Purupurupuru... Ka-cha.
"Doflamingo denied all involvement," Vice Admiral Tsuru reported over the Den Den Mushi, having finished her interrogation of the Heavenly Demon.
"So, it really is him," Sengoku sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Without a doubt. Based on my profiling, this high-stakes proxy war is his signature style. Moreover, I suspect his ultimate endgame is far more complex than eliminating Cyrus."
'That bastard knows how to stir up a crisis,' Sengoku thought.
For a multitude of reasons, Sengoku felt a burning disgust toward Donquixote Doflamingo.
But Doflamingo's former status as a Celestial Dragon, combined with his current untouchable status as a Shichibukai, meant the Marines could not move against him without concrete proof.
Even as the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku's hands were tied by Mary Geoise.
"In that case... let's see what kind of tricks the Joker can pull," Sengoku muttered, closing his eyes.
A moment later, his eyes snapped open.
"Sengoku... what are you planning to do?"
"I will handle this matter personally. Tsuru, I order you to stay out of this," Sengoku commanded, his voice brokering no argument.
"I see. It seems you've made a dangerous decision," Tsuru whispered.
She said no more, hanging up the receiver.
Her old friend had opted for a risky tactical solution.
Sitting alone in his office, Sengoku pondered for a moment.
Then, he picked up a secure Den Den Mushi and dialed Kizaru's direct line.
...
BOOM!
A massive leg, crackling with force, struck a solid wall of golden light.
Admiral Kizaru kept his leg raised, blocking Hancock's Haki-infused kick.
'This woman has a more explosive temper than Jinbei,' Kizaru noted.
After absorbing the impact, Kizaru looked down at the Empress, who had backflipped away to create distance.
His expression remained inscrutable behind his tinted shades.
"Attacking an Admiral unprovoked... I'm legally authorized to strip you of your Warlord title and arrest you right now, you know~" Kizaru pouted, his voice dripping with condescension.
"Don't block my path, you glowing ape!" Hancock hissed, a vein throbbing on her forehead as she tilted her head back to look down on him.
Kizaru: "..."
"I'm here on orders to tell you to evacuate the Sabaody Archipelago~"
"No man dictates my actions! Who do you think you are?!"
Furious at his dismissive tone, a wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Hancock's body.
The sheer pressure cracked the pavement beneath her feet and whipped her long black hair into a frenzy.
She glared at Kizaru as hostility radiating from her eyes.
"None of you Warlords ever listen to reason," Kizaru sighed.
He raised his right index finger, a blinding speck of condensed golden light gathering at the tip.
"Hey, hey. This is a populated area. Is an Admiral planning to start a war in the middle of the street?" a calm voice echoed from the rooftop above.
Kizaru stopped his attack and looked up.
Silvers Rayleigh was squatting on the eaves of the nearest building with a flask of wine in his hand.
The golden light at Kizaru's fingertip dissipated.
"The Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh," Kizaru noted, his lazy tone evaporating, replaced by a cautious edge.
"Whatever drama is happening on this island has nothing to do with us, Borsalino. Let the girl leave," Rayleigh said, staring down at the Admiral.
"I would have to be a fool to trust the word of a pirate," Kizaru replied, lowering his hand.
His eyes darted between Rayleigh on the roof and Hancock in the street, calculating the variables.
"If you want to fight, Marine... then this retired old man will play with you," Rayleigh smiled, standing up and resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Kizaru's body tensed, preparing for combat.
Purupurupuru...
The golden Den Den Mushi inside Kizaru's suit coat began to ring.
Keeping his eyes locked on Rayleigh, Kizaru pulled the receiver out and answered.
"Kizaru." Sengoku's voice echoed from the speaker.
"Fleet Admiral, I'm a bit busy at the moment," Kizaru replied, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.
Seeing Rayleigh step in to defend her, Hancock retracted her Conqueror's Haki as the pressure fading from the street.
"Listen to me, Borsalino," Sengoku commanded, his voice serious. "I need you to contact the Pirate Hunter, Cyrus. Give him a Den Den Mushi so he can speak directly to me."
Kizaru's expression froze.
His mind short-circuited as he tried to guess Sengoku's true objective.
Why did the Fleet Admiral want a direct, unmonitored line to the most dangerous wildcard on the island?
Rayleigh and Hancock, both possessing acute hearing, overheard Sengoku's order.
They exchanged bewildered looks.
"...I understand, sir."
Kizaru hung up the receiver.
