34 Chapter 33

◇Thriller Bark, Mast Mansion◇

I am at my own mansion.

Cindry has already prepared my breakfast and early tea.

*Sips*

Hmm... It's peaceful~

"Young master, here's the news for today."

"Thank you, Cindry-chan. When's your next concert?" (Shikage)

I was having a pleasant conversation with a zombie. She's kinda special to me because of how rare she is.

After the zombie maid left, I turned to the newspaper while having breakfast.

The headline of the news is the resignation of my former colleague, Doflamingo.

Now, there are only seven warlords left yet again.

"Hmm... Does this mean that the Straw hats have already met Law?" (Shikage)

Then Dressrosa would be their next destination.

(How is Marco by the way? I do hope they can wait until that Gas bastard arrives there.) (Shikage)

I do want to join the chaos that would happen in Dressrosa but I have my own priorities.

If the event at Dressrosa would persist then the time for the big battle is coming.

*Nom Nom*

After finishing breakfast, I head to my room. I went to the wardrobe and picked a formal attire.

It's because I have special guests that would visit the Mast mansion. They would enter my private gate of Thriller Bark and dock to the entrance of my Mansion. So, no hunters would see the individuals that would visit.

It is because those individuals are criminals that I considered to be in the gray zone.

*Knock*

"Come in." (Shikage)

*Creak*

The door of my room opens up and the head maid of the mansion is there.

"Young master, The ships have arrived. They would be sent to the living room in your orders." (Cindry)

"Hmm... I got it. Thank you Cindry-chan. By the way, Is my outfit okay?" (Shikage)

I know that it's lonely to talk with a zombie but Cindry is our first ever reincarnated person. So I also treat her as an individual.

"Yes. it looks good, Young master. Now then, Let's go." (Cindry)

"..." (Shikage)

*Sigh*

I sighed. Anyways, I am wearing an expensive blue suit and trousers with a black overcoat. My hair is also styled properly to look clean.

(a/n: Sorry for the lack of description. Here's the image)

I made sure to dress up properly.

Then It was time to meet and greet my visitors.

I took a look first at the entrance of the mansion using the window and saw the pirate ships and a huge flagship that has a different flag and has a dragon as its figurehead.

After seating at the head of the table in the living room, I waited for the visitors to come.

In just a few minutes, The commotion outside the rooms starts to liven up.

*Creak*

The door opened up and the people came inside one by one.

The pressure of the room was heavy since these visitors aren't normal visitors.

"Hey~ Shika! It's been a while since I saw you! How are you?"

The first to initiate the contact is the man with freckles and black hair.

He has a neat attire that couldn't be compared to the outfit he used to use on Fish-man Island.

I don't see his knife anymore and what replaced it was a sword hanging on his waist.

"It's been a while, Portgaz. I'm glad you're here. Let's catch up another time, We have things to do." (Shikage)

"Che~ What a bore~." (Ace)

After shaking hands with an Emperor, Portgaz D. Ace sit down to the chairs provided in the room.

"Ace! Isn't he the one who prevented us to rescue you? Why are you getting along with him?"

"C'mon?! It's in the past. I have no bad blood with you guys." (Shikage)

The next person is the man I defeated at Marineford. He is Curiel. Former division commander of the Whitebeard pirates and now, the division commander of ACE pirates.

Ace's pirate group consists of his former subordinates during his piracy with the Whitebeard pirates. Since he got along with some other division commander like him, it's natural that those people would want to join Ace instead of Blackbeard.

Although some didn't join Ace like Marco, The Fire Fist has some real influence on the world. So he wasn't short of men and has good commanders like Curiel here.

The mansion has a lot of rooms so those individuals who aren't in the living room were directed to the empty rooms. Unfortunately for them, The mansion is a little bit spooky because of the zombies.

There are only three people from Ace's side who are present in the living room.

It's Curiel, Vista, and Masked Deuce.

Personally, I'm more curious about the masked one, If I'm not wrong with the information I got from Kalifa, then this guy is the doctor and the vice-captain of the ACE pirate group.

