The moment Doflamingo first laid eyes on Mork's "steel fortress," only a single name surfaced in his mind—
Pluton, one of the Ancient Weapons.
But that thought lasted barely a second before he dismissed it.
Not even Vegapunk—hailed as a scientist five hundred years ahead of this era—could recreate an Ancient Weapon.
So how could something of that scale suddenly appear in the New World?
As Doflamingo pondered his next move, his eyebrows twitched slightly.
He spotted a pirate ship approaching the fortress below.
He didn't recognize most of the pirates aboard—they were just nobodies.
But the man standing at the bow made him pause in surprise.
"This guy… isn't he the one who recently defected from the Whitebeard Pirates? What was his name again…"
"Oh, right. Blackbeard."
Blackbeard had hidden inside the Whitebeard Pirates for over twenty years, always acting like a harmless, ambitionless underling. Even the Marines didn't know his name or bounty.
If it weren't for the recent worldwide news—someone killing the Whitebeard Pirates' 4th division commander and fleeing—Doflamingo still wouldn't know Blackbeard existed.
"Young Master, what do we do now?" Baby 5 asked nervously.
She still remembered Doflamingo saying he'd "get justice for her."
But Doflamingo chuckled.
"No rush. Since someone's willing to test things for us…
we'll just sit back and watch."
"There's a saying—when the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole lies in wait. Heh… heh…"
Meanwhile, on Blackbeard's ship—
After calming himself, Blackbeard stared at the colossal fortress looming ahead.
A crazed excitement flashed in his eyes.
"Keep going. I want to take a closer look at that fortress.
Zehahahaha!"
To him, this fortress was even better than Hachinosu, the Pirate Island he once planned to seize for his future return.
If he could take this base…
Then when he reentered the New World and founded the Blackbeard Pirates properly, he would instantly have a fortress beyond imagination as his home base.
The pirates on deck were pale with fear, trembling as they stared at the towering steel monstrosity ahead.
But none dared question Blackbeard.
Disobedience meant instant death.
Inside the fortress, the system's voice echoed through Mork's mind:
"Host, a pirate ship controlled by Blackbeard is approaching with hostile intent."
Mork blinked in surprise.
"Blackbeard?"
Of course he knew that guy.
"How on earth did he end up here?"
Since Mork had been living on this island from the moment he transmigrated, he had only guessed the timeline based on Baby 5 still being partnered with Buffalo—it was likely around the two-year gap or during it.
But timelines didn't matter.
He just wanted to lie flat peacefully.
And Blackbeard…
A greedy, scheming, unpredictable monster.
Not someone Mork wanted to ever meet.
"A troublesome day indeed."
Nothing happened for months, then suddenly—endless visitors.
Life really was like a chaotic drama.
Mork sighed and waved his hand lazily.
"Baby, same as before. Issue a warning.
If they ignore it—blow them up."
"And send me a manga while you're at it."
The system, now thoroughly desensitized to being called "Baby," simply replied:
"Understood, Host."
Moments later, the fortress's speakers activated:
"Do not approach.
Turn back immediately.
Failure to comply will result in destruction."
The warnings echoed across the sea.
On the deck, pirates collapsed to their knees, shaking. Some scrambled to turn the ship around, while others jumped into the sea in desperation—only to be eaten instantly by Sea Kings.
Blackbeard stared ahead, frozen—not because of fear, but because the fortress had begun to change.
Right in the center, something enormous was rising.
A cannon.
A massive cannon—so huge it rivaled an entire pirate ship in size.
"Wha…"
Even Blackbeard's grin faltered, his mouth hanging open, revealing several missing teeth.
"That cannon is… that huge?"
Burgess's eyes were bulging, trembling as he looked at the monstrous artillery.
Above them in the sky, Doflamingo saw the main cannon for the first time.
His arm twitched involuntarily.
Even he couldn't keep calm.
Baby 5 shrieked beside him:
"Y-Young Master! T-That's what he used to scare me earlier!!"