With the God Slayer's disappearance, the Battle of Twin Capes didn't last much longer. By midday the following day, the massive confrontation had reached its abrupt conclusion.
The battle had erupted with fierce intensity and maintained its brutal momentum throughout the night, but its end came as suddenly as a snuffed candle.
The reason was elegantly simple: every faction had come seeking the God Slayer. With his whereabouts unknown and his capture proving impossible, the strategic value of continued warfare evaporated entirely.
Upon learning that all three Hell Pirates vessels had been destroyed, most crew members confirmed dead, and Captain Oboro missing without a trace, the major powers quickly withdrew from the blood-soaked battlefield. Following their lead, the opportunistic "rabble forces" that had joined the chaos for profit or glory also began their retreat.
While the marine titans and established powers possessed the resources and coordination to escape relatively unscathed, the smaller troublemakers who had come to stir up chaos found themselves facing a far grimmer fate.
With the primary target eliminated from consideration, the Marine's overwhelming might could finally focus on pacification operations. Their systematic sweep through the remaining hostile forces proceeded with lightning efficiency and devastating thoroughness.
Surveying the aftermath, the sea resembled a maritime graveyard. Corpses and ship wreckage bobbed among the waves while crimson stains spread across the water like spilled ink, creating an apocalyptic seascape that would haunt survivors' memories for years to come.
On the surface, the Marine had achieved decisive victory.
In reality, they had failed catastrophically.
Because the God Slayer had once again vanished from their carefully constructed net, leaving their most prestigious operation as yet another humiliating demonstration of his supernatural elusiveness.
In the flagship's command center, a visibly exhausted Fleet Admiral Sengoku gripped a Den Den Mushi with white-knuckled intensity as he contacted Captain Tina in the North Blue.
"Nothing?" he asked, though his tone suggested he already expected the disappointing answer.
"Negative, sir," came Tina's crisp reply through the transponder snail. "Following Chief of Staff Tsuru's pre-positioning orders, we established our blockade on the North Blue side of Reverse Mountain before the battle commenced. Complete coverage of the descent zone, multiple patrol patterns, enhanced surveillance protocols, but we haven't detected any Hell Pirates activity. Of course, it remains possible they've evaded our detection... if they maintained sufficient altitude during any aerial approach."
Through the connection, Tina paused to study the azure sky stretching endlessly above their position.
The salt breeze caught her distinctive pink hair, sending strands dancing as wisps of smoke from her cigarette dissolved into the afternoon air. Behind her, dozens of warships maintained perfect formation across the seascape, their disciplined deployment representing one of the Marine's most comprehensive surveillance operations.
Beyond her own command, this massive fleet included numerous senior officers from Marine Headquarters. The area under their observation encompassed vast maritime territories, with overlapping patrol zones designed to prevent any possibility of undetected passage.
Her deployment to the North Blue had been Tsuru's preemptive maneuver, precisely calculated to counter the possibility of the God Slayer's escape during the Twin Capes engagement. Intelligence reports had already confirmed that Dracule "Hawkeye" Mihawk had engaged the God Slayer during the night, but ultimately failed to prevent his crossing of the Red Line.
The target had been permitted to fly beyond their continental barrier.
This meant he could have returned to North Blue waters... or departed for any number of alternative destinations entirely.
Regardless, within moments of receiving battle updates, their fleet had initiated systematic aerial reconnaissance, though their quarry remained frustratingly elusive.
Across the deck, numerous soldiers maintained frantic coordination efforts, contacting North Blue marine bases, government intelligence stations, and informant networks scattered throughout the region. If the God Slayer had returned to familiar waters, any movement would trigger immediate notification through their comprehensive surveillance web.
After concluding the extended conversation with additional tactical directives, Sengoku replaced the Den Den Mushi receiver and leaned heavily against the cold metal console, his eyes closing as exhaustion finally claimed him.
Failure to capture the God Slayer guaranteed the Hell Pirates' eventual resurrection. More critically, the public relations disaster loomed like an approaching storm. He had no doubt that within days, that bastard Morgans would paint the Marine in completely negative terms, further humiliating the World Government on the global stage.
"There's no need for such dejection," came a calm voice from behind him.
Sengoku opened his eyes to find Tsuru approaching with her characteristic composed bearing.
The elderly woman had clearly read his emotional state and spoke with gentle reassurance. "For most civilians throughout the world, they won't delve into the true nature of this conflict. On the surface level, we achieved victory in this engagement. As for government concerns, we used this battle to capture significant numbers of pirates and various criminals. While the bounty totals and prisoner counts lack headline figures, they're substantial enough to provide satisfactory explanations to our superiors. Moreover, we successfully disrupted Revolutionary Army operations."
"Their actions during this conflict were most likely attempts to establish 'contact' with the God Slayer. If those two forces had unified, the maritime balance could have shifted dramatically. We may not have captured the God Slayer, but at least the Revolutionary Army didn't succeed either. Under the circumstances, this represents the optimal possible outcome."