Deuce took out a book and a pen to start recording the meeting. It seems that he is also the brains of the pirate group.

After the pirates have seated, the next batch to enter the room is the revolutionists.

The supreme commander of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon.

A small clash of Conquerer's Haki happened because of Ace and this badass man.

I flickered my Haki and join them to break it apart.

*Rumble*

After a few seconds, The heavy pressure on the room vanished and the people inside were tense.

Ace's Nakama gulped and have sweats on their foreheads.

They couldn't believe that it would be this intense right away.

As for the culprits, Ace just look amused, He stood up and faced Luffy's father.

"Monkey D. Dragon... I have heard lots of things from gramps about you. I am the older brother of Luffy. Nice to meet ya~" (Ace)

Ace did a proper gesture that made the people there surprised including his Nakama.

Meanwhile, The person calmly stares at the young man in front of him. He's not the one who replied to the greetings but the large lady beside him.

"Good grief... You are totally different from Straw-boy. You're polite for someone who's a pirate. Just like I want for my type~" (Ivankov)

"Iva... We didn't come here for that. Hmm... I see, So, He did tell you about me. Fire fist Ace..." (Dragon)

Ooh~ I feel like I am on the sidelines, These people are in a different class. But I'm not defeated. They are here at my territory! They have agreed to my summon!

"I have seen your father's execution." (Dragon)

"!!!" (Ace)

Ace's eyes widen so much including everyone there except for me and the caretakers zombies who arrived with food and snacks for us.

"He is an incredible man! I am glad that you didn't follow his footsteps of getting executed." (Dragon)

"... Sigh. Dragon, I don't want to talk about him for now. Someday, You and I will have to talk." (Ace)

"Now now, Here we have some snacks. Let's fill our belly first and get to know each other. Although we know each other on phone, It's still our first time to meet with each other." (Shikage)

The exchange meeting between Hunters, Pirates and Revolutionists began.

Oh, Dragon's people in the living room are Ivankov, Inazuma, and the representative of the team Wings of Freedom.

◇A few minutes later◇

"Now then, It's time to discuss the real reason of the gathering." (Shikage)

"Hold up, Let me ask you first Shika-boy~ You... Are you really on our side?" (Ivankov)

Oh, I forgot, We're supposed to be enemies from our affiliation.

"Ah, Don't worry about it. The WG is planning on cutting us off. Just wait for it." (Shikage)

"!!!"

"Kage-kun! Where did you get that information?! If they're doing that, it means that they're prepared for it!" (Dragon)

"Uh... From my s-sources." (Shikage)

Shit! I slipped up. Also, You're too intense! Dragon-san!

"So, What is the plan Shika?" (Ace)

*Ehem*

"Everyone, This gathering only came to fruition because of our interest collides. Portgaz, here, wanted to have revenge. Dragon-san have identified Blackbeard as an individual to kill. As for me, I would hunt him down before he hunts me and my hunters." (Shikage)

Ace nods at my words including the others.

"And so, We have joined together to deal with him. Now the plan is for me and Portgaz to fight Blackbeard head-on and anything other than the pirates would be fighting the Revolutionary Army... Any objections?" (Shikage)

"A head-on battle?! Nice~! I'm fired up!" (Ace)

"I think that this is a little bit too simple. Well, I'll deal with the fine details and you young men should just focus on the main target." (Dragon)

We then continued to plan together and suddenly, The door opened up again.

*Slam*

"Well well, What a sight~! To think that the people with Big Names would be here in one room."

A lazy tall man joined the gathering. It also broke the peaceful but tense atmosphere. Kuzan and Ace have clashed already in the past while the Nakama of Ace didn't like Kuzan.

As for the Revolutionary Army, They were neutral about Kuzan. It's not their problem or such.

"You should've waited Kuzan. I'll call the people who will be joining us in this operation. Now that you're here, hear this out." (Shikage)

I relayed what we had discussed to him and expected some feedback from him.

But as usual, this guy is too lazy for that.

"Anyways, Everything would start with a call from the Chief of staff of the Revolutionary Army." (Shikage)

Dragon break from his seriousness and I noticed it. Hmm... So Sabo did remember everything.

