Brannew stood at the front, and before him sat the Marine officers of various ranks. Even Fleet Admiral Akainu himself was listening to his report. At the moment, Brannew was the king of Marine Headquarters.
The newly updated list of the Shichibukai had just been introduced again, and the focus of the meeting was on the impact caused by Doflamingo's resignation from the Shichibukai, the consequences of Law's actions, the hidden truth of Punk Hazard, and other related issues.
"I understand the situation, Brannew."
"Fleet Admiral Akainu?"
"We can't let these guys run wild anymore. Yesterday, Smoker from G-5 submitted a very long-winded report. Let's observe for another day. Fujitora has already personally led a team to Dressrosa."
"World Government has also issued an order for us to cooperate with their operation in Dressrosa. Tell Headquarters' fleet to prepare. If this powder keg isn't handled properly, it could spell disaster for the entire sea."
A Marine meeting itself wouldn't directly affect the state of the seas, but Doflamingo's statement could.
Ever since the beginning of the Great Pirate Era, wars across the world had never ceased. Whether defending nations or plundering resources, weapons had become an indispensable part of it all.
While Doflamingo was planning to hold his grand tournament, the conflicts raging throughout the New World had not stopped, and many nations' weapons were sold by Doflamingo himself.
Now, with Doflamingo announcing his withdrawal, he also abruptly halted all Donquixote Family business operations. Doflamingo felt he had everything under control and showed no sign of panic, but those across the seas were completely unaware of this.
Especially once their logistical support was cut off in the middle of the war, some military leaders simply ran away, causing their armies to collapse as a result.
And just then, their "savior" appeared.
"We are under Lord Buggy's command! We sell the same goods Doflamingo did! We even offer mercenary services! Whatever he won't do, we'll do it!"
Back then, Doflamingo had taken a liking to the manpower under Buggy and built a somewhat friendly relationship with him, even giving him a few trade channels.
Though Buggy's Delivery gained its reputation mainly from exaggerated rumors about Buggy himself, for such a large organization to function smoothly, there were indeed a few capable individuals among his subordinates.
Sensing this opportunity, they began an aggressive expansion.
At this time, Buggy, who had already arrived near Dressrosa, still had no idea what was going on, when suddenly his underlings surrounded him.
"Captain Buggy, was this all part of your plan? Now all of Doflamingo's business is ours!"
"Yeah! Don't tell me this was your strategy all along?"
"Could you guys be a little more reasonable?! How could Doflamingo's resignation from the Shichibukai position have anything to do with Buggy?!"
Mr. 3 was about to break down. He had thought that, as time passed, these people would gradually see Buggy's true nature and eventually abandon him.
But not only had their delusional reverence for him not improved, it had gotten worse. What used to be imagination had now turned into pure fabrication.
If these seas had few more idioms, they'd probably all shout in unison that Doflamingo had "lost both his wife and his soldiers to the enemy." [TN: Pay a high price for trying to outwit another.]
As the only sane person present, Mr. 3's words failed to wake them up. Meanwhile, Buggy himself began to ponder something else.
"That Doflamingo quit being a Shichibukai... which means I must be the only Shichibukai here! The World Government and Marines are bound to send people too. When that happens, I can use them to my advantage...
"Hahahaha! Boys, full speed ahead! The Super Invincible Magnificent Lord Buggy's Secret Grand Strategy is ready for an upgrade!"
"Ohhhhh!!"
Buggy's Delivery pirate ships began sailing at full speed, and at the same time, many other forces had already arrived near Dressrosa, including the Sunny.
After passing through a dangerous sea slope, the borders of Dressrosa had already appeared within their sight.
A sea slope was one of the unique maritime phenomena of the New World. Much like a mountain slope, it was a large, steep sea current filled with dangers due to hidden reefs. And here, Luffy and his crew encountered a very peculiar man - an old man carrying a raccoon dog.
When the Sunny appeared nearby, they happened to see the old man's small boat smashed apart by a hidden reef. Following Luffy's principle of "better to get involved in a trouble than to stay out of it," he stretched out his arm and pulled the man aboard.
"That was close, old man! What are you doing all alone in a place like this?"
The man had a head of white hair, a tall and slender frame, and two braids hanging over his shoulders.
Wine red, blood red, purplish red — all kinds of reds made up his outfit, even his eyebrows were a deep red. Looking at Luffy before him, the old man's lips unconsciously curved into a smile.
"You actually helped a total stranger from the bottom of your heart?"
"What are you talking about, old man? It's just a small favor, what's the problem?"
"Nothing at all. My name is Red. I came here because it seemed interesting. After all, Dressrosa has a lot of interesting things."
"Really? That's great! We're heading there too. Old man, why don't you come along with us? This raccoon dog… is it your pet?"
"Pet? No, this one's family. Isn't that right, Pato?"
"Mhm."
