Early in the morning, at the top floor of a luxury hotel in Carnival City.
Diarmuid was still sleeping when he suddenly felt a sense of danger. He snapped his eyes open and saw Hina, wearing only a white shirt, falling toward his abdomen.
Thud!
A dull impact.
Hina collided directly with Diarmuid's stomach. The violent shock nearly made Diarmuid cough up blood.
"Agh..." Diarmuid gasped for air.
"Admiral, Admiral, look! Big news!" Hina sat on Diarmuid's body, holding a newspaper in one hand and clinging to his arm with the other.
"Are you trying to kill me, you devil!" Diarmuid cursed.
He didn't shove Hina off his stomach. Instead, Diarmuid took the newspaper from her and began to read.
[Is It a Pirate's Usurpation, or the Riku Family's Ruin!?]
The headline was eye-catching.
Diarmuid instantly became alert and began reading.
As expected, it was Doflamingo causing trouble in the New World and seizing control of Dressrosa.
However, judging by the newspaper's narrative, Doflamingo had clearly bribed Morgans, or perhaps Morgans had been thoroughly fooled by Doflamingo's scheme.
Six days ago, Riku Doldo III, in the name of the Riku Royal Family, launched a one-billion-Berry fundraising campaign in Dressrosa. Frankly, this wasn't a major event; one billion Berries wouldn't make a ripple in the entire world.
But what happened next was utterly bizarre.
Riku Doldo III, who had an excellent reputation and trustworthiness worldwide, upon collecting the one billion Berries in cash, was allegedly consumed by greed for wealth and initiated a bloody massacre of the citizens of Dressrosa who had lent him the money.
Royal soldiers and even Riku Doldo III himself took part, killing many of the people who had given him the loan.
The entire Dressrosa subsequently descended into a riot, with a large-scale rebellion erupting. The nation was plunged into civil war.
However, this civil war ended in a single night.
Because, coincidentally, just as Riku Doldo III was brutally suppressing the citizens of Dressrosa, the Donquixote Family happened to be passing through the country.
Warlord of the Sea, Heavenly Yaksha Doflamingo, using his Warlord status, quickly suppressed the rampaging Riku Royal Family.
Afterward, through a series of machinations, the final result was that Riku Doldo III was unanimously voted out of his kingship by all his subjects due to his 'atrocities.'
Donquixote Doflamingo, who had helped the citizens of Dressrosa survive that dreadful night, was formally elected as the new King of Dressrosa!
That's right, Doflamingo had gone to great lengths to make the process flashy.
He used an election and a nationwide vote to quickly, reasonably, and legally dismiss Riku Doldo III from the throne. Then, through another vote, he ascended to the throne of Dressrosa in a perfectly standard, legal manner.
At least from a legal standpoint, there was absolutely no issue with Doflamingo becoming the new King of Dressrosa.
Many intelligent people could see that this was clearly a conspiracy, an absolute case of a pirate overthrowing a nation. Why would King Riku suddenly go crazy and seek to raise one billion Berries? And why would he kill the citizens who lent him the money, all for just one billion Berries? Was he mad?
But the winner writes the history. Doflamingo had already become the King of Dressrosa, and Riku Doldo III had been sentenced to death. It was too late for anything to be done, so no smart person jumped out to vindicate King Riku.
Because it would not only be meaningless but also offend the formidable Doflamingo.
Perhaps through donations, or perhaps through connections in Mariejois, the Gorosei and other high-ranking officials in Mariejois made no public comment on the matter. They seemed to be tacitly accepting Doflamingo's ascension as the King of Dressrosa.
And attentive observers, such as Morgans, noted that Dressrosa was still listed among the affiliated countries under Mariejois in the member list published two days prior.
Undoubtedly, despite having a new king, the country was not removed from Mariejois's roster because the Heavenly Tribute had been delivered on time, making it a legitimate affiliated country.
This attitude of implicit approval made many royal families of the affiliated nations panic. The danger of the Warlord of the Sea system had finally bared its true fangs.
"Interesting..." Diarmuid smacked his lips.
As an Admiral of Justice, Diarmuid should have been on King Riku's side. However, from a purely self-interested perspective, Riku Doldo III could offer nothing to the Marines.
In contrast, Doflamingo, by planting roots in the New World and willingly offering fifty percent of the net profit of Dressrosa and the Donquixote Family as a pledge and partnership, undoubtedly offered a greater benefit to the Marines.
Furthermore, looking at the practical outcome, aside from the sacrifices made in this particular scheme, the only true victim was the Riku Royal Family.
Since Doflamingo had decided to wash his hands of outright piracy and join forces with the Marines, he would no longer use dark methods to rule Dressrosa. Therefore, the original tragedies that Dressrosa was fated to suffer would no longer happen.
On the contrary, Doflamingo's capacity as a king was absolutely superior to Riku Doldo III's. It was believed that under Doflamingo's leadership, issues concerning Dressrosa's economy and public welfare would be quickly resolved, raising the entire nation's standard of living.
