At the center of a spacious and luxurious hall stood an extremely long dining table, laden with an array of exquisite dishes that would make anyone's mouth water.
Seated around it were men and women of various builds—the core members of the Gambino Family, the highest-ranking figures within the entire organization.
At the head of the table sat a seemingly ordinary middle-aged man.
He wore a simple black suit and had an unremarkable face, yet his eyes gleamed with a sharpness that made people instinctively avoid meeting his gaze.
This man was the leader of the Gambino Family—
Gambino Ant.
At this moment, the family's evening dinner was underway.
According to the strict rule Ant had established, all members—except those currently on missions—had to return at this time to share dinner and report the latest developments from their respective territories.
"Boss, I heard some kingdom called Ze-whatever dared to attack our people. Are there really still countries in the West Blue bold enough to provoke the Gambino Family?"
During the meal, after the usual reports were finished, the executives began chatting casually.
A burly bald man raised his right arm—modified into a firearm—and pointed it toward Ant as he spoke in a deep voice.
Ant sat quietly at the head of the table, slicing a piece of steak without replying. His calm eyes revealed nothing of his thoughts.
"Heh, it's true."
A man wearing a hat across the table tilted his head back and drank deeply before glancing at a woman sitting beside Ant.
A meaningful smile crept onto his lips.
"If I remember correctly, the Zephir Kingdom incident was handled by Sister Milan, wasn't it? Looks like our dear sister might have slipped up this time."
The woman called Milan smiled charmingly when she heard this.
Turning to the man in the hat, she asked softly,
"Clyde, are you saying your big sister didn't do her job properly?"
"Now, Milan, you can't say things like that. I wouldn't dare imply such a thing," Clyde replied leisurely after taking another sip of wine.
Milan's smile deepened.
But within her beautiful eyes flashed a cold killing intent.
The other executives—including the bald man—wisely remained silent.
Everyone knew that although they were all executives, their strengths varied greatly.
Take the two in front of them.
Milan was a powerful Devil Fruit user.
Clyde was a master swordsman.
The two frequently clashed with each other, and scenes like this were nothing unusual.
"Alright, that's enough."
At that moment, Ant finally spoke.
His voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.
Both Milan and Clyde immediately fell silent.
Because everyone present understood one thing clearly—
Within the Gambino Family, the strongest individual was neither the swordsman Clyde nor the Devil Fruit user Milan.
It was the seemingly ordinary leader—
Gambino Ant.
"Milan," Ant said calmly while wiping his mouth with a napkin, "take some men to the Zephir Kingdom tomorrow. Since they dared to attack us, they must pay the price. Don't bother making them submit anymore."
"Just wipe them out."
"Understood, Boss."
Milan nodded, a cruel smile appearing on her alluring face.
The other executives said nothing.
Everyone present knew that if Milan personally handled it, the Zephir Kingdom wouldn't last much longer.
But then—
BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
A series of thunderous explosions echoed faintly from four directions.
The dull rumbling carried clearly through the quiet night and into the manor.
"What was that?"
"Where did that sound come from?"
The executives were startled, rising from their seats and looking out the windows.
But outside was pitch black.
Nothing could be seen.
"Wait… the direction those sounds came from…"
One executive frowned deeply as he recalled the direction of the explosions.
Suddenly, realization struck him.
He whipped his head around and shouted toward Ant with alarm.
"Boss, something's wrong! Those explosions came from the docks!"
"What?!"
Everyone's expressions changed drastically.
Even Ant, usually calm and composed, showed a flash of unease.
An attack!
The thought struck everyone simultaneously.
Muir Island—the stronghold of the Gambino Family—sat isolated in the sea, surrounded by water.
The four docks were the family's lifeline.
If the docks were destroyed, they would be trapped like beasts in a cage.
And if an enemy began bombarding the island afterward—
The consequences would be disastrous.
"Could it be… those two families have finally decided to make a move?" Ant wondered grimly.
In the West Blue, aside from the Marines, only two other mafia families possessed the strength to challenge the Gambino Family.
BANG!
At that moment, the doors of the hall burst open.
A mafia member rushed inside in panic, his face pale as a sheet.
"Boss! Something terrible has happened!"
"Just now… we lost contact with Docks One through Four!"
"What?!"
Ant and all the executives turned deathly pale.
All four docks—
Lost contact at the same time?
How was that possible?!
Across the entire West Blue—
Even those two rival mafia families…
Even the Marines…
Could never accomplish something like this!
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