"Please, stop already! Smoker-yan's gonna die!"
"If he's gone... who's gonna look after riffraff like us!?"
The Winter Island of Rejection, Punk Hazard.
At the port where, until just recently, a tanker had been moored, a single man was rampaging, as if to vent his frustration.
"You're one of the Shichibukai, aren't you!? Why are you attacking us Marines, who are supposed to be on your side..."
"You idiot, didn't Vice Admiral Smoker tell you!? This guy is 'Joker'! The Underworld broker... Caesar's, no, the Mastermind behind this whole Laboratory!"
"Oh, so that's... wait, doesn't that make this really bad!? Don't tell me he came here to silence Smoker-san and the rest of us..."
Bewildered and panicking in full-blown disarray, the riffraff Marines of G-5 directed their gazes toward one of the Shichibukai, the Underworld broker known as Joker.
The Heavenly Yaksha himself, Donquixote Doflamingo.
With his fingers bent into that distinctive, peculiar stance, he looked down at Smoker collapsed at his feet and smiled fearlessly.
The smile was little more than surface-level posing, of course. In reality, his head was brimming with irritation directed at Law, who had brazenly threatened him to his face, at his collaborators the Straw Hat Pirates, at the Marines present here, and at every last person who refused to bend to his will.
That was probably why there was no hesitation in the blade of thread he wielded from the String-String Fruit, having beaten down even Smoker, a man bearing the title of Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, in a completely one-sided fashion.
"Seems like you've figured it out just fine... Relax, I won't leave you wandering the streets. Sounds like you've all learned a few things you shouldn't have, so I'll just kill every last one of you right here, you included...! After that, Law and Straw Hat too! Everyone, by the end of today... otherwise, things really will get troublesome...!"
Answering the Marines' questions in the worst possible way, Doflamingo slowly raised his hand.
Behind those sunglasses, his gaze was fixed on Smoker, collapsed at his feet, apparently without even the strength left to resist.
The worst possible outcome was about to become reality. The Marines, powerless as they were, couldn't intervene. But that hand was never brought down.
Something was faster.
"First you, Smoker, I'll start with..."
"Hold it right there, you thug."
From behind, a blade extended smoothly to Doflamingo's throat.
"...!"
"""Wha...!?"""
At this third party who had appeared out of nowhere, the Marines were shocked, of course, but so was Doflamingo, who hadn't sensed anyone approaching this close. Beneath his smile, he was quietly stunned.
The naked blade, already drawn from its Japanese umbrella and held at the ready, was positioned where the slightest movement would sever his carotid artery.
Even for him, ignoring that presence to move freely and take Smoker's life was not something he could decide on the spot.
"H-hey, isn't that..."
"The Pirate Literary Master...!? What's she doing here..."
"She's Trafalgar Law's Boss, right...?"
The name several Marines blurted out was precisely the person Doflamingo had recalled from that voice.
He turned slightly, shifting his gaze behind him, and through his sunglasses, their eyes met.
A fellow member of the Shichibukai, a woman Pirate. The Pirate Literary Master, Venerdi Toto Sue.
...VWOOOOM!!
"...!?"
The very next instant, the scenery in front of Doflamingo, no, the entire area around him, transformed into something completely different.
He hadn't taken a single step, yet it was as though he'd been transported to an entirely different place.
'Clouds!? ...The Sky!? Where is this!?'
At his feet, a dense layer of Clouds billowed like dry ice fog, thicker even than heavy Mist. The howling blizzard-force winds had given way to a gentle breeze caressing his skin.
It looked like a scene straight out of the stories about Sky Island.
And it wasn't just the scenery. The temperature, the humidity, everything was different.
Confronted with this reality that felt like an illusion, even Doflamingo was thrown off balance, and...
The moment his guard dropped from his feet, something moved at high speed and snatched away the Smoker he'd been pinning down.
The instant he realized his mistake, the scenery snapped back to normal.
The same frigid wind from before lashed against him, the ground beneath his feet was Vearth again instead of Clouds, and...
Before he knew it, a single woman stood in front of him, apparently having just closed some kind of Book with a soft snap.
She looked like she could be the Pirate Literary Master's daughter, or perhaps a younger sister. Somewhat younger in appearance, but strikingly similar.
