Chapter 34: Controlling Beehive island!

"I surrender... I choose to surrender!" Ochoku's voice quivered with desperation. He was no fool—he knew when he was outmatched, and Edie was far beyond anything he could handle. Survival meant aligning with power, a lesson Ochoku had learned well during the Valley of the Gods incident. When Rocks' downfall became inevitable, Ochoku had chosen to flee rather than fight, ensuring his survival. Switching allegiances now was just another survival tactic.

Edie, however, remained noncommittal. He casually walked past Ochoku, who lay suppressed by Weiyang and Shenhou, and settled into a soft sofa. His expression was unreadable, but his silence spoke volumes. In the treacherous world of pirates, loyalty was a fleeting thing. Betrayals were as common as the tides, and trusting a pirate's surrender was a fool's errand. Rare indeed were crews like the Straw Hats or Whitebeard's, bound by something deeper than convenience.

Ochoku felt a surge of panic at Edie's silence. Was this man truly planning to kill him? "Dr. Edie, I apologize for my earlier outburst," Ochoku stammered. "My powers could be of great use to you!"

"Your power does have its uses," Edie finally spoke, his tone as calm as ever. "I had planned to kill you, but your Island Fruit ability could assist me in constructing a laboratory."

Edie had originally intended to hire builders to create his laboratory, but with Ochoku's abilities, the work could be done far more efficiently. The decision was made: Ochoku would live, at least until the laboratory was complete. There was no point in wasting resources, after all. Once the job was done, Ochoku would be disposed of, his usefulness exhausted.

Edie pulled a set of design drawings and a syringe from his pocket. "Follow the plans. The laboratory will be built underground, beneath this hotel. The hotel itself will also need renovations to serve as my research institute."

He handed the design to Chenlong, who took the syringe and approached Ochoku. Without a word, Chenlong extracted a vial of blood from Ochoku's arm, then placed the blueprint before him.

Ochoku didn't dare resist. He knew his defeat was absolute, and he had no choice but to comply with Edie's demands.

"Heavenly Father," Chenlong said as he returned to Edie, respectfully presenting the syringe.

Edie nodded. "Ochoku, get up. Weiyang and Shenhou, why don't you assist him?"

But neither Shenhou nor Weiyang moved to help. They simply sheathed their weapons and stood back, watching.

"I'll get up on my own, I'll get up..." Ochoku grimaced in pain, struggling to his feet. He picked up the design drawing and began to study it. As he flipped through the pages, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. The intricate structural diagrams made no sense to him.

Edie observed Ochoku's growing unease. The pirate captain swallowed hard, tasting blood in his mouth, before nervously admitting, "Dr. Edie, my Island Fruit can control the island's structure, but I'm not capable of such precise work."

Turning the earth into a giant fist was one thing, but building a laboratory with meticulous precision? That was beyond him.

Edie smiled, a knowing glint in his eye. "Don't worry. In three days, professional workers will arrive to assist you."

Ochoku quickly nodded, eager to please. "Rest assured, I'll do my best!"

"Shenhou," Edie ordered, "Ochoku is injured. Stay with him for the next few days and ensure his safety."

"Yes, Heavenly Father," Shenhou replied.

Edie turned back to Ochoku, his voice as calm as ever. "Use these three days to recover and start the renovations on this hotel."

"I understand," Ochoku replied with a bitter smile. He knew he was trapped, under constant watch, and escape was no longer an option. His only hope was to comply and hope for the best, though deep down, he knew his fate was sealed.

After dismissing Ochoku, Edie rose from his seat and strolled over to the window, gazing out at the island through the skeleton's right eye. From this vantage point, he could see the entirety of Beehive Island. It wasn't a particularly large island, certainly not on the scale of Wanokuni, but it was still about ten times the size of the Flower Capital.

Outside, the island buzzed with activity. Pirates milled about, their eyes frequently turning toward the hotel, keen to see what would happen next. Edie observed them with a critical eye. "Too many people, a mixed bag of good and bad," he muttered to himself.

