on vacation.

If so many executives left, who would maintain order in Dressrosa!

However, with him presiding over Dressrosa, he wasn't afraid of any trouble breaking out.

"Go, all of you go!"

Doflamingo approved the mission and the actions of the five.

Trebol wanted to speak up as well, but Doflamingo refused him on the grounds of needing him to protect Sugar.

Pica, Gladius, and Senor Pink, the steady and reliable executives, were left behind to guard Dressrosa.

Soon, a Flamingo Pirate Ship quickly departed from Dressrosa, using the World Government's safe shipping lanes to head toward the East Blue.

In front of a casino on the Twin Snake Island in the West Blue.

A blind bodyguard listened to the chatter between other bodyguards and gamblers, hearing tales of the Goa Empire's war exploits.

He also heard that the evil legion of the North Blue, Germa 66, was heading to the East Blue to cause trouble for the Goa Empire.

"War, in the end, is always a mistaken path..."

Issho, who had sold himself to the casino as a bodyguard because he loved to gamble and had lost all his money, sighed as he listened to news of the Goa Empire's expansionist wars.

Once a war begins, it cannot be stopped.

Even if the Goa Empire occupies those kingdoms today, those whose nations were destroyed might spend every waking moment seeking to restore their lands, throwing themselves one after another at Wang Shi in revenge, falling into a dark vortex of endless retribution.

Even if there were no survivors seeking revenge, a more powerful kingdom would eventually come to defeat you.

Look, the newly risen Goa Empire was already being targeted by an old-school overlord from the North Blue.

Who would win and who would lose in this war?

Regardless of the outcome, the casualties on both sides would surely be immense.

Years ago, Issho's own homeland, the Cang Kingdom located in the Grand Line, had also been a war-torn nation that constantly fought to pay the Heavenly Tribute.

But in the end, his kingdom was destroyed.

And he, a captain of the Guard Army, had fled to the West Blue as a criminal of a fallen nation, hiding his name and living a low-profile life.

He had wandered the West Blue for many years, where he was fortunate enough to obtain the Paramecia-type Gravity Fruit, and through his formidable strength, he acquired the Supreme Grade Sword: Extreme Path Fireline, a famous blade also known as the Gambler Fireline.

As Issho's strength grew, he could never find his own path.

He had even blinded his own eyes because he did not want to see the chaos and tragedies of this world.

Yet, even with his eyes blinded, his Observation Haki grew ever stronger, allowing him to still 'see' the tragedies of all kinds of people.

Selling himself to work in a casino to get by was merely a sign of the confusion felt by a criminal of a fallen nation.

With his strength, it would be simple to head out to sea and become a pirate.

But he did not want to become a pirate feared by commoners.

Yet his status as a criminal from a fallen nation made it impossible for him to join the Navy.

Unless the World Government could erase his crimes and recruit him into the Navy through a special exemption.

But that was basically impossible.

He felt lost; his heart of benevolence could simply find no path forward...

So he had no choice but to indulge his small hobbies: gambling a few rounds every day and selling his services as a casino bodyguard, muddling through this helpless and frustrating life.

South Blue, Taya Kingdom.

As a high-ranking officer in the kingdom's Guard Army, Aramaki had recently accepted a protection mission to guard a noblewoman of high status.

"This Goa Empire is impressive; they actually wiped out six affiliated nations. If only our king had such ambition and resolve."

Aramaki looked at the newspaper, his eyes filled with a craving for power and battle.

The status of a mere police officer could not satisfy him.

He wanted to become a high-ranking kingdom general, or perhaps even a high official of the World Government.

Only by standing at the pinnacle of power could he live with peace of mind.

To promote himself to a higher position and become a superior human being, he had always fought with his life on the line.

In Aramaki's eyes, humanity had survived to this day by trampling on species inferior to themselves.

Non-affiliated nations and those animals were just like food—equivalent to the low-born. Only by trampling the non-affiliated nations underfoot and paying the Heavenly Tribute could people live in peace.

This kind of "discrimination" was synonymous with "peace of mind."

Citizens of non-affiliated nations who did not pay the Heavenly Tribute had no right to live happily or securely.

Otherwise, what would be the point of the affiliated nations paying the Heavenly Tribute!

This was the 'normal' worldview of this world!

A twisted worldview, different from that of any other world.

On another level, Aramaki was actually practicing the supremacy of strength!

In this world, the World Government possessed the greatest strength, and the Celestial Dragons held the highest status and power; they were the embodiment of justice and law.

"If I were fighting and earning merits under an 'enterprising' emperor like Wang Shi, how comfortable that would be."

Aramaki was somewhat dissatisfied with a 'contented' king like the one of Taya Kingdom. If he had been born in the Goa Empire, let alone a police officer's position, he might have already become a count or even a grand duke of the empire through his military achievements.

He would have completely elevated his status and position.

However, Aramaki, who was still fantasizing about his promotion, did not know that the noble woman he was protecting this time would be the greatest pitfall of his life.

Because of this noble woman, he would be imprisoned for several years, even falling to the point of having no food to eat, forced to rely on the power of the Forest-Forest Fruit to consume nutrients.

In the end, he would even develop the habit of not eating.

Because all his enemies would become his 'food'!