I guess that the situation would be interesting in a few minutes or hours.

And so, we waited for the call and converse to pass the time.

I'm really curious about the sword that Ace is carrying.

"Hey, Portgaz. What's the deal with your new weapon? You're not using knife anymore?" (Shikage)

Ace turned to me after excusing himself from the transformed Okama. Yes, the lady Ivankov becomes the man Ivankov with a huge face.

"... Shika! This beauty is a precious gift to me." (Ace)

Portgaz D. Ace gently stroke the sword and caress it while he unsheathed it.

Dragon with his serious face became even more serious when he saw the sword.

"This sword is one of the 12 supreme blades like my Pops weapon... Also, this is the sword my father used in his prime." (Ace)

*Gasps*

Of course, everyone gaped because of the sword. To think that it is the weapon used by the late Pirate King.

Obviously, it's mind-blowing.

"I see... What's it called?" (Shikage)

"I think its ace... Right, this weapon is called ace. Hahaha What a surprise right? I was named after his own sword. That damn father of mine." (Ace)

Ace with his weapon, ace is showing his disdain for his late father in plain sight.

"Old man Rayleigh kept it and gave this sword to me. He said that it's the last legacy of Roger aside from One Piece... That's right! I learned a lot from meeting Old man Rayleigh!" (Ace)

So it is Rayleigh. As far as I know, He left Luffy in 6 months before Luffy finished training.

Hmm. Then it's possible that they met in that timeframe.

After learning what Ace shared in the room, We continue to pass the time.

It wasn't until It's late-night that we have received a call. Dragon is always cautious so there's no way this transmission would leak out.

We quickly went into position and focused on the transponder snail.

*Kacha*

"Mushi Mushi. This is Sabo... Dragon-san, I've succeeded in capturing a division commander. And it's the right hand of Emperor Blackbeard."

"Hmm... Well done. Goodjob. Tell everyone that the plan is in motion. Summon all the officers! The course is our Headquarters, Baltigo." (Dragon)

Sabo thought he was done with the call. After discussing more things with Dragon, He heard it.

"W-w-wait!! Did I just heard it correctly?!! Are you talking to Sabo?! Impossible! Is he... No! He's dead!" (Ace)

Ace's Nakama has never seen him like this, Ace is close to panicking and uneasy!

Uwah~ What an amusing scenario~.

Sabo has also a similar reaction to Ace. When he heard his brother's voice, Tears fell down on the transponder snail. It means that Sabo is indeed crying.

"A-a-ace... It's me. Sniff... I am Sabo." (Sabo)

"Don't joke around!! Sabo's long-dead! He is... d-dead... Sniff." (Ace)

Two young men were crying while conversing. Meanwhile, the other people in the room were crying and simply watching it unfolds.

Ivankov in particular is crying in buckets since he knew about their history.

"It's been a while, Ace. I've almost lost a brother without knowing anything. I have a mountain of things I want to talk about." (Sabo)

"Uooooh~ *crying noise* Saboooo~!" (Ace)

(We're not going anywhere if this persists.) (Shikage)

I exchanged glances with Dragon and let them catch up for a while.

After giving them enough time, I opened my mouth.

*Ehem*

"Congratulations to you two for reuniting but we need to start the meeting now. Chief of staff, please explain everything that happens at Dressrosa. Fortunately, Thriller Bark is close to Baltigo according to Dragon-san." (Shikage)

All of us became serious. This meeting would decide the future battle against Blackbeard.

"Okay, Shadow hunter. First, I have met with our little brother, Luffy." (Sabo)

"Luffy?! Damn it! He learned about you first! But I'm the older brother..." (Ace)

*Ehem*

I coughed again to alert Ace. He's being a hindrance to the planning. He's more of a hands-on guy where he would think on the spot.

But still, Luffy being there have caught all the attention of everyone in the room including Kuzan.

"Now then, Dressrosa is..." (Sabo)

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(a/n: Oh we reached 350! There will be a chapter this Thursday! Enjoy~!)