"Given recent trends across the seas... pirate activity shows obvious signs of escalation, and we desperately needed a victory of this magnitude to suppress their growing arrogance."
"Hmph..."
Tsuru's reassurances clearly failed to ease Sengoku's mounting concerns. He responded with obvious frustration, "Coincidence? Both of those individuals share the surname 'Oboro.'"
After speaking, he fixed Tsuru with a meaningful glance. "Did you mentally prepare for his escape from the beginning?"
"I've told you repeatedly, he's no ordinary pirate. He possesses numerous capabilities that remain beyond our understanding. This engagement was merely a trial run. No one could guarantee absolute victory against such an individual! Moreover, compared to this battle's immediate consequences, our greater concerns lie ahead."
Tsuru spoke with characteristic calm before turning to depart.
"Ahead?"
"We deployed overwhelming force, yet it still posed no meaningful obstacle to his objectives. In other words, entering the Grand Line proved trivial for someone of his capabilities. Given his demonstrated abilities, he possesses numerous strategic options. So why stage this elaborate spectacle, resulting in so many unnecessary casualties? Do you believe it was simply to embarrass us... or purely for entertainment?"
Tsuru's questions sent cold realization coursing through Sengoku's analytical mind.
"No rational person would waste energy and time on activities that provide no tangible benefits... especially not someone of his tactical sophistication."
Tsuru paused at the doorway. "The longer his preparation period, the greater his investment of effort, the more astonishing his true intentions will prove to be."
"We need to prepare accordingly. I've already contacted government agencies to expedite comprehensive review and analysis of all previous intelligence related to the Hell Pirates."
"Additionally, the government will issue press releases before the news agencies can publish their coverage. The headline will read: 'Marine Successfully Blocks God Slayer's Grand Line Entry, Hell Pirates Attack Repelled, Organization Nearly Eliminated!' We won't necessarily find ourselves at a disadvantage in the public opinion war."
"Understood."
Sengoku rubbed his temples and nodded wearily.
With that, Tsuru departed.
"Fufufufufu..."
The distinctive laughter cut through the air as Tsuru emerged from the command center to find Doflamingo perched arrogantly on the ship's railing, his characteristic cruel amusement echoing across the deck.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru," called a familiar voice from the distance.
Momousagi approached after returning from combat operations, her graceful stride carrying her across the war-torn deck.
Tsuru acknowledged her with a warm smile and gentle nod.
Then her gaze shifted to study Doflamingo with unruffled composure.
"Doflamingo... you truly are incorrigible," Tsuru observed with the fond exasperation of an elder addressing a wayward child.
"Old woman... I've been following your orders precisely throughout this operation. Even Hawkeye fell short of expectations. Surely you're not planning to blame me for his failure?" Doflamingo responded with mocking deflection.
"During this conflict... did you have operatives among the hostile forces?" Tsuru's smile remained unchanged, though her tone carried subtle steel. "We captured quite a few prisoners... and conducted thorough interrogations."
"They weren't my subordinates. I simply offered substantial bounties for assistance," Doflamingo replied with predatory satisfaction. "The God Slayer and I share history... we're territorial rivals in the North Blue. If he perished tonight, no one would celebrate more enthusiastically than myself! Besides, I'm still a pirate, and I covet his abilities as much as anyone. Is it unreasonable for me to compensate others for their assistance?"
"As a Shichibukai, I naturally follow government directives. But as a pirate... I retain certain operational autonomy. You cannot interfere with those freedoms, that was established from our initial agreement!"
His reasoning was logically sound, at least superficially defensible.
"Don't become overconfident, Joker. You must understand that the privileges you enjoy derive from those individuals above us, not from your personal merit," Tsuru replied with casual authority, seemingly too composed to engage in extended debate with Doflamingo.
She guided Momousagi on a leisurely stroll, and as they passed the Heavenly Demon's position, she delivered her parting observation with deceptive mildness.
"Their patience operates within finite parameters."
Tsuru remained certain that Joker had leaked operational intelligence, but given his methodical nature, he would have covered his tracks completely. With the battle's outcome already determined, Dover's subtle sabotage wouldn't significantly impact final results. Pursuing the matter further would prove pointless. She simply couldn't determine whether he genuinely coveted the God Slayer's power, or if deeper motivations drove his actions.
However, her words struck directly at Doflamingo's psychological vulnerabilities with surgical precision.
Dover's expression darkened as profound resentment flickered across his features.
Tsuru understood exactly how to manipulate the Heavenly Demon's pride.
A man as stubborn and powerful as Doflamingo couldn't tolerate the implication that everything he'd achieved stemmed from his Celestial Dragon heritage rather than personal merit. Yet he couldn't refute her assessment, because, fundamentally, it contained uncomfortable truth.
Doflamingo's individual accomplishments seemed diminished by the shadow of his noble bloodline, regardless of how fiercely he'd fought to earn his current position.
"Fufufu..."
Watching Tsuru's retreating figure, Doflamingo's smile carried winter's chill as plans began crystallizing in his calculating mind.
The game was far from over, and the next move would be his to make.