Chapter 260

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"Voice of… what?"

"It's nothing. I am fine now." Amon shook his head at Raki's question. "Instead, let me focus for a bit…"

Amon closed his eyes.

`DieYouDieDieDieYouDieDie`

The voice of the world was yelling that, besides some other incomprehensible words along the lines of his death. It was basically telling him to die… though Amon could guess why.

It was either because he was basically against the world's favourites, the Ds. Or the reason just might be because he wasn't from this world.

'Perhaps it sees me the same way a human body sees an invading virus…’

That was one possibility, but he could only be sure of any of that after some tests, which he wasn’t free enough to take now.

It was harder to even think straight right now. The voice was yelling all around him, though it had no discernible origin—it just felt the ‘world’ itself was yelling. The yells felt as if inside his head, too. So he needed to stop his mind from listening to it asap.

But the possibility of learning how to stop the voice of all things, a power only a few chosen ones ever possessed, in a night or two would be hard, if not impossible.

He still tried to use different ways though. Like willing his spiritual ears to stop listening, or simply command the world to stop. But even after a dozen more tries, none worked.

So… Amon decided to go back to his old tactic. 

He had stopped using this technique when he learned to veil himself to other people's Observation Haki using his own will. Since in that case, people like Aisa wouldn't be able to read his thoughts anymore.

It hasn't even been a year since he stopped, yet he was going back to it…

With a chuckle, Amon took in a breath and chanted in his mind.

'IamtheoneIamtheoneIamtheone…'

Amon’s breath became calm immediately as he almost felt nostalgic. This would help finetune the other voice, so he could at least focus even though it wouldn’t quite feel natural.

From the outside, Raki saw Amon's annoyed exterior change and calm down gradually, very slowly. As a pleased smile crept on his face.

Finally, Amon opened his eyes again and stretched his body before speaking, "I am fine now. Thanks for waiting."

Raki stared at his face for a moment before speaking, "...So, what exactly happened?"

Amon looked at Kiyu, instead. "Did she see the body?"

【She did not. I brought you to this island first and only after that did I bring her out from Alabasta.】 Kiyu replied in his child-like voice, floating vertically over the ground.

Unlike before, two silver orbs were floating around the sword's hilt, looking like eyes.

After Amon got the Soul-Soul fruit, he had given the Sword a very tiny bit of his soul, which mixed with his previous shadow, strengthening it further. Kiyu's 'mind' was clearer now, as the sword had exclaimed by itself. On top, it could also do some slight magical stuff. Like growing in size, floating, releasing a beam of 'sword energy', etc. 

More than anything, because it now had Amon's soul, Amon could project any of his powers freely inside the sword without accidentally hurting it. For instance, it wouldn't start melting if Amon used the mixed heat of Pika-Pika no Mi and Goro-Goro no Mi to their full extent, because, in a sense, that power belonged to the sword as well.

"What body?" Raki asked curiously.

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Amon chuckled as Raki gave him a narrow-eyed look. "Anyway, we don't want to spend too much time outside since some people might just be peeking at us. So let's return to Alabasta… I have some job to do, too."

The chance of Imu having seen all this was quite high. But what is secret information to a dead man?

—★—

Amon would have to test out the main power of Shirahoshi, calling on Seakings, later on since there is no other lifeform inside the door dimension where Alabasta stood.

For now, he had a more important job to do.

In the past three months, he realised just including Nami in the brothel would not work. Luffy isn’t the type to check newspapers, the ones who’d do that would be Shanks, or most likely Dragon since he would be the one checking on news from the outside world using his spatial powers.

Meaning, Amon would have to do something to attract either or both Dragon and Shanks’ attention, as well. Shanks was easy since he knew the woman Shanks cared for most, Makino. But there weren’t even many females close to Dragon. The closest one he could tell was Bello Betty, one of the army commanders.

The army commanders were still on the outside the world, Amon knew that since he had been torturing Karasu for the past 3 months for Dragon’s location. But the crow-human seriously didn’t seem to know. 

That’s why, after a day since he got Shirahoshi's powers, he was now sitting in front of three standing figured.

The three girls he just talked about.

Belo Betty was the one standing straight while Nami and Makino took protection behind her back.

“Shame on you.” The woman wearing red sunglasses said. “To kidnap three women like this. Heh,  quite a manly thing to do.”

Amon gave a shrug. “Whoa, I thought you were the gender equality type? What’s this, using your sexuality as an excuse. Double standards much?"