"Sir Heavenly Father, why don't we simply block the port and kill all the pirates on the island?" Chenlong suggested with a hint of eagerness.

"You're a bit too extreme..." Edie replied, rolling his eyes. "There are thousands of pirates here, from various crews, and even more ordinary people..."

He paused, considering his words. Were they really ordinary people? The truth was more complicated. The so-called "ordinary" inhabitants of Beehive Island were likely retired pirates, those who had given up the pirate's life, or the descendants of pirates. This island, after all, had once been uninhabited until some long-forgotten pirate crew first set foot here. Over time, more and more pirates had come, and Beehive Island had evolved into a notorious pirate haven.

In short, no one on this island was truly innocent. But Edie wasn't a madman like Akainu, who would resort to mass slaughter without hesitation. He had a different plan in mind.

"How about this..." Edie said, turning around with a glint in his eye. "Weiyang, go block the port and notify all the pirate crews. If they want to stay on the island, they'll have to buy indulgences. Each indulgence will cost 100,000 beli."

Edie wasn't particularly interested in how Ochoku had managed Beehive Island in the past, but now that he was in charge, things were going to change. The pirates on the island would pay him if they wanted to remain. And from now on, anyone who wished to dock at Beehive Island would also have to pay.

"Come once, buy an indulgence," Edie continued. "And what if someone refuses to hand over the money?" Weiyang asked, his voice serious.

"Then let them leave. But if they don't want to leave..." A slight smile curled at the corners of Edie's lips. "Execute them."

…

A few days later, the atmosphere on Beehive Island had shifted. Many pirates were outraged by the change in leadership and the introduction of indulgences. They grumbled and seethed, but in the end, they paid the fee. The sight of Ochoku nearly losing his life was a stark reminder that Dr. Edie was not to be trifled with, and no one wanted to challenge his authority—at least not for the time being.

"Lord Weiyang, if I buy an indulgence, does that mean all the bad things I did in the past are wiped out?" one pirate asked in a mocking tone.

Weiyang's response was swift and unwavering. "The indulgence is a ticket to heaven. Heavenly Father is simply charging you the fare in advance. You won't have to pay after you die."

The pirate was left speechless. "You're charging me for a ticket I'm supposed to pay for after I'm dead?" he thought incredulously. "What a racket!"

Disgruntled, some pirate crews chose to leave rather than endure what they saw as an insult. As these crews departed, word of the changes on Beehive Island spread quickly throughout the New World, drawing the attention of many. Edie's grip on the island was tightening, and the pirate world was taking notice.

In the vast, unpredictable seas of the New World, aboard the mighty Moby Dick, the flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates, a lively discussion was unfolding. The ship, a massive three-masted vessel designed to resemble a white whale, was a fearsome sight, armed with 38 cannons strategically placed along its lower decks. It was the domain of "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate, one of the three great pirate emperors ruling over the New World.

On the deck, the atmosphere was buzzing with a mixture of surprise and amusement. The captain of the first division, "Phoenix" Marco, stood before Whitebeard, delivering a report that had stirred quite a bit of laughter among the crew.

"The scientist mentioned in the news recently," Marco began, "seems to have taken his people to Beehive Island and killed Ochoku."

Whitebeard, still in his prime at 55 years old, took a hearty swig from his enormous wine gourd, the rich liquid flowing down his throat. He chuckled, his deep, resonant laughter echoing across the deck. "Gurarara... Ochoku is dead, eh?"

The memory of Ochoku brought a nostalgic grin to Whitebeard's face. They had crossed paths many times in the past, back when both served under Rocks. Their relationship had been complicated, a mix of rivalry and camaraderie.

"What's this scientist up to now?" Whitebeard inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"According to the pirates who managed to escape, it seems like they're planning to conduct some sort of research on the island," Marco replied, though his expression turned odd as he continued. "But here's the kicker—over the past few days, they've been selling indulgences."