And the Pirate Literary Master herself, who should have been standing right behind him, had somehow put distance between them, now standing several paces back.
At her side was yet another unfamiliar figure.
About the height of a child, wearing a hooded robe that concealed their face. But from beneath the hood, large eyes peered out, watching Doflamingo with unwavering vigilance.
And on this small someone's shoulder, Smoker's large body, just snatched from under his feet, was slung like a piece of luggage.
Apparently, it was this child (?) who had stolen Smoker away in that single instant.
Sue stepped half a pace forward, positioning herself between the Mystery Child and Smoker on one side and Doflamingo, who had just lost his kill, on the other.
She held her sword loosely in one hand, letting it dangle limply at her side as if she weren't on guard at all. But her eyes were fixed on Doflamingo without a hint of carelessness.
The surrounding Marines breathed sighs of relief that Smoker was safe for now, but the tension hadn't dissipated. Two Shichibukai, plus what appeared to be two subordinates of the Pirate Literary Master, facing off right in front of them. An absolutely absurd situation.
Considering that the Shockwave from their clash alone could send all of them flying, the tension had only intensified.
The two at the center of it all exchanged words in a casual tone, as though both were perfectly at ease.
"What business do you have on a backwater island like this... There's nothing interesting lying around here."
"I know that already. I've heard what kind of island this is, and I didn't come here to do research."
"Then why did you come to a place like this? And why are you getting in my way... You've got 'what a pain' written all over your face. If you don't want to get involved, just turn around and leave... There shouldn't be any reason for you and me to be enemies, or rather, for you to interfere with me."
"The cause of all this is the problematic behavior you're currently engaged in. A Shichibukai going after Marines, seriously? And expecting me to just stand by and do nothing when I see that is a bit much, don't you think?"
"...Sheesh, what a naive Lady you are."
Doflamingo sighed and shook his head in exasperation.
"I'll say it one more time. Pretend you didn't see anything, take your 'friends,' and go home. I've got a lot to do and I'm busy, and on top of that... I'm in a foul mood right now. Don't push me... Pirate Literary Master."
As he spoke, the air around Doflamingo grew sharp and taut.
The killing intent that began radiating without any attempt to conceal it was so thorny and dense it seemed like he might lunge at Sue right then and there.
A genuine threat directed at her, and a warning as well. No mistaking it.
The Marines paled, realizing that the crisis had not passed after all.
Sue's two apparent allies showed no signs of being rattled. They narrowed their eyes and shifted lightly into ready stances.
The young woman opened a page of her Book, while the child took a half-turned stance shielding Smoker.
And Sue paid it absolutely no heed. She casually brushed off the killing intent that had the surrounding Marines drenched in cold sweat and reached into her coat.
"I can't exactly do that. Looks like you came here to do something rotten, but... unlike you, I'm actually here on legitimate business."
What she produced was a Den Den Mushi.
It appeared to already be in mid-call. The voice that emerged from its mouth left every person present even more stunned.
"Hey now, Pirate Literary Master. That's Punk Hazard, right? On an island where nobody's supposed to be... what kind of mess is going on over there?"
"Huh...!?"
"That voice is..."
Some of the Marines, those who recognized the voice, froze in shock. A single bead of cold sweat trickled down Doflamingo's cheek.
"...Kuzan...!?"
"That place is an island with a 'No Entry' order, Government Officials included. Smoker chasing after Straw Hat and flying off there is one thing, but... what are you doing in a place like that, Heavenly Yaksha?"
"Heh heh heh... Ha ha ha...! Same as ever, you don't act much like a Pirate, do you... Pirate Literary Master!? Running errands for the Marines like a good little girl!"
From the other side of the Den Den Mushi, Fleet Admiral Kuzan's equally laid-back voice was saying, "Hey, you listening over there?" Doflamingo completely ignored it and laughed.
The irritation and spite from a situation that refused to go his way were surely part of it, but about half of it genuinely seemed to be him laughing at Sue's Government dog tendencies.
"Hate to interrupt while you're having such a good laugh, but... ah, no, never mind. Literary Master, could you give me a quick rundown of the situation over there?"
