New World, G-5 Branch Base.
In the Base Commander's office, the light was somewhat dim. A man wearing sunglasses and a buzz cut sat at his desk.
In his hand was a half-eaten hamburger steak. He didn't even notice that a piece of the meat was stuck to his left cheek.
This was the top executive of the Donquixote Family, "Demon Bamboo" Vergo.
"Buru buru buru..."
The exclusive pink Den Den Mushi on the desk suddenly let out an urgent ring.
Vergo put down his knife and fork. The moment he picked up the receiver, his expression became incredibly solemn.
"Master."
"Vergo!"
From the other end of the line came Donquixote Doflamingo's voice, suppressed with extreme excitement and even a hint of trembling.
"I want you to immediately use all your authority in the Marines! Including the G-5 intelligence network, and even those hidden agents you planted in Headquarters! Help me find someone!"
Vergo was slightly taken aback. Having followed the Young Master for so many years, he had rarely heard him speak in such an almost out-of-control tone.
"Who is it? If it's an opposing force, there's no need to go to such lengths..."
"No! It's not an enemy!" Doflamingo interrupted him directly. "It's a Doctor! His name is 'Morgrıd'!"
"His characteristics are a purple robe and carrying a medicine box; his medical skills are extremely high, and he is skilled in using poison!"
The hamburger steak on Vergo's face slid down a bit.
A Doctor? Using the entire family's hidden cards in the Marines just to find a Doctor?
"Young Master, there is a great risk in doing this. If the commotion is too large, Vice Admiral Tsuru's side might notice our deployment..."
"I don't care!!!"
Doflamingo's roar came from the other end of the line. It was the madness of a desperate gamble!
"Even if my identity is exposed! Even if that old man Sengoku suspects me! You must find him for me!"
"Vergo, listen carefully. This person's value is more important than a hundred G-5 Branch Bases! As long as we can catch him, we will have the key to the realm of 'Gods'!"
"This is an order!!!"
Vergo was silent for a second. Then, he slowly stood up. The Justice coat on his shoulders billowed without any wind.
"I understand, Young Master. Since it is your command, even if I have to turn this sea upside down, I will definitely bring that person before you."
He hung up the phone. Vergo expressionlessly wiped the hamburger steak off his face and picked up the internal communicator on the desk. His gaze was as cold as a killing machine.
"Pass down the order. Activate the Level 1 intelligence network. Search for code name 'Morgrıd'. Dead or alive... no, alive. As long as he still has a breath left, he must be brought back to me!"
At the same time.
New World, Underworld Brokerage Exchange.
This was a breeding ground for evil, a distribution center for all illegal transactions.
At this very moment, on the giant electronic display screen, all the information about arms and slave trades that had been scrolling suddenly went black.
Following that, a giant portrait bounty poster occupied all the screens!
There was no Marine emblem. In its place was a bizarre smiley face symbol. That was the mark of the King of the Underworld—"Joker"!
"Hey, hey, hey! You've gotta be kidding me, right?"
"What's the situation? A bounty personally issued by Joker?!"
"How big of a grudge must this be?"
A group of desperadoes who were drinking and bragging crowded in front of the screen. When they clearly saw the string of numbers below the bounty poster, the entire exchange instantly fell into a deathly silence!
"Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands..."
A scar-faced pirate swallowed hard, his fingers trembling as he counted the dizzying number.
"Five... five billion?!"
"Am I freaking seeing things?!"
"Five billion Berries?! Just to catch a Doctor?!"
Boom!!!
The next second, the entire hall completely exploded! Countless wine glasses were smashed to pieces! Everyone's eyes turned red, and their breathing became incredibly heavy!
What does five billion represent? The head of one of the Four Emperors is only worth about that much, right?!
As long as they pull off this one job, they won't be able to spend it all in several lifetimes!
Moreover, below the bounty poster, there was also a line of even more enticing conditions:
[Those who provide accurate clues will receive a bounty of one hundred million Berries!]
[Those who successfully capture the target alive will receive three Zoan-type Devil Fruits in addition to the five billion bounty!]
[And will receive the status of a 'Top Executive' of the Donquixote Family, under the family's permanent protection!]
Crazy! Completely crazy! This was simply pie in the sky... no, it was gold bars falling from the sky!
"Quick! Everyone stop freaking drinking!"
"Hurry and print a thousand copies of that kid's photo... no, ten thousand copies!"
"Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must find this guy named 'Morgrıd'!"
"If anyone dares to compete with me, I'll blow them away!"
