To Cavendish's and the others' astonishment, Elior suddenly leapt from his own ship directly onto Cavendish's.

The moment he landed, a massive, invisible pressure swept through the air like a tsunami. Though it was mostly psychological, no one could deny the sheer oppressive force Elior exuded.

As one of the Yonko, Elior carried the aura of a true monarch. That oppressive presence overwhelmed everyone — Cavendish managed to hold up, but the rest felt like they couldn't even breathe.

Standing before him, Cavendish finally got a clear look at Elior's face. And in that moment, he felt a strange sense of awe.

Elior wasn't just stronger — he was also more beautiful than him!

This realization dealt a huge blow to Cavendish's pride. The famously narcissistic swordsman felt utterly helpless.

"Cavendish, become my subordinate."

Elior stood atop the ship's railing, looking down on everyone with the poise of a Sea King. His presence was regal—undeniable.

Just like Whitebeard once said, "Become my son."

Exactly like that.

"Become... your subordinate?"

Cavendish blinked in disbelief. He hadn't expected this kind of proposition.

"Impossible!"

He rejected it outright—but staring at Elior's face, he felt shaken. Of course, only someone as vain as Cavendish would feel that way over something like this.

Elior simply smiled.

"Surrendering to strength isn't shameful. Don't you think following me is far better than charging through the New World alone?"

"..."

Cavendish hesitated.

"Do I need to beat you first to convince you?"

Elior had a genuine appreciation for Cavendish. Yes, he was arrogant and self-obsessed—but he was strong. And more importantly, he wasn't a bloodthirsty maniac like Kidd.

In the original timeline, Cavendish had proven himself trustworthy.

Elior wanted him on the crew.

Defeat him?

That's laughable!

Cavendish looked up at Elior again. Who in the New World hadn't heard of how terrifying he was?

Cavendish had spent over a year surviving in this sea — he knew better than anyone how ruthless the New World could be.

And Elior? He could crush him effortlessly.

Still... the offer was tempting. Maybe joining the Elior Pirates wasn't such a bad idea.

"If I do join... what rank would I get?"

"That depends. At first, you'll only be an intern."

"Intern?!"

Cavendish was stunned. "With my strength, I'm only worth that much?"

"You're strong," Elior said, "but in my crew, that makes you average."

"I'm one of the Supernovas! Hey, hey!"

"And I've got three of you already."

"..."

Cavendish fell silent.

Elior: "Now that you've joined me, you'll call me Captain. Understood?"

And just like that, Cavendish joined without Elior having to raise a finger. A few words were all it took.

A smooth recruitment.

As for Cavendish's subordinates?

Elior wasn't interested in them, but he allowed Cavendish to keep his group around. Among the Elior Pirates, only Cavendish would be recognized. His underlings were irrelevant.

With Cavendish on board, the crew's strength grew considerably.

"Just a few more strong crewmates, and we'll be ready to take on Whole Cake Island."

That was Elior's next goal.

The fleet now consisted of two ships instead of one. The next stop: Dressrosa.

A day later, guided by a Log Pose, Elior's crew arrived at Dressrosa.

Upon landing, Elior went with Reiju while Crocodile and Cavendish split off on their own.

"Let's regroup tomorrow."

Dressrosa was a vibrant country with a unique culture. Elior wanted to explore the town while making his moves—and Reiju and the others agreed.

Cavendish, with some of his men, headed to the colosseum.

Crocodile, meanwhile, was on a mission. Elior wanted Doflamingo to submit to him.

Of course, Elior didn't expect Doflamingo to give in easily. That wasn't the point. He simply asked Crocodile to say hello — to announce Elior's arrival. Formalities could be skipped afterward.

In this world, only strength matters. Doflamingo, who believes "might makes right", would understand the message. Just like he made others bow to him, now it was his turn to bow to someone stronger.

This is a world ruled by power. The strong dictate justice—just like money dominates the world of wealth.

Elsewhere, Reiju and Elior were walking through the town of Dressrosa.

"Those toys… are they alive?"

Reiju had noticed the toy figures wandering apart from the regular pedestrians. They moved strangely—like they had minds of their own.

"They're just toys" Elior replied casually.

He didn't bother explaining that these were actually citizens transformed by Sugar. Once turned into toys, they were forgotten by everyone and forced into slavery—laboring endlessly in Doflamingo's underground factory.

Sugar's ability was undeniably powerful — but Elior wasn't too impressed. Sure, it could control people, but only weak ones. Turning someone into a toy wouldn't help if you couldn't subdue them first.

Not to mention the fruit's fatal flaw: if Sugar ever fainted from shock or fear, the spell would break immediately.

Even if he turned Kaido into a toy, that was meaningless if Kaido wasn't already beaten.

Compared to that, Tama from Wano had a much more practical ability. Her dango could tame even Smile-enhanced Zoan users — and theoretically, maybe even Kaido himself. If her power grew strong enough, she could tame anyone with a beastly nature.

But again, Sugar's power was still vital — Doflamingo's rule over Dressrosa wouldn't exist without it.

While Elior and Reiju wandered, an old man in a kimono walked into the scene.

He leaned on a cane and wore a cloak with the word "Justice" on the back — instantly marking him as a Marine.

An Admiral.

It was Fujitora.

Since the new admirals had only recently been appointed, their identities weren't yet public knowledge. It wasn't like the days of the Marineford War, when every name and face was instantly broadcast worldwide.

That was fine by Fujitora. He didn't want fame or admiration. As a Marine Admiral, he believed in true justice—not the kind driven by politics or media.

He had arrived in Dressrosa earlier than in the original story — another ripple effect of Elior's presence in the world.

"I can hear the cries of this nation…"

Fujitora murmured to himself. No one heard him, nor did they care. He kept walking—using Observation Haki to read the thoughts and emotions of those around him.

His haki was incredibly refined. One of its abilities was akin to telepathy — like the Redfield, who avoided company because his haki revealed the darkness in others' hearts.

Fujitora heard countless cries—voices begging to be saved.

"The Shichibukai system is proof of the World Government's failure and corruption."

"It needs to be abolished!"

He had barely walked a few blocks, yet the mental wailing he picked up was endless.

And it made him hate the Shichibukai system even more.

A system meant to balance the power of theYonko had turned into a free pass for powerful pirates to act without consequence—as long as they didn't overstep some invisible line.

Legal pirates.

The thought disgusted him. Had he not come to Dressrosa, he might never have known the extent of the suffering here.

"Hm?"

"What an incredible aura… who is that?"

Suddenly, Fujitora sensed someone approaching — someone incredibly strong. Even without eyesight, his mastery of Haki allowed him to perceive the overwhelming presence ahead.

The person he sensed?

Elior.

And Elior had also noticed the admiral approaching.

The blind swordsman was a monster in his own right, but Elior didn't fear him. Not anymore.

War hadn't broken out yet. And besides — would Fujitora even recognize him?

Probably not.

Maybe he'd heard of the Yonko, but Elior — newest of them all — might still be a mystery to him.

After all... what would he recognize him by?