One Piece: Marine to Warlord to Conqueror

Back on their home turf at Branch 16, a collective sigh of relief seemed to pass through the base. Everyone settled back into their routines, some catching up on much-needed rest, others handling the duties that had piled up in their absence.

A house was waiting for Kuma and Bonney in the officer's residential area. Thinking ahead, Dante had sent word to Nota about Bonney's condition. Following his instructions, the house had been modified, aside from the essential doors and windows, every other opening was sealed tight to keep the interior shielded from light.

Hearing a little girl was coming, Nota had taken it upon himself to prepare a special surprise. He'd painted one of the rooms a soft pink and filled it with all sorts of cute dolls. The moment Bonney saw it, her face lit up, and her happy laughter echoed through their new home.

A warm smile spread across Kuma's face, mirroring his daughter's joy.

Both father and daughter were clearly very satisfied with their new home.

Even though the two greatest doctors they'd met couldn't offer an immediate cure for the Sapphire Scale disease, they had managed to slow its progression. For that, Kuma was deeply grateful. He held on to a simple, powerful belief: as long as they were alive, there was hope. A cure would be found.

And at Dante's suggestion, both Crocus and Dr. Kureha had agreed to continue their research. Maybe one day, Sapphire Scale wouldn't be an incurable disease after all.

In the meantime, Kuma would need to bring Bonney back for regular check-ups and treatments to keep the illness at bay.

There was, however, one small setback. Dante's plan to 'abduct'- or rather, 'invite', Chopper to join them hadn't panned out. Chopper felt his medical skills weren't sharp enough yet and wanted to continue his studies under Dr. Kureha.

As a result, Bonney, who had quickly become good friends with Chopper, was understandably disappointed. Having had few friends growing up, she genuinely wanted to be friends with Chopper, but she understood Chopper had his own dream to pursue.

Her sadness didn't last long, though. She brightened right up when she realized she could see Chopper again every time she came back for a check-up.

Chopper, who had also been lonely for most of his life, made her a promise. He told her that one day he would become a doctor who could cure any disease, a panacea, and then, he would cure her.

In that moment, a bond formed between the two of them. Watching them, Kuma felt a warmth spread through his chest. He quietly took off his glasses, covering his face to hide the tears welling in his eyes.

The gains from this trip were undeniably substantial. With the generous 'donations' from their top contributor, who'd practically had his coffers emptied, how could they not be substantial?

In addition, taking over Baroque Works, with Daz Bonez's help, had been incredibly smooth, without a single hitch.

On top of that, there was Baroque Works. With Daz Bonez's help, the transition of power had gone off without a hitch. As for Crocodile's grand plan for an "ideal nation"... 'Let's just change the venue,' Dante mused. 'The East Blue is looking pretty good.'

Moving forward, Baroque Works operational focus would gradually shift to the East Blue. Their intelligence system and agent network, however, would continue to function, and he entrusted this critical aspect to Robin. Dante was absolutely confident in Robin's abilities.

Furthermore, he would continue to have Baroque Works secretly acquire Seastone.

And on top of all that, this trip... his own performance metrics had increased significantly.

--**--**

[Name: Dante Ashford]

[Occupation: Level-3 Senior Staff Member]

[Performance Indicator Value: 10,100]

[Note: Promotion to Level-2 Senior Staff Member and receipt of employee benefits occurs at 100,000 points.]

--**--**

Taking down Crocodile and capturing Wapol had netted him a cool 8,000 points. The other 2,000 must have trickled in from the development of the Conomi Archipelago and Branch 16 itself. He really had to thank Crocodile and Wapol for their contributions. Pity Crocodile was locked up, he'd have to wait for his release to thank him personally. As for Wapol... he was currently enjoying five-star treatment in a private room made entirely of Seastone.

--**--**

The next morning, Dante woke up feeling refreshed and ready to get back to work.

When he reached his office, Robin was already there, as usual, engrossed in her work. He had to hand it to her, the woman was disciplined. All these years, and she'd never broken her routine of early to bed, early to rise.

"Good Morning."

"Good morning," Robin replied without looking up from her book, a playful lilt in her voice. "Though, it's closer to noon, Boss."

She finally raised her eyes, a soft smile on her lips. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on her as she sat at her desk, giving her a quiet elegance. "Nota's been waiting to give you his report since this morning," she added.

"Is there anything urgent?"

"Nothing major at the branch. Nota followed your instructions to the letter while we were gone. As for the Conomi Archipelago..." Robin paused, her gaze drifting back to her book. "Thanks to the labor from the pirates we captured, development has started in all the areas you marked out. Cocoyashi, Mikan, and a few other towns are already starting to be linked by new roads."

A spare arm sprouted from Dante's desk, casually pouring him a cup of hot tea before disappearing. Robin picked up her own steaming mug. "Also," she said, taking a sip, "what are your plans for Rainbase?"

"Rainbase..." Dante mulled it over.

With their new partnership, Alabasta's "City of Dreams" and Crocodile's former stronghold, was now temporarily designated a special economic development zone.

Rainbase's largest casino, Rain Dinners, had been preserved. Though the treasures and Seastone inside had been stripped bare, the facilities themselves were still intact, so they'd been kept. However, the operating model would need changing, along with a complete redecoration.

Currently, Rainbase was under Vivi's temporary management.

'Alabasta is a major kingdom on the Grand Line,' Dante thought. 'It draws plenty of merchants, tourists, and pirates. Losing Crocodile's "protection" would normally make it a target, but I've already got that covered.'

He'd dispatched a team of Baroque Works agents to provide support, and a contingent of Marines from Branch 16 would follow, operating undercover. Between them, the Alabasta Royal Army, and the flag of the Mock Pirates flying overhead, things should stay quiet. Mock might be the weakest of the so-called "Overlords," but the reputation he'd gained from taking down a Warlord was enough to scare off most trouble.

As for Conomi Archipelago... Dante mused, 'There don't seem to be any particularly competitive or unique products yet.'

'Tangerine jam, canned tangerines, and tangerine wine?' he pondered. 'Or perhaps Romance Dawn?' Dante rubbed his chin and muttered, 'Looks like a cosmetics factory will be needed soon too!'

Robin diligently noted down her boss's thoughts. Then, as if remembering something, she looked up again. "And what about Whisky Peak? What's the plan for it?"

"Whisky Peak?"

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