The Vice Admirals filed out one by one.
On each of their faces, there was still a lingering daze and shock from the intense impact.
They whispered to each other, lowering their voices, but the stormy waves in their tone could not be concealed.
"Another world... Is it real or fake?"
"Even Admiral Aokiji... three minutes... that's too exaggerated."
...Meanwhile.
At Marineford, G-5 Branch's direct Intelligence Processing Division.
Inside an inconspicuous office.
A tall, young Ensign wearing sunglasses was meticulously wiping a document rack in his hand with a white cloth.
His name was Vergo.
In the eyes of his colleagues, he was a taciturn but extremely diligent and responsible junior.
However, at this moment.
Vergo's wiping motion paused almost imperceptibly.
His ears twitched.
In the hallway outside the door, the hushed discussions of the Vice Admirals who had just finished their meeting drifted in intermittently.
"East Blue..."
"Admiral... crushing defeat..."
"S-rank mission... Vice Admiral Gion..."
"...Absolute secrecy!"
Fragmented words, like pieces of a puzzle, were keenly captured by Vergo and quickly assembled in his mind.
His brow, hidden by his sunglasses, furrowed slightly.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
A supreme meeting that had summoned all the top combat forces of Marineford.
After the meeting, everyone's emotions were extremely unstable.
Admiral Akainu was furious, and Admiral Aokiji was restless.
Even Admiral Kizaru, always known for his laziness, had been assigned an S-rank secret mission to the "East Blue."
East Blue?
That weakest sea?
It required the deployment of an Admiral and the highest level of secrecy?
This was even more absurd than the Four Emperors announcing a marriage alliance!
Vergo calmly put down the white cloth in his hand, picked up an unimportant document, and walked out of the office.
"Senior Yamada, you've worked hard."
He passed by the door of the adjacent Logistics Scheduling Division and smiled and nodded at a logistics officer who was frantically on the phone.
"Ah, it's Vergo."
Senior Yamada wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face full of despair.
"Don't even get me started. The higher-ups suddenly went crazy and want us to complete the highest-spec departure preparations for Admiral Kizaru's battleship within half an hour!"
Vergo feigned surprise and pushed up his sunglasses.
"Admiral Kizaru is setting sail? So urgently? Is he going to the New World to crusade some great pirate?"
"If only he were going to the New World!"
Senior Yamada lowered his voice, leaned over, and complained softly.
"The destination is the East Blue! The East Blue! Can you believe it?"
East Blue!
It really was the East Blue!
Vergo's heart tightened, but his face still maintained the appropriate look of confusion and agreement.
"I really can't understand what those big shots upstairs are thinking."
He echoed, then politely excused himself, citing "not wanting to disturb Senior's work."
Returning to his single room dormitory.
Vergo closed and locked the door.
He carefully checked the room for any listening devices, a habit he repeated several times a day.
After confirming it was safe.
He took out a palm-sized, strangely shaped black den den mushi from a secret compartment under his bed.
This den den mushi had no eyes, was entirely black, and was in a deep sleep.
Vergo gently tapped its shell.
Buru buru buru... Buru buru buru... The den den mushi woke up, but made no sound, just waited silently.
Vergo picked up the receiver, his voice extremely low, but his words clear.
"Young Master."
On the other end of the den den mushi, there was silence.
After a long while, a wicked and arrogant laugh slowly sounded.
"Fufufufufu..."
"Vergo, my family, you rarely contact me at this hour."
"Is Marineford going to carry out some boring 'justice' again?"
The owner of this voice was none other than one of the "Seven Warlords of the Sea," "Heavenly Yaksha" Donquixote Doflamingo!
"Young Master, the situation is a bit abnormal."
Vergo's tone had no fluctuations, as if he were reporting a dry report.
"Marineford has just concluded a top-level emergency meeting."
"After the meeting, Admiral Kizaru will lead the Marineford fleet to carry out an S-rank secret mission to the East Blue."
"East Blue?"
Doflamingo's laughter stopped.
