Fuffuffuffuffuffu, truly audacious. I can already imagine the chaos over at Mary Geoise." A young man still wearing sunglasses indoors laughed unrestrainedly. He cast his gaze towards a man across the coffee table who bore some resemblance to him; the arrogant laughter was met only with silent stillness.
That man, draped in a dark feathered coat like a large crow, watched his elder brother opposite him with eyes so calm they bordered on lifeless. He could almost predict Dofla's next sentence.
Sure enough, the man dressed in a well-tailored black suit adjusted his sunglasses: "Fuffu, I really want to see the terrified expressions of those high-and-mighty guys with my own eyes. At least this way they can experience one ten-thousandth of the terror and despair we felt back then."
Although Doflamingo was laughing, his hand unconsciously clenched into a fist. He looked at his brother, who could no longer speak, his expression somewhat ferocious: "It's all Father's fault. If not for his whimsical decision back then, Mother wouldn't have gotten sick and died in that filthy environment! We wouldn't have been tied to crosses by those damn mobs and suffered! Corazon, I really want to see the expressions of those Celestial Dragons, really..."
He glanced at Corazon, who remained silent throughout. Trebol, Vergo, and the others were certainly reliable, but the one before him was the only family member he could truly confide his inner thoughts to.
Although the concept of family affection had already faded for him after he personally shot his own father.
This cruel rising star pirate, thriving in the North Blue, revealed his most vulnerable side: "Why? Even after I killed Father, I still couldn't get forgiveness from those people in Mary Geoise? Corazon, I'm jealous, jealous to the point of madness!!"
The kind-hearted Navy undercover agent didn't know how to comfort his brother. He could only listen quietly, listening as Dofla continued to pour out his heart.
Every time, every single time Doflamingo dreamt of being chased by mobs, eating trash dug out from garbage cans, drinking filthy gutter water, he would wake up startled from his sleep, and then his hatred for the Celestial Dragons, for the ignorant masses, for his father, would deepen by another layer. He patted his younger brother's red hood: "Here, the North Blue is just the beginning, I swear. One day, I will go and reclaim the throne belonging to the Donquixote family, show those high-and-mighty kinsmen, I myself can also possess great strength! Unrivaled power!!"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the sea.
Navy Headquarters was actively responding to the World Government's call, immediately dispatching multiple Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals to launch a net-casting style capture operation across various sea routes.
Navy Hero Garp, the three candidates for Navy Headquarters Admiral—none were left behind, coordinating with over a dozen Rear Admirals in pursuit.
Hmm, the posture was ample, the lineup fierce, but it was ultimately useless.
No matter how capable Sakazuki and Garp were, if the others didn't show their heads, simply hiding directly at the bottom of the sea, what could you do?
Moreover, the current relationship between Fish-Man Island and the Navy was quite deep, and the Fish-Man Island circumferential defense system was being constructed vigorously.
Even though the incident of Tiger rampaging through the Holy Land had cooled relations somewhat, whether it was the Ryugu Kingdom led by Neptune and Otohime, or Jinbe's group who had joined the Navy, they all became strong buffer points for the conflict between the two sides.
"How did Neptune reply to us?" The Five Elders stared intently at the official responsible for foreign relations with affiliated nations. "There is already conclusive evidence showing that the Fish-Man Tiger Fisher caused this heinous incident. Fish-Man Island must give the World Government an explanation!"
"Uh... Your Excellencies, the Ryugu Kingdom officially issued a statement..." The World Government's diplomat carefully chose his words.
The gleam reflected from the bald elder's glasses obscured his eyes. His voice was cold and calm, but the diplomat heard the suppressed anger beneath the other's words: "A statement? Does Fish-Man Island intend to bite back, condemning us for arresting their citizens?"
"...No, quite the opposite, Your Excellency Gorosei. Fish-Man Island's Ryugu Kingdom has already dispatched the first batch of Fish-Man Marines led by Jinbe, saying they want to assist the World Government in capturing the deeply sinful Tiger." The liaison diplomat's words, as soon as they left his mouth, stunned the Five Elders.
Fish-Man Island's actions completely deviated from the expected script. Logically, whether out of consideration for protecting its own kingdom's citizens, or as retaliation for the Celestial Dragons' vile acts of capturing Fish-Men and Merfolk over the years, Fish-Man Island should stand opposite the World Government.
At the very least, Neptune, seeking stability, should have chosen neutrality for the Ryugu Kingdom in this incident.
But this sudden bootlicking left the World Government, accustomed to Fish-Man Island's indifferent attitude, completely bewildered.
Did Neptune take the wrong medicine? This was the first reaction in the Five Elders' minds. Although it was clearly a good thing, this sense of awkwardness just wouldn't dissipate from their minds.
The elder with waterfall-like white hair turned around, his brow tightly furrowed, and said in a deep voice: "Bring that statement over!"
The foreign affairs official dared not delay, presenting the recently received royal statement from the Ryugu Kingdom with both hands, head bowed low, not daring to look at the ashen-faced five powers-that-be.
