One Piece: The Minecraft Devil!

The God Knights appeared on the Conomi Islands, but they were shocked to find that the entire island where Cocoyasi Village once stood was gone. All that remained were the small clusters of islands surrounding it, forming the Conomi Island cluster. Among the figures wearing white robes and hoods, one stood out—he had short red hair and bore an uncanny resemblance to the infamous Red-Haired Shanks.

Far away from the Conomi Island cluster, high in the sky, an island floated due to countless giant balloons tied around it, with rocket thrusters attached to both sides. The villagers were still in shock at how Yami had seemingly pulled these things out of thin air, making the entire island soar into the sky like a floating fortress.

Meanwhile, inside Nami's house, Yami sat with Nojiko, Nami, Tashigi, and Makino. Makino was puzzled as to why Yami had called her here while the other freed slaves remained with Genzo, who was assigning them new homes and work, as they would now stay on the island. However, her thoughts were interrupted when Yami pointed at a black box-like device.

A projection appeared, displaying figures near the Conomi Island cluster—men dressed in white robes. Yami calmly explained, "These are the God Knights. They serve directly under the Five Elders of the World Government and are at least on the level of Marine Admirals."

Makino's eyes widened in disbelief when she spotted a red-haired figure among them. "Is that... Shanks?!" she exclaimed in shock.

Yami turned toward her with a surprised expression, but in his mind, he smirked—this was all going according to his plan. Shanks' doppelgänger would serve as the perfect tool to manipulate Makino into his grasp. "I'd say there's about an 80 percent chance this guy is actually Red-Haired Shanks," he said casually. "But I can't be sure. It could just be someone who looks like him."

Makino hesitated, staring at the image. "But… he has both arms. Shanks lost his left arm years ago."

Yami simply shook his head. "The World Government has many hidden secrets. Who's to say they don't have a Devil Fruit user capable of regenerating limbs? Or maybe they have someone with a time-based fruit that can reverse injuries on a specific part of the body?"

Makino fell silent. Memories flooded her mind—her capture by the Celestial Dragon, the horrors of slavery, and how Yami had saved her by killing that wretched noble. Then she thought of Shanks. Had everything she believed about him been a lie? Why would he be serving the World Government?

Yami, seeing her conflicted expression, knew it was time to strike. "All I know for sure is that Shanks was given a mission by the World Government to protect a Devil Fruit. But he failed. Someone stole and ate the fruit right in front of him. That's likely why he became a hidden God Knight—to atone for that failure. He was likely tasked to monitor pirates while posing as one. Who knows? Maybe Shanks even lost his arm while fighting the one who ate the fruit."

Makino's breath hitched. Her mind raced as she recalled Luffy, as a child, eating a Devil Fruit that Shanks had with him. Could Yami's words be true? Then she thought of the day Shanks lost his arm to the Sea King.

'Was this all a setup?' Makino thought, her heart pounding. 'Did Shanks—who's so powerful now, and must have had strength even back then—let the Sea King take his arm on purpose?'

Then she recalled Yami's words—about the World Government secretly ordering Shanks to monitor pirates. Her eyes dilated as the realization hit her like a tidal wave. 'Was Shanks' sacrifice… meant to push Luffy toward becoming a pirate? Was he keeping an eye on him this whole time?'

While Makino was trapped in her spiraling thoughts, the other three girls remained fixated on the screen. The God Knights had begun their rampage, obliterating the remaining islands in the Conomi cluster with terrifying ease.

The sheer power they displayed left them shaken.

"So this…" Nami muttered, her hands trembling. "This is the strength of the top powerhouses of the world?"

Yami maintained a neutral expression, but inside, he was grinning in amusement. 'Everything is going according to plan…' he thought. Then, as another idea formed in his mind, he smirked.

'Maybe I should create an alias for my future underworld dealings… How about Aizen?'

Yami switched off the screen, his gaze shifting between Makino and Tashigi before settling on the two sisters, Nami and Nojiko. Letting out a small sigh, he asked, "Do you still want to join me?"

His voice was calm, yet firm. "If you do, I'll make you both stronger and help you with your own dreams—if you have any."

The room fell silent for a moment. Then, Nami stepped forward, her expression determined. "I want to create a map of the entire world," she declared. "So, I'll be depending on Captain Yami from now on."

Nojiko smiled softly. "I don't think I'll be of much help, but… I'll do what I can for Nami and Captain Yami."

Yami's lips curled into a small smile before he turned his attention to Tashigi.

He let out another sigh. "Have you thought about my offer?" he asked. "If you stay in the Navy, you'll get yourself killed. Sooner or later, the Celestial Dragons will make their move against the Navy as well." His voice carried a hint of amusement. "After all, the Navy is just a weapon—a group of loyal dogs serving the World Government. And weapons rust if they aren't polished properly… dogs don't live as long as humans."

Tashigi remained silent, her expression unreadable. Without a word, she stood up and walked away. As she exited, she simply said, "I need time to think."

Yami didn't stop her. He knew manipulating this woman wouldn't be easy, but that only made the challenge more entertaining.

His gaze then shifted to Makino. He could tell that she was still struggling with everything she had just learned. The idea that Shanks—someone she had trusted and admired—had played her, Luffy, and everyone else from Foosha Village was taking root in her mind. Yami laughed internally, amused at the thought of Shanks coughing up blood if he ever learned how a misunderstanding caused by his secret lookalike—who could even be his hidden brother—had completely shattered Makino's faith in him.

Taking advantage of her shaken state, Yami spoke again. "From all the people captured by that Celestial Dragon… even considering the strength of the Cocoyasi villagers, aside from Nami and Nojiko, you're the only one truly suited to join my crew, Makino."

Makino's eyes widened in shock.

"But don't worry," Yami continued smoothly. "I'll make you stronger. I'll protect you." His tone was casual, but his words carried an undeniable weight. "Nami is already a genius when it comes to navigation. As for Nojiko… I'm still deciding what role suits her best."

He glanced at her thoughtfully before smirking slightly. "According to the documents I found on that Celestial Dragon's ship, you used to run a bar. That means you must have some skill in cooking… and plenty of experience with alcohol."

Makino still hadn't recovered from the previous revelation when Yami delivered the next one. "I want you to be my crew's chef and bartender."

Makino was floored.

Nami, however, barely reacted—she didn't think much of it. Nojiko, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes slightly. She glanced at Tashigi who had just left, then at herself, Nami, and now Makino.

A strange thought crossed her mind. 'Wait… every single person Yami has invited so far has been a woman…'

Her expression turned skeptical. 'Is this serious, righteous-looking captain of ours actually just a pervert?'

(Find out next time on One Piece:The Minecraft devil!)