Chapter 49 – Only With Me Will They Have a Bright Future!
"How dare you destroy my island!"
On his colossal, devil-like face, pure displeasure twisted his expression.
"You won't even pay for the damages!"
"And you still want to run?!"
"..."
"..."
Jozu and Vista exchanged a glance.
In each other's eyes, they saw nothing but despair.
"H–He…"
Jozu's voice trembled violently from fear and fury.
"He… he won't even let us leave!"
"But Oyaji already…"
Vista, the Sword Flower, slowly rose to his feet.
He drew the twin blades at his waist.
Tears—mixed with rain and scattered seawater—flowed down his face.
"Oyaji gave his life for us!"
"We can't… we can't keep living like cowards!!"
He raised both blades high, pointing them at the three-hundred-meter-tall demon towering above them.
"Brothers!!"
Vista released a roar more heart-wrenching than anything he had ever screamed.
"We can't run anymore!!"
"Revenge for Oyaji!!!"
"A battle to the death!!!"
"UOOOOHHHH—!!!"
"REVENGE FOR OYAJI!!!"
At that moment—
All members of the Whitebeard Pirates who were still standing…
Every "son" who had just lost their "father"…
Were swallowed by grief-burning rage!
They abandoned the plan to escape.
Their hearts made up, ready to die, they leaped off their ships one by one.
Their feet pounded on the shattered ruins of the devastated harbor.
Toward that terrifying figure towering like a god…
They launched—
Their final attack!
…
"Revenge?"
Akira stood at the edge of a cliff.
Expressionless, he stared down at the group of tiny "Whitebeard Pirates" swarming below like insects.
"You people are complete idiots…"
"Is fighting and revenge really the only thing inside your heads?"
Akira couldn't even be bothered to move his feet.
"What a waste of my time."
He no longer paid attention to the "enthusiastic" division commanders.
His three-hundred-meter-tall body slowly crouched down.
Then he stretched out his island-sized palm—
Splash—!!
He plunged his hand into the massive trench that moments ago had been flooded by the tsunami.
As if fishing something out, he stirred the murky seabed lightly.
Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash—!!!
Then he lifted his hand.
Billions of tons of seawater cascaded down between his giant fingers like crashing waterfalls!
And in the middle of that valley-like palm…
Were two tiny, seemingly insignificant objects.
The first—
A massive, battered figure, unconscious, drenched in blood, but still breathing faintly…
Whitebeard.
The second—
His naginata, Murakumogiri, now bent ninety degrees from Akira's kick.
With a flick of his wrist—
Bang!
Akira dropped the giant body and the now-deformed weapon.
From three hundred meters high.
BOOOOM!!
Whitebeard crashed down right before the division commanders preparing for their glorious "final stand."
"..."
"..."
Jozu froze mid-charge.
Vista's blades halted mid-swing.
Everyone's shouts were trapped in their throats.
They stared at the "father" who had fallen from the sky with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Oyaji…"
"Oyaji?!"
Jozu was the first to react.
He and Vista slipped on the soaked ground as they rushed forward!
Thud!
Jozu dropped to his knees, hands trembling as he checked Whitebeard's breath.
"..."
"He's… he's still breathing!!"
Vista's tear-streaked face lit up with a joy so overwhelming it bordered on painful—joy born from hopelessness.
"Oyaji is alive!!"
"He's still alive!!"
"That's great—so great!!!"
"UOOOOHHHH!!"
All the division commanders burst into tears of relief.
Jozu lifted his head, sobbing.
With a complicated mix of emotions—wariness, confusion, and something impossible to name—
He looked toward Akira, whose body had now shrunk back to a height of about three meters.
Boom!
Akira jumped down, landing on the bow of the Moby Dick.
From this higher vantage point, he looked down at the crying-laughing "children."
"You…"
Jozu's voice quivered.
"Why did you…"
"Why didn't you kill us?"
"..."
Akira blinked slowly, as if stunned by the ridiculous question.
Then he rolled his eyes.
"Why would I kill you?"
"I'm not insane."
With a pitying look—one reserved for the truly foolish—he swept his gaze over the "Yonko crew" commanders.