Amon shook his head in disappointment.

“...” Betty stared at him for a moment before speaking again, “What’d you do to us now? Heh, take advantage of our bodies? Like the low-class villain that you are?”

Humming at her words, Amon picked up a grape from the table before throwing it in his mouth. 

“Not really. Surprising as it might be, I am not into rápe.” He said. "I mean, what's the point of power if you still have to force people? That's not exactly a fun game." Amon chuckled at his own words. "Instead, everything that’s going to happen to you starting from today, is for the greater good.” After a second, he scratched his chin. “Well, for my greater good.”

The two girls, Nami and Makino's eyes shook at his words. He was clearly implying something, and it shouldn't be anything good. 

Nami's scared voice, trying to sound fearless, asked. “W-what exactly?” she said. "Why are you using me, even? T-the last time you let my crew go without many injuries… Then why now?"

Her voice was filler in confusion and betrayal. She did hate Amon because Arlong saw him as an idol, but that hate had honestly lowered a lot when he let her crew leave almost safely. More so… his golden empire was too enchanting. 

Amon chuckled at that. "Ohh, you poor girl." 

That’s all he said before snapping his fingers. 

From the table where Kiyu was lying, the sword shook and a door leading outside the door dimension popped up in existence behind the three women.

Amon disappeared from their sights, causing Bami to yelp, and teleported behind them. There, he walked outside the door while at the same time a rope made of very very low voltage electricity wrapped around the three specimens, as they were dragged behind him.

They struggled at first, yelling even, but Amon continued walking inside the green portal that extended inside for a few meters.

Unlike before, Kiyu could now open a door leading to places that weren't the exact spot on the other dimension. It wasn't exactly awakening and was rather an ability the sword attained because of the soul enhancement, and it was honestly handy to carry other humans.

Though there were limits to it, of course. Currently, it could only cover a few hundred kilometres.

As Amon walked through the green circular tunnel, coming out from the end, in the next instant, all of the four people stood in another room. In front of a large woman with blonde hair smoking from a tobacco pipe.

“Oh…” The woman spoke. “If it isn’t the little boss.”

The blonde woman with two horns on her head, Black Maria, blew out a ring of smoke as she then turned her head to the three girls beside him.

“So they are the ones…. Hm.” She scratched her cheek. “The green head would need a bit of modification, but the other two are flawless.”

Her eyes stayed on Betty for a moment as she raised an eyebrow seeing a commander of the Revolutionary Present here. But she didn’t ask useless questions.

“Watch your mouth, Maria,” Amon muttered, reminding her to not give him any nicknames. “I don’t like flirting with my subordinates.”

Black Maria shrugged at this.

She was born in Wano and had only joined Kaido in the past for the sole reason of survivability. With Kaido dead and Amon offering the Flying Five a chance in his army, Black Maria didn’t even think of refusal. Though she was certainly a bit disheartened when she was offered the job of a Brothel Madame, which she did in Onigashima, too. But the reason for her disheartened was because this was—it was her secondary job there—but now, this was her main job, as she wasn’t needed to fight.

While she was lazy, she was also an ambitious young woman after all. So she didn’t like this development. Being a madame wouldn’t give her much opportunity to rise in the rankings, and her new boss was seemingly uninterested in her beauty too, unlike Kaido.

That’s why, as she looked at the three women behind Amon, she swore to do her best at the job she’s going to be given. Maybe that’d at least get her some attention…

“I have put a small piece of seastone inside Betty’s body,” Amon said. It was an easy job with Op-Op no Mi. “I wouldn’t say where, of course. Even she didn’t know about it before this moment.”

Indeed, Betty was looking at him shocked from the side. This was a type of seastone that didn’t weaken her body, since that would be an inconvenience for a whore, that's why she didn't notice the change.

“Her physical strength is laughable.” He continued. “So you’d be able to keep her calm easily. I expect the goods to be prepared in a week. Call me if you need any help subduing them. ”

Black Maria smiled. 'That wouldn’t happen.' Calling him would lower her value, after all. 

Maria giggled. “Of course, my ‘god’. I will keep that in mind.”

Amon gave an intense stare. “...I can see what you are thinking. Just remember, if there is any problem with them… for example them killing themselves, then you’d be the one facing the casualties from me.”

Maria’s face froze for a moment before she gave a nervous chuckle. “...Of course. I understand. Don't worry.”

Maybe she should really stop trying to flirt with him…

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