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BOOM!
Before the stunned eyes of Van Augur, Mont Blanc Cricket, and the others, a searing bolt of white lightning tore through the thunderclouds.
The power was terrifying to behold.
"Thunder God's Judgment: The Five-Coiled Serpent!"
Wielding the storm, Jin was like a god of thunder—incinerating Machvise and his men where they stood.
———————————
Marineford.
Sengoku had convened a meeting of the Seven Warlords. They were on a short recess.
Inside the waiting room, Jinbe sat ramrod straight.
Hancock, the picture of boredom, was draped languidly over her chair.
Mihawk sat with his arms crossed, his head bowed. Beneath the wide brim of his hat, it was impossible to tell if he was asleep or merely feigning it.
"That flamingo actually showing up for a meeting," Hanafuda mused, holding a cup of coffee. "Now that's a surprise."
Jinbe glanced at him. "Your presence is just as surprising."
Hancock shot him a sidelong glance. "He's likely worried about being stripped of his title after that pathetic defeat."
Hanafuda let out an awkward cough.
So much for tact.
His defeat at the hands of Jin had dealt a significant blow to the reputation of the Warlords. And while their ranks were currently full, Hanafuda was genuinely worried the World Government would discard him now that he'd served his purpose.
Not only had his reputation plummeted, but he was also being ostracized within the Beasts Pirates back in Wano. Even the new recruits dared to mock him behind his back. The loss of his arm was a painful and constant reminder of his diminished strength.
Under these circumstances, the Warlord title he had once scorned had suddenly become something precious. He couldn't afford to lose it.
In truth, the Five Elders had indeed discussed revoking his title—and even the possibility of eliminating him. However, Ace had refused their offer to become a Warlord. For the sake of maintaining the balance of power, they had allowed him to remain.
Jinbe turned his attention to Mihawk. "Hawkeye, your attendance is also quite the surprise."
Since the inception of the Warlord system, had they ever had perfect attendance?
Mihawk tilted his head up slightly, revealing the piercing, hawk-like eyes beneath the brim of his hat.
"I am merely here to inquire about someone," he said.
"Oh?"
"That king who has been making a name for himself in Paradise. I wish to know the details."
A flicker of interest lit up Hancock's beautiful eyes. "Even the World's Greatest Swordsman concerns himself with such matters?"
She sat up a little straighter.
'So, that man is already attracting this level of attention?' A swell of pride rose in her chest.
"Hmph."
In truth, Mihawk was asking on behalf of Shanks. The redhead had come all the way from the New World, stopping by Kuraigana Island first to catch up. Then he had asked Mihawk to see if he could dig up any unique intelligence on this new player—another card to hold in his hand.
Hanafuda's face soured. "Hey, you're not talking about..."
"If I am not mistaken," Jinbe interjected, "it is the same man who defeated you. And..." He glanced outside.
"He is the reason that other one is here, is he not?"
Jinbe had heard that the king, under the pretext of "assistance," had taken control of several islands belonging to member nations. One of them had ties to Doflamingo. Was Doflamingo here to put pressure on the Marines and the World Government?
———————————
In the adjacent room.
Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru were discussing the meeting.
The Fleet Admiral had two objectives for this summit.
First, to collect the "protection money" the Warlords were required to pay.
Second, to address the issue of Ace. His refusal of the Warlord title was a slap in the face to the Five Elders. He was given an opportunity and had thrown it back in their faces. He had to be dealt with.
"The Five Elders' position is that Ace has insulted the Warlords," Sengoku said. "They want the Warlords to be the ones to eliminate him. It would also serve to restore their prestige after Hanafuda's defeat and Ace's refusal."
"Ideally, Hanafuda should be the one to accept the mission," he added.
"He will," Tsuru said, her tone concise, her hand propping up her chin.
Currently, the Seven Warlords were: Jinbe, Hancock, Mihawk, Doflamingo, Hanafuda, Crocodile, and Gekko Moria.
The latter two were absent. One was a shut-in on Thriller Bark. The other... was busy setting up a bounty hunter's guild. Who knew what he was thinking...
"Hanafuda needs a victory to prove his worth," Tsuru stated.
Sengoku nodded. "The real headache is the Tyrant, Kuma. Still no leads. He's vanished without a trace." He sighed. "Thankfully, enough time has passed that the initial storm has died down. But the Levely is next year. If we can't capture him by then, the Marines will be the target of everyone's condemnation."
Tsuru frowned, shaking her head. The whole affair was bizarre. A man like Kuma... disappearing just like that.
"Could he be hiding in the Calm Belt?" she wondered.
Sengoku's eyes lit up. "It's possible. I'll have Sakazuki conduct a search."
———————————
Outside, Doflamingo stood on a balcony, admiring the view of the base.
Purupurupuru...
The Den Den Mushi in his pocket rang. He answered it.
"What is it, Diamante?"
"Doffy... Machvise is dead."
The smile on Doflamingo's face froze. A vein pulsed on his forehead. "What happened?"
Doflamingo's organization was the Donquixote Family. His codename in the underworld was "Joker." His top executives were named after the four suits of a deck of cards. Diamante was the executive of the Diamond army, and Machvise was a member of that army. Without a chain of command, the whole family would fall into chaos.
"It was that Black Dragon King," Diamante said, his voice thick with anger. "He entered Mock Town on the pretext of searching for a missing crewman and had his men tear the place apart."
Jin's official title was the King of the Winter Blossom Kingdom. But because of his flag and his actions, he had earned many other names: the Black Dragon King, the Lord of the Bloody Black Dragon, the Butcher of Hannabal, the Pirate Slayer...
"Machvise went to stop him, to keep him from discovering... the trade," Diamante explained. "And he was killed."
Machvise had a bounty of 11,000,000 Berries. But that was from eleven years ago; it had been frozen when Doflamingo became a Warlord. He was one of the "old guard," one of the first to join the family. Doflamingo didn't have any particular affection for him, but he wasn't about to let one of his own be killed without consequence.
"Mock Town, you say?"
"Yes."
"I see." Doflamingo hung up.
"I haven't even dealt with you for that swan incident," he hissed, "and you're already getting bolder. Fuffuffuffu... I hope you're still there." He placed a hand on the railing, his rage twisting into a wide, manic grin.
Suddenly, he vaulted over the railing and soared through the air, disappearing into the clouds.
"Doflamingo??" a Marine soldier exclaimed in shock. "Where is he going? Report this immediately!"
When Sengoku and Tsuru heard that Doflamingo had taken a call and left in a hurry, they were baffled.
"Did something happen? Intelligence, get me a situation report, now!"
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