It could easily cut through steel, and even cannon fire and ordinary slashes were helpless against the threads, but when faced with Tsuru, it was as if they had met their natural enemy.
Devil Fruit powers naturally have their own counters; when a lower-ranked Fruit meets a higher-ranked one, the sense of helplessness is hard to describe. Even though the Wash-Wash Fruit and String-String Fruit aren't technically in an upper-lower relationship, the suppressive effect is still quite obvious.
Under Tsuru's cleansing, this section of the Birdcage in front of them instantly turned limp, and under the influence of Tsuru's ability, a huge door gradually opened up, allowing people to pass through.
"Let's go."
Tsuru took the lead entering Dressrosa, but the persistent crunching sound in her ears gradually made her a little irritable.
Sengoku followed behind her, clutching a bag of rice crackers. Except for the Marine coat draped over his back, he had already changed into a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and together with his slippers, he looked more like he was out for a picnic than on a mission.
"Sengoku, that's enough. Don't be like Garp. Do you want to turn into a rice cracker geezer just like that senbei geezer?"
"Rice cracker geezer? That wouldn't be so bad."
"Inspector General really is carefree without any official duties."
"Don't say that, Tsuru-chan. Our Fleet Admiral didn't assign us any specific mission. He told us to act as the situation demands."
The information relayed by Buggy wasn't detailed; the Marines only had a general grasp of the situation here.
But what they could be sure of was that this was an incident no less troublesome than the Summit War, and possibly even more difficult to handle.
Back then, Marineford was the Marines' headquarters, which allowed them to create such a cage. Plus, they had grasped Whitebeard's weakness; even knowing it was a trap, Whitebeard still charged in without hesitation.
According to their post-battle analysis, if it hadn't been for Kaido interfering, plus the ruckus Blackbeard and Luffy caused at Impel Down, the Summit War would have yielded much better results.
As for the current situation, the known most difficult pirates to deal with are Redfield and Yamato. Although there aren't as many top-tier pirates as during the Summit War, the Marines also couldn't muster such a lineup too.
Even if they just played a part, some people are a morale pillar just by being there.
Of course, that's not the main issue. The real problem is that Dressrosa doesn't have anything that requires them to fight to the death.
Apart from Yamato and Redfield, there are also three Shichibukai here, but the Shichibukai have never been people the Marines could trust. There's no telling what they'll do halfway through.
Marco, Ace, Katakuri, Sabo—these aren't opponents that can be handled easily either.
They haven't brought many people, and there are so many with flying abilities; if they scatter and break out, the Marines don't have enough troops to stop them.
Tsuru was only able to thoroughly counter Doflamingo; with just Sengoku and Fujitora, dealing with the situation here was still very difficult.
Not to mention, behind all this are two Emperors of the Sea and the Revolutionary Army. Compared to them, the rookies of the Worst Generation who have some involvement are actually the easiest to deal with.
Tsuru didn't know what was happening on Fujitora's end, but seeing Sengoku so relaxed in his vacation getup, she didn't feel very reassured.
"Act as the situation demands. Sakazuki's ability to make trouble for old people really is something else."
Tsuru was originally the Marines' Great Advisor; analyzing the battle and making plans was her main job, so Akainu's orders were perfectly reasonable.
Even Akainu himself couldn't judge how to handle this, so he simply delegated full authority to Tsuru.
"Good thing I'm not the Fleet Admiral, or I'd have to handle this kind of thing."
"Yeah, good thing I'm not an Admiral, or maybe I'd be the one carrying out this mission."
Just then, another voice reached the ears of Sengoku and Tsuru. That familiar pink bicycle appeared in front of the Marines, and the figure sitting on the seat was just as familiar.
Clack, clack, snap.
Blades were unsheathed, bullets were chambered. The weapons in the hands of several female soldiers beside Tsuru were already aimed at Kuzan.
For the sake of its own reputation, the Marines had been suppressing news about Kuzan, but paper can't wrap fire forever, and word was gradually leaking out.
These female soldiers were Tsuru's personal guards, usually privy to high-level information, so they knew more about Kuzan than most.
An Admiral who could now officially be considered a defector appearing here was no small matter to them.
"Don't be nervous, put your weapons away."
Tsuru and Sengoku, on the other hand, were even more relaxed, as if they weren't concerned about this at all. Sengoku even went so far as to sling an arm around Kuzan's shoulder.
"Kuzan, you brat, what are you doing here?"
"Uh, I came to catch a ship."
Yes, that was Kuzan's reason for coming here: simple and straightforward.
