One Piece: A Warlord's Path

"So what's the point of joining this Seven Warlords Alliance?"

Jinbe sounded disheartened.

Hearing his question, Aeridar smiled. He knew Jinbe's resolve was already wavering. The whale shark Fish-Man was a man of principle, but not so much that he'd risk the safety of his homeland for an ideal.

"Intelligence sharing. Mutual defense. Business collaboration. Everything's on the table. As long as more than three Warlords unite, the World Government and the Navy will think twice before making a move. If we get four or five together? Even a Yonko would have to tread carefully. Wouldn't you agree?"

Aeridar grinned boldly, hand slicing through the air as if he were seizing control of the very future itself.

"You clearly don't understand how powerful the Yonko truly are," Jinbe shot back. As someone close to the Whitebeard Pirates, he knew firsthand the terrifying strength of those emperors of the sea.

Take Whitebeard's crew, dozens of division commanders, each a powerhouse. Especially the top five, they were all at least on the level of a major pirate, absolute monsters in their own right.

"And so what?" Aeridar shrugged, unfazed. "You think a Yonko would be foolish enough to go all-in against several Warlords at once? That's asking to get picked off by the Navy, or by another Yonko looking to seize the moment."

Several Warlords uniting? That was a threat even a Yonko couldn't ignore. Go to war, and even they'd pay a price too steep to risk.

Jinbe pondered for a moment before asking, "Alright then, what's in it for me and Fish-Man Island if I join? And what's the cost?"

"Jinbe!" Neptune looked over in shock.

"Intelligence sharing. Mutual protection. Trade routes. All of that's part of it," Aeridar said, smiling faintly. "Join the Seven Warlords Alliance, and Fish-Man Island comes under our collective shield. That's dual protection. Even if, one day, Fish-Man Island loses Whitebeard's patronage, no one will dare lay a hand on it if it's under the Warlords' wing."

"As long as we live, as long as this alliance exists, your homeland will know peace; ten, maybe even twenty years of it. That's more than enough time to build up the Ryugu Kingdom's military power and strengthen Fish-Man Island's standing in the world. Better to hold your destiny in your own hands, don't you think... Jinbe, Knight of the Sea?"

Jinbe and Neptune fell silent again.

Truth be told, both were tempted.

A few decades of peace? That could be enough to transform Fish-Man Island into a world power.

"As for what you'd have to give?" Aeridar said, gently pressing the advantage. "It's just what I said: sharing intel, mutual defense, business cooperation. We're all proud men here. None of us are the type to beg for help unless the situation's life or death."

He knew full well their fear, that Fish-Man Island would just be used as a pawn. He needed to break down that wall of distrust.

"Jinbe," Neptune finally spoke after a pause, "this decision is yours to make. Whatever you choose... I'll support you."

"I want to know," Jinbe said, brows furrowing, "who founded this Seven Warlords Alliance? Who leads it? And how many have joined so far?"

"Wow, that's a lot of questions at once," Aeridar said with a theatrical scratch of the head before answering with a calm smile,

"I'm the one who founded the alliance."

"You?!"

Jinbe and Neptune both widened their eyes.

"Yep. No leader, just equals. No hierarchy." He held up three fingers. "As for members: me, Crocodile, and if you say yes, three."

Aeridar understood that pirates were, by nature, proud and unruly. Appointing a 'leader' would only breed discord. They didn't need central command, just a few Den Den Mushi calls or a video meeting when necessary. No need to crown a king.

"Crocodile joined?!" Jinbe's expression twisted in shock. He had assumed the alliance was still just a concept, he never imagined Aeridar had already made moves this quickly.

Even Neptune tensed.

The name "Crocodile," the Sand Crocodile, was infamous. A man ruthless enough to survive an encounter with Whitebeard and live to tell the tale.

Especially that man; cruel, cunning, unpredictable. And he had already thrown in his lot with this alliance?

This was no empty proposition. The game board was already in motion.

"That's right. Our goal is to unite, to stand together against the Four Emperors and the Navy, so we can finally claim a seat at the table as equals..."

Aeridar said with a fierce glint in his eye.

"Stand against the Four Emperors?" Jinbe frowned slightly. Whitebeard was one of the Four Emperors. Would this mean taking up arms against him?

"Standing against doesn't mean declaring war. It just means we're no longer beneath them," Aeridar clarified, sensing Jinbe's unease.

"I see..." Jinbe nodded thoughtfully. As long as they weren't enemies of Whitebeard, the rest was negotiable.

Then he asked, "If I join, that makes three Warlords already. Who else are you planning to invite?"

Aeridar held up two fingers. "Dracule Mihawk is close friends with Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors himself. Mihawk's a lone wolf and often vanishes without a trace. I doubt he'd be interested. He's out, for now."

He then raised a second finger. "As for Bartholomew Kuma… He's practically the World Government's lapdog now. The last thing we need is for every move we make to end up in the hands of the Navy."

Of course, there was another reason, Kuma was a Revolutionary Army spy. Letting him into the Seven Warlords Alliance would blow the lid right off. But that was something Aeridar chose not to share with Jinbe.

"Fair point," Jinbe said with a nod of agreement.

"That leaves us with Donquixote Doflamingo and Boa Hancock. Doflamingo's less of a problem. I've met him once, he's the type who values profit above all. I'd say there's a 90% chance I can bring him on board," Aeridar said with a slight smirk tugging at his lips.

"Doflamingo…" Jinbe's brow furrowed. He knew the man by reputation.

In the shadows of the underworld, Doflamingo's name rang loud; arms dealing, slave trafficking, you name it. The idea of working with someone like that made Jinbe uneasy.

"It's fine," Aeridar replied calmly. "He's not the kind of man who enjoys bowing to the Four Emperors either. As long as the profits align, he won't refuse. And believe me, the Seven Warlords Alliance offers gains that suit him perfectly."

"Besides," he added, "Fish-Man Island could strike up a trading relationship with him; deep-sea pearls, coral, rare medicine, exotic minerals. All of that sells for a fortune on the surface. You've got the goods. He's got the network. It's a win-win."

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