5.36 billion Belly!
When Little Sadi's charming voice announced the number, Shiro himself was somewhat surprised.
The amount of this bounty is definitely not low!
If he remembered correctly, even Whitebeard's bounty wasn't this terrifying!
It seems that after this World Military Draft, the World Government has really set their sights on him.
But it's no surprise. After all, following the World Military Draft, once the operation of Central Authority in the first half of the Grand Line is successful, the Navy will be almost halved.
Although the World Government jokes that the Navy is its public relations project, it's just a joke after all. The former Navy was a force not to be underestimated in this sea. It could even be said to be a superpower strong enough to change the balance of the world.
The reason why the World Government called it a "face project" is only because some aspects, or specifically some powerful men in the Navy, could not be fully controlled. This doesn't mean that the Navy wasn't strong enough. On the contrary, the Navy was incredibly powerful and one of the strongest forces in the hands of the World Government!
But that's all in the past.
As hundreds of thousands of naval elites defected from the Navy, former admirals like Zephyr, Aokiji, Fujitora, and even high rank Marines such as Momousagi left with their high prestige and super strength. The Navy is no longer what it used to be.
When the Navy's branch bases in the first half of the Grand Line fall and they lose control of the two seas, the Navy won't be the same anymore.
Combined with the rising power of the Central Authority, the comprehensive strength of Shiro is bound to skyrocket, and the threat level he poses to the World Government is obvious!
In the eyes of the Five Elders and even the higher-ups of the World Government, the threat that Shiro poses to the World Government may very well be on par with Rocks back then!
"Shiro, you're really in the limelight right now. You nearly destroyed the Navy for the second time. The seas are filled with your legends!"
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, the voice of Little Sadi, a chief guard of Impel Down, continued.
Although she didn't know why Shiro suddenly contacted her, there must be something special. And she didn't mind getting in touch with him more. After all, Impel Down had broadcasted the entire World Military Draft event live. Shiro's strength was now truly terrifying!
And Zephyr's words and Shiro's declaration had stirred something in her heart.
Although she was merely the guard of the great underwater prison, only responsible for its defense, that didn't mean she was indifferent to the world's situation. Now that the Central Authority was rising, and Shiro had become a significant figure, the world's power structure was on the brink of a massive change.
Though Impel Down is just a prison, it holds far too much evil within its walls.
She had no problem keeping in contact with Shiro.
"You help me contact Domino. She should be Head Jailer of Impel Down by now. Tell her I sincerely invite her to join the Central Authority, and I'll be coming to Impel Down soon!"
Shiro didn't hide his intentions and was direct with Little Sadi.
He and Little Sadi, as well as Domino, were old acquaintances. Based on what he knew about them, both were thrill-seekers. The only difference was that Little Sadi was a superficial devil, with all her evil written on her face, while Domino had a uniformed, boring "S" type demeanor.
"Giggle, Shiro, you rascal. When did I agree to join you? Don't be too arrogant. Oh~ you know, people like hearing high-status or strong people scream!"
"You should know too, giggle. People are still worried about what happened at the Navy. But if you give me a few good screams, I might consider joining your Central Authority!"
Little Sadi's extremely seductive voice continued, causing Shiro to feel a chill down his spine.
After all this time, her tastes had only gotten worse.
"Little Sadi, be mindful. My wife is the Pirate Empress, and guess who would be screaming between us?" Shiro smirked.
"No nonsense, let's not get discovered in advance. I can promise you this: one day, I'll let you hear the screams of the Celestial Dragons. For you, that should be one of the most enjoyable things in the world!"
There was a smile on Shiro's face as he spoke firmly.
"Giggle, are you that confident? Then... it's a deal!"
Beep—beep!
After the Den Den Mushi hung up, in the chief guard's office at Impel Down, a smile of anticipation played on Little Sadi's face.
The screams of the Celestial Dragons?
Just thinking about it made her uncontrollably excited!
After making up her mind, Little Sadi didn't waste time and left her office to find Domino.
Like Shiro, she wasn't worried that Domino would turn down the offer. She even knew a secret that Shiro didn't: during their time at the Navy, the calm and composed Domino was one of Shiro's biggest fans! However, Domino had been too shy at the time to confess her feelings. To this day, Domino hadn't changed her mind.
So Little Sadi wasn't worried in the slightest. She knew Domino would never refuse Shiro.
Only, Little Sadi had overlooked something.
Shortly after she left, a tall figure emerged from the darkness, revealing a terrifying face.
This man was the former chief warden of Impel Down, who had resigned after the war, and now served as the vice warden of Impel Down—the strongest man in the prison, Magellan!
For Magellan, the turmoil that occurred in Impel Down during the Summit War remained a painful memory. He was eager to atone for his failures and restore both his own and Impel Down's honor.
So, although he could have arrested Little Sadi and Domino, who were clearly conspiring, he chose not to.
Isn't the most infamous man in the sea coming to Impel Down soon?
This was a golden opportunity!
If he could successfully capture Shiro, whose bounty had reached 5.36 billion Belly, then not only would his personal reputation be restored, but Impel Down's shame would be wiped away as well!
Ever since that upheaval, he had enhanced his Venom-Venom Fruit powers and upgraded Impel Down's defense system.
Now, Impel Down was a fortress with traps everywhere, designed by Magellan himself.
With him here, if Shiro dared to come, there was no way he'd escape!
This wasn't arrogance, it was confidence—in himself and in Impel Down!
"Shiro, come. Let's see if you can survive my poison this time!"
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The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg