Chapter 252: I Must Have Written a Fake Letter!
Ever since parting ways with the Dragon Hunter Pirates on Stripe Island, the Kuja Pirates had returned to the Calm Belt.
In the Calm Belt, news traveled slowly because the News Coos couldn’t reach there, so Boa Hancock couldn’t promptly learn about the Dragon Hunter Pirates or Ian’s situation.
It was only about half a month ago that she learned the Marines had actually dispatched two Admirals, Kizaru and Zephyr, to pursue the Dragon Hunter Pirates. Upon hearing this news, she was deeply worried.
But she also knew that even if the Kuja Pirates rushed to help now, it would likely be too late.
So Boa Hancock could only fret for Ian in private, praying he was safe, while dispatching a Kuja Pirates ship out of the Calm Belt to bring back newspapers for her every day.
Fortunately, a few days ago, a delayed newspaper finally let her breathe a sigh of relief. Ian’s wanted poster had been updated, even his epithet had changed. A bounty of six hundred and fifty million Berries made Boa Hancock realize that the Dragon Hunter Pirates were probably fine. Otherwise, the news wouldn’t have been like this.
She hadn’t seen the live broadcast from that journalist, Pritz, but after making inquiries, she still learned the full story.
And now, this inquiry letter from the Marines made Boa Hancock realize that the World Government had finally compromised.
She recalled what Ian had said to her back on his ship, urging her to support him becoming a Warlord. So, after reading it, she no longer wanted to continue bathing. She draped on a bathrobe and walked out of the bathroom.
“That old man Sengoku actually wrote such a long letter! But… what I do is my own business. Do I need you to teach me?” Boa Hancock deduced Sengoku’s intent from between the lines, but unfortunately, she didn’t plan to accept it.
Ian was the second person, after Fisher Tiger, to liberate slaves at Mary Geoise. For that alone, Boa Hancock regarded him as another benefactor. How could she possibly go along with Sengoku’s wishes on this matter?
Sitting at a table, Boa Hancock picked up a quill and wrote a few words on a sheet of stationery: “I agree to him becoming a Warlord!”
However, just after writing it, she remembered something and crumpled the paper into a ball, tossing it away.
This was because Boa Hancock suddenly recalled that she had originally used the pretext of being hostile to the Dragon Hunter Pirates to secretly help them. So, in the Marines’ eyes, Boa Hancock should be Ian’s enemy.
The relationship between the two had to remain hidden; otherwise, it would arouse Marine suspicion.
So, thinking it over, Boa Hancock wrote on a new sheet of stationery: “Whatever! Let him join! Don’t bother me with this kind of thing anymore!”
This tone perfectly matched her Pirate Empress persona, and it cleverly conveyed her non-opposition stance.
After writing it, Boa Hancock remembered that she had killed the messenger bat, so she called for a female warrior of the Kuja Pirates and had her deliver the letter to Marine Headquarters.
And so, Boa Hancock became the second Warlord to support Ian…
The third to express support was undoubtedly Doflamingo!
In Dressrosa, at the Donquixote Family’s stronghold, Doflamingo also received Sengoku’s inquiry letter. As soon as he saw its contents, he burst into loud laughter.
“Young Master, what’s so amusing?” Trebol asked, approaching upon hearing the laughter.
“That old ghost Sengoku! The Celestial Dragons couldn’t hold out, and he still wants to stop Ian from becoming a Warlord!” Doflamingo waved the letter at Trebol.
“So the World Government really wants that brat to become a Warlord?” Trebol said. “Just as Young Master predicted!”
Doflamingo crossed his legs and sneered, “Of course. The Celestial Dragons’ identity chip is in his hands; they have no choice but to compromise. This was expected.”
“Then Young Master can go along with it and express support, letting that brat become a Warlord, right?” Trebol blew two snot bubbles and said, “That way, we can get our hands on the identity chip.”
Doflamingo didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he thought carefully and finally said, “This matter must be handled secretly. The Celestial Dragons can’t find out the identity chip has fallen into our hands, or we’ll have trouble. By the way, have you finished making the fake chip?”
