Treade's expression flickered, uncertainty warring with anger. He had been genuinely terrified by the sheer destructive power of Moria's earlier punch. If that colossal fist had struck him directly… he was confident his own toughness and Devil Fruit would have prevented death, but severe injury would have been unavoidable.
More importantly, he reminded himself, Moria was only the second-highest bounty member of the Demon Dragon's crew. The truly fearsome one, Capone Bege himself, hadn't even made a serious move yet. Treade knew, deep down, that if Bege decided to fight seriously, he stood absolutely no chance.
Clang! With a heavy heart, Treade planted his massive door-panel sword firmly into the ground, a clear sign of surrender. He looked directly at Bege.
"You win," Treade conceded, his voice heavy with defeat. "The Black Knight Pirates… agree to serve under your command."
"Hahahaha! Excellent! I knew you'd see reason eventually!" Bege laughed heartily, striding forward.
Treade's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. 'You're overwhelmingly stronger than me, what other choice did I possibly have?' he thought bitterly.
Bege stopped before him, casually taking a drag from his cigar. His gaze sharpened slightly. "However," he stated suddenly, his tone shifting, "given the circumstances… I don't exactly trust your word, Treade. Therefore, I'll need to place a little… control measure… upon you and your key officers. Just to ensure your future loyalty."
Treade's face paled instantly. He instinctively gripped the hilt of his giant sword again, his voice turning low and dangerous. "Captain Demon Dragon… is this truly how you recruit subordinates?"
"The Black Knight Pirates and Lemon Island are far too crucial to my future plans," Bege stated flatly, his expression completely unreadable. "I must ensure they remain firmly and absolutely under my control. No exceptions."
Treade defiantly raised his giant sword once more, his muscles bulging furiously as terrifying power gathered within him. "Then I am sorry," he snarled, preparing to fight again, "but I refuse to be controlled by anyone!"
"That choice isn't yours to make anymore!" A sinister voice suddenly echoed from behind Treade. Moria, having reappeared silently, slammed a powerful fist into Treade's back, blasting him face-first into the ground again, shattering the already broken stone.
Treade scrambled to rise quickly, but Bege moved even faster, appearing before him in an instant and delivering another heavy punch that drove the muscular pirate captain back down deep into the rubble.
Bege looked down impassively at the downed Treade, calmly taking another puff of his cigar. "Why must you force my hand like this? The outcome was never going to change, regardless of your struggles."
Bege grabbed the semi-conscious Treade and unceremoniously pulled him into his castle-body. Simultaneously, Moria and the other officers swiftly rounded up all of Treade's remaining conscious subordinates, dragging them into Bege's internal fortress as well.
Deep within Bege's castle, Ben Kosa efficiently went to work, utilizing his unique abilities to implant the specially crafted Fusion Bombs deep within the bodies of Treade and his core officers. Only after this procedure was complete were they released.
Later, gathered in one of Black Knight Castle's few remaining undamaged rooms, Treade and his officers wore expressions of utter grimness. They understood, implicitly, that Bege had implanted some kind of irreversible control mechanism within them, sealing their fate.
Bege, lounging comfortably, paid no mind to their sullen, resentful faces. He casually opened a gate on his body and released a large tiger – easily two meters tall – into the room. The moment the tiger saw Bege, its eyes widened in primal terror, and it immediately tried to bolt frantically for the exit.
Bege gestured towards the fleeing tiger, ensuring Treade and his men were watching closely. Then, with a casual flick of his thumb, he pressed a small, hidden remote detonator he held in his hand.
BOOM!
The tiger instantly exploded from within, leaving absolutely nothing behind – not even a scrap of fur or bone.
"A special type of bomb has been implanted inside each and every one of you," Bege explained coldly, letting the horrifying demonstration sink in. "This bomb is completely fused with your vital organs at a cellular level; it cannot be removed by any known means. That tiger you just saw had one as well. If I merely wish it," he casually displayed the small detonator, "I can detonate the bombs inside you at any time. You will explode just like that tiger… pop."
