Aeridar picked up the Den Den Mushi. Two numbers were stored in its memory, and without giving it much thought, he dialed one at random.
"Moshi moshi, this is the Shichibukai Affairs Office at Marineford. What can we do for Lord Gecko Moria?"
As expected, the voice on the other end belonged to the Marines, and more specifically, the division that handled affairs related to the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"My apologies," Aeridar replied politely, "This is Chris T. Aeridar speaking. I've defeated Gecko Moria."
"Na–NANI?! Y-You defeated Gecko Moria?!" The Marine on the line gasped, half-convinced he'd misheard. Even if it were true, why would the person responsible be calling them? Was this a challenge?
"Yes. Please connect me to Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Aeridar said with unwavering courtesy. "I'd like to speak to him directly. I appreciate your help."
"O-Of course! I'll connect you right away." The Marine realized this situation was far above his pay grade. Only someone like Sengoku could make a call on this.
"Much obliged," Aeridar said with a grin, keeping his tone gracious.
The Den Den Mushi fell silent.
Time passed, long enough that Aeridar yawned in boredom, before the snail's face twitched again.
"I'm Sengoku," came the unmistakable voice of the Fleet Admiral himself, the Buddha of the Marines.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Your reputation as a 'strategic genius' precedes you. It's an honor. I'm Chris T. Aeridar," he said, smiling broadly and speaking with disarming humility.
"Golden Ring Aeridar... I've already heard you defeated Gecko Moria. What do you want? Are you here to challenge the Navy?" Sengoku's voice dropped into a steely growl. The tension over the line was palpable.
"Oh, come now, Fleet Admiral, no need to be so fierce," Aeridar chuckled. "Moria's still alive and right here beside me. If this is about what happened with Lord Syrons, I truly apologize. Fighting someone of such strength... well, it left me quite conflicted~"
"Cut the crap. You didn't call just to say sorry," Sengoku snapped. "Get to the point."
"The Seven Warlords are pirates sanctioned by the World Government. Even a draw is bad enough, defeat is unacceptable unless it's at the hands of a Yonko. But Moria lost to me. Publicly. He's no longer worth keeping on the roster." Aeridar let the silence hang for a beat before continuing with a sly edge, "So, I'm here to offer myself as a replacement. I want to join the Seven Warlords."
Moria's very public defeat meant the government couldn't ignore it. The Warlords existed to intimidate, to serve as a counterbalance to the Yonko. If word got out that one had been beaten by an upstart pirate, their reputation, and by extension, the government's, would suffer a devastating blow. They had to act fast, or silence everyone who had seen it happen. (Just like in canon, where after Moria's defeat, Kuma received orders to eliminate the Straw Hats and all witnesses.)
"Absolutely not," Sengoku barked, voice hard as iron.
Sengoku didn't like the look of Aeridar, someone with such terrifying potential, capable of wielding a power that could bring about world destruction. A threat like that needed to be eliminated, not legitimized with a title.
Aeridar laughed. A deep, rolling laugh that faded into something darker.
"Fleet Admiral, your forces just limped out of the New World with heavy losses. You've had to leave your fleets stationed at the border just to keep the monsters of the New World at bay. The Seven Warlords are the World Government's best countermeasure to maintain balance on the seas."
Then his voice dropped.
"But now you've got one less. Moria's out, and if you can't find a replacement fast, the balance shifts. The seas grow restless. Your burden gets heavier."
The line went quiet for a long while.
"I'll even make this easy for you," Aeridar offered, tone smooth as silk. "I'll establish my base in the New World, help ease the pressure off your forces. What do you say?"
Then Sengoku spoke again, grim and measured. "That's not a decision I can make alone."
He hated to admit it, but Aeridar had made valid points. And the offer was tempting. A warlord with this kind of power could help stabilize things, if he didn't turn rogue.
"Of course, if I team up with Demon Mask Gutte... even a Marine Admiral might not be enough to stop us." Aeridar's eyes narrowed. It wasn't a bluff. It was a promise.
"You dare threaten me?!" Sengoku roared, outraged that the supreme commander of the Marines was being blackmailed by a pirate.
But Aeridar wasn't wrong. If he and Gutte joined forces, not even Borsalino's elite fleet could guarantee victory without catastrophic losses.
"Then find someone who can make the call," Aeridar said softly, a knowing smile creeping across his face. He was clearly referring to the true power behind the curtain, the Five Elders.
"...Hand over Gecko Moria. I'll send a battleship to retrieve him," Sengoku said coldly.
"No problem," Aeridar replied casually. "But within three days, I expect to see something... satisfying in the headlines. I'm keeping this Den Den Mushi open."
Moria was worthless to him now. Unless the man wanted to switch sides, which was unlikely, considering his pride as a veteran pirate.
"...I'll do what I can."
Sengoku hung up without another word. It was clear he didn't want to speak to Aeridar for a second longer than necessary.
"All that's left is the east wind..." Aeridar murmured with a smile as he stared at the silent Den Den Mushi.
If he succeeded in becoming a Warlord, the plan to unite the Seven Warlords under one banner could begin. With that, he'd have the power base needed to challenge the Yonko. After all, even if he reached Yonko-level strength himself, his crew wouldn't be able to match theirs. And time only deepened their influence. The best path forward, was to shortcut it.
The vision of a grand future made Aeridar's heart sing.
When he looked up, he found himself surrounded—Arlan, Oliver, and the rest of the crew had gathered.
"Captain, did it work?" Arlan asked the moment Aeridar ended the call.
"We'll know in three days," Aeridar replied with a cocked head and an easy grin.
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