"Bloop bloop~"
"Kid Moya, you've got some nerve! How dare you threaten Marine Headquarters? Aren't you afraid we'll send an Admiral to wipe you out right now?"
Sengoku was furious. Since when had he been threatened by a little pirate like this?
"Fleet Admiral, I'm terrified. I never wanted to oppose the Marines. All I did was help a few pirates turn over a new leaf, and now I've been put on the wanted list too. I've been terribly wronged."
"Cut the damn nonsense. With Conqueror's Haki, you're hardly a peaceful fellow. You've shown your true colors so quickly, daring to capture Marines and threaten Marine Headquarters!"
"I had no choice. It would've been one thing if you'd just put me on the wanted list, but you even gave me a nickname that tarnishes my image. Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I'm really angry.
"I'm putting my foot down. If you don't change the nickname on my wanted poster, I'll kill all these hundred-plus Marines today.
"I'll keep visiting Marine Branches until you change it."
Moya was seething, his voice growing louder and louder as he spoke.
"I'll send an Admiral to wipe you out right now."
Sengoku was so furious that he had calmed down instead, as if killing Moya and his crew were a trivial matter.
"So you're going to leave me no choice over a stupid nickname?
"Starting tomorrow, news of the Ancient Weapon Pluton will spread throughout the Grand Line and New World. I hope you can calm the sea once it goes wild.
"And then there's Donquixote Rosinante, codenamed 'Milo'—the late Corazon, who once infiltrated the Donquixote Family. I think Doflamingo would be very interested in that news.
"Or the Marines' Giantification Project, and so on.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, are you sure you want to throw the sea into chaos again over a nickname?"
"Very good, very good. Moya, you really are a heinous criminal. So the rumors are true: one of your subordinates has the ability to see the future.
"You've been lying low all this time. What ambition are you really pursuing?"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, if I say I just want to stay alive without anyone threatening me, is that ambition? Or perhaps I only want to create a world where all races can live in peace, as long as I'm alive to see it.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I really hate it when people threaten my life. Can't we all just get along?"
Sengoku was about to retort, but Chief of Staff Tsuru stopped him with a look and mouthed, "Agree to it."
"I'll believe you this once. Release these Marines, and we'll change your title. What title do you want?"
"Now we're talking! Boa Hancock is called the Pirate Empress because she's beautiful. Since I'm handsome, I should be called..."
"Emperor of Men?"
"No, don't interrupt me!"
"Handsome Emperor?"
"I said don't interrupt me!!!"
"Emperor of Handsomeness?"
"Enough. 'Emperor of Handsomeness' isn't bad, but the title I want is Emperor of Beauty."
"I hope you keep your word. Release all these Marines."
"Since you just threatened and messed with me, I'm killing this fat pig. I'll do the Marines a favor and get rid of one of their scumbags. Goodbye."
Sengoku put down the Den Den Mushi, his face full of rage, as if a volcano were about to erupt.
"That bastard is absolutely despicable! Tsuru, why did you agree to help such a heinous criminal?"
"Kid Moya cares deeply about his pride and his life. We can't back him into a corner. Right now, we still don't know how much information he has that could threaten the World Government.
"However, what he knows is extremely dangerous. We can't push him too hard. We need to take our time and make a plan to capture him step by step.
"First, raise his bounty substantially. Make him like a child walking down the street with a handful of gold, so he'll die at the hands of seemingly harmless Pirate Hunters and the Underworld."
"What if he uses the important information he has to save his life before he dies?"
"He won't throw away that information that could save his life until the very last moment. He may also be eyeing Pluton. Keep a close watch on him and the Underworld, and eliminate him when the time is right."
"Update his wanted poster and raise his bounty to 500 million Beli. Add that he has a Devil Fruit with the power of prophecy and knows a great many of the world's secrets. I want everyone to turn against him."
After dealing with Nelson, Moya had finally put the matter of changing his title to rest, at least for now.
He unleashed another full-power burst of Conqueror's Haki, letting the Marines get some sleep.
Now he could see about dealing with these Millennium Dragons.
"Captain, we've been waiting for you. We're heading east right away, right?"
Nami had finished plundering the Marine fleet at the 8th Branch and had brought the Millennium Dragon aboard as well.
"That's right. Head east. Let's go."
After that, Moya went to find the unconscious Eric. He would erase the memories of this utterly unscrupulous mercenary, who had grown cruel after obtaining the Scythe-Scythe Fruit.
They could simply teach him how to train with the Scythe-Scythe Fruit and use its techniques all over again. After all, those memories were still there, along with some insights from Moya.
And so, Eric, another young man who had just set sail and obtained a Devil Fruit, joined the Moya Adventure Group.
As usual, they went through the same old routine. Eric submitted to Moya with gratitude and swore to follow Captain Moya.
"Captain Moya, is it really somewhere to the east? We've been sailing for so long."
"The Dragon Den only rises at certain times. Just wait. Apis, I'll need you to help the others communicate with the Millennium Dragons in a bit."
After settling the nickname issue, Moya was in a better mood. Having recruited Eric put him in an even better one, so he treated little Apis more kindly.
"Okay, Captain Moya. Thank you for helping Master Dragon."
Apis was grateful to Moya and his crew too. Without them, the Marines would've taken Master Dragon away.
"Roar~"
Just then, Master Dragon the Millennium Dragon seemed to rally for one last burst of strength. Once they reached this area, he shakily took flight before plunging into the sea.
"Master Dragon!"
Apis cried out in alarm.
At that moment, the sea began to tremble. An island slowly rose from beneath the waves, water cascading away as its outline emerged.
The calls of countless dragons echoed around them. One by one, green-feathered Millennium Dragons flew back from every direction.
The Lost Island was the Millennium Dragons' home, their graveyard, and the place where they gathered, bred, and laid eggs.
In a pond at the center of the island, Apis saw Master Dragon's body. Many other Millennium Dragon corpses had turned to stone nearby.
There were even dragon eggs close by.
"This is the home of the Millennium Dragons, the place Master Dragon always wanted to return to."
Moya stroked little Apis's head, comforting her.
Apis didn't run over to Master Dragon's body. Instead, she suddenly hugged Moya tightly.
"Thank you for helping Master Dragon find his final resting place."
"Apis, stay on my ship from now on."
"Okay, Captain Moya."
The Millennium Dragons completely ignored Moya and his crew, nuzzling and chirping at one another—courting, cuddling, or trembling all over like a rooster mounting a hen.
Was this what Uncle Da had described in his famous story as "getting a shiver down your spine"?
It was amazing that Millennium Dragons with so little wariness hadn't been captured by humans.
Was it because of their strength? Their ability to fly?
Or was it because the Lost Island was a place for them to gather and be affectionate, and it only surfaced for a limited time, so they had to hurry and get down to business?
Or were they really just that trusting?
After all, the World Government was only eight hundred years old, while Millennium Dragons could live for a thousand years, and the Lost Island surfaced once every few hundred years.
They'd hardly ever been bothered by humans, so perhaps they'd never learned to be wary of them.
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