"If I kill you…"
"Will you be able to pay me Berry?"
"..."
The Whitebeard Pirates stared blankly.
"Or maybe…"
Akira lazily scratched his ear.
"If you die…"
"Will your corpses rise up to fix my island? Work for me?"
"..."
"..."
Silence. Absolute silence.
"Haaah…"
Akira shook his head like a disappointed teacher addressing a hopeless class.
"You people."
"One by one—'division commanders,' 'Yonko's right-hand men.'"
"You possess immense power. Strong Haki."
"You have Devil Fruits of extremely rare, borderline absurd classes…"
"A Diamond Human, an Undying Phoenix, a Fire Man…"
"And yet—what comes of all that?"
Akira suddenly raised his voice, chastising them like children!
"All you know is drinking, partying, and wandering aimlessly across the seas!!"
"That!!"
"That is the greatest waste of manpower I've ever seen!!"
"Do you understand what I'm saying?!"
"If I kill you?"
Akira laughed coldly.
"That would be like slaughtering a chicken for a single egg."
In his eyes gleamed the chilling light of a true capitalist.
"To me, you're worth far more alive than dead."
"Your father destroyed my island."
"So someone has to pay for the damages, right?"
"Starting today."
Akira declared their "fate."
"All of you."
"You will work for me for the rest of your lives."
"With your own strength…"
"You will repay the enormous debt you owe!"
"As for the exact numbers, I'll have Doflamingo prepare a detailed list. You just have to review and sign it."
…
"..."
Akira turned away from the mentally collapsing, spiritually shattered Whitebeard Pirates.
He spoke into the Den Den Mushi:
"Doffy!"
"Bring someone here!"
"We've got new 'clients'!"
"Hahahaha! At once, Lord Akira!"
"Bring Whitebeard, Ace, and Marco."
Akira ordered sharply.
"All injured personnel, send them to our newly established 'Dressrosa Hospital'!"
"Have Princess Mansherry of the Tontatta Tribe treat them personally!"
"The highest level of care!"
"VIP rooms!"
"Twenty-four-hour security!"
"Yes! Yes! Lord Akira is truly generous…"
Doflamingo's sycophantic voice echoed through the snail.
"Of course."
Akira scoffed.
"But the treatment fees must be premium!"
"One 'Healing Dandelion': 100 million Berry."
"Mansherry's Tears? Priceless per drop. You understand?"
"..."
"He's a Yonko, after all!"
"We must strip them of every last Berry!"
"If they don't have money now…"
"No problem!"
"Have the whole crew sign 'loan agreements'!"
"As for interest… use our highest rates."
"Fufufufufufu!!"
On the other end, Doflamingo's eyes gleamed with predatory light.
"Genius!!"
"This is the true King of the Black Market!!"
"I'll make a fortune again!!"
"Oh, right."
Just as Doflamingo was about to depart, Akira casually added:
"Tell Pica to stop resting. Wake him up for overtime."
"The island cracked again. Tell him to get to work."
"And add that his bonus this month will be doubled."
…
Somewhere among the rubble, the half-dead Pica shivered violently.
Finally, Akira turned back to the still-functional division commanders—Jozu, Vista, and the others who stared at him in utter disbelief.
"Dressrosa needs reconstruction."
"Our construction company is short-staffed."
"Put them all to work!"
Akira grew increasingly enthusiastic as he outlined their "bright future as high-level workers."
"They're strong, capable, and talented!"
"Jozu—your whole body's diamond. Use him as a 'living drill' to dig the foundations! And he's strong enough to carry stones too!"
"Vista—your swordsmanship is incredible. Have him 'cut' building materials, or handle fine finishing work!"
"Marco the Phoenix."
"Perfect! Make him a doctor—and a food delivery courier!"
"He flies fast anyway!"
"And Ace is even better!"
"Send him to the factory as a furnace heater!"
"Even in winter, Dressrosa will stay warm!"
"What an amazing workforce!!"
The more Akira imagined it, the brighter his mood became.
"Instead of working properly, you roam the seas doing nothing."
"What a waste of life!"
"Only with me… will you finally have a bright future!"
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