The raccoon dog-like creature on Red's shoulder nodded in agreement. None of the people on the ship thought there was anything strange about this old man, but if there had been an old-era powerhouse among them, they would've immediately recognized who he really was.
Red was his real name, but his full name was Patrick Redfield. Decades ago, the seas had called him Aloof Red, a rare lone pirate.
Born with a unique Observation Haki, he possessed the ability to sense the thoughts in others' hearts and read their memories. Because of this gift, no one could hide any secret from him — a fact that eventually shaped his solitary personality.
Redfield was also one of the escapees from Impel Down's Level 6. When he escaped, his body was already aged, so he set his sights on the Bat-Bat Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Vampire.
During that pursuit, he was no longer alone, for it was then that he met Pato.
Originally, he should have encountered Luffy's crew in Trans Town, but the timeline had now changed greatly. Though he never met Luffy there, Redfield had obtained the Devil Fruit much earlier than before.
Through his solitary travels, he met many interesting people and rediscovered his original conviction, beginning his voyage anew.
By now, he had also come to terms with his own body and had chosen not to use the fruit to regain his youth.
He had come here because the Quake-Quake Fruit reminded him of the late Whitebeard. Wanting to reminisce about the past, he planned to take it as a collectible.
Unexpectedly, he stumbled into this situation, and Luffy's innocent heart piqued his curiosity.
"You're… the Soul King?!"
"Yohohoho! You recognized me? Are you a fan of mine?"
"Of course! I've been a fan of yours since a long time ago."
Luffy's path as a pirate was deeply connected to Red-Haired Shanks, while Redfield's own journey was tied to Brook.
As a child, Redfield had once seen the Rumbar Pirates docked for rest.
The Rumbar Pirates' goal was to spread joy, and that cheerful atmosphere made Redfield feel very comfortable. He chatted with Brook at the time and was moved by his ideals.
After his escape, Redfield immediately recognized Brook's identity. However, Brook himself had yet to realize that Redfield was the boy who once admired him, though he did find the name vaguely familiar.
"Now that you mention it, I did meet someone named Red a long, long time ago… I wonder how he's doing now. That must've been how many years back again?"
Law, however, was extremely against Luffy's reckless habit of bringing strangers aboard. Especially after accidentally locking eyes with Redfield; a sudden wave of fear welled up inside him.
Fortunately, they were already close to Dressrosa, and once they docked, everyone prepared to split up and carry out their respective plans.
"Eh? Where's the old man Red? How did he disappear the moment we docked?"
"No idea. That old guy moves so fast, I didn't even notice when he disappeared. Pato's gone too. But since he's a fan of Brook's, he probably isn't a bad person."
Chopper looked around carefully, giving his conclusion based on his unique brand of logic, and just then, a familiar voice called out from behind Luffy.
"Luffy! You brat, long time no see!"
"Ace?! You're here too?"
"Of course, I came for Pops' fruit. Didn't you come here for the same reason?"
"Nope! I made a deal with Tra-guy, we're gonna take down Doflamingo!"
Law, who hadn't left yet, nearly slipped and fell to the ground. He could only stare in disbelief as Luffy revealed their entire plan in less than a minute.
"Straw Hat-ya! What did I tell you before?!"
"To keep it a secret! But he's my big brother, so it's fine, right?"
"You—"
Law could feel his heartbeat speeding up, and as a doctor, he knew that was definitely not a good sign.
Compared to the carefree Luffy, Ace gave Law a small bow.
"My little brother has been in your care. He's a bit of a fool and always causing trouble for others."
But in the next moment, Ace's expression changed.
"But if you dare to deceive him, I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget."
[Straw Hat boy… might not be the best ally after all.]
Watching Luffy happily chatting with Ace, completely tossing their plan aside and declaring that he'd help Ace reclaim the Quake-Quake Fruit, Law lost a bit more of his confidence in the future. Resigning himself to the principle of "out of sight, out of mind," he took Caesar and set off on his own mission.
Luffy's complicated network of relationships was, in a sense, beneficial; as long as Doflamingo was taken down, everything else was secondary.
The arrival of the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates was merely the beginning. Katakuri's team from the Big Mom Pirates, Redfield who just quietly departed, the one-arm Shiryu, the Happo Navy, and fleets from various kingdoms were all on their way.
Marine battleships, the World Government's secret squads, members of the Revolutionary Army, this year's Super Rookies…
Bounty hunters, mercenaries, martial arts champions, Shichibukai; more and more forces were gathering in Dressrosa. Even Yamato's Pokémon Ship soon appeared at the port.
Different forces, different races, monsters from different eras; all were drawn here.
At this very moment, the citizens of Dressrosa still had no idea what was happening. They were busy trying to persuade Doflamingo to stay, who had announced his abdication.
In terms of public image, Doflamingo did a thorough job. People, ignorant of the truth, were all too willing to trust the current king.
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