The idea was so absurd that even Whitebeard, a man who had seen nearly everything in his long career as a pirate, was momentarily stunned.

The captain of the third division, the formidable "Diamond" Jozu, couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. "Hahahaha... that guy is a real genius!" he bellowed, his voice ringing out as the rest of the crew burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, indulgences? Who would've thought!" one of the pirates exclaimed.

"Right? And if you have to pay every time you visit, imagine how many indulgences some of these pirates will have stacked up after they die! What's going to happen with all those extra tickets to heaven?" another chimed in, adding to the hilarity.

"I can explain that!" another pirate joked, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "The ones who leave Beehive Island are bound to do a bunch of bad stuff again. So of course, when they go back, they'll need to buy more indulgences!"

The deck was alive with the sound of laughter, pirates doubling over, tears streaming down their faces as they pounded the deck with their fists. The sheer absurdity of the situation had them in stitches.

Marco, having already had his fill of laughter when he first heard the news, now turned to Whitebeard, who was still chuckling. "Dad, what do you think?"

Whitebeard, his booming laughter subsiding, shook his head in disbelief. "Gurararara... Even after all these years, you think you've seen it all, and then something like this happens. Selling indulgences to pirates? And the crazy part is, they're actually buying them!"

The Whitebeard Pirates continued to revel in the absurdity, the tale of Beehive Island's indulgences becoming an instant legend among them, a story they would tell for years to come.

Whitebeard's laughter faded as a dark cloud settled over the deck of the Moby Dick. His expression turned serious, the air growing tense as he suppressed the remnants of his smile. "Not to mention Beehive Island," he began, his voice low and grave, "didn't Kaido slaughter a pirate group under our command not too long ago?"

At the mention of Kaido, the mood on the ship shifted dramatically. Marco's face hardened, and the laughter of the crew died away, replaced by a heavy silence.

"Yes," Marco confirmed, his tone somber. "Andre and his Andre Pirates were all killed in action."

Whitebeard's eyes narrowed as he digested the news, his expression unreadable. "What does Kaido mean by this?" he asked, his voice devoid of the warmth it had held moments before.

"We've reached out to Queen, one of Kaido's top commanders, but they haven't given us any explanation," Marco replied, his face etched with concern. "Dad, what should we do?"

The response was swift and violent. With a resounding crash, Whitebeard crushed the flagon in his hand, the shards of the gourd scattering at his feet. He rose from his seat, his towering frame casting a long shadow as he strode to the edge of the ship.

Andre... a name that held weight for Whitebeard. Once a valued member of his crew, Andre had ventured out on his own, forming a pirate group under the banner of the Whitebeard Pirates. Though he had gone his own way, he was still considered family—a bond that Whitebeard cherished deeply.

Whitebeard's mind drifted to Wanokuni, where Kaido had established his brutal reign. "That guy Kaido has likely stirred up all kinds of trouble in Wanokuni. I wonder what's happened to Oden..." His voice trailed off, but the anger was palpable, simmering just beneath the surface.

Then, as if a dam had burst, Whitebeard's fury erupted. "The person who killed my family... do you think I'll remain silent?" His voice thundered across the deck, each word carrying the weight of his rage. "I'm Whitebeard!!"

Murdering Andre and his entire crew was the final straw, the one that broke the camel's back. Whitebeard's anger boiled over as he swung his massive arm, his right fist smashing through the air with unparalleled force.

Crack!!

The very atmosphere cracked under the sheer power of his blow, as if reality itself was being torn apart. The once calm sea transformed into a raging maelstrom, waves crashing violently against the sides of the Moby Dick.

His voice, filled with righteous fury, echoed across the ship. "We're going to Wanokuni to wipe out the Beast Pirates!"

The crew, galvanized by Whitebeard's command, steeled themselves for the battle to come. The Moby Dick, a ship of legends, now carried the weight of an emperor's wrath, sailing towards Wanokuni with one purpose—to bring Kaido and his Beast Pirates to their knees.