After that day, Shaxia and the others had all left. Robin had sent him back to Skypiea first. Rosinante didn't return to his original residence; instead, he settled into a room in the human auction house, training daily under Rayleigh's guidance to strengthen his basic swordsmanship.
Just now, Rosinante had finished a full day of swordsmanship fundamentals with Rayleigh.
"Brrr, brrr, brrr!" The Den Den Mushi next to Rosinante buzzed urgently.
"Who is it?" Rosinante asked calmly.
"Brrr, brrr, brrr! Rosinante my adorable little brother! It's been so long—I've had a hard time finding you!" The voice of Donquixote Doflamingo came through the shell.
"It's you, Doflamingo. If you need something, speak." Rosinante replied calmly.
"Not-so-adorable little brother! You've really made waves in Sabaody Archipelago this time—shaking the entire underworld! One trillion Berries… 280 billion! Truly a massive temptation. By the way, Skypiea's wealth is something else!" Doflamingo said.
"So… were you involved in this?" Rosinante asked, eyes unchanging.
"Of course not! Brrr, brrr, brrr! You're my little brother. How could I ever attack my adorable sibling?" Doflamingo laughed lightly.
"But you were the middleman, weren't you?" Rosinante said.
The Den Den Mushi clearly displayed Doflamingo's forehead veins bulging in frustration.
"Well… you could say that. Even if I didn't do it, there are plenty of others ready to step in. Brrr, I'm the broker in the shadows; if I didn't act, I'd lose a huge client!" Doflamingo explained.
"Is that all you wanted to say?" Rosinante asked, calm as ever.
"You really are not cute! But Rosinante I think you may have gone a bit overboard this time. That one trillion Berry lure is probably more powerful than you imagined. From what I've heard, not only the Dark World, but some rising Supernovas and even a few New World pirates are drawn in. Want me to lend a hand?" Doflamingo offered.
"No need. I'll just give you a warning: it's best if you don't get involved. People could die, and as for those underground forces who have joined, you can begin taking control of them," Rosinante said.
"Brrr, brrr, brrr! I knew you wouldn't act without confidence. Don't worry, I won't get involved. I'll assist you in taking down those underground forces—no chance of them rising again!" Doflamingo laughed heartily.
"Hey, Rosinante after all this, how about we meet? I have something to discuss with you," Doflamingo said after finishing his laughter.
"I'll come find you in a while," Rosinante said thoughtfully. He then hung up the Den Den Mushi.
"Such an unlovable brat!" Doflamingo muttered, veins bulging as Rosinante hung up on him.
"Doflamingo, are we really going to sit this out? Remember, that's one trillion Berries!" Torebol said.
"You want me to strike my own brother?" Doflamingo said darkly.
"No, of course not," Torebol replied awkwardly.
"Even if we don't intervene, Rosinante can handle those tempted by the trillion Berries himself, right? One trillion is a storm of temptation. I heard even Kaido from the New World might take notice. That madman loves a challenge—wouldn't that just benefit Fosfite?" Torebol remarked.
"You think I abstain out of sibling concern? Maybe a little, but the main reason is these people are scattered and disorganized. They won't shake Rosinante at all. Do you realize how terrifying it is to have Gray Nation capable of attacking Marine Headquarters? Or to fight monsters like Sengoku and Big Mom? These people don't even comprehend that level!" Doflamingo said.
Torebol exchanged glances, astonished—was Doflamingo overestimating Gray Nation and Rosinante?
"The only potential problem is Kaido. But do you think his subordinate Bins just sits idle? They control the battlefield. Don't be fooled by Rosinante's usual firmness; if he senses danger, he'll withdraw immediately. These people can't gain an inch on him!" Doflamingo continued.
"Still… you're right. I should pay a visit. Brothers look after brothers, after all. If Rosinante's massive ship sinks, I'm the one most entitled to inherit it!" Doflamingo laughed again.
Time slowly passed. Outside Sabaody Archipelago, fleets of warships suddenly appeared through the misty sea.
Before long, the waters near the entrance to the lawless zone were surrounded by one warship after another.
"They've appeared… so many ships! Nearly a thousand, big and small!" a Marine observing through a telescope shouted.
"Based on the number of ships, there must be tens of thousands of personnel!" another Marine remarked.
"Report this to Vice Admiral Garp immediately!" a warrant officer said, face serious.
"Yes!" Several Marines sprinted toward the Sabaody Marine base.
Besides the ordered Marine guards, another type of fearless creature existed in this world: reporters.
On open terrain with a clear view of the lawless zone, reporters wielding photo Den Den Mushis snapped incessantly at the arriving fleets.
"This is incredible news!"
"Word is most of the underworld's big players have mobilized!"
"The 0.3 leader of the Dark World, Fosfite, commands at least 100,000 slave troops. Even a major nation doesn't have such a force. Apparently, nearly all have been deployed this time!"
"So the Dark World has sent over 100,000 personnel—enough to fill the lawless zone!"
"Yes. Remember, they're attacking the captain of Gray Nation. Gray Nation commands tens of thousands. Though they haven't entered the New World yet, they rival New World pirate crews. I heard they even once challenged the Marines!"
"In short, this is a rare large-scale battle, comparable to conflicts between major nations!"
"Snap photos quickly! Hey, editor, I want today's front page—yes, yes, Gray Nation vs. Dark World!"