"What does the statement say?" By the time the white-haired elder had picked up the statement and flipped through it for the fifth time, his colleague with a map-shaped birthmark on his head could no longer hold back and asked.
The elder holding the statement document didn't make a sound, just furrowed his brow even tighter and passed the statement file to his already somewhat impatient colleague.
Picking up the statement sent by Neptune, the elder with a full silver beard felt like he had eaten shit just reading the first sentence—"The Fish-Man Island side expresses deep concern regarding the attack on Holy Land Mary Geoise and extends sincere condolences to the wounded in this incident..."
Viewed in isolation, this sentence seemed perfectly fine, even expressing very appropriate and thoughtful concern. But combined with the current knowledge that the culprit was the Fish-Man Tiger, this piece of diplomatic rhetoric could almost be considered blatant provocation.
"Damn it, is Neptune mocking the World Government's inadequate protection?" The short-tempered elder with the map birthmark suddenly widened his eyes, roaring out loud: "Since the serious offender Tiger originated from Fish-Man Island, we have reason to suspect that the Ryugu Kingdom is the mastermind behind this premeditated attack!"
The white-haired elder, however, made a gesture to calm down, tapping his finger: "Read the next paragraph."
"The Ryugu Kingdom side is willing to cooperate fully with the World Government to capture the main culprit, and has already dispatched a Navy unit led by the elite Fish-Man Jinbe to cooperate with Navy Hero Garp in pursuing the criminal... This... Hiss?" Even if the map-headed elder was in a worse mood, he could sense a trace of incongruity.
The white-haired elder interlaced his fingers and slowly closed his eyes, seeming to be organizing his thoughts: "Found the problem, haven't you?"
The blond regent, who had remained silent all along, pointed out the crux of the issue: "Why would a country under significant suspicion choose to cooperate fully with the World Government at the first instance? Instead of trying desperately to distance itself from the criminal?"
The elder wearing a flat cap tapped the floor beneath his feet with his cane and muttered to himself: "Is it deliberately choosing to stand on our side to interfere with our judgment?"
What he didn't know was that he was actually very close to the real answer.
But alas, this statement, seemingly originating from Neptune, was precisely targeted at the suspicious hearts of politicians.
"No, that's not right." The elder muttering to himself shook his head, rejecting the previous judgment: "This doesn't make sense. If the Ryugu Kingdom deliberately laid a confusing trail, why would they be so sarcastic and piercing at the beginning of the statement?"
The bald elder voiced his thoughts: "If Neptune truly planned this attack, were I to respond to the World Government's questioning... First point, I would try my best to minimize my presence, not provoke the World Government. Then, try as much as possible to distance myself from the pawn Tiger, maintaining the Ryugu Kingdom's neutrality and innocence."
"But, Neptune didn't do that." He leaned the treasured sword, renowned as a national treasure, against his shoulder and vigorously rubbed his temples: "First, he implicitly mocked the Celestial Dragons, then, seemingly slapping our faces, dispatched the Fish-Man Navy under Kuzan's supervision, as if completely unafraid we would discover he was the mastermind?"
The white-haired elder exchanged a look with the bald elder and nodded: "Either Neptune is an out-and-out fool, or..."
The group had a tacit understanding. Years of cooperative work made them exceptionally clear about each other's thoughts. The blond elder logically concluded: "Or, he has enough confidence to prove that the Ryugu Kingdom was not the mastermind behind this attack."
When this Great Knight of the Sea wavered between the Navy and the New World hegemon Whitebeard, seeking the most secure protection, the Five Elders determined that this was definitely a rational monarch pursuing the maximum benefit for his own country.
"Currently, this is the only possibility that can explain the statement he sent," the Five Elders made the most rational judgment.
The Five Elders' complexions grew increasingly gloomy: "If Neptune did not participate in this matter, then things become troublesome. We know nothing about the true mastermind behind the scenes."
From their seasoned perspective, they fundamentally wouldn't believe a mere slave would have the courage to challenge the entire Celestial Dragon collective, let alone the immensely powerful World Government.
Moreover, how could a slave be so familiar with the structure of Mary Geoise? So knowledgeable about the entire Holy Land's security weak points?
"Regardless, first have the Navy capture that Fish-Man alive. Only then can we obtain the correct clues from his mouth," the five regents issued the latest directive.
Little did they know, the serious Fish-Man offender they demanded be captured alive was currently drinking heartily at the bottom of the sea with the Fish-Man Marines who had found him.
The pursuit, of course, caught up. The "merciless" attacks also followed one after another.
Jinbe was a good child; things like drinking together and having a banquet after the fight were not to be mentioned.
Kuzan was having a confidential conversation with the true drafter of this statement. To ensure it wasn't monitored, the phone call, encrypted five times and routed through six interference relays, effectively prevented the world-shattering words from leaking out: "Senior Brother Sakazuki, won't doing this backfire? This way, Fish-Man Island's suspicion becomes even greater, and you're deliberately provoking the Five Elders' already sensitive nerves."
Sakazuki, floating on the sea, revealed a cryptic cold smile: "What do you know? I just like pushing obsessive thinkers like this to their deaths."