At the same Pangaea Castle, Neptune and Doflamingo stepped out of the conference room together.
They hadn't known each other before, but Neptune had seen in the Golden City proposal that Doflamingo was one of the participants. That alone made them something like partners.
Still, that wasn't what really drew them closer. The day before the Reverie began, Neptune had been humiliated in this very place, and it was Doflamingo who stepped in and beat that king senseless for it.
After that, the distance between them vanished. Over the past few days of meetings, the two of them had practically been joined at the hip.
"I never would've guessed Your Majesty Doflamingo was so close to the Navy," Neptune said with curiosity as he walked at Doflamingo's side.
In today's session, Doflamingo had repeatedly spoken up as the King of Dressrosa, firmly backing Fleet Admiral Sengoku. More than once, he'd shut down the allied nations' provocations and the sort of unreasonable demands that had no business being brought to the table.
Doflamingo let out a low chuckle. "Fufufufufu. I've got a close relationship with Admiral Benn, and I cooperate with the Marines in plenty of ways. At a time like this, helping keep things in line is only natural."
Outwardly, that was all he said. Inside, he scoffed.
Like I'm going to tell you I'm a registered Rear Admiral at Marine Headquarters, codename Flamingo, Intelligence Division. Or that my direct superior, Chief Staff Officer Akagi, was sitting in that room just now. Give it a while—once the Coast Guard gets rolling, I'll be promoted to Vice Admiral.
And Sengoku? He's also my superior. I'm in the Navy—am I supposed to just watch my Fleet Admiral get cornered?
If your boss is in trouble and you don't help, what kind of future do you think you'll have?
Of course, Neptune had no idea about any of Doflamingo's absurd "other identities."
Hearing the words at face value, Neptune was genuinely moved. "Before I came, Admiral Ortoren told me that when attending meetings in Holy Land, I didn't need to worry about my safety. He said Admiral Kuzan and Your Majesty Doflamingo would step in and handle anything unpleasant for me."
Neptune smiled warmly. "Seeing it for myself now… Your Majesty Doflamingo truly is a man of honor."
Doflamingo lifted a hand in modest dismissal, about to respond, when the Den Den Mushi in his pocket suddenly buzzed.
He drew it out, glanced at it, then looked back at Neptune.
Neptune immediately took the hint. "I've got something to take care of as well. Please, go ahead."
"Don't forget," Doflamingo said smoothly, "we're having dinner together tonight…"
Neptune laughed and replied with a few easy words before heading off. Only then did Doflamingo answer the call.
"Vergo? What is it?"
On the other end, Vergo spoke in a steady voice. "Young Master, the Admiral has issued a summons for the Shichibukai. You, along with Mihawk, Moria, and Slekemind, are to assemble at Aquino Island in the New World."
"Hm?" Doflamingo's brows drew together, a flicker of surprise passing through him. "Did they say what it's about?"
"No. It's the standard Shichibukai procedure—this wasn't a personal contact from the Admiral," Vergo explained. Then he continued, lowering his tone slightly. "But we've already caught some rumors. The Admiral seems to be preparing to move against the Whitebeard Pirates. This summons is probably tied to that."
After all, the Donquixote Pirates and the New World Navy had long enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. If Doflamingo hadn't left early for Holy Land, Admiral Ortoren would've called him in to attend the meeting as well.
So it wasn't strange at all that the Donquixote Pirates could pick up whispers from high-ranking Navy circles in the New World. Vergo only needed to place a Den Den Mushi call and casually ask someone like Momonga, and the information would come back soon enough.
"Whitebeard?" Doflamingo's heart lurched. "Understood. I'll head out right—"
"Ah, no, no!" Vergo cut in quickly. "The summons gives plenty of time. They're not moving immediately. Even after you finish the Reverie, you'll still have more than enough leeway."
At first, the moment Doflamingo heard "summons," he'd been ready to drop the Reverie on the spot and head for the rendezvous.
To him, the Reverie mattered far less than whatever was happening on Ortoren's side. The only reason he'd shown up at all was to return to Holy Land openly, with his head held high.
He wanted to send a message to those bastard Celestial Dragons: even if you won't let me return to your ranks, I, Doflamingo, can still walk into Holy Land in broad daylight, invited here by the World Government.