He'd forgotten to bring Camel with him this time, and thus had no means of transportation.
After visiting his old friend Smoker, he faced several options.
He could ride his bicycle all the way back, carry it and run, or find somewhere nearby to hitch a ship. After thinking it over, Dressrosa turned out to be the closest, so he just rode his bicycle over.
And happened to see this mess unfolding.
But faced with Sengoku's friendly gesture, Kuzan didn't let down his guard. Instead, he turned into his elemental form, bringing his bicycle along to another spot.
"Let's skip the Haki greeting, shall we, former Fleet Admiral—no, Inspector General Sengoku."
"Kuzan, are you serious about what you're doing now?"
"Who knows? But I'm not here to fight, so you don't need to be so tense. See you around, if fate allows."
Kuzan simply greeted them, taking the opportunity to use the path Tsuru had cleared. With the situation as it was, he had no reason to stick around, so he went on ahead and left.
"Well, now we've got one more unstable factor."
Rubbing her forehead, Tsuru, together with Sengoku, quickened their pace.
Not long before, up on King's Plateau.
Law's battle was much tougher than Luffy's had been at the time.
"Fuffuffuffu, Lao G's physical skills, Diamante's swordsmanship, Gladius's gunnery.
Law, your fighting style is full of their shadow. You ungrateful little brat! Do you really think that stuff can deal with me?!"
"Yeah, you all taught me those things, but it's because of Cora-san I'm still alive today. He saved my life, and I am grateful to him from the bottom of my heart, but you guys killed him!"
Blades clashed with threads, but most of Law's moves were already anticipated by Doflamingo. With the defense and strangulation of the threads, Law's situation only became more dire.
Luckily, after the long chase in the sky, Luffy had recovered his Haki and re-entered Gear 4.
"Tra-guy, that's enough, leave the rest to me! Gum-Gum Leo Bazooka!"
His feet bounced repeatedly in the air like thrusters, propelling his balloon-like body to move rapidly through the sky. His Haki-infused arms batted away Doflamingo's threads, then Luffy pushed his hands against Doflamingo's chest, sending him flying.
"Did we do it?!"
"Don't kid yourself! Overheat!"
Flung away by the Leo Bazooka, Doflamingo flung out a thick thread, then adjusted his glasses.
"Law, did you forget what I hate most? What I hate most is… being looked down on!"
"You think that without outside help or coincidences, you can defeat me with your own strength?!"
"For brats like you who don't know your limits, even the momentary feeling that you can defeat me is the greatest humiliation!"
"I possess the world's noblest bloodline…"
Doflamingo suddenly stopped speaking. He had noticed a serious problem; his Birdcage had been broken.
At about the same time, the Den Den Mushi belonging to Marco and Katakuri also started ringing.
The breaking of the Birdcage meant that communications signals were no longer blocked. For Doflamingo, this was bad news. It meant that what had happened here would soon be communicated to the outside world and made public.
But for everyone else, it meant that news from the outside could finally get through.
"Marco? I finally got through to you. Are you all okay now?"
The voice of the Ice Witch, Whitey Bay, came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi. She had joined the Whitebeard Pirates around the same time as Marco; back when the Whitebeard Pirates hadn't been split into divisions yet, she was already following Whitebeard, so it was perfectly normal for her to call Marco by name.
"We're fine. What's up?"
"Marine reinforcements. Sengoku and Tsuru have already arrived outside and should be heading toward the center now.
They're not bothering with us, but there are plenty of Marine warships outside. We can't wait for you at the port anymore, so we're heading to the rendezvous point. You guys should pull out as soon as you can!"
Neither Marco nor Katakuri avoided the other, so Marco could clearly hear that Katakuri's Den Den Mushi was receiving the same message.
"Katakuri, there's no point continuing to wear each other down here. I don't want the Marines to swoop in and reap all the benefits."
Given the situation, there was no way to get the Quake-Quake Fruit. The fight between Yamato and Redfield made it impossible to even get close, and at the rate those two were going, if he tried, he'd be taken out before he got anywhere near.
He couldn't get the Quake-Quake Fruit, and Doflamingo's fate didn't interest him either—alive or dead, it didn't really affect the Whitebeard Pirates.
But Luffy was Ace's younger brother; he couldn't just leave him behind.
"I don't mind, but what about those two?" Katakuri gestured upward. The battle between Yamato and Redfield was still going on.
"At times like this… we can only try the most traditional method."
With that, Marco took a deep breath and shouted into the sky, "Hey! You two! Marine reinforcements have arrived! Stop fighting!"