On the other end of the den den mushi, his playful tone came through.
"That sea area known as the 'weakest sea'?"
"Fufufu, interesting."
"Specific mission unknown."
Vergo continued.
Doflamingo's interest was thoroughly piqued.
The Marine's top combat force, with the highest level of secrecy, going to a place.
The weakest sea, the East Blue!
If there wasn't something fishy going on, his name, Donquixote Doflamingo, would be written backward!
"Anything else?"
Doflamingo's tone remained frivolous, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the luxurious armrest.
"According to what I heard in fragments."
Vergo's voice was still that uninflected, mechanical tone.
"This mission may be related to an Admiral's 'crushing defeat.'"
On the other end of the den den mushi, the tapping sound abruptly stopped.
Dead silence.
Vergo could clearly hear the Young Master's increasingly heavy, increasingly excited breathing coming from the den den mushi.
"Crushing... defeat?"
Doflamingo's voice, for the first time, carried a hint of disbelieving tremor.
An Admiral.
A monster representing the World Government's highest combat power.
Crushing defeat?
How could these two words be linked!
"Specific situation unknown."
Vergo continued to report.
"The secrecy level is too high, I cannot get close. I only know that in addition to Admiral Kizaru leading the team, Vice Admiral Gion also seems to be on the list for this operation."
"Fufu..."
"Fufufufufufufu!"
On the other end of the den den mushi, a sudden burst of extremely suppressed, yet incredibly sharp laughter erupted!
That laughter was filled with madness and ecstasy!
"Interesting! Too interesting!"
"Vergo!"
Doflamingo's tone suddenly rose, filled with an undeniable command!
"Use every means at your disposal, I want to know what exactly happened in the East Blue!"
"I want to know what that thing is that caused an Admiral's 'crushing defeat'!
"Is it a person? A weapon? Or... some other toy!"
"I want all its intelligence! All of it!"
"Understood, Young Master."
Vergo replied calmly.
"Be careful, my family."
Doflamingo's tone returned to that cynical wickedness.
"You, this nail, are the most important one I have buried in the heart of the Marine."
"It's not time to use you yet."
"Fufufu, go, go and uncover what huge secret those hypocritical fellows are hiding in the 'weakest sea'!"
"Yes."
Buru.
The den den mushi hung up and fell silent.
Vergo expressionlessly put the black den den mushi back into the secret compartment, straightened his suit, and pushed up his sunglasses.
No emotion could be seen on his face.
As if that world-shaking phone call was just to confirm whether tomorrow morning's newspaper had been delivered.
He walked out of the dormitory and merged into the vast and precise "Justice" machine of Marineford, continuing to play his silent, reliable, and responsible role... Dressrosa.
King's Plateau, Palace.
"Click."
Doflamingo casually tossed the receiver onto the table.
He slowly stood up, his tall figure casting a distorted shadow in the luxurious room.
He walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the country below, which he firmly controlled with his "strings."
In the streets, humans and toys coexisted harmoniously, filled with laughter.
What a beautiful sight.
What a perfect lie.
But at this moment, Doflamingo's face no longer held the usual pleasure of admiring his work.
The corners of his mouth were slowly, madly curving upwards!
Beneath his signature sunglasses, his eyes were wide, bloodshot!
Veins, from his temples, spread all the way to his neck, like twisted earthworms wriggling under his skin!
"Crushing defeat..."
He repeated the word in a whisper.
"Admiral... crushing defeat..."
"S-rank secret mission..."
"East Blue..."
"Haha..."
"Hahahahahahahahaha!"
A low laugh rolled out of his throat.
The laughter grew louder and more frenzied!
He spread his arms, tilted his head back, and let out a booming laugh that could make the entire palace tremble, directed at the empty ceiling!
"Fufufu! Fufufufufufufufu!"
"Hahahahahaha!!"
This was no longer his usual laughter!
This was a mix of extreme excitement, extreme greed, and a childlike euphoria at finding a brand new, more stimulating toy!