At this moment, the flames of greed instantly ignited the entire Underworld. Countless assassins, bounty hunters, and mercenaries swarm out like sharks that had caught the scent of blood!
There was only one goal—the miraculous Doctor, Morgrıd!
Ten thousand meters in the air.
World Economic Journal Headquarters, Morgans' airship.
"Big news! This is absolute big news!"
Morgans, the large bird covered in white feathers, was excitedly flapping his wings in his office. In his hand, he was clutching that bounty poster that had leaked from the Underworld.
In those small, bead-like eyes, the cunning of a businessman and the fervor for gossip flickered.
"Fufufufu... Doflamingo, that crazy flamingo, is actually playing this big this time?"
"A five billion Berries bounty on an obscure Doctor? There must be some earth-shattering secret behind this!"
As the uncrowned king of the journalism world, Morgans' sense of smell was sharper than a dog's. He knew that once this bounty poster was sent out, it would absolutely grab the entire world's attention!
"President! We just received a tip!"
A subordinate ran in hurriedly.
"Our reporter on Calebari Island sent word. They said that on the island that was leveled by Admiral Kizaru, a purple-robed Doctor once appeared!"
"Supposedly, he even saved a person who was certain to die in front of everyone! And..."
The subordinate hesitated for a moment before continuing:
"Someone saw him board 'Fire Fist' Ace's ship!"
Hearing this, Morgans' eyes instantly lit up frighteningly bright!
"Fire Fist Ace? One of Whitebeard's people?!"
"And medical skills that can bring back the dead?!"
"That fits! It all fits!"
Morgans was so excited that his feathers were trembling all over. He immediately grabbed a quill pen and began writing frantically on a piece of white paper.
The title must be explosive! The content must be exaggerated!
The truth? That's not important! What's important is traffic! It's sales!
"Shocking! The Heavenly Yaksha spends five billion just to get back the man who haunts his dreams?!"
"Divine techniques that bring the dead back to life! An ultimate existence that surpasses the Ope Ope no Mi?!"
"The War for the Four Emperors! Whitebeard gets there first, and Doflamingo is furious!"
"The Miraculous Doctor Morgrıd! A mysterious man who has influenced the landscape of the New World!"
"Quick! Get this typeset! Print it!"
"Tomorrow... no, tonight! I want this News Coo to fly to every corner of the world!"
"I want everyone to know this name! Morgrıd!!!"
New World, a certain azure sea area.
The sun was bright, and the sea breeze was gentle. A pirate ship flying a skull flag was swaying gently with the waves.
It was the new ship of the Spade Pirates.
Of course, because of the previous "Hulk Demolition Incident," this ship they had temporarily snatched looked a bit shabby. However, this didn't affect the joyful atmosphere on the ship.
On the deck, Ace was shirtless, holding a newspaper that had just been delivered. On that face full of freckles, at this moment, it was written all over with a dumbfounded expression of "Who am I? Where am I? Is this real?"
"Hey, hey, hey... Is this for real? This is way too exaggerated, isn't it?"
Ace swallowed hard. He stiffly turned his neck and looked not far away at the figure leisurely drinking tea under a sun umbrella.
The purple robe swayed gently in the wind. That man was holding a teacup in his hand, his movements as elegant as a nobleman's. Even on this broken ship, it couldn't hide the detached and independent aura about him.
It was Mordred, who was currently playing the role of [Morgrıd].
"I say... Doctor Morgrıd."
Ace handed over the newspaper, his hand shaking a little.
"You didn't kidnap some country's princess, did you? Or are you actually the illegitimate son of some Celestial Dragon?"
Mordred put down his teacup. He calmly glanced at the headline on the newspaper. That massive "Five Billion" looked particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.
"Oh?"
Mordred eyebrow twitched slightly. A faint, non-existent smile played at the corners of his mouth.
"This is probably... what they call the 'famous Doctor effect'."
"After all, there are many people who want me to treat them. But those who can afford the consultation fee are very few."
As he spoke, he took another sip of tea. As calm as light clouds and a gentle breeze. It was as if the person wanted by the whole world with a bounty comparable to the Four Emperors wasn't him at all.
"However..."
Mordred gaze fell on the corner of the newspaper, on the accompanying picture of Doflamingo's hideous roar. Deep in his eyes, a flicker of playfulness flashed.
Doflamingo, oh Doflamingo.
It seems that 'Sacred Heart Seed'... has made you a bit full of yourself.
Since you want to find me so badly, then if I don't prepare a little 'surprise' for you... wouldn't that be doing a disservice to this five billion bounty?