The series of policies implemented by the World Government were undeniably effective.
After the era of the three Admirals, the Navy's strength had begun to show a serious fault line.
Back then, Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji were already over fifty when they became famous—only about twenty years younger than Sengoku and Garp's generation. Yet, all three had ascended to the rank of Admiral while still in their thirties.
In contrast, today's Navy was bleak.
There were almost no outstanding elites in their thirties.
The succession had been severed.
After Akainu and Aokiji left the Admiral ranks, the Navy struggled just to assemble a full lineup of three Admirals. In the end, they were forced to recruit talent from all over the world, scraping together replacements to maintain appearances.
Smoker—once hailed as a rising star—had fallen to the very bottom of the Vice Admirals in terms of actual combat power. Among Logia users, he had become little more than a joke.
He wasn't even qualified to be a unit of measurement anymore.
"(｀へ′╬)"
Vice Admiral Tsuru said nothing.
But the bulging veins on her forehead and the increasingly oppressive atmosphere around her made Xiao keenly aware—
The old woman's heart was breaking.
And yet, what could she do?
How could Tsuru, as Chief of the Navy's General Staff, not understand everything Xiao had just said?
Even if she did… what difference would it make?
They had already chosen to become the World Government's hounds.
And if they didn't wear the leash, someone else would.
If the Navy fell into the hands of people with even darker intentions, the world would only sink deeper into corruption.
The only thing they could do now was cling stubbornly to the justice in their hearts—to preserve the Navy's remaining purity, and keep this already broken world from collapsing entirely.
"Heh heh heh heh heh~~~~~!"
A flamboyant laugh echoed through the room.
"What a rare sight! I just walked in and already got to see Counselor Tsuru this angry."
Hands stuffed casually into his pockets, Doflamingo swaggered over and sat beside Tsuru, deliberately fanning the flames.
After all, before becoming a Shichibukai, he had been chased relentlessly by Tsuru—forced to flee across the seas, nearly killed on several occasions.
Now that the tables had turned, how could he possibly resist savoring the moment?
Naturally, he mocked her mercilessly.
"Bang!"
Tsuru slammed her chair back, stood up, and stormed out of the meeting room without another word—choosing distance over continuing to deal with these bastards.
"What a pleasure to meet you, Blackbeard Teach."
Doflamingo turned with a grin and extended his hand.
"I never imagined there'd be a monster like you hidden inside the Whitebeard Pirates. Beautiful work."
The two were nearly the same height—Xiao only slightly taller.
"I've heard of you too, Doflamingo," Xiao replied calmly, clasping his hand.
"They say your channels are… impressive."
A faint smile curved his lips.
"I have a plan. Something big. Want to hear it?"
"Hehehe~~~~~"
Doflamingo's eyes gleamed.
"Oh? Just how big are we talking?"
"I'm afraid you can't afford it."
Xiao spread his arms exaggeratedly.
Doflamingo froze—then laughed even harder.
"Interesting… very interesting, Xiao."
When Mihawk entered the room, he glanced once at the two conspirators whispering together.
His expression stiffened slightly.
After a brief pause, he silently chose the seat farthest from them, placed his hat over his eyes, crossed his legs—and promptly went to sleep.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Heavy footsteps followed.
The door swung open as two towering figures—each over seven meters tall—entered the room.
Bartholomew Kuma.
Gecko Moria.
Moria's head was still wrapped in thick bandages, his eyes unfocused, his expression dazed—as if he'd been beaten senseless not long ago.
"Bangji—"
He plopped down beside Xiao, his massive bulk nearly knocking Xiao off balance.
"Don't you have somewhere else to sit?" Xiao snapped.
He slapped Moria's side casually—but the blow carried advanced Armament Haki.
The force pierced through layers of fat and slammed directly into Moria's internal organs.
"Ughhh——!"
Moria groaned in pain, his face twisting as cold sweat broke out.
He didn't even dare curse.
Slowly, awkwardly, he wriggled his massive body away, collapsed against the table, and continued groaning weakly.
Once, Moria had been a ruthless and infamous pirate.
But now, facing Xiao—
He could only admit that if he hadn't clenched up instinctively just now, that slap might've killed him outright.
That sensation…
Was even worse than being smashed by Kaido's Thunder Bagua.
Kuma glanced at Moria, poked him twice to confirm he was still alive, tilted his head slightly—
Then sat down beside him, motionless as a statue.
At this point, Kuma's body was nearly seventy percent mechanized. Even parts of his brain had been modified.
He looked less like a man, and more like a machine.
Xiao, however, watched Kuma with undisguised interest.
The strongest cyborg alive.
And the masterpiece of a man named Vegapunk.
A genius said to be five hundred years ahead of the era.
A Devil Fruit user with an endlessly expandable brain.
A monster capable of replicating bloodline factors, artificial Zoans, and even partial Logia abilities through green blood.
Once, Xiao had attempted to use Cyber Aura to probe Vegapunk—
Only to be detected almost instantly and cut off.
Still.
Kuma stood here now.
A perfect microphone.
Xiao had no intention of inviting Vegapunk directly.
Geniuses like him needed bait.
The boundless knowledge of the cyber dimension would eventually draw him in on its own.
So Xiao planned to leave a puzzle within Kuma—
A fragment of the cyber dimension's login device.
If Vegapunk managed to decipher it himself…
Then the real game would finally begin.
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