Inside a Marine warship docked in the harbor, Sakazuki sat in the cabin.
Accompanying him were the Marine Admirals—Fujitora, Borsalino, and Gion.
Of course, several Vice Admirals were also aboard, serving as a cover.
This was a half-truth. The Marines had deliberately leaked some information, subtly spreading the word that an Admiral was leading the mission.
Rumor had it that Borsalino was the one in charge.
On the surface, the operation seemed to be led only by Vice Admirals. But secretly, with whispers circulating that Borsalino was present, the information appeared somewhat credible.
This was a routine tactic of the Marines. Although not particularly sophisticated, it was better than nothing.
Given the current situation, Claudius was "performing" at the Sabaody Archipelago, while Douglas Bullet was hosting the Pirate Expo.
As a result, it seemed reasonable that the Marines couldn't spare enough time or resources to properly respond.
As a veteran powerhouse, Borsalino represented the highest combat force of the Marines lurking here. His presence seemed more credible than dispatching all three Admirals or even the Fleet Admiral himself.
There was no need to question whether Borsalino alone could withstand the pressure of so many pirates—after all, weren't the Seven Warlords of the Sea still around?
Besides, perhaps the Marines only wanted to cause trouble destroy the Log Pose and retreat?
With Borsalino's abilities, this seemed entirely feasible.
Setting aside these tactical maneuvers.
Gion held a newspaper in her hand, while Borsalino was carefully trimming his nails, as if afraid he might accidentally cut off his own fingers.
Fujitora sat quietly, rolling two dice in his hands, playing with them absentmindedly.
"Garp and Sengoku have both appeared at the Sabaody Archipelago, and Saint Claudius is there too. Are we really enough for this mission? There's only the four of us?" Gion asked, still holding the newspaper.
It wasn't just "Claudius" who had shown up at the Sabaody Archipelago. To further lower enemy vigilance, Garp and Sengoku had made an appearance alongside him.
In reality, this mission had intentionally excluded them. Garp aside, Sengoku was no longer part of the Marines. Besides, they were both too old to always be charging into battle—how else would the newer generation get their chance?
Sakazuki flicked the ash off his cigar and spoke in a deep voice. "Garp and Sengoku didn't come, but Saint Claudius should already be on the island."
"What?" Gion exclaimed in shock.
She quickly unfolded the newspaper again, scanning its pages. "How is that possible? Does he have a clone technique or something? Isn't he at the Sabaody Archipelago? Even if the Prometheus is fast, there's no way he could get here in just one day."
"That's Doflamingo," Sakazuki said calmly.
Gion froze for a moment. The "Claudius" at the Sabaody Archipelago was actually Doflamingo?
Then who was the Doflamingo on this island? Did that even need to be asked?
"He had that kind of trick up his sleeve? Impressive," Fujitora remarked with a smile.
Sakazuki exhaled a slow puff of smoke and continued, "I just received this information myself—I didn't know earlier."
This operation wasn't meant to be flashy. Otherwise, they'd alert their enemies.
With the current forces assembled—Seven Warlords of the Sea, the full might of Marine Headquarters, including three Admirals and the Fleet Admiral himself, along with Cipher Pol agents, and even Dragon and his people, there was more than enough strength.
"Quite the elite force… maybe even too much," Borsalino said in his usual lazy tone.
"In terms of a decapitation operation, the combat power is sufficient," Gion nodded in agreement.
Sakazuki didn't respond immediately. Instead, he turned to Fujitora and instructed, "Issho, you and Gion are responsible for keeping an eye on Shiki. If he doesn't show up, you two stay hidden. But if he does, eliminate him immediately."
Fujitora smiled and nodded. "If it were just me, dealing with Shiki would be troublesome. But with Admiral Gion's assistance, I'm confident."
Gion cracked her knuckles, set the newspaper aside, and smirked. "No problem. I'll go all out."
Sakazuki gave a firm nod, then turned his gaze to Borsalino. "You're on standby for now. If Kaido appears, you'll be responsible for dealing with him."
Borsalino raised an eyebrow and asked, "By myself? That's a bit too much pressure, isn't it?"
"It's just a fight. If the Big Mom Pirates show up, I'll back you up," Sakazuki replied matter-of-factly.
Handling Kaido alone was a difficult task. Maybe Borsalino wouldn't lose, but actually winning would be a different matter. A battle with Kaido wouldn't be decided in mere hours—it would drag on for days.
But if it was just about holding Kaido off, the pressure wasn't as high.
This time, Borsalino simply nodded in response. Then he asked, "And what about the Big Mom Pirates?"
"As per the plan, they aren't our responsibility. The Seven Warlords of the Sea will handle them," Sakazuki said after a brief pause.
"His Highness is going after Charlotte Linlin? Isn't that overkill?" Borsalino chuckled.
Years ago, he had personally witnessed Saint Claudius beat Charlotte Linlin into the ground, leaving her barely recognizable.
Was he just looking for another soft target to crush?
Sakazuki shook his head. "No. His main targets this time are Kaido and Shiki. Charlotte Linlin isn't worth too much attention. Just focus on our own tasks."
With that, Sakazuki fell silent, and the others had no more to say.
Gion picked up the newspaper again. Borsalino curled his lips and continued trimming his nails. If it weren't for the people around him, he might've taken off his shoes and started on his toenails.
Fujitora raised the dice in his hand and asked Sakazuki, "Fleet Admiral, care for a little wager?"
Sakazuki was momentarily stunned, then a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Why not?"
Meanwhile—
In the underground base on Delta Island, Festa was speaking with Douglas Bullet.
At that moment, Festa held a small buttoned device in his hand, introducing it. "With just a press, the island hidden beneath the sea will be launched skyward by a massive ocean current."
Bullet wasn't interested in the mechanics. Instead, he asked, "Is everything ready?"
"Of course. The Log Pose to Laugh Tale is already stored in that ship's treasure," Festa replied with a nod.
After a brief pause, he added with some curiosity, "I'm not a pirate, so I don't care about this. But Bullet, why are you doing this? Aren't you even a little curious about Laugh Tale?"
"I have no curiosity, and it doesn't matter. Even if someone finds Laugh Tale and becomes Pirate King—so what? Roger was the strongest, and he still died. The only absolute truth is strength. Pirate King? Hmph… I only want to be the strongest," Bullet declared.
"But you do realize things have gotten out of hand, right?" Festa asked again.
Bullet's gaze darkened slightly. He was aware of that. He hadn't expected things to escalate so much—some information had clearly been leaked.
Now, the Four Emperors or even the Marines might show up. All the Seven Warlords of the Sea were here, except for Bartholomew Kuma. Bullet knew all of this.
But soon, a grin spread across his face.
"It doesn't matter. In fact, this is exactly what I wanted. A banquet should be lively, after all!"
Festa stared at him for a moment before curling his lips into a smirk. "Well, as long as you don't mind. For me, this is great—more big shots showing up only makes my event more exciting, right?"
(To be continued.)
***
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