The two-story highland palace of Dressrosa stood silent.
"Dover, Dover—what's wrong? What happened? Why are you so angry, Dover?"
Torrepol's nasal voice whined as he oozed snot, his grotesque appearance as revolting as ever.
But King Donquixote Doflamingo, the Shichibukai and ruler of Dressrosa, did not respond.
His expression was dark and thunderous, as though storm clouds had gathered across his face. Veins bulged on his forehead, betraying the rage boiling within.
Just minutes earlier, Doflamingo had been grinning, mocking the failure of Crocodile's coup in Alabasta as reported in the World Economic News.
He had gloated with smug superiority. After all, both he and Crocodile shared one thing in common—they had stolen countries for themselves. But unlike Crocodile, whose carefully laid plans collapsed in ruin, Doflamingo had succeeded eight years ago and continued to reign unchallenged.
Originally, the Alabasta affair had been nothing more than a source of amusement for him.
That was until he turned to the last page of the newspaper.
There, Morgans had published an interview with Sugisawa Yuuto, the president of Fairy Tail.
"...If you suffer under similar oppression, if your nation is crushed beneath pirates or the Shichibukai, do not hesitate to send us a request. No matter how far—Cape Tianya or beyond—we will see the mission through!"
For ordinary readers, it might have seemed like a harmless "advertisement."
But Doflamingo was no ordinary reader. The words pierced him, stirring something poisonous inside. His intuition screamed—Sugisawa Yuuto's declaration was aimed at him. A challenge. A provocation.
Because Doflamingo knew the truth. He was guilty. His throne was stolen, his rule illegitimate.
"Hey, Dover, maybe you're reading too much into it..." Torrepol said tentatively.
"Maybe it's nothing... Fairy Tail, if they really dare come here, they'll never leave alive. Don't compare me with trash like Crocodile!"
Doflamingo sneered, his laugh cold and venomous.
Sphinx Island – The Whitebeard Pirates
"Everyone, listen to this! Fairy Tail's in the headlines again!"
Thatch, the Fourth Division captain, waved the newspaper excitedly.
"Already? Trouble again, and so soon? What a rowdy bunch," Marco, the First Division captain, remarked lazily.
"Don't be so dismissive, Marco. What they've done isn't bad!" Thatch corrected.
"Oh? Then what happened this time?" asked Vista, the Fifth Division captain, curious.
"They exposed Crocodile's conspiracy in Alabasta, crushed his scheme, and saved an entire kingdom!" Thatch explained, handing the paper to the others.
"Nani?!"
"It was Crocodile?!"
"To think he was beaten down this badly..."
The division captains muttered in surprise.
"That guy Crocodile even tried to challenge Pops once!" someone recalled.
"After failing against Father, he vanished from the scene. And now this... beaten senseless by Fairy Tail of all people."
"But... to take down someone like Crocodile, this Sugisawa Yuuto must be extraordinary," Vista admitted.
"The Fairy Tail guild takes on commissions... Does everything..." Ace, the Second Division captain, muttered thoughtfully. "If I commissioned them to help us fight Kaido, would they accept?"
"Commission Fairy Tail to fight Kaido?" Jozu, the Third Division captain, barked a laugh. "Ace, do you even have the money for that? Taking on a Yonko won't come cheap."
Ace patted his pockets. Nothing. Not a single coin. He gave a sheepish grin.
"Even if you had the money, I doubt they'd take it. Crocodile's one thing. But Kaido? That's suicide," Izo, the Sixteenth Division captain, said firmly.
"Exactly," Teach—Blackbeard—added smoothly. "Best to wait for the right opportunity, Ace. Don't rush in headfirst."
"Hahaha, you're right!" Ace laughed, though fire still burned in his eyes.
Onigashima – The Hundred Beasts
"Hmph. Fairy Tail, huh? Do those little brats think they're heroes?"
Kaido, Emperor of the Beasts, drank deeply, sake spilling from his lips as he roared with laughter.
Crash!
His enormous gourd shattered as it hit the floor.
"Heroes? Don't make me laugh. You're nothing but children playing house. In this world... so-called heroes never meet a good end. Remember that..."
The Red Force – Red-Haired Pirates
"Ahahahaha! Fairy Tail, huh? What an incredible bunch!"
Shanks laughed heartily, ale sloshing from his mug.
"Shanks," Benn Beckman, his first mate, said with a serious look, "I have a feeling their rise might change the very balance of this world."
"Maybe so," Shanks replied with a grin. "But for now—drink! To Alabasta's salvation!"
"Ohhh!" the crew cheered, raising their cups high.
Sabaody Archipelago – Shakky's Rip-Off Bar
"Well, Fairy Tail... what an amusing little guild. What do you think, old Ray?" Shakky asked, smoke curling from her lips as she leaned back behind the bar.
"They're brimming with youth and fire," Rayleigh replied with a nostalgic smile. "That Sugisawa Yuuto... truly a man to envy."
Shakky arched a brow. "Old man, don't tell me you're jealous again."
"Ahahaha, just kidding!" Rayleigh chuckled.
The Beautiful Pirates
"Captain, Fairy Tail has stolen the spotlight again!" the vice-captain announced.
"Hmph. Irrelevant," Cavendish scoffed, flipping his golden hair arrogantly. "I still hold a bounty of two hundred million—far beyond their reach. I remain the brightest star on the seas. And more importantly, in terms of beauty... that Sugisawa Yuuto cannot compare!"
With a narcissistic flourish, Cavendish struck a pose, basking in his own imagined glory.
...
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