Inside the spacious restaurant of the naval base, the atmosphere was surprisingly calm for a place gathering some of the most dangerous figures in the world.
Seated at the dining table were three men whose names echoed across all the seas:
Marshall D. Teach, Dracule Mihawk, and Donquixote Doflamingo.
Before them lay a table filled with dishes prepared by the Marine cooks.
But among the three…
Only one seemed truly interested in the food.
Blackbeard.
He ate in a completely carefree and excessive manner.
With his left hand, he held a bottle of liquor.
With his right, he grabbed large portions of food directly from the table, stuffing everything into his mouth without any ceremony.
At times, he would choke…
And then solve the problem with a long gulp.
"Zehahaha!"
The sound of his laughter echoed through the hall.
"Fufufufu…" Doflamingo let out a low, drawn-out chuckle, leaning casually against the table, only half seated, one leg resting on the bench and the other stretched out.
"The World Government made you a Shichibukai. That was unexpected, Blackbeard."
Blackbeard swallowed a large chunk of meat before answering, wiping his mouth carelessly.
"Zehahaha! There are no eternal enemies in this world, Doflamingo! Even children know that—don't you?"
Doflamingo narrowed his eyes slightly behind his sunglasses.
"Fufufufu… so this is related to the Shichibukai summons this time?"
He tilted his head, intrigued.
"I'm interested in the kind of deal you made with the Government."
Blackbeard's sudden rise to the rank of Shichibukai was suspicious—very suspicious.
He had been one of the main figures behind the incident at Impel Down.
Just like Buggy.
And yet…
Both had been rewarded with the title of Shichibukai.
Doflamingo simply didn't believe there wasn't something deeper behind it.
Blackbeard, however, merely smiled without giving a direct answer.
Instead, he countered:
"Speaking of which… I heard Straw Hat went to your country and made quite a mess?"
Doflamingo maintained his smile.
"I'm no longer a king," he replied casually. "Now, political power is… in the hands of the people."
He didn't press the topic further.
More than Blackbeard, there were far more important matters on his mind.
The Five Elders.
And… Imu.
He knew very well that his life could be taken at any moment by Straw Hat.
If he wanted to survive, he needed to prove his worth as quickly as possible.
That was precisely why, even with Dressrosa still unstable, he had personally come to participate in that Shichibukai meeting.
"But…" Doflamingo changed the subject, looking around. "Only three people? Not even half of the previous group."
His eyes fell on Mihawk.
"I must admit, I'm surprised to see you here."
Mihawk, leaning back in his chair with his legs resting on the table and arms crossed, replied calmly:
"I've been busy."
At that moment…
The door opened.
Sakazuki entered the hall.
His face carried the same rigid expression as always.
He sat directly at the table—but not at the main seat.
Behind him, two Vice Admirals followed:
Gion, also known as Momousagi.
And Tokikake, known as Chaton.
Both were candidates for the position of Admiral.
Originally, they had been among the top names to assume the role.
But with the arrival of Fujitora and Ryokugyu, they remained as substitutes.
Doflamingo noticed immediately.
"Hmm…?" he murmured, narrowing his eyes. "Akainu… was it you who summoned us?"
"No," he replied coldly. "The order comes from above."
His eyes shifted toward Blackbeard.
"And you… you'd better not think about repeating what Straw Hat did."
His voice carried pure hostility.
"Or I'll personally send you to hell."
The tension in the air rose instantly.
Akainu made no effort to hide his contempt for Blackbeard.
Especially considering the precedent of betrayal within the Shichibukai system.
But in the end, the decision wasn't his.
The Five Elders had approved it.
"Zehahaha! Don't worry!" Blackbeard slammed his wine bottle onto the table. "Our interests are aligned!"
He looked around.
"If no one else is coming… let's get started already!"
At that meeting…
Only three Shichibukai were present.
More than half had not shown up.
Bartholomew Kuma.
Boa Hancock.
Buggy.
And Edward Weevil.
Akainu simply ignored it.
After half an hour of waiting…
The door opened again.
This time, the atmosphere changed completely.
The man who entered wore a white robe, had a bald head, and carried a sword at his waist.
One of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades: Shodai Kitetsu.
At the sight of him, even Blackbeard and Doflamingo fell silent.
"One of the… Five Elders…!"
He was Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro.
Without saying much, he sat directly in the main seat.
Behind him…
Kuma stood motionless.
"He's become… a complete 'weapon'?" Doflamingo asked.
"Vegapunk did an excellent job," Nusjuro replied coldly. "He is already the perfect soldier."
His gaze swept across everyone in the room.
"The Pirate Empress, Buggy, and Weevil… didn't come?"
One of the Vice Admirals responded:
"We sent agents to Amazon Lily… but found nothing. The island… simply disappeared."
"Disappeared?" Doflamingo frowned.
Immediately, he recalled another recent incident.
The disappearance of Fish-Man Island.
"So it was Straw Hat…" he thought.
And as for Hancock…
Knowing her connection to Luffy, it wasn't hard to imagine what had happened.
"Fufufufu… interesting…"
He smiled inwardly.
"And the other two?" Nusjuro asked.
"Buggy refused the summons. As for Weevil… his mother, Miss Bakkin, presented conditions."
Nusjuro scoffed.
"Buggy the Clown…"
He was a former member of Roger's crew and associated with Shanks.
A man who, for decades, had remained hidden in the East Blue with a ridiculously low bounty.
But who had recently become an influential figure after the Impel Down incident.
And had even formed ties with Crocodile.
"He is a more dangerous man than he appears."
He then declared:
"Set aside those who did not come. There is still time until the wedding."
"Wedding?" Mihawk raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Yes," Nusjuro replied. "That is precisely why you were summoned."
His voice grew colder.
"Straw Hat… and Big Mom… are about to form an alliance through marriage, and we cannot allow that to happen."
His eyes gleamed with killing intent.
"I will personally lead this operation."
—
Meanwhile…
At the Sabaody Archipelago…
Chaos also reigned.
With the disappearance of Fish-Man Island, many pirates were stranded there, unable to continue their journey.
But the worst was yet to come.
The new Marine Admiral…
Ryokugyu had arrived.
In less than an hour…
Around thirty pirate crews were completely annihilated.
In Area 13…
The ruins of Shakky's former bar had transformed into a dense forest.
Emerald-green branches spread like tentacles.
Piercing bodies, absorbing their nutrients, and transferring everything to the center—where Ryokugyu stood.
With one hand extended, his fingers had turned into living vines.
In the other, he held a Den Den Mushi.
"It's taken care of," he said calmly. "Without the magnetic field of Fish-Man Island, these pirates have nowhere to run."
On the other end of the line, a voice replied:
"Very good. That place has always been a problem… especially after the incident with the Celestial Dragons."
Ryokugyu remained silent for a moment.
"And now?"
"Return," came the order. "Prepare for the wedding."
As soon as he hung up, his eyes turned toward the sky.
---
(End of Chapter)