Doflamingo had no idea that Squard was preparing to ambush him. His mind was entirely focused on reaching Dressrosa as quickly as possible and securing a territory.
Three days later, the Donquixote Pirates were closing in on Dressrosa. On the other side of the sea, Squard and his allies were finally joined by the rest of their brothers and sisters.
A fleet of dozens of pirate ships appeared on the horizon, sailing in perfect formation. Strikingly, every vessel flew the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates. Any other ships that crossed their path immediately gave them a wide berth upon seeing the insignia. No one wanted to be that unlucky soul who got in their way.
After all, Whitebeard's power in the New World was immense. Few pirate crews dared to provoke them. Even the formidable Big Mom and Kaido would show Whitebeard some deference and wouldn't allow their subordinates to interfere with his affairs.
Of course, the sea was never short of ambitious fools. Countless challengers had tried to take on Whitebeard, but none had ever managed to shake his title as the World's Strongest Man.
Doflamingo certainly hadn't expected his first battle in the New World to be against the Whitebeard Pirates. To be honest, with his crew's current strength, they were still a step below the likes of Whitebeard, Big Mom, or Kaido. But if a real fight broke out, he, Donquixote Doflamingo, would never back down. They were all pirates, so who was afraid of whom? It was about time the power balance of the New World was shaken up anyway.
On a deserted island, Squard and the others had set up a temporary meeting point. They had been waiting for three days, and now, their family had finally arrived.
"Hahaha! Big Sis, Doma, Makugai, Decalvan Brothers! You're finally here! I've been waiting for ages!" Squard called out, welcoming his brothers and sisters from the shore.
"Heh. Squard, you bastard," Whitey Bay shot back, ignoring his warm welcome and getting straight to the point. "I bet you weren't planning on telling me about this at all, were you?"
"Er, what? Big Sis, how could you say that! I could forget anyone, but never you!" Squard was taken aback by her immediate accusation, but having been brothers-in-arms for so long, he knew she was just venting and didn't mean it seriously.
"Then why did you call Doma first? Is your Big Sis less important to you than he is?" A cold smile played on Whitey Bay's lips, her expression a clear warning to keep away.
Doma and the others watched the exchange quietly, having no intention of getting involved. Doma pointedly ignored the frantic signals Squard was sending him.
Never provoke an angry woman! That was the precious lesson they had all learned from their long history with Whitey Bay.
"Bro, help me out! This is an emergency!"
Seeing Doma ignore him, Squard desperately signaled his other brothers for help, but they were all trying to save their own skins. They had no desire to get caught in the crossfire and could only offer him a look that said, You're on your own, buddy.
Fine! So you're all just going to watch me die! Squard fumed internally. Finally, he turned a pleading gaze to Whitey Bay, silently begging the Ice Witch to give him a break.
"Alright, alright. We're all family here, no need to look at me like that," Whitey Bay said, relenting. "If Pops found out, he'd think I was bullying you."
"Haha, thanks, Big Sis!" Squard's mood brightened instantly, his cheerfulness restored.
"So, these are the two crews you invited?" Whitey Bay ignored him, her gaze shifting to the two men standing behind him.
Realizing they were being addressed, Gray and Okessy, both shrewd men, immediately stepped forward to greet the Whitebeard commanders.
"I'm Gray, captain of the Mad Wolf Pirates. It's an honor to meet you all."
"I'm Okessy, captain of the Moonlit Night Pirates. A pleasure to meet the commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Enough of that. Let's get down to business," Whitey Bay said, brushing off their greetings. In her eyes, these two were just looking to cozy up to the Whitebeard Pirates and get a piece of the action.
Faced with her cold shoulder, Gray and Okessy kept sycophantic smiles plastered on their faces. The power dynamic was clear; their crews were nothing compared to this massive organization. They would have loved to fly the Whitebeard flag themselves, but they simply weren't deemed worthy. Though they felt a hundred humiliations, they had to keep up appearances. But they knew that if the tables were ever turned, they wouldn't hesitate to stab Whitey Bay and the others in the back.
When it came to kicking someone when they were down, they were professionals.
"Yes, yes, Captain Whitey Bay is right. We should get down to business!" Gray said with a grin.
"Good idea," Squard interjected, stepping in to move things along. "The Donquixote Pirates will be entering our range soon. All we have to do is lie in wait."
"Squard, be honest. What are our chances?" Makugai, who was more cautious by nature, asked. Although he didn't think much of a rookie crew, a sense of danger had been nagging at him.
"Originally, I figured it was a fifty-fifty shot against Doflamingo," Squard said, telling a small lie. "But now that Big Sis and the rest of you are here, victory is guaranteed. Pops is going to be in for a great surprise!"
"But I've heard this Doflamingo fellow is no pushover," Doma said, analyzing the situation calmly. He didn't fully trust Squard's assessment. "I'm confident in our own strength, but none of us could escape from two Marine Admirals."
"That's just Morgans's usual hype! The news always exaggerates," Squard said, his voice rising with indignation as he worked to stir up his siblings' emotions. "In all my years, this is the first time I've seen a rookie dare to challenge the Whitebeard Pirates. 'The World's Strongest has a rival'? Isn't that a direct insult to Pops? Can you guys stand for that?"
Whitey Bay, Doma, and the others exchanged glances, anger flaring in their eyes. To them, Whitebeard was a supreme, untouchable figure. He wasn't someone to be provoked by any random stray. Since Pops couldn't act himself, it was up to his sons and daughters to handle this for him.
"You're right, Squard," Whitey Bay said, her face a mask of cold fury. Befitting the Ice Witch, her killing intent was palpable. "Pops's honor will not be tarnished. Doflamingo, Morgans... we're taking them both down."
"I love the sound of that, Big Sis!" the Decalvan Brothers exclaimed, clearly in agreement with Squard and Whitey Bay. "Doflamingo, Morgans... they're nothing in the face of the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"Now that we're all here, we can't just let them walk away without a proper lesson," Doma said, his reservations gone. For the honor of their father, he was all in.
Seeing his brothers fired up, Squard looked toward Makugai.
"I'm with you all, of course!" Makugai declared, feeling the weight of their combined gazes.
"Excellent!" Squard roared with excitement. "This time, Doflamingo and his Donquixote Pirates won't be leaving in one piece! The New World is no place for an arrogant rookie like him!"
Gray and Okessy stood by like two invisible bystanders, only able to watch as the Whitebeard commanders made the decisions. When the fighting started, they'd pick off the scraps while Squard and the others took on the main course.
"Enough talk. Let's move out! I don't want any delays," the Ice Witch declared, eager to get started now that the matter was settled. "I can't wait to meet this Doflamingo."
"Haha, that's our Big Sis! Always decisive!" Squard said, seizing the chance to lay on some flattery.
"Men, set sail! Our target is the Donquixote Pirates!"
"Let's go!"
The massive fleet set off, a formidable force sailing straight for Doflamingo.
A great battle was about to begin.