The faces of Treade and his officers turned deathly pale, beads of cold sweat forming on their brows.
"However," Bege continued, his tone softening slightly, offering a calculated sliver of hope, "you needn't worry unduly. As long as you remain absolutely loyal and follow my orders without question, I have absolutely no reason to kill valuable assets like yourselves. Furthermore," he added, leaning forward slightly, "if you render distinguished service to me in the future, achieve great merits in my name… I will remove the bombs."
Treade took a deep, shuddering breath, his face a mask of utter resignation and helplessness. He bowed his head deeply. "Captain Demon Dragon… rest assured," he pledged, his voice heavy. "From this day forward, the Black Knight Pirates pledge our unwavering loyalty. We will serve you faithfully, spilling our brains and guts for you if necessary, until death itself claims us."
His remaining officers quickly echoed his pledge, bowing their heads in forced submission.
"I don't need you to die for me," Bege waved a hand dismissively. "You all have far greater uses to me alive and functional."
Bege then proceeded to lay out his plans for Treade in detail: how Lemon Island's considerable revenue streams would be redirected under Fire Tank control, and how the island's unique position as a pirate hub would be leveraged to establish and expand Bege's own arms dealing operations throughout the New World. He demanded Treade's full and unreserved cooperation in these endeavors. Furthermore, he strictly ordered Treade to enforce absolute silence among his remaining crew – no one outside their organization was ever to learn that the Black Knight Pirates now secretly served under the banner of the Fire Tank Pirates.
Having thoroughly secured Treade's submission and control over Lemon Island, Bege's mood improved considerably. To bolster Treade's significantly weakened forces, Bege spent the next few days actively intercepting several other pirate crews of decent strength operating in the nearby waters. He forcibly subjugated these crews and integrated them under Treade's command, strengthening the Black Knight Pirates' manpower.
One fateful day, the massive airship, the Sky God, suddenly appeared in the waters near the Marine Base G-6 in the New World.
Without any attempt at stealth, the colossal ship flew directly towards the heavily fortified Marine base. At the bow stood Bege, Moria, Weevil, Modi, Riki, and his other core officers, calmly watching the approaching fortress grow larger on the horizon.
They had come specifically to cause trouble for the Marines. Having been nearly killed twice in carefully orchestrated Marine ambushes, Bege harbored significant resentment. Before heading back to Skypiea to fully recover and consolidate his gains, he intended to strike back and collect some "interest" for the trouble the Marines had caused him.
Marine Base G-6 was enormous, built upon a large island and further protected by two massive, concentric ring-shaped sea walls constructed around it. The control room for the outer ring wall's main sea gate was housed within the wall itself. Lookout towers positioned atop the walls maintained constant, 24-hour surveillance over the surrounding waters for thousands of meters in every direction. Any approaching vessel within several kilometers would be instantly detected.
The moment the Sky God appeared on the horizon, it was spotted by the lookouts.
"Control! Suspicious vessel sighted approaching the fortress! Bearing [Coordinates]! Repeating, suspicious vessel sighted!" the lookout reported urgently via Den Den Mushi.
The Marine operator in the control room responded calmly, initially unconcerned. "Roger that. Probably just a passing merchant ship that strayed off course. Maintain surveillance and report any changes."
A few moments later, the lookout's voice returned, laced with panic. "Control! Negative on merchant ship! It's a pirate vessel! Repeat, pirate vessel confirmed! We have visual identification on the flag… Sweet Mother of...! It's the Fire Tank Pirates! Repeat, confirmed sighting, Fire Tank Pirates approaching fast!"
The calm demeanor in the control room instantly shattered. The operator scrambled for another Den Den Mushi, contacting the base command center with utmost urgency. "Base Command! Hostile pirate vessel identified! Fire Tank Pirates approaching the fortress! Repeat, Fire Tank Pirates approaching G-6! Fire Tank Pirates approaching G-6!"
Piercing alarm klaxons immediately blared across the entire island base, echoing over the waters. Marines scrambled from their barracks and duty stations, rushing to emergency assembly points, weapons ready.