And this was only the beginning. Sooner or later…
He tamped those thoughts down and spoke evenly. "I get it. Get things ready on your end. Come to Holy Land to pick me up. Once the Reverie ends, we'll go straight there and meet up with the Admiral."
"Understood," Vergo answered at once.
...
Over at the Golden City construction site, Moria received a notice as well, but his was completely different from what the other Shichibukai got.
Tesoro contacted him personally, telling him to rush preparations for a labor force and leave immediately for Aquino Island. They were to start building out the battlefield infrastructure there.
Moria was stunned by the news, but an order was an order. He didn't dare waste time.
He wasn't part of the Marines, but he understood one thing clearly: anything tied to Ortoren couldn't be delayed. He hurriedly set the Golden City project aside and began calling up huge numbers of laborers from Hachinosu under his command.
At the same time, major Navy bases across the New World began to move.
Squadrons of warships, packed with Marine personnel, sailed out from ports everywhere, carrying elite forces toward Aquino Island. Supply ships followed along with the fleets, loaded down with provisions, shells, weapons, and every other kind of logistical stockpile, all headed for the same destination.
Even with the New World Navy trying to keep things as quiet as possible, a mobilization on this scale still sent shockwaves through the entire New World.
For a while, the big names across the sea all wondered the same thing: what exactly was Ortoren, the New World's hegemon, planning?
Whatever it was, one thing was certain. The air already reeked of an oncoming storm, the kind that only comes before something massive erupts.
...
Totto Land, Whole Cake Island.
Inside the castle on Cake Island, Charlotte Linlin lounged on her throne, grabbing sweets at random and stuffing them into her mouth.
Her figure hadn't changed at all despite the constant sugar, but if Ortoren had been here, he would've noticed it: her looks had slipped a little.
Not by much, but enough to be real.
It looked like her "shelf life" was nearing its end.
Yet compared to that slight fade, the natural pressure she gave off had grown thicker, heavier, more oppressive. If anything, it suggested that while her beauty was declining, her strength had risen quite a bit since the last time they met.
Just as Charlotte Linlin shoved another piece of cake into her mouth, Katakuri walked in from outside.
Chewing messily, she asked through a mouthful, "So? Did you figure it out? The New World Marines suddenly started moving. What's going on?"
Katakuri folded his arms, his voice calm and steady. "I already contacted Gion. She said Toren is mobilizing because the New World Navy is planning to make a move against the Whitebeard Pirates…"
Gion wasn't an outsider to the Charlotte family anymore. She was Ortoren's wife now, one of their own.
And Katakuri, being the kind of brother who cared deeply about family, checked in from time to time with Gion and Ruko, asking after Ortoren's home life and how Ace was doing.
It wasn't just him. Charlotte Linlin herself called Ruko through a Den Den Mushi almost every week, trying to build a bond with Ace.
Hearing that, Charlotte Linlin sat up sharply. "Whitebeard!?"
"Yes. They mean to wipe out the Whitebeard Pirates," Katakuri confirmed.
Something complicated flashed through Charlotte Linlin's eyes. Her brow tightened as if she were weighing the pieces in her head.
"This is only the beginning…" she said at last, her voice heavier than before.
Katakuri had clearly reached the same conclusion. He nodded. "That's what I think too. If Toren really wipes out the Whitebeard Pirates in one stroke, then sooner or later he'll come for us and the Beast Pirates as well."
He paused, then continued. "On the surface, it looks like a Navy operation targeting Whitebeard. But in truth, it's a sign that Toren means to sweep the New World clean."
Charlotte Linlin stayed silent for a long time, then looked straight at him. "So do we stop him?"
Katakuri hesitated, then shook his head. "I don't think stopping him is the smart move. This was going to happen sooner or later."
His tone remained steady, but there was something firmer underneath it. "And more importantly… we're family. Our positions might clash, but no matter who wins, it's still a victory for us Charlottes. Don't you think so, Mama?"
Charlotte Linlin's fingers drummed rapidly against the table piled with sweets. After a moment, as if she'd made up her mind, she let out a quiet sigh.
"Fine. Let him cause trouble. When he finally brings it to my doorstep, I won't be scared of that bastard son of mine…"
Those words were her agreement: Katakuri was right.
No matter how messy it got, the ones who would come out on top were the Charlotte family.
This chunk of meat called the New World was always going to end up simmering in their family's pot.
...
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