He couldn't fathom what Sengoku was playing at, but the direct order gave him the perfect excuse to de-escalate.
Fighting an enraged Empress was annoying; adding the Dark King to the mix turned a skirmish into a guaranteed bloodbath!
"Since you claim to be retired, Dark King... I suggest you go enjoy your retirement," Kizaru said.
Without another word, his body dissolved into a streak of golden light, shooting off toward Grove 13.
"I would like to," Rayleigh muttered to the empty street.
He jumped down from the roof and looked at Hancock. "I have no intention of getting involved in this mess. I'm leaving this island as soon as my ship is coated. I suggest you do the same."
Hancock's expression soured.
If she hadn't seen the newspaper reports of Rayleigh fighting a mysterious Hunter, she never would have sailed to this island in the first place.
"I understand," Hancock muttered, watching Rayleigh turn to leave.
"However... I have one question. Does that man, Cyrus, have secret connections with the Navy? What is your relationship with him?"
"We have no relationship. The arrogant brat threatened to sink my place if I didn't teach him advanced Haki," Rayleigh grumbled, rubbing his temples.
Without waiting for a response, Rayleigh turned and walked back toward the Rip-off Bar.
Watching the old man leave, Hancock stood alone in the street for a moment.
Her eyes narrowed.
Then, instead of returning to her ship, she turned and walked in the opposite direction—toward Grove 13.
...
Grove 13, Temporary Residence.
Cyrus handed a small secured lockbox containing his accumulated bounties and supplies to Robin.
"You must promise to rendezvous with us in the New World, Captain," Robin pleaded, her eyes searching his face.
"Don't worry, Robin. I value my own life above anything else," Cyrus smiled, though he sounded a bit helpless.
'Why does no one on this crew ever believe I have a plan?'
If he thought he was going to die, he would have been the first one on the boat.
After handing over the supplies, Cyrus turned to Issho.
"Issho, take Robin and go wait on the galleon. The second Rayleigh finishes the coating, submerge and head straight for Fish-Man Island. Do not wait for me."
"Understood, Captain," Issho nodded.
Although he was still in the dark regarding Cyrus's actual endgame, he trusted the young man's judgment.
After watching his two crewmates leave the hotel, Cyrus turned to look at Hawkeye, who was sitting in an armchair by the window, cleaning his massive black blade.
"What about you, Mihawk?"
"I plan to stick around and enjoy the show," Hawkeye replied, not looking up from his sword.
"You know you might get dragged into a war with the World Government, right?" Cyrus warned.
"I could not care less," Hawkeye replied, sheathing Yoru and shaking his head.
"Speaking of which... you carry the title of 'Marine Hunter,' do you not?" Cyrus asked, leaning against the wall and deciding to test the waters.
Hawkeye paused. "What is your point?"
"Do you want to join the Hunter Guild?" Cyrus extended the invitation.
Hawkeye stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. "I do not join factions, Cyrus. At least, not right now."
Joining an organized syndicate meant dealing with endless bureaucracy, taking orders, and managing subordinates.
To a lone wolf like Mihawk, it was a suffocating restriction!
"The Hunter Guild is merely a brand name. Nothing more," Cyrus shrugged. "At least for the foreseeable future, there are zero mandatory restrictions on its members. And honestly, there won't be in the future either. Forcing powerful people to follow strict rules goes against the core philosophy of why I created it."
"Then perhaps you should focus on surviving your current situation before you try recruiting me," Hawkeye countered.
"Are you planning to assassinate a Celestial Dragon during this auction?"
"Perhaps," Cyrus smiled cryptically. "But I need to wait and see how the Navy and the World Government react to the situation first before I make my move."
He had been drawn into Doflamingo's trap, but he was prepared to flip the board and face the consequences!
"My, my. I cannot pretend I didn't hear a confession like that~" a lazy, drawn-out voice echoed from the hallway.
"Do Admirals make a habit of eavesdropping on private conversations?" Cyrus asked coolly, not bothering to turn his head as the tall figure materialized in the open doorway.
"Oh, this old man wasn't eavesdropping. I just happened to overhear a treasonous plot while walking by," Kizaru replied, raising both hands in a mocking gesture of surrender.
His tone was unchanged, but his eyes behind the tinted glasses were serious.
Without a word of warning, Hawkeye's hand snapped to the hilt of his sword.
In a fraction of a second, the World's Strongest Swordsman vanished from his armchair, reappearing in front of the Admiral and swinging Yoru in a downward arc aimed right at Kizaru's skull!