"A power that can make an Admiral feel difficult, or even suffer a crushing defeat..."
He turned sharply, slamming his hands down on the huge map behind him!
His gaze landed precisely on one corner of the map.
East Blue!
"Fufufufufu!"
From his throat, that unique, owl-like laugh echoed once more.
"What artificial Devil Fruits..."
"What Kaido..."
"What Shichibukai..."
"Compared to this, they're just children's toys!"
An unprecedented greed shot forth from Doflamingo's eyes!
What was his lifelong pursuit?
It was destruction!
It was to personally destroy this world that created him, then abandoned him!
It was to drag those high-and-mighty Celestial Dragons down from their pedestals!
For this, he had planned for twenty years!
He stole a country, becoming its king.
He traded with Kaido, stirring up the balance of the New World.
As JOKER, he manipulated both the light and dark sides of the world.
He was like a top-tier manipulator, patiently waiting, waiting for the "tide" that could overturn the world to arrive!
And now!
He smelled it!
He smelled the scent of a super tsunami, a hundred thousand times bigger than he had imagined, capable of flipping the entire world over!
"The Marine wants to monopolize it?"
"Fufufu, that old geezer Sengoku, he's dreaming too big!"
Doflamingo's finger lightly traced the map of the East Blue, his movements as gentle as caressing a lover's skin.
"How can such a 'treasure' be enjoyed exclusively by you 'Justice' partners?"
"This world needs more chaos!"
"It needs more... fun!"
He slowly withdrew his hand, spreading his five fingers.
It was as if countless invisible threads extended from his fingertips, crossing the Red Line, crossing the Grand Line, and wildly spreading towards that most inconspicuous blue ocean!
"Go..."
"Leak the news, just a little bit, to some... people who need it."
"For example, those old monsters in the New World who are already tired of living..."
"For example, that 'Strongest Creature' who just wants to die..."
A devilish smile appeared on Doflamingo's face.
"Let me see."
"When all the devils and monsters of the world flock to that 'Weakest Sea,'"
"Can you Marines still handle it!"
"Fufufufufu!"
"This world is about to get much more interesting!"
New World.
An island perpetually shrouded in grey mist, named "Hachinosu."
This was a pirate's paradise, a breeding ground for evil.
In a mixed-crowd tavern in the center of the island, the air was thick with the smell of cheap rum and sweat.
A man in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses was bragging to a few pirates with bounties over a hundred million at the table, in a casual tone.
"Hey, fellas, heard the latest joke?"
"What joke? Is it funnier than you running around with your bare butt last month when the Marine was chasing you?" A one-eyed pirate laughed, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth.
The man in the Hawaiian shirt didn't get angry; he mysteriously lowered his voice.
"An Admiral, got defeated in the East Blue!"
"Pfft—"
The one-eyed pirate spat out all his drink.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"What did you say? An Admiral? In the East Blue?"
"Hey! Are you drunk? That's too ridiculous a boast!"
The entire tavern erupted in laughter instantly.
East Blue.
That weakest of seas.
Forget an Admiral, even a Marineford Rear Admiral could walk around there as if he owned the place.
To suffer a defeat in that place?
And an Admiral at that?
This was more fantastical than hearing that the Celestial Dragons had renounced their privileges!
The man in the Hawaiian shirt watched everyone's reaction, a barely perceptible curve forming at the corner of his mouth—the professional demeanor of an intelligence dealer under JOKER.
He spread his hands, feigning helplessness.
"Don't believe it then."
"Anyway, I heard that Marineford is in an uproar."
"Admiral Kizaru himself has assembled an elite Marineford fleet, destination... the East Blue!"
After he finished speaking, he picked up his glass and slowly took a sip.
The laughter gradually subsided.
The atmosphere in the tavern began to turn a bit strange.
If the previous news was a far-fetched joke.
Then the latter news made these desperadoes, who lived by the sword, smell something extremely unusual.
Does a joke require the deployment of an Admiral and a Marineford fleet to "debunk" it?
What a joke!
"Kizaru... that Pika Pika no Mi monster?"
"What's he going to the East Blue for? A vacation?"
"Something's not right..."
"It's too far from right..."
