The purpose of deterrence had been achieved, and Chiga didn't want to waste any more time with these people. He called out to Kalifa and Ain, then walked toward the main hall of the headquarters.
The people behind him exchanged glances, and finally, Mihawk was the first to follow. The others didn't linger and followed suit, leaving the port.
Upon reaching the conference hall, Chiga sat directly at the head of the table, one leg crossed over the other, waiting for the Seven Warlords to take their seats.
Kalifa and Ain stood on either side of him. Normally, Chiga didn't mind this setup—having them stand while he sat—but today it felt off. It made him slightly uncomfortable.
So, Chiga simply had them sit on the same chair as him. The seat at the head was wide enough for three people anyway.
Kalifa and Ain looked a bit embarrassed, but under Chiga's firm insistence, they reluctantly sat beside him.
When the Seven Warlords entered and saw Chiga, the corners of their mouths twitched unconsciously. Doflamingo, however, found it quite normal—he often liked to lounge in strange ways himself.
As for Onigumo, he acted like he hadn't seen anything. After all, what Marine admiral didn't have a few eccentric habits?
Once everyone was seated, Chiga lightly tapped the table with his finger. The people below sat quietly, waiting. No one dared speak first if Chiga hadn't spoken.
After a while, Chiga's low voice rang out:
"From the day you joined the Seven Warlords, you should've understood your responsibilities. The status of a legally recognized pirate doesn't come without obligations, right?"
The Warlords nodded silently, but a hint of disapproval still flickered on some of their faces.
Of course, they understood what Chiga was saying—but understanding and compliance were two different things.
Even during the later Marineford War, when they were truly needed, most of them only pretended to fight and didn't give their all.
Chiga scanned their faces and understood what they were thinking. To them, the Warlord title was mostly symbolic. They did whatever they pleased regardless of the agreement.
Aside from honorable exceptions like Jinbe and Mihawk, some even used their title to carry out greater crimes—some practically ruled over nations.
Chiga was certainly planning to abolish the Seven Warlords system, but the timing wasn't right yet. Until then, the system had to remain in place.
That didn't mean they could live comfortably in the meantime. Chiga intended to give them a clear warning—they had to earn the benefits they received.
Thinking of this, Chiga spoke again:
"Starting this month, each of you must take down at least four pirate crews per month. Among them, one must include a pirate captain with a bounty of no less than 80 million Berries. Fail, and you will voluntarily withdraw from the Seven Warlords."
Don't underestimate 80 million Berries—this wasn't the era when bounties routinely exceeded a hundred million.
It's worth remembering that Crocodile's bounty had only been 81 million before joining the Warlords, even though that figure severely understated his actual strength.
In short, pirates with bounties exceeding 80 million Berries were still considered a major threat.
When they heard Chiga's demand, the Seven Warlords frowned. This requirement hadn't been part of the original agreement.
While hunting pirate crews was relatively easy, it would inevitably stir up more conflicts with other pirates. It would also tie them more tightly to the Marines, and the moment they lost their Warlord title, they'd become prime targets for retaliation.
Yet, remembering what had happened to Doflamingo, no one dared speak up first. The atmosphere became suffocatingly tense.
A cold bead of sweat rolled down Onigumo's forehead. Fleet Admiral Sengoku had said nothing about this requirement. Chiga was deliberately poking at a hornet's nest.
But Chiga sat there calmly, as though he weren't the one who just dropped that bomb.
Seeing the lack of response, Chiga grew impatient. He said coldly:
"Alright. I've made my stance clear. Who agrees? Who objects?"
This time, Moria couldn't hold it in. He preferred to stay in his gloomy lair working on zombies and hated leaving it. He finally spoke:
"Hee hee hee... Vice Admiral Kirin, this doesn't seem to match the original agreement, does it? We—"
Buzz!
A powerful gravitational force yanked Moria from his seat toward Chiga. Then, in a flash, a repulsive force slammed him into the wall.
The entire sequence happened so fast that, aside from Mihawk, no one even had time to react before Moria was embedded in the wall.
Doflamingo's face turned pale. No one present was more familiar with that technique than him.
Back on that Island, he'd been completely defeated by that move. Seeing it again made his body tense up instinctively.
Doflamingo, always well-informed, already knew that this ability stemmed from Chiga's eyes—his Rinnegan.
He couldn't help but glance at Chiga's eyes, only for Chiga to meet his gaze.
Chiga gave him a cold, indifferent look. In that instant, Doflamingo felt like he'd been struck by lightning. He immediately lowered his head and dared not speak further.
At this moment, Moria crawled out from the rubble, trembling. He stared at Chiga, completely unable to understand what just happened. He hadn't been able to resist at all.
Chiga flashed forward. The next moment, he stood before Moria, looking down at him coldly.
"Any more objections?"
Moria shivered violently and shook his enormous head. He had no more objections.
Moria had backed down—but Hancock could no longer stay silent.
From the moment she'd arrived, she'd felt suffocated by Chiga's presence. Though his strength was undeniable, someone as proud as her couldn't tolerate being constantly pressured by a man.
She suddenly stood up and snapped:
"Did you call us here just to make such unreasonable demands?!"
Without turning, Chiga calmly replied:
"Obviously. What else?"
"You bastard! Perfume Femur!"
Unable to take it anymore, Hancock leaped into the air and launched a powerful kick straight at Chiga's back.
Crack! Her ankle was caught mid-air by Chiga's hand.
Her expression changed instantly.
"You—how... How could you…"
"Why isn't my hand turning to stone? That's what you want to ask, right?"
Chiga slowly turned to face her, his gaze emotionless.
Hancock's position was rather awkward—her leg extended in mid-air, caught by Chiga, exposing more than she intended. Fortunately, her long slit dress covered most of it.
But being directly stared at by Chiga made her cheeks flush bright red. She yelled in embarrassment:
"Let go of me! Now!"
Chiga didn't want to stay locked in that position either. Kalifa and Ain, standing behind him, were already starting to give him odd looks.
He released her ankle. Hancock swiftly retracted her leg and retreated a few steps, her face filled with anger and humiliation.
She glared at Chiga, who remained composed. His lips moved silently.
Hancock's face turned even redder when she realized what he'd mouthed:
"You were wearing something after all."
---
100 Powerstones = 2 Bonus Chapters
_
Let's do each other a favor by sending stones.