It was almost too easy for Elior to bring Weevil under his command.
Gion and the marines behind her were stunned.
Weevil—he might be a fool, but he's a natural-born monster. Not only does he possess brute strength, he's a combat genius. Even former Admiral Zephyr lost an arm to him!
His power is beyond question.
Now, the Elior Pirates have gained another powerhouse. Their strength has risen to an entirely new level.
Both Gion and Tokikake immediately realized the severity of the situation. They cast wary eyes on the figures standing with Elior.
Elior, Bullet, Shiryu, Crocodile, three of the Supernovas, and now Weevil. Not a single one of them is ordinary.
"Vice Admiral Gion… this is trouble. I feel like we're witnessing the rise of a force rivaling the Yonko."
Tokikake's voice was grim. Gion nodded, equally serious."Elior's ambition clearly knows no bounds. This crew… it might just be the most dangerous force outside of the four emperors. No other crew in the world has this kind of lineup right now."
"Two vice admirals, the Vinsmoke family is also involved… things are heating up on here. Something big is clearly about to go down."
Elior couldn't help but feel that things were about to get a lot more entertaining.
No way the marines showed up here just because they were bored.
At that moment, the vice admirals and the Vinsmokes were all watching Elior and his group. Elior, however, casually waved a hand, ignoring their gazes as he led Bullet and the others into one of the island's towns. After all, they hadn't had a proper meal in over a day.
Once they were fed and rested, they'd begin transforming Hachinosu into their new stronghold. And that meant one thing—war was likely. This island wasn't full of nobodies, and with two admiral-level forces now on-site, things could explode at any time.
"I need to investigate Elior personally. There's no way he came here without a plan."
"I suspect he's aligned himself with the criminal underworld — and the Vinsmokes. Showing up here, now of all times? There's no way that's a coincidence."
As Elior and his crew disappeared from view, Gion's expression turned darker.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku had entrusted them with stabilizing the New World—maybe a drop in the bucket, given the scale of chaos, but it was still their mission.
"Vice Admiral Chaton, we split up. You'll investigate the underground emperors. I'll focus on Elior."
Tokikake hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
But Gion had no idea what danger awaited her.
So the two parted ways.
Meanwhile, the Vinsmokes — despite meeting Elior for the first time — were already on edge. Weevil, that monstrous brute, had been subdued with ease. When they looked back at the crater from Elior's punch… it was a perfect twenty-meter-wide pit.
Insane strength.
Overwhelming.
And if they could get on his good side…
Reiju's eyes sparkled. Elior had just demonstrated sheer dominance—and looked damn good doing it. As a woman, it was hard not to be intrigued.
As for Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji — the three color-coded brothers — they remained expressionless.
"Right. Back to business. Almost forgot."
Judge suddenly remembered the deal he was here to close. The order was massive. The mere thought of completing it made his blood boil. If he pulled this off, Germa would be one step closer to ruling the North Blue once again.
Night soon fell.
At exactly 8 PM, Elior arrived at a local bar—alone.
It was one of the busiest bars on Hachinosu, lively and packed despite its four or five hundred square meters. Not a single empty seat in sight.
Elior sat at the front counter and glanced at the beautiful bartender. "What's your best drink?"
"Hm… the finest we have is a New World vintage, Newfount. Would you like a glass?"
"I'll take the bottle."
The bottle arrived quickly. The bartender had immediately recognized him. You don't run a bar on Hachinosu without knowing the faces of every pirate with a bounty over 100 million—especially when someone like Elior shows up. Offend the wrong person here, and your entire establishment could vanish overnight.
Soon enough, the owner arrived—polite, respectful to a fault.
Elior wasn't just a mystery in terms of strength—he'd publicly killed three Celestial Dragons. His bounty now stood at two billion berries.
The entire bar quieted. The patrons had noticed him too.
Nine out of ten were violent criminals. The last one? Probably worse. But they weren't stupid. They knew better than to mess with someone like Elior.
That said, some couldn't help but eye him. He didn't look physically imposing. Compared to the other brutes here, he seemed almost frail—and that calm, harmless demeanor? It made certain greedy men start to itch with temptation.
Two billion berries.
"Who's the top dog on Hachinosu? The strongest person here?"
The bar's madam came to serve him personally. Elior didn't waste time — he was here to gather information, and this was the best place to start.
But just as she was about to answer, a bold, confident woman sat beside Elior on his right. A subtle, distinctive fragrance filled the air.
His Observation Haki kicked in instinctively—he didn't know who she was, but every fiber of his being screamed that this woman was dangerous.