One Piece: I'm not Roger

Aether showed no anger when Kaido firmly rejected the offer. In fact, he had deliberately proposed outrageous terms from the start so he could gain the greatest advantage during negotiations.

"Then what exactly do you want? Defeat comes with a price. You were the one who started this war and lost, yet you still have the nerve to bargain?"

"…"

Kaido ignored the mockery completely. He sat back down and remained silent for a while before finally stating the conditions he was willing to accept.

"I'll compensate you with 5 billion Berries and return everything my crew seized. As for Baker Island and Luan Island, I can only hand over one of them. The peace treaty can last for two years. That is my limit."

"Are you out of your mind?"

The moment those words fell, Aether stepped forward without hesitation and smashed two punches directly into Kaido's face. The bruising around Kaido's eyes, which had only just begun to heal, instantly darkened again until both sockets turned purple and swollen.

As a prisoner, Kaido still dared to bargain this aggressively.

Kaido felt a rare sense of frustration in his heart. Any normal negotiation should have gone back and forth gradually. If the other side disliked the offer, they should continue discussing it. What kind of monster solved everything with fists?

But he also knew the reality of his own situation. Although the Beasts Pirates earned massive profits through weapons and Sea Stone deals with the World Government, most of that money had already been invested into purchasing SMILE Devil Fruits from Doflamingo to build an army of artificial Devil Fruit users. Combined with the enormous daily expenses of maintaining his forces, gathering 20 billion Berries in liquid cash was impossible for him right now.

"Roger, you bastard! A warrior can be killed, but not humiliated!"

"You're a pirate. Stop pretending you care about dignity."

Bang! Bang!

Two more punches landed cleanly across Kaido's face.

This time, Kaido immediately shut his mouth.

If this continued, his eyes might actually be beaten blind. He could not understand why this old monster enjoyed targeting eye sockets so much.

…

Ten minutes later, after Aether's extremely "friendly" negotiation methods, both sides finally reached an agreement. The treaty established temporary peace between two Yonko crews, allowing the people living under their territories to enjoy a period of stability.

The final agreement contained five conditions.

1. The Beasts Pirates would pay the Roger Pirates 12 billion Berries in compensation.

2. All seized property and captured personnel would be returned immediately.

3. Baker Island and Luan Island, the two richest islands along the border region, would be handed over to the Roger Pirates.

4. Ulti and Page One, Kaido's adopted children, would join the Roger Pirates. If either refused, Aether had the right to choose another member from the Beasts Pirates, excluding the All-Stars.

5. Both sides would sign a one-and-a-half-year peace treaty.

In the end, Kaido could only swallow his anger and accept the conditions.

Although humiliating, the demands were not unreasonable considering the outcome of the war. This was the first time Kaido had ever been forced to compromise to such an extent. Even acknowledging Ulti and Page One as his adopted children left a bitter taste in his mouth, though everyone knew that was basically the truth already.

Still, he had no choice.

As long as he remained alive, the Beasts Pirates still had a future.

One day, he would repay today's humiliation a hundredfold.

Once the negotiations ended, Aether and Shiki walked out of the hall together, leaving Kaido alone in silence. He would only be released after the compensation had been fully delivered.

Shiki suddenly spoke.

"Roger, why did you stop there? With Kaido in this situation, you could've swallowed all his territory whole. Your influence in the New World would've expanded again. You might've even been able to crush Linlin's Totto Land afterward."

Aether shook his head lightly.

"Shiki, we're still not strong enough. Expanding too quickly only paints a larger target on our backs. If the balance of the Four Emperors collapses now, the World Government will throw everything they have at us. Never underestimate how badly they want me dead."

Shiki fell silent.

Aether's greatest concern had never truly been Kaido, Big Mom, or even Blackbeard.

Ever since the Marineford War, the World Government had become his real enemy.

The moment he appeared under Roger's identity, killed a Celestial Dragon, revealed life-extending medicines, and even displayed the ability to revive the dead, the World Government's attitude toward him completely changed.

Ordinary pirates were merely obstacles to maintain balance against the chaos of the seas.

Aether was different.

He had become a genuine threat.

Not long ago, he had received a notification from the system.

[SSS-Rank Character Imu has developed moderate hostility toward the Host. Reward: 400,000 EXP.]

Imu, the hidden ruler of the World Government, had already noticed him.

That alone was enough to make Aether wary.

He knew very well that the Five Elders were merely Imu's executors. If Imu issued an order, they would obey without hesitation.

If he truly destroyed the Beasts Pirates now, the most likely outcome would be Blackbeard taking Kaido's place as one of the Four Emperors while fighting to seize Kaido's territory. Big Mom would also become more cautious and might even choose to cooperate with Blackbeard out of fear.

At the very least, she would never maintain her current neutral attitude toward him.

As for Shanks, his true position still remained unclear.

Aether had no intention of gambling everything on the possibility that the Red Hair Pirates might help him in the future.

And if he went even further by eliminating Blackbeard and the Big Mom Pirates as well, then the Roger Pirates would become the sole dominant force in the New World.

At that point, they would face the full power of the World Government alone.

The Five Elders.

The Holy Knights led by Saint Figarland Garling.

CP0.

The Marines.

Impel Down.

Every force the World Government possessed would focus entirely on him.

That level of pressure was far beyond Marineford or even God Valley.

The current Roger Pirates simply could not withstand it yet.

Only by maintaining the balance of the Four Emperors could the New World continue acting as a shield against the World Government. As long as multiple Yonko remained active, the World Government would never dare launch a full-scale invasion into the New World without fear of catastrophic losses.

Pirates might constantly fight each other, but when the World Government attempted to interfere directly, the emperors would instinctively resist outside control.

That was why the Marines had once been driven out of much of the New World in the early era of the Four Emperors.

For Aether, this unstable balance was currently the safest situation possible.

Shiki did not fully understand Aether's concerns, but he could sense the seriousness in his tone.

"Whatever, that's your headache to deal with," Shiki said casually. "Still, Kaido's adopted children, Ulti and Page One… Since you specifically demanded them, their strength must be impressive, right?"