Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Kuma's Situation, A Common Enemy
Koala and Hack stared in stunned silence as the molten metal door collapsed under the dragon's flames.
In the flickering light, they saw the figures clearly, a massive dragon and a man in a long coat standing behind it, his smile casual, but his gaze chillingly indifferent. It was difficult to meet his eyes
It was a gaze devoid of warmth that seemed utterly bored with the world, concealing a cold arrogance beneath.
Atmos reverted from his dragon form as effortlessly as sipping water.
"The Whitebeard Pirates…" Koala swallowed hard, disbelief written across her face.
"See? Easy enough. Damn, this guy was loaded." Roy glanced at them before stepping into the vault.
The vault was entirely constructed from metal, infused with Seastone.
Since the Devil Fruit factory was made with Seastone, it was no surprise that the vault was as well. Inside was nothing but treasures, gold, jewels, and silver, the treasure vault of Doflamingo.
The wealth here was unimaginable. As an underworld broker, a Warlord of the Sea, and a former Celestial Dragon, Doflamingo had amassed more riches than anyone could imagine, most of it in gold, not Berries.
To pirates, cash was meaningless. The only universally accepted currency in the world was gold.
Doflamingo was smart. The vault was full of gold, massive amounts, worth several tens of billions. Berries? Just paper. Gold? Eternal currency. Even a primitive tribe would recognize its value.
Looking at the dazzling mountain of treasure, Roy almost regretted not bringing Blamenco; his pocket dimension would've made this far easier.
"How much can we take?" Roy asked.
"All of it," Atmos replied.
"All of it?"
"We can use flame clouds to carry it."
"Then take it all."
"No problem. But we'll need to melt it."
"I'll leave it to you."
Atmos used his flames to melt the gold and dragged out a massive golden lump.
Meanwhile, outside, the battle between Doflamingo and Luffy had ended. Luffy had defeated Doflamingo, and the Birdcage crisis was over.
At the same time, Admiral Fujitora knelt before King Riku on behalf of the World Government, shocking the three neighboring countries, which quickly spread the news.
Years ago, when Smoker was just a captain, he couldn't achieve such a feat. But now, two years later, the same scene played out in another country, this time with a Marine Admiral, representing the World Government, apologizing for the sins of the Warlords. It didn't bring peace, only strengthened pirates.
The message was clear: the system was broken. And the truth was revealed to the world; a Warlord was oppressing a nation, and the World Government had been their accomplice.
Atmos dragged out a huge lump of gold from the vault.
Koala and Hack didn't dare move.
Sabo walked over, looked at the two of them, then at Atmos, his gaze sharp.
"Revolutionary Army…" Atmos growled, glaring at Sabo.
"Hello, Commander Atmos," Sabo greeted with a smile.
"You owe me an explanation. You ate the Phoenix Fruit, our fruit. You must pay for that with your life," Atmos growled in fury.
Koala and Hack were terrified. The Whitebeard Pirates were a legendary crew, and they had witnessed Atmos's power earlier.
And it wasn't just Atmos, there was someone even more terrifying present.
"Roy is here, right? Let me explain to him," Sabo said.
"Over here." Roy sat on a throne of gold, legs crossed.
"Mr. Roy!"
Sabo jumped up and stood before Roy.
"What is it?" Roy opened one eye to look at him.
"I'm very sorry for eating the Phoenix Fruit."
"No need. That debt falls on Ace."
Sabo laughed nervously. "Is that really okay?"
"If he can't pay, I'll just beat him up."
"Then let's forget it. Mr. Roy, is there anything I can do for you?"
"You're going to Mary Geoise, right?" Roy asked.
"Yes. Kuma's been captured. We're planning to rescue him," Sabo replied.
"I thought he escaped. How'd they catch him?" Roy frowned.
After Kuma disappeared, no word came until the Egghead incident. For a whole year, Roy heard nothing. Only months ago did he hear that Kuma had been recaptured and made the final replacement Warlord.
It was strange, Kuma's ability made capture nearly impossible.
"They used despicable tactics. They threatened him with the lives of everyone in the Sorbet Kingdom. Admiral Green Bull personally captured him," Sabo said seriously.
"I see… So that's how. Has he been fully modified?" Roy asked.
"We're not sure…" Sabo replied with sorrow.
"You didn't ask Vegapunk when you were at Egghead? Never mind. That's your Revolutionary Army business. I won't meddle. When people form bonds, they find reasons to grow stronger and also find weaknesses. Kuma is just too kind."
"I will rescue him, no matter what," Sabo vowed.
"That's why I let you eat the Phoenix Fruit. If I didn't think you'd die at Mary Geoise, I'd never have let you have it," Roy said.
Sabo knew that well. If Roy had said no, the fruit would never have reached his hands. It was clear Roy had permitted it.
Sabo understood that Mary Geoise would be extremely dangerous, and the Phoenix Fruit would be a great help.
"So why are you still here?" Roy asked.
"Mr. Roy, the Revolutionary Army needs funding. Could you?"
"I only took the gold and jewels. The rest is still there, take it if you want," Roy replied.
"We'd have to sell those on the black market. They're no good to us. Gold is better," Sabo said with a grin.
Clang!
Roy casually sliced off a chunk of gold, worth around 10 billion Berries.
"Take it. Since we have a common enemy."
"Thank you, Mr. Roy. On behalf of the Revolutionary Army, I thank you."
"I just want a peaceful life. I don't seek much. But the Celestial Dragons they've long overstayed their welcome, there's no reason for them to exist."
"Yes. We feel the same. The Celestial Dragons have no right to exist."
Roy had long been in contact with the Revolutionary Army, even helped them several times. Ace had brought Sabo to meet him before. They were more or less allies now, after all, they shared a common enemy.
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