Don't doubt it. Doflamingo was fully capable of this. The massive profits generated by the Donquixote Family's business in the underworld and their full cooperation with the Amway Group could completely revitalize all of Dressrosa.
This was a mutually beneficial situation.
So, from a different perspective, disregarding Doflamingo's identity as a pirate, the whole affair was essentially just a common change in royal power.
Such events happened every year throughout the world. A new king replaces the old king. It was no different from the change in the Goa Kingdom in the East Blue, where the Outlook Family became the new royalty.
"Without a doubt, this is clearly a conspiracy, right? But Doflamingo executed it so cleanly that there are no flaws to be found. He took the throne of Dressrosa using reasonable and legal means, entirely within the rules!" Hina said with a sigh of wonder.
Diarmuid nodded, but remained silent.
Hina then asked: "Admiral, now that he's become the King of Dressrosa, what will he do next?"
Diarmuid's lips curled into a smile: "First, you must understand what Doflamingo wants. Is it the throne?"
"No..." Hina shook her head.
"Exactly. He doesn't want the throne. What he seeks is revenge against his Celestial Dragon brethren. However, limited by his own strength and capabilities, Doflamingo cannot achieve this on his own. Therefore, he must choose someone who can offer him the hope of revenge, either as an investment or as a backing power..." Diarmuid explained further.
In the original story, Doflamingo chose Kaido as his backer.
But now...
"He chose us, the Marines, right?" Hina's eyes lit up.
"Correct. He chose the Marines as his backer. Therefore, his goal for Dressrosa is clear: to increase his importance. Dressrosa has an excellent geographical location in the New World, and by rights, it should not be so poor. Most of the sea routes in the New World intersect with Dressrosa. This country is naturally positioned to be a center of trade. Doflamingo knows that what the Marines lack is not fighting power, but financial capacity. Therefore, by earning enough Berries, he can quickly increase his leverage with the Marines. So, what do you think he'll do next?" Diarmuid asked with a chuckle.
"Strengthen Dressrosa's economic development, earn more Berries, and invest them in the Marines?" Hina pondered.
"Exactly!" Diarmuid confirmed.
"Then isn't he essentially working for us for free? Did the Marines effectively seize Dressrosa?" Hina asked, surprised.
"It's a matter of mutual benefit, but if you insist on looking at it that way, you're not wrong," Diarmuid said with a slight smile.
As if he didn't want to discuss the issue with Hina anymore, Diarmuid glanced at Hina's white shirt, then said: "Hina..."
"If you don't get up soon, you won't be getting up at all!"
Hina's eyes flashed mischievously. She pressed her forehead against Diarmuid's and whispered: "Then I won't get up..."
"Prepare to die!" Diarmuid's temper flared upon hearing that...
…
Meanwhile, in the Desert Kingdom, Alabasta.
Rainbase.
Rainbase was a newly established city in Alabasta in recent years. While the permanent population might not be huge, the transient population was enormous, as it was currently the most prosperous city in Alabasta, second only to the royal capital, Alubarna.
Furthermore, because Sir Crocodile, a Warlord of the Sea, had his territory in Rainbase, the overall area under Rainbase's influence was quite peaceful, despite the turbulent internal situation of Alabasta. Consequently, many great nobles from Alabasta often came to Rainbase for refuge.
Crocodile had built a casino in Rainbase, the 'Rain Dinners,' that was arguably the most luxurious in the first half of the Grand Line, and the entire city of Rainbase was constructed as an entertainment district.
This prosperous city provided ample financial support for Crocodile's operations.
Crocodile's office was located on the third basement level of the luxurious casino, 'Rain Dinners.'
It was very spacious, with minimal decoration. It seemed Crocodile was not a man who valued a lavish lifestyle.
However, the entire third-level basement office was encased in glass, like an underground aquarium.
The creatures housed in this aquarium were quite fierce. They were called Bananawani. They were extremely savage and lived in packs. Within the Grand Line, they even targeted Sea Kings for prey. These were Crocodile's favorite pets. In Alabasta, those who defied him often ended up as a snack for the Bananawanis.
Currently, Crocodile was sitting in his boss chair in the office, a cigar clamped between his teeth, his expression gloomy as he looked at the documents in his hand.
The situation in Alabasta had been strange for him lately. It seemed that some unknown faction had entered the great game of Alabasta and was secretly wrestling with his schemes. This greatly irritated Crocodile.
Just then, the door to his office was pushed open. A young woman walked in. She looked slightly tanned, perhaps from the desert sun, but was very beautiful, charming, and possessed an excellent demeanor.
"Oh my? It seems your mood isn't great, Boss? Perhaps today's news can cheer you up," the woman said with a smile, looking at Crocodile.
She seemed to hold no reverence for Crocodile, even using a slightly teasing tone.
Crocodile looked up at the woman and said with some impatience: "I've told you many times, Nico Robin, don't annoy me at times like this..."
"I told you, I'm bringing you good news that will surely lift your spirits," Robin said, shrugging indifferently.
At the same time, she tossed a newspaper onto Crocodile's desk.
"Take a look. A pirate usurped a kingdom..."
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