“It’s done!” Trebol nodded. “Made according to your description. We’ll need to compare it with the real one later and revise it to make it convincing. Speaking of which, Young Master, do you think that kid might make a fake one to fool us too?”
“Hmph, could he fool us?” Doflamingo sneered. “Don’t forget, I was once a Celestial Dragon. I’ve seen what the identity chip looks like. It’s just a shame I didn’t realize how important it was back then, or I would never have let the Celestial Dragons take it back…”
“Once we get the chip, things will be easy!” Trebol also laughed, looking filthy like a slug, especially when he smiled. He said, “As long as that kid really hands over the identity chip, we can avenge Vergo! Even if you can’t act personally, Young Master, we can hire people from the underworld! What does it matter if that kid becomes a Warlord?”
“Don’t be careless. You saw the footage of him fighting Kizaru!” Doflamingo said with a dark expression. “Ordinary assassins probably can’t even scratch him. We need someone with real weight!”
“Young Master, haven’t you already reached an agreement with Kaido? Why not have the Beast Pirates handle it?” Trebol suggested.
“No, we can’t involve a Yonko crew!” Doflamingo shook his head. “That would trigger the Marines’ nerves. Don’t forget, the Warlords are the Marines’ counterbalance to the Yonko. If that kid becomes a Warlord and gets attacked by a Yonko crew, the Marines would actually protect him!”
“Then…” Trebol couldn’t think of anyone suitable.
Just then, Doflamingo let out a sinister laugh and said, “Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of who to use against him…”
Without revealing his plan, he took the stationery, wrote his support, and had the messenger bat take it back.
Bartholomew Kuma, Boa Hancock, and Doflamingo—these three had already expressed their support. As for the remaining Warlord, Sea Knight Jinbe, he naturally couldn’t oppose it either. Ian’s act of freeing slaves reminded Jinbe of his older brother, Fisher Tiger, and he didn’t want Ian to end up like him. If becoming a Warlord could get his bounty revoked, that would be for the best.
So, Jinbe also expressed his support in his reply.
Thus, four out of the seven Warlords had already voiced their support, a clear majority.
Even if the other three opposed, the World Government’s proposal would pass without issue. However, neither Ian nor Sengoku expected that the matter wasn’t over yet.
Far away in the Florian Triangle of the first half of the Grand Line, Gecko Moria also received the bat-delivered letter.
Moria had been lurking in that sea for years. Ever since his defeat by Kaido, he had been holed up there, collaborating with Hogback to produce his zombie army. He was so out of touch with the outside world that when he received Sengoku’s letter, he had no idea who Ian was.
But that didn’t stop him from expressing his stance. As long as this new Warlord wasn’t replacing his position, he couldn’t care less. And since Sengoku’s letter mentioned that the new member was replacing Bartholomew Kuma’s position, Moria’s reply ended up being supportive! He completely ignored the subtle hints in Sengoku’s letter.
To Moria, a nineteen-year-old brat was easier to handle than an experienced man like Kuma…
As for Hawk-Eye Mihawk, who was alone on Kuraigana Island, he had even less reason to object. He noticed that Ian was also a swordsman!
“Maybe once this kid becomes a Warlord, it’ll be easier to find him for a duel!” Mihawk thought as he penned his supportive reply…
The last one was Sir Crocodile in Alabasta.
As someone who had been closely following Ian’s news, Crocodile knew more about him than Mihawk or Moria. Especially after learning that Ian had ties to the Whitebeard Pirates and then, for some reason, ended up in conflict with them, Crocodile stared at Sengoku’s inquiry letter for a long time without speaking.
Finally, Crocodile wrote his reply—and it was also supportive!
This was utterly bizarre. Sengoku’s inquiry letter hadn’t yielded the result he wanted. Instead, every single Warlord unanimously approved Ian’s invitation to join!
When all the replies reached Sengoku’s hands, he nearly had a stroke from rage!
What… what the hell is going on!?
Sengoku couldn’t figure it out. Most of these Warlords had never even met Ian, so why were they all so unanimously in favor of him becoming a Warlord!?
Damn it, I must have written a fake letter, or else how could this have happened…