On the command bridge within the base's central citadel, a tall, imposing middle-aged Marine officer wearing a standard Justice Coat listened to the report via Den Den Mushi, a massive steel club strapped to his back. His expression remained cold and impassive as he issued orders.
"All batteries on the outer wall, deploy immediately! Open fire the instant the pirate ship enters effective range! Your orders are to sink it at all costs!"
"Yes, Vice Admiral Bonanton!" the voice on the other end acknowledged crisply. The commanding officer of Marine Base G-6 was indeed "Iron Mace" Bonanton, recently promoted to Vice Admiral.
"All artillery positions, prepare to fire!" the command was relayed throughout the base via loudspeakers and Den Den Mushi. "Target the Fire Tank Pirates' vessel! The moment it enters optimal firing range, unleash a full barrage! Repeat, fire at will upon entering range!" The Marines in the outer wall control room closely monitored the Sky God's rapid approach, ready to give the command.
Vice Admiral Bonanton, his expression grim, immediately used another Den Den Mushi to report the critical situation directly to Marine HQ at Marineford. Fleet Admiral Kong, upon hearing the news, predictably exploded in another furious rage. He instantly issued orders, mobilizing Marine forces from other nearby New World branches to dispatch reinforcements to G-6 immediately.
Elsewhere in the turbulent seas of the New World…
Two Marine warships were locked in pursuit of a fleeing pirate ship. High above them, a spectacular battle raged. Four or five figures clashed at blinding speeds, streaks of dark red and black lightning – the telltale signs of advanced Haki clashes – flickering violently through the sky. Each high-speed collision tore the very air apart, sending powerful shockwaves rippling outwards like fiery blossoms against the blue canvas.
On the deck of one of the pursuing warships, a junior officer rushed towards the bow, holding a Den Den Mushi urgently. He approached a young man lounging there with a characteristic air of lazy indifference.
"Rear Admiral Aokiji! A direct call from Fleet Admiral Kong, sir!"
The lazy young man was indeed Kuzan, better known as Aokiji, one of the Marines' famed three "Monsters."
"Ara ara? Fleet Admiral Kong himself?" Aokiji commented mildly, taking the Den Den Mushi. Kong's booming voice immediately erupted from the snail.
"Kuzan! Report! Where are Garp and Sengoku right now?!"
Aokiji casually glanced up at the incredible aerial battle still unfolding far above. "Ah… Mr. Garp and Mr. Sengoku are currently engaged with the Roger Pirates, sir. We're in pursuit of their vessel now."
"Understood." Kong stated curtly, then abruptly hung up, leaving Aokiji looking slightly puzzled.
Fleet Admiral Kong immediately dialed another number.
In yet another region of the New World…
A lone Marine warship relentlessly pursued a different, heavily damaged pirate ship, the two vessels exchanging sporadic cannon fire. The pirate ship was clearly on its last legs, listing heavily, sections of its deck and rigging blasted apart.
Standing stoically at the warship's bow was the tall young man in the crimson suit, his face set in its usual cold, unforgiving lines – Sakazuki, also known as Akainu.
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket began to ring urgently. He answered it crisply. Fleet Admiral Kong's voice barked through the receiver.
"Sakazuki! Report! The Fire Tank Pirates are currently attacking Marine Base G-6! Proceed there immediately at maximum speed and provide support! Eliminate the threat!"
Intense, murderous intent instantly flared in Sakazuki's eyes.
"Understood!" he replied without hesitation.
"Change course immediately!" Sakazuki commanded his crew. "Full speed ahead! We're reinforcing G-6!" The warship abandoned its pursuit of the crippled pirate ship without a second thought, turning sharply and accelerating away at flank speed. The beleaguered pirates they had been hunting watched in stunned disbelief as their pursuers vanished over the horizon, granted an unexpected reprieve from certain doom.
"Capone Bege..." Sakazuki thought, his magma beginning to bubble beneath his skin. "This time... this time, I will kill you."
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