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Kuri, afflicted with a terminal illness and unlikely to live past childhood, might only be cured by the Ope Ope no Mi.
The fruit that granted its user the power of miraculous surgery had intrigued Noir from the start.
Furthermore, its current user, Trafalgar Law, still had a vulnerability at this point in time:
Donquixote Doflamingo.
If Noir could handle Doflamingo, recruiting Law shouldn't be too difficult.
And speaking of recruitment, the Supernovas of Luffy's generation all possessed considerable strength.
Kid, Law, and Luffy went without saying. Then there was the enigmatic Jewelry Bonney, Capone Bege with his fortress ability, and Basil Hawkins with his fortune-telling powers.
Each had their own strengths and were formidable opponents, living up to their reputation as the Worst Generation.
But such plans were for the future. Noir needed to arrange for everyone to leave, and Kuri's situation would have to wait.
Just then, Robin navigated through the bustling crowd and approached Noir, looking at the child perched on his shoulder with surprise. "Who is this?"
Kuri, seeing the woman, quickly introduced herself. "I'm Kuri, the research and development Scientist!"
Robin nodded politely, not at all fazed by Kuri's age.
Being young wasn't an issue; Robin herself had memorized the entire library of Ohara when she was barely old enough to read.
Noir looked at Robin, his brow furrowed. "Is something wrong?"
Robin nodded, her face slightly tense. "The news has hit the papers."
Noir's eyes lit up. Oh?
That was faster than I expected…
During his negotiations with the Government, Noir had stipulated that the news of him becoming a Warlord had to be published before he would proceed with the exchange.
Robin handed him a newspaper, and Noir eagerly unfolded it.
There he was again, on the front page, trending news as always.
The headline boldly proclaimed his acceptance into the Seven Warlords of the Sea:
"Former Warlord Gecko Moria, in violation of ethics and disrespect for life and death, betrayed the Government and endangered innocent civilians, and was subsequently slain by the pirate Devil Noir!"
"Therefore, the Government officially invites the pirate Devil Noir to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea, filling the vacant position left by Moria, and to cooperate with the Government."
Noir scoffed. Typical Government propaganda.
So, because Noir had supposedly acted for the good of the people, the Government had invited him to become a Warlord?
After hunting him like a rabid dog? Anyone with eyes could see through this charade.
Whatever…
Caring about what the news said about him was a losing battle.
The World Government's power wasn't just its military might; it was their control over information and public opinion.
Noir didn't care how the Government spun the narrative as long as it didn't interfere with his plans.
Now that they had publicly acknowledged his Warlord status, it was time for the next step…
After a moment of thought, Noir turned to Robin. "Let's contact Sengoku."
After the Celestial Dragon incident, he had intentionally left a Transponder Snail for Sengoku to escalate the conflict. Now, it would serve a different purpose.
Noir entered the castle within Thriller Bark, proceeding to a room where a secure Transponder Snail sat on a table.
He took a deep breath, mentally reviewing the carefully crafted words he had prepared.
Dealing with the strategist Sengoku required thorough preparation.
The Transponder Snail rang for a while before the call connected, a gruff voice echoing from the receiver.
"Is this 'Devil Noir'?"
Noir couldn't help but smile, looking at the aged face on the snail. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, we're practically allies now. No need to be so formal."
Sengoku chuckled dryly. "Indeed, Mr. Noir. Are you happy with our arrangements?"
The lack of outrage or even annoyance in Sengoku's voice put Noir on alert.
Previously, Sengoku had been easily riled by the escalating events, his emotional volatility giving Noir openings to exploit.
But this calm, collected Sengoku was unsettling.
Noir chuckled nervously. "Of course, I'm happy. Just wondering if you've scraped together enough to pay the ransom."
Sengoku didn't hesitate. "Rest assured. We have ample funds prepared."
This is too easy. What's his game?
Where's the fiery Marine Fleet Admiral who wants to chew me out?
Sengoku, sitting in his spacious office, smirked inwardly.
Let the boy have his fun with words. As long as the Marines win in the end, it doesn't matter.
Devil Noir, and that ridiculous newspaper article, would soon disappear.
To achieve his goals, Sengoku was willing to sacrifice a little credibility.
Who would believe, or even care, about promises made to pirates?
On the other end of the line, Noir sat in silence for a moment before bursting into laughter.
Sengoku paused, hearing Noir's boisterous voice. "Excellent! Glad to hear the money's ready!"
Hearing this, Sengoku relaxed slightly. Pirates, always greedy for money!
Noir continued, his voice smooth and cheerful. "I'll let you know the exchange location later. Bye for now!"
Then, with a smile, Noir hung up. His expression instantly darkened.
"Damn that Sengoku! He's up to something!"
Robin, standing beside him, watched Noir's mood swing with a sigh. "What's wrong? The news is out. The Marines shouldn't make any more moves, right?"
Noir shook his head. "But what if they retract the news?"
Robin's eyes widened. "Surely not! The whole world has seen it. That would be a huge embarrassment…"
The whole world?
Retracting a statement was just a matter of words for the Government. Even Doflamingo, a Warlord with a dubious claim to the title, had managed to manipulate the news.
With so many Celestial Dragons involved, Sengoku could easily persuade the Government to use this tactic to gain Noir's trust.
Robin crossed her arms, a worried expression on her face. "What do we do then? Call off the exchange?"
Noir shook his head, lost in thought. "Maybe not. We just need to adjust our plan…"
...
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