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Countless Marine soldiers wore looks of ecstatic joy. This would be a massive blow to the Holy Spirit Empire!
Crack!
However, there was no burst of blood and flesh as everyone had imagined. Auguro's figure shattered like an ice sculpture, scattering glittering crystals into the air.
Everyone was stunned. Why did this scene feel so familiar?
"Aizen, you haven't forgotten my ability, have you?"
A mocking voice rang out. Auguro was suddenly standing in the air on the opposite side of the battlefield.
Grasping his own Zanpakutō, he whispered coolly, "Shatter! Kyōka Suigetsu!"
A second wave of mist instantly engulfed the battlefield.
In this moment, Auguro and Aizen Sōsuke exchanged knowing smiles.
Those who had previously avoided the hypnosis—who were still shoving their comrades, attempting to wake them—now also acquired dull eyes and muttered incoherently.
Aizen Sōsuke knew that hypnotizing everyone single-handedly was unrealistic. Therefore, he had the foresight to involve Auguro in the plan. Furthermore, he had walked around the field himself in the days leading up to the war, hypnotizing as many people as possible.
Now, nine out of ten people on the battlefield had been successfully hypnotized by the pair. Any remaining stragglers had been personally dealt with by Aizen.
To a Super-Captain-level BOSS like him, even Marine Vice Admirals were nothing more than ants.
The general mêlée continued on the battlefield, only now, Auguro and Aizen Sōsuke seemed to have become invisible; no one paid them any mind!
"The plan is a success, but I must still caution you not to rely too heavily on hypnosis! The Observation Haki (Kenbunshoku Haki) in this world is truly mystical; your hypnosis may not be 100% effective." Auguro warned him seriously.
Luffy and Roger's ability to hear the voice of all things (Banbutsu no Koe). Katakuri's future sight. Princess Otohime's telepathy and interference. If they encountered such extreme forms of Observation Haki, full hypnosis was bound to expose a flaw.
Aizen Sōsuke nodded.
"I understand. I won't use hypnosis to control them; I will only use it to guide and interfere with their thoughts and choices."
"Huh? Wait a minute! Are you two actually working together?"
A surprised voice cut through the air, causing both Aizen and Auguro to freeze.
There was a survivor?
Auguro turned to look, and a bright red nose appeared in his field of vision.
Buggy the Clown!
"You—didn't you watch our fight just now?" Aizen Sōsuke appeared in a flash, instantly pressing Kyōka Suigetsu against Buggy's throat.
Buggy jumped in terror, snot running down his nose, and he immediately threw his hands up in surrender.
"I, I was looking for the broadcast Den Den Mushi! I wasn't watching the fight!"
In his hand was a half-dead broadcasting snail. It had been frozen by Kuzan (Aokiji) to stop Buggy from streaming. It seemed Buggy's pirate's ambition to broadcast his glorious reign had not died, and he had managed to retrieve the snail.
Upon hearing that his ingenious plan had been cracked in such a ridiculously mundane way, Aizen Sōsuke was left with an extremely complicated feeling.
Auguro, however, was completely unfazed after hearing Buggy's explanation.
Heh heh!
Are you kidding?
Who was this?
Lord Buggy!
The legendary possessor of Conqueror's Luck! If anyone else had claimed to accidentally foil Aizen Sōsuke's plan with luck, Auguro would have been skeptical. But if it was Buggy, anything was possible!
Unlike Shanks, who had to actively ask people to "give him some face" (Mensei)—Buggy didn't have to do anything but exist, and his luck would propel him to the position of a Yonko (Four Emperors)!
"Hmph! No matter who you are, since you weren't hypnotized, I can only send you on your way!" Aizen Sōsuke's eyes flashed coldly. This loophole could not be left open!
"Wait! Hold on!" Auguro quickly stopped Aizen Sōsuke.
Aizen Sōsuke looked at him quizzically.
"What is it, Soul King-sama?"
Auguro smiled.
"It would be a complete waste to just kill him!"
"While he may be weak in combat, he has a tremendous talent for gathering followers and an unbelievable amount of luck!"
Auguro pulled Aizen aside and quickly explained Buggy's strange phenomenon to him. Aizen Sōsuke was completely skeptical.
Could such a weakling really attract so many powerful people to serve him? What does that say about the truly powerful individuals in this world!
Auguro countered, "This world is different from the Soul Society. There are always some people who are blessed by fate! This Buggy is one of them."
He paused, then lowered his voice.
"If you don't believe me, I'll give you one chance. Attack him directly and see if you can kill him."
"If you can't, then listen to me: keep him and use him! With your abilities, taking him as your subordinate should be child's play, shouldn't it?"
Aizen Sōsuke was silent for a moment, then drew his sword and slashed. A white wave of sword pressure passed silently across Buggy's neck.
Buggy felt a slight chill at his neck, and his head instantly flew into the air.
"Waaah! Who hit me! That hurt like crazy!" Buggy shrieked wildly, his head floating suspended in the air.
Clearly, aside from being scared and in pain, he was completely unharmed!
"A Devil Fruit?" Aizen Sōsuke was slightly surprised.
Auguro patted his shoulder.
"I said you only get one chance! Even the King of Luck can't rely on it working every single time!"
Aizen Sōsuke hesitated, but eventually agreed to Auguro's suggestion. Truthfully, he was now curious to see just how far Buggy's Conqueror's Luck could take him.
"From today onward, you will work under my command. Do you understand?" Aizen Sōsuke approached Buggy, his expression cold as ice.
Buggy, who had just reattached his head, shivered when he was stared down by Aizen Sōsuke's icy gaze. He nodded frantically.
"Y-yes, yes, sir! Your subordinate will obey all of your commands! My loyalty is absolute!"
Aizen Sōsuke neither confirmed nor denied this, stating flatly, "You will continue what you were planning to do. Once you've gathered enough followers, I will help you ascend to a position of power (a Warlord or possibly a Yonko)."
Buggy was stunned. Such a good deal?
Isn't he just recruiting me as a subordinate? How did this turn into him helping me take over?
Aizen Sōsuke explained, "It is inconvenient for me to operate in the open, so I require a figurehead. You want to be a great ruler of the sea, do you not? I will give you that opportunity. You work for me; we both get what we want."
"Great! I have no problem with that!" Buggy's face lit up with excitement, and he immediately agreed.
Wasn't his plan all along to use this broadcast to recruit strong individuals from across the sea? Now that a powerful person was offering to help him directly, he couldn't ask for a better outcome!
As for being someone else's dog or carrying out orders? He was going to become a ruler of the sea anyway! He wasn't aiming to become the King of the World! What did taking orders matter?
"Alright, Buggy, go back to what you were doing. Whitebeard is nearly at his limit, and we should prepare to receive our guests."
Auguro's eyes narrowed slightly, and he subtly glanced toward the rear of the Marine Headquarters fortress. Others had not noticed, but he could sense it—that deep, dark, and dense malice.