It wasn't just the major factions that had received the news.
Even the Navy had caught wind of it.
And more importantly—Fleet Admiral Sengoku was taking it very seriously.
After all, Seastone was a strategic resource. Its control was one of the key factors ensuring the Calm Belt could still serve as a natural barrier separating the Four Seas from the Grand Line.
If a few pieces ended up in the hands of major powers, that wouldn't be too concerning.
Larger powers tended to follow the rules. As had been said many times before, the ones who caused the most harm to civilians weren't the Four Emperors—it was the countless small and mid-sized pirate crews roaming unchecked.
Every year, more than ninety percent of civilian casualties caused by pirate raids could be attributed to these smaller, scattered pirate groups.
In other words, if Seastone wasn't strictly regulated, pirates from the Grand Line could freely cross the Calm Belt, pouring into the Four Seas.
The chaos that would follow was something the World Government and Navy absolutely couldn't afford.
"He set up the bait himself, then deliberately leaked the information to us… What exactly is Doflamingo trying to pull?"
"Most likely—he's trying to have someone else do the dirty work."
In the Navy HQ office, Admiral Tsuru offered her thoughts calmly, while Sengoku fumed in silence.
"Have someone else do the dirty work? Tsuru, do you know something?"
"Hmm, do you recall the incident a while back where Doflamingo sent a slave ship to the Goa Kingdom in the East Blue?"
"Yes, I remember. According to the reports, the ship was attacked as soon as it entered the prosperous waters of the East Blue. Every last person—slaves and escorts alike—disappeared without a trace."
Sengoku nodded. The Intelligence Division had submitted a report on the matter. He hadn't forgotten it—but he hadn't been able to connect the dots either. What did that incident have to do with Doflamingo using someone to kill for him?
"Given Doflamingo's vengeful nature, he would never let something like that slide."
"Now, looking at the bigger picture—it's likely he found out, through the black market, that this mysterious force was trying to acquire Seastone."
"And considering his status in the underground world, it's not far-fetched for him to get his hands on such sensitive intel."
Indeed, Tsuru's sharp analysis of intelligence was among the best in the entire Navy.
She had already deduced most of the truth—and quite accurately at that.
"Tsuru, do you know who this force might be?"
"No, but I strongly suspect it's that new East Blue organization—Jun Lin."
Jun Lin…
Sengoku fell into deep thought.
He'd heard of them—especially over the past month or two.
Jun Lin had been very active.
First, they'd swept through the East Blue, purging numerous pirate groups. Then they appeared in the South Blue—doing the same thing.
Recently, reports indicated that they had shown up near Alabasta. Once again, they were hunting pirates—relentlessly.
However, because they exclusively targeted pirates, never clashed with the Navy, and had no record of harming civilians, the Navy hadn't treated them as an urgent threat.
Moreover, the Navy's plate was already full—handling the aftermath in East Blue while keeping a close watch on interactions between the Four Emperors. There simply hadn't been time to deal with Jun Lin.
"Why them?"
"Because in the East Blue, no one else could've taken down that ship."
Sengoku's eyes narrowed, realization dawning.
That's right—the ship Doflamingo sent had guards on board.
They weren't particularly powerful by Grand Line standards, but in the East Blue?
They were top-tier. Far beyond what typical East Blue pirates could handle.
"Tsuru, how much intel has your division gathered on Jun Lin?"
"Very little—barely five confirmed pieces of information."
Tsuru shook her head, then pulled a sheet from a stack of documents.
"One: Jun Lin members all wear standardized uniforms. Their design resembles Navy uniforms by over 70%, aside from the color scheme. Their officers, in particular, wear black cloaks with the word 'Jun Lin' boldly printed on the back."
"Two: Jun Lin possesses a massive underwater vessel—entirely black, over 200 meters long—capable of submersible travel."
"Three: Their firearms far exceed the Navy's standard weapons in both range and power. We've retrieved what appear to be their bullets after battles. Our science division is currently studying them."
"Four: Jun Lin seems to have a method for rapidly enhancing ordinary individuals. Even their lowest-ranked soldiers are said to rival Marine lieutenants. Though it's possible what we've seen so far aren't truly their lowest rank—this remains unconfirmed."
"Five: Jun Lin has an incredibly efficient force deployment capability. This may be due to a Devil Fruit ability or some unknown function of their ship. They can reportedly deploy forces over a thousand nautical miles away—almost instantly."
Yes—the Navy had noticed Jun Lin's presence two months ago.
But in those two months, these were the only solid pieces of intel they'd managed to gather.
And even then—much of the report was filled with vague terms like possibly, presumably, and maybe.
"This era is already chaotic enough... and now a group like this appears. We don't even know if they're friend or foe."
"Tsuru, what's your suggestion on how we should deal with Jun Lin?"
Sengoku let out a long sigh after a moment of contemplation.
"I believe we should focus on intel gathering for now. Avoid making any rash moves."
"I agree. And what about Doflamingo?"
"If he wants to use us as a knife, why not let him?"
"But who says a knife is only good for killing?"
Tsuru's words were pointed.
Sengoku's eyes lit up in response.
Exactly. A knife could be borrowed—but it didn't have to be used to kill.
On the contrary, Doflamingo's trap was the perfect opportunity for the Navy to probe Jun Lin.
Whether they would strike or not—that decision could wait.
"If we deploy the Admirals, it would cause too much of a stir. Too many eyes are on them at all times."
"So…"
"This operation will be handled by Tokikake/Chaton and Gion. They're both recently promoted Admiral candidates—it'll be a good opportunity for them to show their strength and deter the seas."
"Also, send five elite Vice-Admirals and several battleships."
"Have Kizaru on standby—just in case."
Sengoku finalized the plan quickly.
While Admirals wouldn't be personally dispatched, this force—at least in the first half of the Grand Line—was nearly unbeatable unless a Yonko showed up.
And with Kizaru on standby at Marineford, he could arrive within an hour if needed.
"Alright, I'll begin the arrangements."
Tsuru nodded in agreement.
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