"Roger that. Um... there are a lot of G-5 riff... Marines around. Also, Smoker-san is down and pretty seriously wounded. From what I can see, this thug here is the culprit, and a few others besides Smoker-san have been taken out too... Oh, and some kind of poison gas seems to have filled the whole island. It's not here in this area for some reason, though. Also, Luffy... the Straw Hat Pirates aren't here, but instead two of Doflamingo's subordinates are tied up."
"Nothing but abnormal situations going on. What the hell happened on that island...? By the way, is there a ship? The Marine warship those guys came in on."
"...? Come to think of it, no. Actually, there's not a single ship of any kind docked here, even though it's a port. ...Despite the Facility clearly having been in use."
"Is Captain Tashigi there? With Smoker, that sword-loving girl with glasses is usually part of the package... She should have been accompanying him on this expedition too."
"No, I don't see her anywhere within sight."
"Everything about this is strange... Hey, Smoker, you alive? Can you hear me?"
"Gah, cough... Fleet Admi..."
"Ah, sorry, never mind, don't try to talk. Just knowing you're alive is enough. Give me a report later when you can. Well... I'm sure something pretty terrible went down. Now then, I'd like to hear from you too, about time... Heavenly Yaksha?"
"Heh heh heh... I refuse. Like I said, I'm busy."
Even while Sue and Kuzan had been talking over the Den Den Mushi, Doflamingo had of course been watching the situation closely, but despite the casual tone of the conversation, he couldn't detect any opening to exploit.
A surprise attack was impossible. On top of that, his opponents were the Pirate Literary Master and her two subordinates. Could he overpower them head-on the way he had with Smoker...
'That would be rough.'
Once he realized this, Doflamingo readily dropped his stance and returned to a relaxed posture.
Then he turned his back on Sue and the others and began walking away.
"From what I just heard alone, it looks like you've racked up quite a few problematic actions... Even being one of the Shichibukai, there's a limit to the indulgences we can tolerate... You're not so dense you don't understand that, right? If you have any explanation to offer, the sooner the better..."
"Don't worry about it, Fleet Admiral. Things won't turn into the kind of hassle you Marines dread. By tomorrow or the day after, everything will be resolved, no problems... Just eat some food and get some sleep, it'll be over before you know it."
'That said, if I can't shut Smoker and those Marines up... I'll need to change my approach. Even if I hunt down and kill Law and Straw Hat from here, it won't accomplish much... but if I leave them alone, I'll either lose Caesar or end up owing a debt to those people. In that case...'
Ignoring every question from Kuzan, he headed toward the bound Baby 5 and Buffalo.
Kuzan, for his part, realized that no further questions would get a straight answer, and said nothing more, limiting himself to ordering the Marines, "Hurry up and treat the wounded."
But just as it seemed Doflamingo would mount Buffalo and leave, right before takeoff, he glanced back toward Sue.
"Hey, Pirate Literary Master..."
"? What?"
"Let me give one piece of advice to a little girl who doesn't know anything... I don't particularly care if you're devoted to your Government work, but..."
A mocking smile played across his face.
"If a figurehead tries too hard at her job, her beloved Papa might start to dislike her. Watch yourself..."
Without waiting for Sue's reply, Doflamingo and his people took off and departed Punk Hazard.
Left behind, Sue watched as the half-riffraff Marines scrambled in confusion, desperately treating Smoker's injuries, standing by their side, keeping watch.
Turning over in her mind the meaning of the words Doflamingo had left behind.
***
Meanwhile, aboard the ship belonging to the Straw Hat Pirates, which had departed Punk Hazard several hours earlier.
On the deck, Alice, whose smile never reached her eyes, faced Law, who was technically a subordinate operating under that Pirate Crew's umbrella.
Around them, the Straw Hat Pirates watched the proceedings with varying expressions, forming a loose circle.
Facing each other, yes, but not to fight. Though depending on how things developed, that possibility couldn't be ruled out. Alice had come to hear an explanation, and Law was laying out the events leading up to this point.
"So you're saying you acted solely as Mom's subordinate, in a way that serves the interests of the Golden Lion Pirates."
"I intend to apologize to Miss later for acting on my own without reporting. However, with Straw Hat-ya, Caesar, the Marines, and Joker all in play, once the situation started moving, even intervening would have become difficult. To secure a degree of initiative, I needed to make decisions and act on the spot. ...As you know, Straw Hat-ya in particular has a tendency to charge ahead on his own."
