The man's scolding voice came sharp through the line.
The Den Den Mushi on the table mimicked Gild Tesoro's expression perfectly — frown, furrowed brow, and all.
After a long silence, Tesoro's deep voice rumbled through.
"Doflamingo, the Marines' stance is firm. Even the Five Elders have backed their decision. All I can do now is keep the pressure on."
Doflamingo sat on a golden sofa, legs crossed, silent. He didn't bother replying — just ended the call with a flick of his thumb.
Donquixote Doflamingo.
Former Celestial Dragon.
Current King of Dressrosa.
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Ruler of the underworld.
All these glittering titles belonged to the man lounging in that chair, a cruel grin playing beneath his sunglasses.
The trade losses, the bribery of Celestial Dragons, and his attempts to stall Marine operations — all of that was just surface noise.
What truly mattered was the order from Kaido.
No matter what it took — by money, force, or manipulation — he was to stop the Marines from capturing Ace until Kaido arrived.
As long as Ace remained on Sabaody Archipelago, Kaido's grand dream — the ultimate war — was destined to ignite.
Doflamingo let out his trademark laugh.
"Fufufufu... Things are getting interesting."
But halfway through, his laughter cut off. His expression darkened, shadows swallowing his grin.
"That idiot Kaido... what the hell goes on in that beast's head?!"
If not for Kaido, he wouldn't have to wade into this mess at all.
The weapons trades, the powdered goods, the slave auctions — every lucrative business he ran here had to pause just to stage this little "show."
And the thought of stabbing Kaido in the back...
Oh, how tempting it was. If only he had the power.
Just then, the door opened, and Diamante, one of the Donquixote executives, entered.
"Doffy, something interesting happened," Diamante said gravely.
"The team tailing Ace reported that in Area 12, a tavern owner blocked simultaneous attacks from both Akainu and Ace. And apparently... Rayleigh's a regular there."
Doflamingo's pupils shrank, his grin fading.
Area 12 was right under his nose — if such a clash happened there, he should have felt it. Yet there'd been no sound, no quake, no trace of battle.
That alone told him enough.
He rose slowly, the golden threads of his coat swaying as he murmured,
"Tomorrow, we're going to pay this tavern a visit. Let's see what kind of liquor can attract those kinds of monsters."
Meanwhile — Sabaody Archipelago, Marine Temporary Base
"Report! We've lost the target. Ace's last confirmed location was near the amusement park in Area 20!"
A soldier stood stiffly at attention, voice trembling.
"Get out," Akainu growled, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Fifty million Berries gone in one night, and now he had to repair the tavern lawn too.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt like a complete fool.
Suppressing his irritation, he activated the encrypted Den Den Mushi strapped to his wrist.
Moments later, Sengoku's steady voice came through.
"I hope you're calling with good news."
Akainu took a long breath and recounted everything that had happened at Ron's tavern.
When he finished, the line fell silent.
Sengoku exhaled deeply, his mind replaying the image of Ron — and for a moment, he looked as if he were gazing at a priceless treasure.
If Akainu's account was accurate, then Ron's strength was already at Admiral level, maybe even beyond.
"Continue the search," Sengoku ordered. "You have seven days. Whitebeard and Kaido are both expected to reach Sabaody within that time."
He paused, his tone turning iron-hard.
"And one more thing — until Ron officially joins the Navy, no Marine is to approach his tavern."
With that, the call ended.
Sengoku turned toward the strategy room, where Vice Admiral Momousagi (Peach Rabbit) and several officers were reviewing maps.
"No matter what it takes," Sengoku said firmly, "Ron must be recruited into the Marines!"
Peach Rabbit looked up, intrigued. "Something happened again, didn't it?"
So Sengoku told them everything.
When he finished, silence fell over the entire conference room.
The Magma-Magma Fruit — the strongest offensive Devil Fruit known to the Marines — had been neutralized effortlessly.
And among all Marine officers, only Aokiji and Kizaru had ever survived Akainu's attacks unscathed.
After a long pause, Peach Rabbit leaned back in her chair, voice lazy but teasing.
"Any means necessary... are you sure about that?"
There were plenty of ways to win a man over.
But the fastest, most effective one… well, it came with its own sacrifices.
Everyone in the room seemed to think the same thing at once.
Dozens of eyes turned, almost in unison, toward Tea Dolphin — their gazes shimmering a suspicious shade of green.
Ron's Tavern
After Akainu's furious departure, Rayleigh shamelessly decided to stay for dinner — and Ron didn't mind.
After all, he'd just "earned" fifty million Berries today.
As they sat down, the system's mechanical voice chimed in his mind:
[Ding! Customer Akainu and Customer Two-Faced Turtle's confessions complete.]
[Ding! Target of Akainu's confession: Donquixote Doflamingo — expected to visit the tavern soon.]
[Customer Akainu: Magma-Magma Fruit, Observation Haki — choose one to extract.]
[Customer Two-Faced Turtle: Flame Dragon Scale, Spinning Turtle Fist — choose one to extract.]
Ron's expression twitched. Spinning Turtle Fist... seriously?
He rubbed his chin and said softly, "I'll take the Flame Dragon Scale... and the Magma-Magma Fruit."
[Ding! Rewards processing...]
Moments later, his system inventory displayed a glowing crimson scale and a swirling magma fruit.
With Rayleigh sitting across from him, Ron decided not to test the abilities just yet.
Instead, he grinned. "Guess I ended up helping Ace today too. We'll call it even for that Supreme Grade Sword you gave me."
Then, after a beat, he added casually, "Next time he causes trouble, though, I'm tossing him out. Whether he lives or not, that's up to fate."
He leaned back, clearly pleased. Not a bad haul today — money, power, and a favor from Rayleigh.
Rayleigh nearly spat out his drink. "You're even greedier than Shakky! That's a Supreme Grade Blade we're talking about!"
Wait... Shakky's that stingy? Ron blinked, half amused. Interesting...
"Come on," he said quickly, changing the subject. "Let's eat first. Drinks are on me tonight."
Just then, Rem and Ram walked out from the kitchen, carrying trays of steaming dishes — exotic fish grilled to perfection.
Dinner was hearty, laughter easy.
After a few rounds of sake, Rayleigh, thoroughly drunk, began plucking fish bones from his plate.
One, two, three... seven in total.
He lined them up neatly on a leaf, then grinned at Ron with drunken pride.
"Remember this, kid — seven bones on a leaf is the limit of the body, not the man!"
Ron stared blankly, doubting his own sanity.
What kind of philosophy is that supposed to be?
Truly... no matter how old men get, they remain boys at heart.
And then—
The tavern doors creaked open.
The click of heels echoed against the floorboards.
A tall, elegant figure stepped inside, her silhouette framed by the evening light.
Ron turned his head just in time to see Rayleigh's face go pale — the aged eyes of the Dark King filled with a rare and unmistakable fear.
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