Some quick-witted pirates had already put down their drinks, their eyes flickering, beginning to speculate about the deeper meaning behind this.
For Marineford to react so strongly.
The only explanation was.
That rumor about an "Admiral's crushing defeat," even if not 100% true, was absolutely not baseless!
What exactly happened in the East Blue?
...Meanwhile.
New World, Whitebeard Pirates flagship, the "Moby Dick."
The sun was bright, and the sea breeze was gentle.
On deck, the commanders were either sparring or drinking, a lively scene.
"Marco the Phoenix" was leaning against the ship's rail, idly flipping through a piece of information he had just received from an intelligence bird.
"Ha, these guys will make up anything for a big scoop."
He casually crumpled the intelligence paper into a ball, preparing to throw it into the sea.
"What's wrong, Marco?"
The burly figure of the Third Division Commander, "Diamond" Jozu, leaned over and asked curiously.
"Nothing, just a boring joke."
Marco unfolded the crumpled paper and handed it to Jozu to read.
"It says an Admiral was defeated in the East Blue, and now Kizaru is leading a team there."
Jozu glanced at it and also chuckled.
"A Marine trick, probably? Trying to lure someone into that small pond in the East Blue?"
"Who knows, maybe that old man Sengoku is just bored."
Marco shrugged, treating the matter as a mere anecdote.
He turned and walked towards the man sitting in a massive chair, with IV tubes attached to him, yet still as majestic as a mountain.
"Pops."
Marco, with a smile on his face, reported this "anecdote" to Whitebeard, who was drinking heartily.
"Gurahahahahahaha..."
Whitebeard finished listening, letting out his characteristic, booming laugh that could make the sea tremble.
"Those brats like Sengoku aren't so easily defeated!"
He raised a sake bowl larger than a human head and took a deep drink.
The pirates on deck, hearing their Pops' laughter, also joined in the boisterous laughter.
However.
Whitebeard's laughter slowly stopped.
His hand, holding the giant sake bowl, paused in mid-air.
The clamor on deck, along with his paused movement, eerily quieted down.
Everyone felt it.
Pops' aura had changed.
"Which Admiral?"
Whitebeard's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.
Marco's smile also faded; he paused for a moment, then shook his head.
"The intelligence didn't specify, Pops."
"..."
Whitebeard fell silent.
His deep eyes gazed at the endless sea horizon; no one knew what he was thinking.
For a long time.
"Gurahahahaha..."
He laughed again, but this time, there was a hint of playfulness in his laughter.
"Interesting."
He drained the sake in his bowl, and the giant sake bowl was taken away by a nurse.
"To make that Sengoku fellow so nervous that he sent another Admiral..."
Whitebeard's finger gently tapped the armrest of his chair.
This subtle movement made Marco, Jozu, and the other veteran commanders' hearts skip a beat.
They knew Pops too well.
Only when he developed a truly deep interest in something would he have this habit.
"Go investigate."
Whitebeard's voice, calm and clear, reached the ears of every commander.
"What exactly is it."
"That could trip up my old rival on that calmest of seas."
"Yes, Pops!"
Marco's expression turned serious, and he nodded solemnly.
He knew that this matter had escalated from an "anecdote" to a level worthy of the Whitebeard Pirates' attention... In another sea.
The sky was covered with thunderclouds, dark clouds pressing down on the city.
A colossal skull-shaped building stood atop the island, exuding an ominous and violent aura.
Onigashima.
The lair of the Beasts Pirates.
Inside the Throne Hall.
The head of the "Three Calamities," "King the Conflagration," was kneeling on one knee.
He was entirely clad in black leather, with an unquenchable flame burning on his back, and a perfectly sealed mask on his face, showing no expression.
Before him was a terrifying shadow, unimaginably massive, perched upon a bone throne.
King slowly reported the intelligence he had just received, almost identical to the one in Marco's hand, in his flat, emotionless tone.
"...That concludes the latest movements from Marineford, received through JOKER's channels."
Inside the hall, there was a deathly silence.
Only the muffled, oppressive breathing from the throne could be heard.
For a long time.
A very long time.
The massive shadow moved.
A thunderous, muffled voice, filled with an aura of destruction, boomed through the hall.
"Where?"