Luffy's name had come up in the conversation, but since his reaction amounted to little more than 'they're sure talking about something complicated,' he just tilted his head and vaguely listened.
He'd probably get a summarized version from Robin or Usopp later.
"Knowing what happened at Impel Down and the Summit War, I can tentatively agree with that much. But what about your actions before all this? Neither I nor Mom knew you had set up a base on Punk Hazard, let alone that you were in a cooperative relationship with Caesar Clown and Joker's people there. And apparently you'd been doing this for months? Why didn't you report it? You weren't planning something underhanded, were you?"
"...How do you already know all of that? Whose report was it?"
"I'm the one asking questions here."
Alice cut him off sharply.
Seeing her eyes narrow ever so slightly, Law gave up on asking questions of his own and continued his explanation.
"I won't deny that my personal circumstances factored into those actions. However, the reason I proceeded alone without reporting was to keep information as secret as possible and to minimize damage if something went wrong. If I made a mistake, at worst, it could be settled cleanly with just my head, no loose ends."
"How commendable. Does that apply to the current situation too? Even at this stage, it seems like you had no intention of reporting to or explaining anything to Mom and the others."
"It was a matter of time, and... as for reporting, I was wary of wiretapping. This is entirely my fault, but during the commotion I lost the Den Den Mushi for the secure communication line. On a regular line, there's a risk of interception by the Marines or other parties operating in the Underworld. Of course, I always intended to act in a way that would ultimately benefit the Golden Lion Pirates, and if any trouble resulted, I was prepared to take responsibility."
"Can you really say no trouble has resulted yet? When Kaido might make a move? If that happens, it's not something that can be resolved with just your head. In fact, it looks like your Alliance was aiming for exactly that from the very start... no, I can't see it any other way."
"Hey, hey, she's seen through absolutely everything... Are you guys gonna be okay?"
Usopp, who had been watching nervously from the sidelines, was visibly trembling with agitation and confusion as he listened to their exchange.
Forming the Alliance and committing to take on one of the Four Emperors, even if only as an eventual goal, had been terrifying enough. Now those plans had been exposed almost immediately, and the one who'd come calling, at least that's what Usopp saw, an assassin, had an almost complete grasp of their movements and the situation.
Chopper, hiding with him behind the mast, watched the proceedings with pleading eyes, murmuring, "Is this going to be okay...?"
Both of them could think of nothing but whether this impromptu summit meeting would spiral into the worst-case scenario Robin had feared: turning the Golden Lion into an enemy.
Because of that, they failed to notice that Caesar, who was tied to that very mast, was barely suppressing a smirk behind a carefully neutral expression.
"As I said, I won't cause trouble. No matter how things develop from here, arrangements are in place to ensure Kaido's wrath won't be directed at the Golden Lion Pirates. In fact, it should work to the Big Boss's benefit. I can't go into detail here, but... you can figure it out, can't you?"
At that, Law glanced toward Caesar.
Following his gaze, Alice looked in the same direction.
That alone was apparently enough for Alice to grasp what he was getting at. She murmured a quiet "Hmm" and asked nothing further.
Afterward, Alice listened to the details of the deal Law and Doflamingo had struck, then fell silent in thought for a while before standing up decisively.
"I think I understand the situation for now. I'll be reporting this to Grandpa and to Mom... That's fine with you, right?"
"Of course. Though... I know I'm in no position to say this after acting on my own, but I'd ask that you refrain from any unauthorized interference or meddling. If the plan goes off track, the profits we can secure might slip right through our fingers."
"...I'd love to say 'look who's talking,' but I'll pass that along to Grandpa and the others too. Also, I doubt it'll come to this, but..."
BA-DUMP!!
"""...!!"""
"If you betray Mom and the others... I won't forgive you."
Whether unconsciously or deliberately.
The Conqueror's Haki that burst from Alice swept across the deck, and among those present, several nearly lost consciousness.
The only one who actually fainted was, understandably given his age, Momonosuke.
Without sparing that a single glance, Alice levitated using her Powers and flew away, just like that.
To be continued...