Lance leapt into the air, stepping on nearly invisible threads as he gazed off into the distance where dust clouds rose and thunderous booms echoed across the sky.

"Whoa! So many animals over there!"

"And a bunch of biscuit guys—what even are those?"

Rebecca's voice came from behind him.

She stood on a snowy sky bridge leading from the ship's deck, along with baby-5 and Monet. The snow-formed bridge even had safety railings along its sides.

"That's Jack the Drought from the Beasts Pirates!"

"And those biscuit soldiers—if I'm not wrong—they belong to Charlotte Cracker, one of the Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates. His biscuit army is famous for its overwhelming power. Wherever it goes, it's unstoppable. It helped Big Mom carve out much of her territory."

When it came to intel, Monet—who had spent years acting as a spy—naturally knew more than most.

"Looks like you're not completely useless," Lance said as he turned toward Monet, surprised.

Their gazes met, and unexpectedly, Monet's face flushed slightly. But she quickly regained her usual composure.

Lance didn't pay much attention to that and turned back toward the battlefield.

"Yonko commanders really are on another level."

"The Three Disasters… the Sweet Commanders…"

"Their bounties are all outrageous… and their power is far beyond Doflamingo's."

Lance narrowed his eyes, his fighting spirit surging.

He hadn't come just to get revenge on Jack the Drought for what happened in Angel Town. His true purpose was to fight powerful opponents!

If there was one thing in this world that could excite him, that could truly stir his emotions—it was battle.

And not just ordinary battle. It had to be blood-pumping, high-stakes, life-or-death combat against absolute monsters.

Watching the chaos erupt between these two Yonko commanders made his blood boil.

"I see him—Caesar!"

"He's on the other side of the island, aboard the Beasts Pirates' ship. That's definitely him!"

Suddenly, baby-5 pointed to the distant coastline where the Beasts Pirates' flag flew. There, she spotted Caesar's distinctive silhouette.

"If you recover Caesar, it could be a huge advantage for you," Monet said calmly to Lance.

"A huge advantage?"

Lance smirked. "Aside from making artificial Devil Fruits and giantization drugs, does he have anything else worth a damn?"

"Those two are more than enough," Monet replied. "The Young Master… no, Joker… couldn't even talk to Kaido before he had Caesar. But after gaining Caesar's artificial fruits, he forged a solid partnership with Kaido."

"And not just that. In the underworld, artificial Devil Fruits are so rare they might as well be priceless. Just one can fetch insane prices. That's why everyone lined up to work with Joker. It's also how Doflamingo became king of the underworld."

The message was clear.

Having Caesar meant holding the keys to the entire black market.

Pirates, assassins, criminals, and even nations would scramble to get close to Lance. The money would flood in. Fame, power, wealth—he'd have it all.

"You're thinking for my sake?"

Lance glanced at Monet again. Her cheeks colored once more, just like before.

"But you don't have to worry about that," he said. "I get what you're saying. But to me, Caesar's worthless… what I really want is this war!"

His eyes burned as he stared at the clash between Jack the Drought and Charlotte Cracker.

"Forget that plan," Monet said. "I know you were strong enough to beat Joker, but these two? They're both leagues above him—in strength, in standing. Joker doesn't even come close."

"What you should be doing is lying low, building your strength quietly, recruiting your own men."

Lance gave a mental sigh.

He finally understood.

Monet wasn't just tagging along. She had already decided to follow him like she once followed Doflamingo—as someone destined to become Pirate King. She wanted to help Lance fight his way through this brutal pirate era and carve out a path to the throne.

Now he understood why she hadn't chosen to die, why she was getting along so well with Rebecca and baby-5.

She revered strength—and Lance's power had earned her admiration. Her faith had shifted to him.

"Lie low… build up strength… gather lackeys and recruit thugs with gold and treasure, rise through the ranks slowly…"

"Monet, that may have worked for Doflamingo and many others, but for me…"

"To conquer this world, I don't need anyone else. I can do it alone."

A grin tugged at Lance's lips.

Somewhere inside, something clicked.

He had finally found what truly intrigued him—what made him want to live: ruling the world.

With his endless life, why waste it living quietly?

He'd shake the heavens, shake the seas, and etch his name into history, so the world would never forget who ruled it—Lance.

"Well then, let's start with you two."

He flicked his cigarette away.

"You all stay here. I'll go pay them a visit."

And with that, Lance stepped out onto the air, dashing across his thread bridges straight toward the raging battlefield.

"Does he always ignore people like this?" Monet sighed.

"Don't underestimate him, Onee-san," baby-5 said proudly. "Lance is amazing!"

"Even just watching him walk away is enough to make my heart flutter… that's my man!"

"Let's hope he knows when to pull back," Monet said under her breath. "Because those two are far more dangerous than Joker ever was…"

(End of Chapter)

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