Unless they stopped on their own, no one on the scene could restrain them. Whether it was Marco or Katakuri, all they could do was pass on the information.
Marco's words reached the two of them, and Redfield's expression grew displeased. This counted as a rather unpleasant experience for him.
Back then, as a loner without companions, he had no one to rely on after collapsing. After his fierce battle with Kong, someone picked him up and sent him to Impel Down. Now, while not identical, the situation was a bit similar.
"How about a temporary truce and teaming up? I don't have a good impression of the Marines."
"I doubt they'd have the spare time to come here."
Yamato stopped as well, but her gaze turned to the sky.
The clouds above began to churn again; something seemed to be hidden within.
"No spare time?"
"Yeah, I saw this thing once two years ago… Are people in the World Government all insane or what…"
Earlier, Tsuru had washed away Doflamingo's Birdcage, restoring communications here. Now, not only pirates and Marines could contact the outside, but also those CP0 agents lurking on the island.
When you need to contact the outside world but can't get through, a normal person's reaction isn't to give up, but to keep redialing.
Until they either run out of patience or get through, Whitey Bay never gave up on contacting Marco, and those agents naturally persisted in trying to reach the World Government as well.
It wasn't until the moment Tsuru took action that they finally managed to do this.
"Saint Saturn, commencing report on the situation in Dressrosa. There is a large-scale uprising currently breaking out in Dressrosa. The specific actions taken by Doflamingo are as follows…
Seraphim's combat capabilities have been confirmed. The complete version of Seraphim possesses quite considerable power.
Most of the pirates on the island are now gathered on the King's Plateau, including Doflamingo himself."
One by one, CP0 relayed the information to the Five Elders, comparing it with the earlier reports that Fujitora had sent to the Marines.
The World Government still trusted CP0 above all; even the Marines ranked below them.
"This guy's been up to even more behind our back than we imagined."
"So, how should we deal with this? Dressrosa is an affiliated nation, after all. This is even worse than what Crocodile did.
A Shichibukai appointed by the World Government wantonly enslaving the people of an affiliated nation, even the royal family wasn't spared. If this gets out, the kings won't stand for it."
With two consecutive incidents of Shichibukai attempting to take over countries, the impact on the World Government's reputation was going to be immense.
If the kings of affiliated nations suffered this fate, and now it had happened to two countries, once the Dressrosa incident spread, those kings would not sit idly by for the sake of their own safety.
"There's no doubt that Doflamingo must be stripped of his title. Based on the Seraphim's current performance, they're fully capable of replacing the Shichibukai. Is that system even necessary anymore? Not a single one of them has been trouble-free."
"We can let the kings discuss that slowly at the Levely. Right now, the urgent matter is how to handle the situation in Dressrosa."
Just as the Five Elders were about to begin their discussion, the table before them suddenly transformed into a shadowy mass, and a peculiar eye appeared within it.
Meanwhile, in the most mysterious place in Mariejois, the Room of Flowers—where no one could enter at will—the exact same eye appeared.
At this sight, the Five Elders immediately rose together and knelt before the table.
They knew full well what this meant: the true ruler of the World Government, Imu, was now conveying their will.
"Lord Imu."
"I am aware of the matter. I believe this place can disappear, letting all those troublesome things vanish from the seas."
On a world map nearby, Dressrosa's location suddenly lit up. As for what this "disappearance" meant, the Five Elders understood all too well.
"The one who knows the secret of the national treasure of Mariejois, the ones disrupting the existing order. Fortunately, they are all gathered here. I also wish to see the effects of the 'Mother Flame.' Let's use it this time."
"By the time Levely starts, I want a result."
As Imu spoke, the conference table returned to its normal appearance, as if Imu had never appeared, and the Room of Flowers once again grew quiet. But the Five Elders knew this was all real.
"As you command, Lord Imu."
The so-called World Government was, in essence, a giant one-man show. Once Imu made a decision, all discussion became meaningless.
"Is the Mother Flame repaired?"
"York said it's already fixed and should be ready to use. With Lord Imu's order, there's no need to consider anything else."
Even the process of voting was omitted; the Five Elders immediately issued the order to attack, and Saturn, responsible for science and defense, became the direct commander of this operation.
"CP0, your mission is canceled. Take S-Shark and leave Dressrosa as quickly as possible, and as far away as possible."
"Sengoku, Tsuru, the World Government has a new plan. The Marines no longer need to take action. Withdraw from Dressrosa immediately."
"York, whether you are the real Vegapunk or not will be determined by this."
Order after order issued from the Five Elders made the situation in Dressrosa even more precarious.
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